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1200 calories a day- eat back exercise cals?

empressjasmin
empressjasmin Posts: 170 Member
edited December 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
This may be a silly question to some but I just want to know does it matter to eat exercise calories back if eating 1200 cals in a day? I ask because I know eating too few can stall weight loss too and I usually get a few hundred calories back from exercise. Wondering should I just consume my 1200 calories or focus more on net, which would technically mean eating more than 1200 calories? Thanks!

Replies

  • Panini911
    Panini911 Posts: 2,325 Member
    edited March 2019
    yes MFP is developped in a way that requires you to eat back exercise calories. the amount it gives yo uto eat is the amount to eat TO LOSE THE REQUESTED RATE, assuming no purposeful exercise. if you don't eat back the exercise calories you will be undereating which is bad.

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10503681/exercise-calories-do-i-eat-these-a-video-explanation/p1

    note that few people actually need to eat as low as 1200 to lose weight. what are your stats? (height, current weight, goal weight)?
  • empressjasmin
    empressjasmin Posts: 170 Member
    Panini911 wrote: »
    yes MFP is developped in a way that requires you to eat back exercise calories. the amount it gives yo uto eat is the amount to eat TO LOSE THE REQUESTED RATE, assuming no purposeful exercise. if you don't eat back the exercise calories you will be undereating which is bad.

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10503681/exercise-calories-do-i-eat-these-a-video-explanation/p1

    note that few people actually need to eat as low as 1200 to lose weight. what are your stats? (height, current weight, goal weight)?


    Thank you. I have quite a bit to lose. I’m 245 pounds, 5’4, and I would like to get to 190 as my first goal.
  • empressjasmin
    empressjasmin Posts: 170 Member
    Panini911 wrote: »
    1200 sounds very low given those stats. is that what MFP gave you for 2lb/week loss?

    MFP gives me 1310 daily. Not that far off from 1200.
  • empressjasmin
    empressjasmin Posts: 170 Member
    Thank you!
  • empressjasmin
    empressjasmin Posts: 170 Member
    msalicia07 wrote: »
    Eating less won't make you stall. But it will likely sabotage your efforts. Also, make sure you set your weight loss rate to a practical amount. No need to be overly aggressive and blow it by binging and yo-yoing. Set a reasonable loss, for you it might be 1-1.5 lbs per week at first (double check that), and reevaluate every 10 lbs or so.

    Use a food scale, trust me. You will save yourself an immense amount of grief if you learn what a serving is from the beginning. And I don't mean measuring cups, spoons, and labels. An actual food scale for everything, until you are firm and self reliant.

    Thank you! I keep a food scale at home and work but I have gotta put it to proper use! Thanks!
  • empressjasmin
    empressjasmin Posts: 170 Member
    Thanks everyone! Helpful information!
  • ShaeDetermined
    ShaeDetermined Posts: 1,525 Member
    sijomial wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    1200 calories is really low, and not optimal for weight loss.
    I would use an online calculator (such as ruled.me) to determine your calorie consumption - based on your stats and activity level. Then, manually set your mfp calories.
    "Eating back" exercise calories is a ridiculous notion, in my opinion.

    @ShaeDetermined
    You do realise that with a TDEE calculator like the one you suggest you are also eating back your exercise calories?
    It's just as a daily average based on a vague guess in advance as opposed to estimating them afterwards and eating a variable daily goal.

    The TDEE method is perfectly valid but it's different rather than better.

    Correct. I realize exactly that.
    It's building a profile based on your overall activity/ exercise.
    I've seen many people struggling to "eat back" their exercise calories when they're not hungry, and I think that creates additional problems.
    Learning to listen to our bodies is an important component to a healthy and mindful way of life.

    OK but I'm not seeing why eating more on a day when you burn more is "ridiculous".
    I can totally understand why some people prefer it, it's more simple and can make planning easier.

    With TDEE you are under-eating on days you exercise and over-eating or days when you are not. Sounds like the opposite of listening to your body's needs to me. Do more and eat more, do less and eat less seems far closer to being intuitive than a fixed daily goal.

    By "ridiculous", and I agree that was a poor choice of word, I meant the concept of logging a calorie burn (which is often inflated and inaccurate) and forcing the calories.

    And although I prefer the TDEE method, I do agree with the second part of your comment.
  • empressjasmin
    empressjasmin Posts: 170 Member
    Thank you everyone!! I have lots of great information now! :)
This discussion has been closed.