Can you put your stamp of approval on this?

ken7
ken7 Posts: 46
edited September 18 in Fitness and Exercise
Ok, let me get this correct for the last, last time. If I continue to reach my caloric score every day I will lose a pound per week (or what have you)? Now, if I workout ... I get extra calories to eat (to conpensate the burning of them)??? Why, does it not work like this .... I eat my caloric score precisely & help burn them off by exercising with no added calories?? Does my body go into shock & go into survival mode?

Please help me see the ticket. This is the hotest topic but, it beats me up when Im trying to beat it-

Replies

  • ken7
    ken7 Posts: 46
    Ok, let me get this correct for the last, last time. If I continue to reach my caloric score every day I will lose a pound per week (or what have you)? Now, if I workout ... I get extra calories to eat (to conpensate the burning of them)??? Why, does it not work like this .... I eat my caloric score precisely & help burn them off by exercising with no added calories?? Does my body go into shock & go into survival mode?

    Please help me see the ticket. This is the hotest topic but, it beats me up when Im trying to beat it-
  • lotusfromthemud
    lotusfromthemud Posts: 5,335 Member
    OK, let me see if I can explain this:

    First of all, think "net calories" as your aim.

    Let's say (I'm pulling random numbers here so that the math is easy) you need 2,000 calories per day to MAINTAIN your current weight. So, MFP allows you 1500 "net calories" per day to give you a daily deficit of 500 calories (x7 days=3500=one pound lost).

    So, let's say you exercise and burn 500 calories. MFP already has you at a 500 calorie deficit. So, if you add 500 calories, you are at a 1000 calorie deficit from the 2000 you need to maintain. (you are at 1,000 "net calories" a day) Most nutritionists say that if you eat 1/2 of what you need (or less) your body goes into starvation mode, and weight loss becomes difficult, if not impossible.

    The one warning I have to this system is to not overestimate the number of calories that you are burning through exercise. We tend to overestimate the intensity of what we are doing. My rule is, if there's a choice under the exercise section for both intense and moderate, I always choose moderate.

    Does that help?:flowerforyou:
  • leshik21
    leshik21 Posts: 31 Member
    Viviakay is correct. The idea is to maintain a healthy deficit of (-500 to -1,000) calories per day depending on the original size of the person. You have to be careful about having too low of a deficit, especially if you are working out, because your body will go into "starvation" mode and start to breakdown down muscle tissue for an energy source to replenish the basic needs of your body.

    I am living this right now. Since I started, I was operating at a large calorie deficit AND working out at the gym for almost two hours per day. I knew I didn't give my body enough fuel because I am still sooooo sore it is ridiculous. You need carbs and protein so your body can recover and function properly. As a result, I have adjusted to operating at a healther net calorie.

    Hope this helps.
  • ken7
    ken7 Posts: 46
    thanks
  • banks1850
    banks1850 Posts: 3,475 Member
    Bravo Viv! Good summation. I hope everyone reads this. 1000 cals a day deficite is brutal (I know, I tried to do it, fyi, 700 worked much better for me then 1000). Your body really hates deprivation. Some bodies may react better to it then others, but yeah, 500 is a good place to be, that equals 1 lb a week.

    One thing I would like to point out is, just because it says you will loose a pound a week, doesn't mean EVERY week you will see that. Remember, the scale is evil, it LIES, and it loves seeing you whimper and yell, and it works with the mirror to sadden and anger you, they have secret meetings at night to make you feel as bad as possible. there's nothing the scale hates more then you not using it!
  • Cassia
    Cassia Posts: 467 Member
    OK, let me see if I can explain this:

    First of all, think "net calories" as your aim.

    Let's say (I'm pulling random numbers here so that the math is easy) you need 2,000 calories per day to MAINTAIN your current weight. So, MFP allows you 1500 "net calories" per day to give you a daily deficit of 500 calories (x7 days=3500=one pound lost).

    So, let's say you exercise and burn 500 calories. MFP already has you at a 500 calorie deficit. So, if you add 500 calories, you are at a 1000 calorie deficit from the 2000 you need to maintain. (you are at 1,000 "net calories" a day) Most nutritionists say that if you eat 1/2 of what you need (or less) your body goes into starvation mode, and weight loss becomes difficult, if not impossible.

    The one warning I have to this system is to not overestimate the number of calories that you are burning through exercise. We tend to overestimate the intensity of what we are doing. My rule is, if there's a choice under the exercise section for both intense and moderate, I always choose moderate.

    Does that help?:flowerforyou:
    Thanks (even thought i didn't ask the question:happy: ) that helps a lot, but one thing i don't understand is why is working out such a big deal. If you eat all of the calories you work off then what is the benefit of working out???:ohwell:
  • kkylstad
    kkylstad Posts: 75
    so are you saying that if we want to maintain the weight...eat at the intake MFP tells us to. but if we want to lose then we need to eat more when we work out to make sure our body isnt starving right???
  • kkylstad
    kkylstad Posts: 75
    working out makes you stronger and helps get you toned. otherwise everything would be hanging around.
  • banks1850
    banks1850 Posts: 3,475 Member
    Working out increases muscle, and muscle reduces the stress on the heart and causes the metabolism and your Base Metabolic Rate to go up. All kinds of good things happen when you work out, increased blood flow causes your body to flush toxins faster, delivery of fuel faster, decreased Blood pressure, increased oxygen saturation levels, lower cholesterol levels...etc. It's just good for you.

    All of this translates into more efficiently burning calories and it doesn't hurt that you look more tone once the fat does come off an area. :wink:
  • pinkk5727
    pinkk5727 Posts: 21
    Ok I'm at 1200 cals a day. If I eat 1100 cals and that leaves me with 100, but I burn off 600, which puts me back up to 700 cals for the day, should I or should I not eat that extra 700 cal?
  • lotusfromthemud
    lotusfromthemud Posts: 5,335 Member
    so are you saying that if we want to maintain the weight...eat at the intake MFP tells us to. but if we want to lose then we need to eat more when we work out to make sure our body isnt starving right???

    not exactly. . . Go to your reports and look at "net calories". You are aiming for you "net calories" to be at what MFP tells you. It will be set to either: lose, maintain or gain, depending on what you asked for when you set your goals. Eat to your net calories every day. This means if you burn more, eat more. Your deficit is built in.
  • lotusfromthemud
    lotusfromthemud Posts: 5,335 Member
    Ok I'm at 1200 cals a day. If I eat 1100 cals and that leaves me with 100, but I burn off 600, which puts me back up to 700 cals for the day, should I or should I not eat that extra 700 cal?

    Yes, eat it. (make sure it's an accurate estimate, though). Otherwise, you have actually eaten 500 calories. (1200-700=500) which is WAY LESS than anybody needs.
  • melathon
    melathon Posts: 246 Member
    Remember, the scale is evil, it LIES, and it loves seeing you whimper and yell, and it works with the mirror to sadden and anger you, they have secret meetings at night to make you feel as bad as possible. there's nothing the scale hates more then you not using it!

    Ok, that's just hilarious. Thank you for making me smile here at work. Someday I want to take my scale and throw it into a brick wall, then beat the pieces up with a baseball bat. I wonder how many calories that would burn?
    (Anyone seen "Office Space?" Just like the fax machine, man.) The scale and mirror ARE in it together. Evil collaborators.
  • catlover
    catlover Posts: 389
    This seems so hard to wrap our minds around but my own experience is proving it to be true. For three weeks I thought, I'll just exercise my 1260 calories each day and then I can eat whatever I want because I'm never going to eat 2500 calories in a day, maybe 1500. In three weeks, I did nothing but exercise to do that and only lost two pounds. Yesterday I did no exercise and ate my 1260 calories and I lost two more. I'm not an everyday weigh in person and this was a fluke, the weighing part, but I'm taking everyone's advice and just trusting in the system.
  • lotusfromthemud
    lotusfromthemud Posts: 5,335 Member
    Remember, the scale is evil, it LIES, and it loves seeing you whimper and yell, and it works with the mirror to sadden and anger you, they have secret meetings at night to make you feel as bad as possible. there's nothing the scale hates more then you not using it!

    Ok, that's just hilarious. Thank you for making me smile here at work. Someday I want to take my scale and throw it into a brick wall, then beat the pieces up with a baseball bat. I wonder how many calories that would burn?
    (Anyone seen "Office Space?" Just like the fax machine, man.) The scale and mirror ARE in it together. Evil collaborators.

    I had that same "office space" visual today before I read this post! What is it they say. . ."great minds think alike"? I even had the song from the movie "It's Great to be a Gangsta" in my head. It was an elaborate visualization, for sure.:tongue:
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