Calories per day

lacostalot
lacostalot Posts: 22
edited September 30 in Introduce Yourself
Ok, so i am a little confused as to how the food/excercise calories thing works. . .

I have a 1200 calorie allowance per day, so for example, if I excercise and burn 500 calories, does that mean I have to eat 1700?? If so, how would this result in weight loss?

Any help would be appreciated!!! :happy:

Replies

  • jen_marie_1976
    jen_marie_1976 Posts: 41
    Im eating 1200 calories a day..i work out and burn calories and it tells me ive earned that amount in calories to eat. i NEVER eat my calories earned from working out....i see alot of people on here that do the same. if i was at my goal weight then i might eat some, but trying to lose weight i wont eat my calories earned.....
  • MrsSWW
    MrsSWW Posts: 1,585 Member
    Yep, you can eat up all your calories including the exeercise ones. Though, if like me you like to keep a day at the weekend free to eat and drink what you like, you may want to just hang back on say a couple of hndred a day and then over the week you should be within your calorie allowance.

    MFP works like this:

    If you sit on your butt all day and don't do any exercise you will be allowed 1200 cals. You'd lose weight if you ate 1200 cals a day, wouldn't you?

    If you get off your butt and work off 500 cals then you can eat to cancel out those cals - your nett calories are still 1200, you've worked the 500 off.

    Stick to it and you WILL lose weight! Good luck!
  • dastreadk
    dastreadk Posts: 1
    Thats correct. You have your 1200 allowance, base line. The more you work out the more calories you are allowed. It just works out better for you if you dont use all that "earned" calories.

    Stready
  • timjai
    timjai Posts: 113
    Nope, you just have to eat the 1200 calories but it gives you some leeway to have extra if you choose!
  • Rob82
    Rob82 Posts: 15
    Yes you would eat back the 500 calories you burned. MFP has already factored in a calorie defecit for you without exercise.
  • Shweedog
    Shweedog Posts: 883 Member
    This will explain it:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo
  • JennLifts
    JennLifts Posts: 1,913 Member
    Yep, you can eat up all your calories including the exeercise ones. Though, if like me you like to keep a day at the weekend free to eat and drink what you like, you may want to just hang back on say a couple of hndred a day and then over the week you should be within your calorie allowance.

    MFP works like this:

    If you sit on your butt all day and don't do any exercise you will be allowed 1200 cals. You'd lose weight if you ate 1200 cals a day, wouldn't you?

    If you get off your butt and work off 500 cals then you can eat to cancel out those cals - your nett calories are still 1200, you've worked the 500 off.

    Stick to it and you WILL lose weight! Good luck!


    Yep!
  • thetrishwarp
    thetrishwarp Posts: 838 Member
    Let's say, for the sake of ease that by living, normally, and doing things (like breathing, brushing your teeth, walking to the bathroom, whatever) your body burns 1600 calories.

    If you eat a NET of 1200 calories, you're eating 400 calories less than you normally burn, this being a deficit, which results in weight loss.

    If you then burn 500 more, really you've only got 700 calories left for your body to use. That's not healthy, because you're now at a 900 calorie deficit.

    If you eat those 500 calories back (known as "eating back your exercise cals") you still have a 400 calorie deficit, even if you eat 1700 calories (1600 + 500 = 2100 - 1700 = 400... same thing).
  • Emily4H
    Emily4H Posts: 170
    I am no expert, but the last 3 weeks (before this one) I was not really eating back my exercise calories and I was losing like .8 lbs a week. Last week I tryied harder to eat back most of them and I lost 4 pounds. I am not sure if it was a factor - but I certainly did not gain doing it. Hope that helps :)
  • ambie35
    ambie35 Posts: 853 Member
    If you put enough gas in your just to drive to work and back ,but then decided to take the scenic route on the way home and take a drive through the country side....think you might run out of gas?

    Its very debatable whether or not to eat your exercise calories back, find what works for you.Eatthem back,eat half them back,eat if your hungry. Its up to you and how YOUR body reacts.
  • Rob82
    Rob82 Posts: 15
    After reading a post from someone else above I was thinking the same thing about your calorie intake. If you're only eating 1200 calories AND working out you're going to hit a wall real fast.
  • lacostalot
    lacostalot Posts: 22
    Hi. Thanks very much for your comments. There does seem to be a bit of debate about this. . .

    I think I will save them for the weekend or just eat more if my body tells me to. There is no point in taking an unhealthy approach and just eating 1200 calories. . . I may end up skinny. . . but skinny and miserable?!! No thanks!!! :-)
  • BRANDYLYNETTE
    BRANDYLYNETTE Posts: 192 Member
    You want to feel good!!! So, eat at least "some" of your exercise calories back. Im talking SERIOUS exercise. : ) Some people are typing in light housework etc. on their exercise logs....I wouldnt eat THOSE calories back. That is just a persons normal routine. : ) I think you are on the right track!!!!: )
  • lacostalot
    lacostalot Posts: 22
    No i don't consider housework exercise either. . a horrible necessity, but not an exercise! xx
  • MrsSWW
    MrsSWW Posts: 1,585 Member
    Re housework as exercise, I AGREE!!!

    Unless I'm soing something ridiculously energetic.... and I can't even think of anything... maybe cleaning the windows or something? Certainly not doing a bit of dusting or running round with the vac....
  • JonoK
    JonoK Posts: 147 Member
    It must be different for everyone because I have almost reached my goal and I've been eating my exercise calories. The danger is to assume that if you don't eat calories, you'll lose faster. Although this might be true with tomorrows weigh in, the next time you eat (or over eat) your body is going to want to hang on to as much as it can - which creates a TON of other problems.

    Just stick with your calorie allowances and exercise goals. Don't go hungry AND make smart choices when you do eat. Give it some time and you'll start moving in the right direction. The biggest trick is to train the body to function differently, especially when we've been operating for such a long time with certain eating and workout habits.

    Hang in there! Success isn't just the end result - it's daily.

    Grace and Peace.
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