Can I eat over my 1600 calories and loose weight if my exercise adds more calories for me to eat

ashleyann2020
ashleyann2020 Posts: 1 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
My goal is 1600 but today I exercised and got about 300 calories added so bringing it to 1900 if I eat that much will I still be a “deficit” to loose weight?

Answers

  • tomcustombuilder
    tomcustombuilder Posts: 2,221 Member
    It depends on many factors.
    What is your height and weight? Do you know what your maintenance calories are? How accurate is your calorie counting and tracking?
  • westrich20940
    westrich20940 Posts: 920 Member
    Theoretically - yes.

    When you use the set up with MFP - and put in all your stats and choose to lose weight - it calculates your maintenance and then subtracts calories based on what rate of weight loss you entered and gives you that as your goal. When it asks your activity level - it means just your regular daily activity - not intentional exercise. So, then if you DO intentionally exercise and log it - it will add those calories so that your deficit isn't TOO large.

    Good place to start is to eat back all of those calories (or at least 50%) and then make any adjustments based on your hunger/energy level and your weight loss data.

    I lost ~25lbs when I was actively losing weight and I ate back largely 100% of my workout calories consistently.

    This works if you are fairly accurate with your caloric consumption and burn --- but if those things are more/less correct....you should def still see weight loss.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Unlike other sites which use TDEE calculators, MFP uses the NEAT method (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis), and as such this system is designed for exercise calories to be eaten back. However, many consider the burns given by MFP to be inflated for them and only eat a percentage, such as 50%, back. Others are able to lose weight while eating 100% of their exercise calories.

    https://support.myfitnesspal.com/hc/en-us/articles/360032625391-How-does-MyFitnessPal-calculate-my-initial-goals-
  • dontlikepeople
    dontlikepeople Posts: 142 Member
    You probably can, but I wouldn't. Just personal preference: How bad do you want it, how fast do you want it, and is it more than the 300 calorie snack.
  • MarkTobler
    MarkTobler Posts: 1 Member
    I turned that feature off.
  • TracyL963
    TracyL963 Posts: 113 Member
    dontlikepeople wrote: »
    You probably can, but I wouldn't. Just personal preference: How bad do you want it, how fast do you want it, and is it more than the 300 calorie snack.

    Re: "How fast do you want it." There's often a cost to fast weight loss. I'm a senior who want to lose fat, not fat+muscle. So for me, It's worth it to figure out what a reasonable estimate of exercise calories is.
  • dontlikepeople
    dontlikepeople Posts: 142 Member
    TracyL963 wrote: »
    dontlikepeople wrote: »
    You probably can, but I wouldn't. Just personal preference: How bad do you want it, how fast do you want it, and is it more than the 300 calorie snack.

    Re: "How fast do you want it." There's often a cost to fast weight loss. I'm a senior who want to lose fat, not fat+muscle. So for me, It's worth it to figure out what a reasonable estimate of exercise calories is.

    You'd be surprised how few calories we need to maintain muscle so long as we are staying active, but there is nothing wrong with airing on the side of caution. I just know that I, personally, would not add the calories back in, and have had great results.
  • sollyn23l2
    sollyn23l2 Posts: 1,755 Member
    dontlikepeople wrote: »
    TracyL963 wrote: »
    dontlikepeople wrote: »
    You probably can, but I wouldn't. Just personal preference: How bad do you want it, how fast do you want it, and is it more than the 300 calorie snack.

    Re: "How fast do you want it." There's often a cost to fast weight loss. I'm a senior who want to lose fat, not fat+muscle. So for me, It's worth it to figure out what a reasonable estimate of exercise calories is.

    You'd be surprised how few calories we need to maintain muscle so long as we are staying active, but there is nothing wrong with airing on the side of caution. I just know that I, personally, would not add the calories back in, and have had great results.

    That's more dependant on how much fat you have to lose. The closer you are to "lean", the more you have to worry about muscle loss. Despite public opinion, as long as you have plenty of fat to lose, it's true that your body will preferentially use stored fat and spare muscle.
  • dontlikepeople
    dontlikepeople Posts: 142 Member
    sollyn23l2 wrote: »
    dontlikepeople wrote: »
    TracyL963 wrote: »
    dontlikepeople wrote: »
    You probably can, but I wouldn't. Just personal preference: How bad do you want it, how fast do you want it, and is it more than the 300 calorie snack.

    Re: "How fast do you want it." There's often a cost to fast weight loss. I'm a senior who want to lose fat, not fat+muscle. So for me, It's worth it to figure out what a reasonable estimate of exercise calories is.

    You'd be surprised how few calories we need to maintain muscle so long as we are staying active, but there is nothing wrong with airing on the side of caution. I just know that I, personally, would not add the calories back in, and have had great results.

    That's more dependant on how much fat you have to lose. The closer you are to "lean", the more you have to worry about muscle loss. Despite public opinion, as long as you have plenty of fat to lose, it's true that your body will preferentially use stored fat and spare muscle.

    I swear to everything, people go on the internet for the sole purpose of arguing.

    Yes, the lower your calories the more inactive you are, the more chance you have of losing muscle.

    There are very few fitness competitors on this forum. To each their own. If you want to lose slow, go for it! I ate 1600 calories and kept plenty.

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