Eating calories burned??

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tradkins12
tradkins12 Posts: 20
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi my name is Terra :) I am totally new to this. I have NEVER exercised or dieted before. I am following a 1800 cal diet (But i am averaging 1500 cal everyday) along with taking 1 whole Adipex 37.5mg a day & exercising at least 30 minutes a day. My starting weight was 320 on 7/8/2011 & I am now at 307.8 for a total weight loss of 12.2lbs in just a little over a week. I am using MFP to keep track of everything I eat and any exercise I do. My question is, should I be eating the calories I am burning during exercise? That just doesn't make any sense to me but I see it is adding it to my remaining calories everyday. Why? Thank in advance :)

Replies

  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
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    Should help to read this, explains how MFP works and why it adds cals (and yes, you're intended to eat them):

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/186814-some-mfp-basics
  • ASleepyJean
    ASleepyJean Posts: 3
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    My understanding of it is that the calories you burn in exercise are "extra". If you're following the MFP recommended calorie allowance then you're going to loose weight, if you don't eat back your exercise calories you're body could go into starvation mode and you can say goodbye to weight loss.
    If you're not eating less calories than you normally would, I would suggest not eating back your exercise calories... :D Good job on your success so far! Keep it up.
  • ivansmomma
    ivansmomma Posts: 500
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    There is a great deal of debate on this subject. Some say to eat your exercise calories or your body will go into starvation mode. Others say not to eat them back because it is just defeating the purpose. I believe you really just have to listen to your body, see how your losses are, and adjust accordingly. I do eat some of my exercise calories back some days, but try to stay between 1400-1600 each day. Take care.
  • Danelectro83
    Danelectro83 Posts: 21
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    The way i understood it, is if you burn to many cal per day your body gose into a starvation mode were you will actualy gain more weight in the long run. i excercise and burn around 500-900 a day so i eat at least 75% of what i burned off, im still at around 2 1/2 lb weight loss per week. anything more according to dietistions is to much and can be unhealthy.
  • tradkins12
    tradkins12 Posts: 20
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    Thanks for the info everyone. I appreciate it :)
  • charmednz
    charmednz Posts: 49 Member
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    Wow thats a huge amount of weight to lose in the first week! well done!
  • bjajdtk
    bjajdtk Posts: 25
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    It is perfectly ok (by MFP standards and planning) to eat your exercize calories. I have been here about 4m ths and lost 42lbs. I mix it up but have learned not to let my net calories be under 1200 or I stall out on weight loss.
  • meltnice
    meltnice Posts: 10
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    First of all, welcome to MFP. I am learning alot with this post of yours, so thanks for posting it!
  • denverdeb1
    denverdeb1 Posts: 34 Member
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    I recently asked my doctor this exact question and he said not to add the exercise calories. There is lots of debate on this but I do not add mine and I am fine. I have recently upped my calories from 1200 to 1500 on advice of my doc. Good luck on your journey!
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
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    I recently asked my doctor this exact question and he said not to add the exercise calories. There is lots of debate on this but I do not add mine and I am fine. I have recently upped my calories from 1200 to 1500 on advice of my doc. Good luck on your journey!

    Unless you also explained that MFP creates a built in deficit, without any accounting for exercise, and exercising therefor increases that deficit, then he likely didn't understand what you meant (a common misunderstanding by docs/dietitians who aren't familiar with MFP.)

    MFP is different than many calorie counters/weight loss programs, or the way that many trainers set up a plan. Most doctors and dietitians also set up plans this way (or simply don't account for anything other than VERY light exercise using a stable cal goal.)
    These other plans take your “intended exercise” and use that to create a deficit, keeping your daily cal goal static. Therefore, with other plans, you would not replace calories you burn through exercise. MFP is different and you CANNOT compare them, unless you’re prepared to do some calculations to get apples vs. apples and not apples vs. oranges.

    MFP was designed with the idea that many people can't exercise regularly, or at all, due to physical limitations or time. They also recognized that most people set up an exercise plan with good intentions, but as we all know, what’s planned is not necessarily what actually happens every day. So they built the site to allow for weight loss with or without exercise, and keep that loss relatively stable, regardless of exercise.

    MFP creates a BUILT IN CALORIE DEFICIT, based on your loss per week goal, regardless of exercise. So when you log exercise, cals are added back in to keep that deficit stable. If you don't replace those cals, you've made your deficit larger than you (presumably) intended. A larger deficit does not necessarily mean faster/more weight loss; it is usually unhealthy and unsustainable and most often backfires, leading to feelings of deprivation, binges, irregular blood sugar levels, lack of energy, slower metabolism, loss of muscle mass, quitting, and weight regain.

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