exercise calories

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melissajack
melissajack Posts: 1 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
should you eat all the calories that you burn?

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  • klt123
    klt123 Posts: 6
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    I was just about to ask exaclty the same question! I exercised loads yesterday and accrued an extra 600 calories, however surely I shouldn't eat all those on top of the 1200 should I? Sorry I didn't help, just jumped on the back of your post!
  • seema12
    seema12 Posts: 2
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    sorry me again adding up a question instead of replying.

    If i go under calorie diet. does it make me lean or weak or do i feel hungry than. or isnt it related to calorie issue much
  • StormieL
    StormieL Posts: 78 Member
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    the idea is you're allowed to eat more if you exercise. Personally I usually choose to not eat my bonus calories most of the time. If I know we're having a take away or a meal out I make sure to do some exercise to gain some calories so I don't feel bad about it when I'm finishing off my food diary for the day. I do hate seeing red numbers ;-)
  • Princessa1982
    Princessa1982 Posts: 82
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    There is a search feature, there are TONS of threads on this topic that will be helpful.

    Personally, I pick and choose. If i am hungry I eat them, if I am not then I do not. I never go under eating the base calories though! My trainer thinks it is ridiculous, but my weight loss coach seems to agree with it. There are so many varying opinions. I have friends who do one day of it, and one day of not.

    It is also important to realize how many calories you are actually burning. Sometimes the machines at the gym are far off, and some of the values on MFP are off as well. Unless you are using a heart rate monitor, you really do not accurately know how many you are burning...
  • harmonysdream
    harmonysdream Posts: 92 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/231636-the-eating-when-you-re-not-hungry-dilemma

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/302589-eat-more-to-lose-more-explained

    Try those for a better explanation than I can give, but yes MFP is designed for you to eat your exercise calories.
  • wholefoodgirl
    wholefoodgirl Posts: 8
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    In a word, yes. You want to net 1200 calories each day in order to keep yourself from going into starvation mode, which can slow your metabolism and cause you stop losing weight.

    I think it depends on your personal situation, though. I'm very overweight and my doctor has recommended I not worry about the 1200 calorie net given the amount I need to lose. It's best to figure out what's right for you.
  • Princessa1982
    Princessa1982 Posts: 82
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    In a word, yes. You want to net 1200 calories each day in order to keep yourself from going into starvation mode, which can slow your metabolism and cause you stop losing weight.

    I think it depends on your personal situation, though. I'm very overweight and my doctor has recommended I not worry about the 1200 calorie net given the amount I need to lose. It's best to figure out what's right for you.

    It is interesting that you point that out, I JUST a few mins ago got back from my doctors office about a completely different issue, but I asked her opinion on the whole 1200 net, and she too does not believe in a net calorie thing. She says as long as you are putting 1200 cal in your body, it will stay fine. Same views as my trainer....
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,653 Member
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    As someone who ended up netting 700-1000 calories a day for approximately 2 years when I was over 200 lbs, I disagree with not worrying about your net. It's really the *only* thing I disagree with the gurus on here about. I'd gotten down to 140 lbs, hit a plateau, did some research on how to get out of it, ate what I *should* have been eating all along and gained 30 lbs back (there were other factors but it wasn't like I started off eating clean and then started eating junk again too).

    I think, by (at least) consistently not eating your exercise calories back, you're resetting your metabolism way earlier than it needs to be reset and you'll have problems down the line. At least net your bmr.
  • kiesh82
    kiesh82 Posts: 131 Member
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    I've been going back and forth with this for a while and have decided to stop eating back my exercise cals because I seem to be plateauing after only 9 lbs lost. I remember when I lost weight in the past I just ate 1500 cals or so a day and exercised 3-4 days a week. This was well before calorie tracking apps and any knowledge of eating back exercise cals and I was losing 2 lbs or more a week steadily. So I'm gonna stick with what worked for me before.
  • DoncasterPhotography
    DoncasterPhotography Posts: 147 Member
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    bonus calories

    And there, IMHO, lay the problem surrounding the confusion of "exercise calories".

    STOP thinking of it as "earning bonus calories".

    Look at it this way...

    Your car does 30 mile per gallon at 56mph.

    Would you get up, one morning, and decide to drive 70 miles at 100mph only to then find yourself parked by the roadside, after driving only 25 mile, wishing that you'd filled up the tank before setting off?

    NO.

    MFP is designed to give you a goal cal intake incorporating a calorie deficit, based on your settings inputted on joining. This deficit is to aid weight loss WITHOUT exercise.

    So, any extra activity/exercise (other than that set in your activity level that you inputted) requires you to fuel up your tank.

    Many many many people post topics about this, with comments such as "OMG how can i eat xxxx calories at 8pm" etc...

    DONT.

    You should be pre planning and on exercise days, eat ALL DAY according to your body's fuel requirement.

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