Exercise burned increases food intake ???

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Is it necessary to eat the calories you've burned from exercising....it seems counter productive to me. It always tacks on my burned calories to my calories left for the day. Why? Thanks
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  • erikblock
    erikblock Posts: 230 Member
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    http://shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com/

    (This is meant all in good fun.)

    :)
  • lilybug13
    lilybug13 Posts: 154
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    Because MFP already factors in a deficit, and by burning off more calories you are using some of the needed fuel to keep your body running.
  • bereal75
    bereal75 Posts: 17 Member
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    If your net calories (1200 - exercise + food) is lower than 1200 you did not deliver enough energy and therefore your body will switch to power stored in your muscles and consume it.
    Having less muscles will slow down your metabolism and your weight loss will not go on.
    The more muscles you have, the faster your metabolism works and will burn the fat stored.
  • Pandorian
    Pandorian Posts: 2,055 MFP Moderator
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    It's how MFP is designed. They give you a caloric goal that would have you lose weight whether you lift a finger in exercise or not.
    Exercising widens that deficit so we're allowed here to eat back our exercise calories to keep the deficit at a safe and sustainable level.
    Other sites give you a higher calorie goal without you eating them back as they use exercise to reach the desired calorie goal
  • JeanWalker109
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    Hey there!

    Basically, if you were to set your calories at a level based upon just your every day routine, that'd be all you'd eat. When you exercise, it adds on expended calories, so in theory - you'd be able to eat more. No, you don't have to eat the calories added on from the exercise you do. However, you will find that, most times, you will be hungrier on the days you exercise. Does any of this make sense?

    Say that, just me sitting around all day...to stay the same weight I could eat 2500 Cal/day. If I want to lose weight, say I go down to 2000 Cal/day - still with no exercise. Well, if I add an hour of kickboxing each day and I burn around 1000 Cal, that would allow me to eat a little more b/c I'd have burned extra calories than if I'd just been sitting around all day.

    I don't think I'm explaining it in the best way possible, but I hope I'm helping to get you somewhere.

    I wish you well.

    *smiles*

    Jean
  • medoria
    medoria Posts: 673 Member
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    Im not sure I get what your asking. Why would it be necessary to eat what you´ve burned? If you want to loose weight you need to be on eating less then you burn. If you want to gain weight its the opposite.
  • thetrishwarp
    thetrishwarp Posts: 838 Member
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    http://shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com/

    (This is meant all in good fun.)

    :)

    That is amazing!!!
  • TinaS88
    TinaS88 Posts: 817 Member
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    Yes, you should always try to eat some back. If you are using MFP to track your food intake, it is already preset with a calorie deficit. Too much of one will slow and even stop your weight loss.
  • MrsCon40
    MrsCon40 Posts: 2,351 Member
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    Because MFP already factors in a deficit, and by burning off more calories you are using some of the needed fuel to keep your body running.

    ^^ This!

    Yes, you are intended to eat your exercise calories. If you create too large of a deficit your body will rebel.
  • dezedeze
    dezedeze Posts: 96 Member
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    http://shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com/

    (This is meant all in good fun.)

    :)
    :laugh: That just cracked me up!!
  • ChantalGG
    ChantalGG Posts: 2,404 Member
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    You can also ask is it necessary to actually exercise because you are on a calories deficit and the answer is no you will probably lose 1 lb a week still but exercise is great for your body. :)
  • Pandorian
    Pandorian Posts: 2,055 MFP Moderator
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    Im not sure I get what your asking. Why would it be necessary to eat what you´ve burned? If you want to loose weight you need to be on eating less then you burn. If you want to gain weight its the opposite.

    Your body requires calories to function just your average daily routine... heart beating, eyes blinking finger twitch it all takes energy to do, if you EAT less than you burn you're not even fueling your body for your workout let alone basic bodily functions.
    I've stalled twice in my loss and both times to get started I increased my calories to keep losing on track.
  • Suzy12
    Suzy12 Posts: 284
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    It's an individual decision. I do not. I will not. MFP does not factor age and metabolism into the equation.
  • JoPetey
    JoPetey Posts: 1
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    The program gives you a calorie goal based on how many calories you can burn by sitting around doing nothing. The goal is probably about 200 calories less than you actually burn by sitting around. If you exercise, you will burn more calories and therefore can take in more calories and still have an overall deficit of 200 calories. (However, it does get confusing because the program does not show this deficit in your calorie goals, but trust me it is there.) Some people will eat the extra calories, others will not. I would try following along with what the program says and see how your weight loss goes and you can adjust whether you want to eat those extra calories based on the way your body is responding to the program.
  • RMinVA
    RMinVA Posts: 1,085 Member
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    You don't HAVE to do anything. I tend to stick to a range of calories instead. Usually 1400-1600, but I am eating more like 1600-1800 right now since I am getting ready for some fall races. That accounts for eating some, but not all of my exercise calories.

    I find that if I eat a whole foods based diet and limit the amount of processed food that is present, I tend to eat less anyway. Caloriewise, you get a lot more bang for your buck with nutrient dense foods...you will feel fuller on less food, have great energy, and the weight just falls off.
  • mellissabee
    mellissabee Posts: 19 Member
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    You don't have to eat all those calories back. as long as you never create a deficit below 1200 Cals. If you consistantly go below 1200 Cals you'll eventually put yourself in Starvation mode.
    Burning Cals from exercise creates a deficit. So for example, I eat 1200 Calories to meet my weight loss goals for the week. If I burn say 400 calories exercising it creates a deficit and my calories become only 800 and you should never go below 1200 calories. So for me I try to eat all my exercise cals. At first I didn't get it but when I hit a major plateau from not eatting enough cals.
  • jetscreaminagain
    jetscreaminagain Posts: 1,130 Member
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    Oh, I dont' know....

    I'm pretty sure the way I got overweight was all that exercising I was doing and eating too. If I just hadn't exercised, I would have been ok. ;)

    Don't go into starvation mode. Always net more than 1200 calories.
  • dragonfly__
    dragonfly__ Posts: 172 Member
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    I almost always eat my exercise calories back. I need them because I am not satisfied on a 1200 - 1400 kcal diet.
  • excalibur119
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    Thank you for all the replies....I'm 5'7" and I have a personal goal of 135...Currently at 145. I lost 45 about 2 years ago and would like to lose another 10. I just started with this program a few days ago. I love how it has just about any food you can think of in the system!