calorie burn

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If on 1200 calories a day, when you burn calories from exercise:
(scenario have eaten 1100 but burned 300 exercising)
1. Do you eat all the calories back you burned
2. Do you eat back only 100 to get to 1200 calories per day OR
3. Do you not eat them back
I have called a gym and asked to speak to a trainer, they can't give out info like this. I called a nutritionist, she didn't answer my question but provided helpful info.
Thx in advance

Replies

  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
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    Here's a great video explanation of it by a very knowledgeable person here on MFP: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10503681/exercise-calories-do-i-eat-these-a-video-explanation
  • JustTrackinIt
    JustTrackinIt Posts: 26 Member
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    Why are you eating 1200 calories a day? Are you under 5'1? or very low weight already?
  • SapphireMoon23
    SapphireMoon23 Posts: 139 Member
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    Why are you eating 1200 calories a day? Are you under 5'1? or very low weight already?

    hi. I would like more insights, tips, & motivation. can we be friends? Here's my info from my mfp blog. Would like your input.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/sapphiremoon23/view/weightloss-strategies-914220

    isabel

    I am becoming accustomed to eating 1260 cal & not over exercising. I started at 1890 cal then gradually decreased. If I burn 300-400 cal in cardio & strength, i only try to eat back half of that. So far it's working.
  • billierothelmartin
    billierothelmartin Posts: 5 Member
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    Hello
    I hope I am doing this right. When I first started myfitnesspal somewhere on here it asks how many pounds you want to lose a month and it gives you the number of calories to eat a day. I chose 2 lbs a week which equated to eating 1200 calories a day which worked fantastically a year and a half ago. I regained and have started keeping track of food intake again. I have not lost ANYTHING in almost 5 wks. My question is if I eat 1200 cals a day and exercise. Do I eat back only what gets me to my 1200 calories a day or do I eat them all back.
    I did not exercise today but burned almost 500 cals. over the1200. I have eaten back to achieve my 1200 cals per day but I can't eat 460 more calories. I am full. So do I eat back to 1200 or eat all the cals. I've burned? I am so confused
    Thanks in Advance
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
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    @billierothelmartin What did you do that expended almost 500 calories and why is it not "exercise"? Once you realize that moving, anything to get away from MET 0, is exercise, it should be clear that it is indeed exercise and the calories earned from it should be treated as calories earned from exercising. Don't be confused. 1200 food for no exercise, You did exercise of ~500. Now your intake budget is 1200+ ~500. Enjoy some peanut butter or other calorie dense delicious food.
  • cbernard676
    cbernard676 Posts: 3 Member
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    Have you thought about seeing a personal trainer. I was on the 1200 per day plan until I started seeing a personal trainer. He pushed me up to 1540 cals per day. You also should be eating a lot of protein and strength training with some cardio.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    If you aren't losing weight on 1200 calories, then it doesn't sound like you're eating 1200 calories. How are you measuring your intake?
  • billierothelmartin
    billierothelmartin Posts: 5 Member
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    I am putting everything I eat in MFP. I am retired but I went back to work subbing and doing evaluations. So on the days I work, I get a lot more steps in from walking the halls. Most of the time the extra calories burned from that don't show up until around 7pm on MFP. I've already planned what to eat and then I would have to pack on an extra 200-400 cals. So do you guys think I'm not eating enough cals per day but it worked great a year and a half ago. I am experimenting this week to determine if I only eat back enough cals. to get me back to the 1200 I am supposed to eat a day, will I drop weight. I did lose a pound when I weighed this morning. Will see where I end up when I weigh on Sat. Thanks so much.
  • briohne128
    briohne128 Posts: 176 Member
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    I only eat 1,250 calories a day however I tend to burn approx 400-700 calories a day by exercising.
    I don't eat back any of my calories and I have now lost 12/13 pounds! I was 10 stone 1 to start with.
    Maybe I should eat back some of my calories...then again what I do now works so I would advise you maybe do the same as me Billie!
  • TheCupcakeCounter
    TheCupcakeCounter Posts: 606 Member
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    I only eat back a portion of my calories (25% on cardio days and 50% on strength days). I try to keep my food/eaten at the 1200-1300 mark.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
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    briohne128 wrote: »
    I only eat 1,250 calories a day however I tend to burn approx 400-700 calories a day by exercising.
    I don't eat back any of my calories and I have now lost 12/13 pounds! I was 10 stone 1 to start with.
    Maybe I should eat back some of my calories...then again what I do now works so I would advise you maybe do the same as me Billie!

    You are likely losing a lot of lean body mass in addition to fat, because you are underfeeding your body. You also run the risk of fatigue, hair loss, sallow skin, brittle nails, organ damage, and long term metabolic adaptation. Not really something I would be striving for, or promoting other do.

    That said, those exercise burns sound kind of high so you may not be as low as you think. What sort of exercise are you doing and how are you calculating those calorie burns?

    You are meant to NET AT LEAST 1200 calories. And if you don't have much weight to lose, you should probably be aiming for higher than 1200 calories.
  • billierothelmartin
    billierothelmartin Posts: 5 Member
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    Briohne128 that's what I'm afraid of because I had a charley horse and part of that is still lingering.
    Here is what I am doing. On MFP it has Goal 1,200 the Food Exercise and Net. Yesterday I did not exercise but my fitbit read 2,359 calories burned with no active minutes I did a lot of walking the halls subbing. I ate back up to my 1200 allotted for the day BUT it was 416 under exercise and I still had 483 net to eat.
    So what should I have done? Eaten ALL back or up to my 1200? As I said in an earlier post. I actually lost a pound when I weighed this morning.
    I'm in a weight loss challenge. I did not lose any weight in one month but my BMI went from 46.3 to 35.1