2 questions

cross9011
cross9011 Posts: 8
edited October 1 in Health and Weight Loss
1st - what is C25K? I've seen that on several posts and I'm just curious. 2nd - I'm sure this has been asked before but would someone please explain to me why after I've entered everything it comes up and tells me that because of my exercise I need to eat more calories?? I have always understood that to lose weight you need to burn more calories than you eat...so then why after I burn all those calories do I need to eat them back? I don't get it.

Replies

  • ksheppard0509
    ksheppard0509 Posts: 19
    Couch to 5K is what it stands for. The reason that it is telling you the calorie intake is because you probably, before starting your diet and exercise, were eating more calories than that. To reach your goal weight with how much you want to lose per week, it adjusted your calorie intake for your finally goal. Also, you don't have to eat that many calories. That number is the maximum you should eat. However, do try to stay around that number. Plus when you record your exercise it adds calories you are allowed to consume for the day, but you don't have to consume that much.
  • nseuell
    nseuell Posts: 110
    C25k is "couch to 5 k", for people that are not runners and it slowly works them up to completing a 5 k. Just google it, if you're interested. As to the exercise question, it's very important that you read the forum rules posted by mike (they show up first in the message board threads) that explains the calorie thing in more detail. Good luck!
  • brandimacleod
    brandimacleod Posts: 368 Member
    You don't need to eat those calories. But if you wanted to, you could. I think the theory is that if you earned an extra 400 calories from exercise, you could eat something for 400 calories and still be on target to lose one pound that week.

    Because that feeds into my own compulsive food behaviors, I log my exercise after I complete all my food for the day and then I try not to even look at the extra calories because I don't want to even know what I have "earned". I wish I could turn that feature off somehow. But again, that is my own issue, so feel free to use or not use those calories however you see fit.
  • iwillbeoneday
    iwillbeoneday Posts: 48 Member
    C25K is short for couch to 5k. It's a workout made so pretty much anyone can run a 5k. i.e. first day is walk 5 minutes / jog 2 minutes / walk 5 minutes. second day is rest. third day is something like walk 5 minutes / jog 3 minutes / walk 5 minutes and so on. Anyways, it builds your stamina so you can run a 5k. For your second questions, I am choosing to not answer since I really dont eat my exercise calories back and know many people believe against that so I will allow someone else the chance to explain it.
  • cross9011
    cross9011 Posts: 8
    Thanks so much for the replies! I will go back and read the forum rules like I should have to begin with. :smile: I also log my exercise last and then try to ignore the extra calories it tells me to eat, but I didn't know if I should be ignoring them. I will definitely google the C25K. I would love to be able to run a 5K one day!
  • taso42_DELETED
    taso42_DELETED Posts: 3,394 Member
    If your daily calorie target is properly "dialed in" and your exercise calorie estimates are fairly accurate, then yes, you are meant to eat your calorie goal including "exercise calories". Some people have seem to have a very hard time grasping it.

    Here are 2 links, out of hundreds, that might help shed some light.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/173853-an-objective-look-at-eating-exercise-calories
    http://shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com
  • rankailie
    rankailie Posts: 144
    You don't need to eat those calories. But if you wanted to, you could. I think the theory is that if you earned an extra 400 calories from exercise, you could eat something for 400 calories and still be on target to lose one pound that week.

    Because that feeds into my own compulsive food behaviors, I log my exercise after I complete all my food for the day and then I try not to even look at the extra calories because I don't want to even know what I have "earned". I wish I could turn that feature off somehow. But again, that is my own issue, so feel free to use or not use those calories however you see fit.

    Actually depending on what your goal is set at you really should be eating back those exercise calories. If you don't you could potentially creating to large of a deficit and going into starvation mode.

    To the OP think of it like this.

    MFP figures out your BMR (what you would burn if you were bed ridden and couldn't get up). That number is then multiplied by an activity modifier number (based on how active you normally are) to figure out what your normal caloric needs are for the day.

    So take me for example, my BMR is 1800ish. But because I'm incredibly active I actually burn 2620 calories a day on average. To achieve 2 lbs of weight loss you want a deficit of 800-1000 calories from your average burn. So for me I want to eat 1600-1900 calories a day in order to not go into starvation. If I happen to exercise and burn more then my normal 2620 I then need to make sure I eat the difference as well.

    http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

    That calculator gives you an idea of what I'm talking about.


    TL;DR Your body needs fuel, having a defict of more then 1000 calories a day is bad. Eat moar.
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