Exercise calories? Help

Fitfromfat17
Fitfromfat17 Posts: 56 Member
edited November 18 in Health and Weight Loss
So I'm less than a month in and still figuring this out. I have 2 questions.

1. If I'm on 1200 calories a day and burn 200 calories on the treadmill, do I eat 1200 or 1400 calories?
2. I do 20-30 mins of light weights also, because I don't know the calories, I don't log them, is that ok?

Thanks :)

Replies

  • annacole94
    annacole94 Posts: 994 Member
    1. 1400
    2. Yes, it's probably not that much and will even out with the fact that it might not be quite 200 calories on the treadmill.

    Eating exercise calories is pretty much the only way to make eating net 1200/day tolerable.
  • amtyrell
    amtyrell Posts: 1,447 Member
    1300 to 1350
    Ie eat back half to 75% of your exercise calories.
    Mfp assumes no extra exercise on your calorie goal so you get to eat them back but trackers often assume exercise burns more then it does so aim to eat half to 75%
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    annacole94 wrote: »
    1. 1400
    2. Yes, it's probably not that much and will even out with the fact that it might not be quite 200 calories on the treadmill.

    Eating exercise calories is pretty much the only way to make eating net 1200/day tolerable.

    Yep, if i was stuck with eating 1200 calories i would exercise my butt off to be able to eat more, whether i'd have the energy to do it on such low calories is another matter.

    So yes op, eat back your exercise calories.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,458 Member
    I'd eat the 1400. I ate all my exercise cals, still do. 70 pound loss in 2007-08, I've kept it off.

    The trick is to keep good records of calories eaten and calories used with exercise. Some people find they can eat all of them, some eat less, like amtyrell.

    It's your experiment to run, but pick one way or the other and do it for a month, then adjust based on your results and how you feel.
  • Fitfromfat17
    Fitfromfat17 Posts: 56 Member
    Thank you :)
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    Here's a great short video about exercise calories, well worth the watch: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10503681/exercise-calories-do-i-eat-these-a-video-explanation/p1
  • SusanMFindlay
    SusanMFindlay Posts: 1,804 Member
    The only thing I'd add is to be careful where you're getting your calorie burns from. Most machines overestimate them. So, many people only eat back about 75% of the calories that the machines (or MFP) say they burn.

    Also, if MFP is telling you 1200 calories, that may mean that your choice for how fast you want to lose weight was too aggressive. If you picked 2 pounds/week and don't have at least 40 or 50 pounds to lose, you should consider dropping the goal to 1 pound/week.
  • gurinderGill1311
    gurinderGill1311 Posts: 5 Member
    Hello timan92
    First thing that you need to do before deciding on how much calories to eat is to calculate your BMR and TDEE
    It can be done for free under freebies section at http://getsetgo.fitness
    One you know your BMR, plan a structured diet starting with a deficit of 200/300 calories.

    Say your BMR is 1500 then you need to start consuming 1200 calories + do daily weight training. Weight training will tone up your body and will prevent issue loose skin.

    This deficit of 300 calories + calories burn during your workout will help in weight loss.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    gurinderGill1311 wrote: »
    Hello timan92
    First thing that you need to do before deciding on how much calories to eat is to calculate your BMR and TDEE
    It can be done for free under freebies section at http://getsetgo.fitness
    One you know your BMR, plan a structured diet starting with a deficit of 200/300 calories.

    Say your BMR is 1500 then you need to start consuming 1200 calories + do daily weight training. Weight training will tone up your body and will prevent issue loose skin.

    This deficit of 300 calories + calories burn during your workout will help in weight loss.

    Your deficit isn't taken from your BMR, it's taken from your TDEE.
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