CONFUSED

fefe0201
fefe0201 Posts: 49 Member
edited October 3 in Fitness and Exercise
Hey am new to the forum but have been using my fitness pal on my phone for a while but only the last week or so really started properly, I have a question hopefully someone will be able to help with,
I know I have 1200 calories to use every day, but on the days I go to the gym and burn off 400 calories should I up my food intake to 1600 or still stick to 1200?? different people are telling me different things so I am confused, TBH if i ate up to the 1600 I feel i might just go have the wrong food just to add it up if you know what I mean, like go have some chocolate.

Replies

  • Tujitsu56
    Tujitsu56 Posts: 392 Member
    If possible, I'd just put everything into MFP and try to reach those goals. If you are eating too little then you may stop losing weight, but if you eat too much..... we all know what that does:) Anyway, just try to give your body the fuel it needs to work for you.

    As for eating the bad foods, I'd say avoid the best you can. Don't add junk food just to make up a calorie count, because you will still be starving your body of the nutrients it needs.
  • bbbgamer
    bbbgamer Posts: 582 Member
    Great advice!
  • chanstriste13
    chanstriste13 Posts: 3,277 Member
    there are two schools of thought that war with each other daily on the subject: to eat and not to eat. I would recommend eating them back if you are at 1200 calories. see how it works for a couple of weeks. if it's no good, try eating back only half. but really you'll just have to play around and figure out what works for *you*. i will say that 1200 is generally accepted as the magic number for women - it could do damage in the long run to eat less, but it's different for everyone. good luck!
  • allenlisa
    allenlisa Posts: 96
    If possible, I'd just put everything into MFP and try to reach those goals. If you are eating too little then you may stop losing weight, but if you eat too much..... we all know what that does:) Anyway, just try to give your body the fuel it needs to work for you.

    As for eating the bad foods, I'd say avoid the best you can. Don't add junk food just to make up a calorie count, because you will still be starving your body of the nutrients it needs.

    I agree. I don't always eat all my exercise calories. I eat when my body is telling me it needs to. (every 2 hrs or so) I typically stick to around the 1200 cals and do not eat all if any of my exercise calories. But I do eat a lot of protein.
  • choconuts
    choconuts Posts: 208 Member
    I researched this yesterday, and I've decided to always NET 1200. So yes, I eat my exercise calories.

    In the future, when I change my weight loss goal to 1lb/week, or 1/2/week, I'll be given more calories per day. I'll still only eat back exercise calories to NET 1200, yet I wouldn't have to eat as many back in this example as I'd have more than 1200 to begin with .

    It's a personal choice, from what I've gathered.
  • thomaswallacetrek
    thomaswallacetrek Posts: 3
    im in the same boat. i'm on a 2000 calorie diet. i usually average 455 minutes a week exercising, mainly a combination of gym workouts and road cycling on the weekends. on days i burn 1000 calories i'm supposed to be able eat a total of 3000 calories and still lose weight, since my orginal plan was for a pound a week weight loss, which is a reduction of 500 calories a day. i haven't been eating those extra calories from exercise though, and in nearly 2 weeks i've lost nearly 5 pounds. some days i only have net total of 1000 calories. this can't be healthy though, and i fear i'm losing muscle mass, so now i'm starting to eat more of those lost calories. being a cyclist i want to be as strong as possible and as thin as possible. so to answer your original question, yes i believe you can eat those extra caloires and still lose weight, so long as you're eating the right kinds of food at the right time of day. if you skip them, you can end up losing muscle, or your metabolism could shut down and go into starvation mode, which you wouldnt want.
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
    If possible, I'd just put everything into MFP and try to reach those goals. If you are eating too little then you may stop losing weight, but if you eat too much..... we all know what that does:) Anyway, just try to give your body the fuel it needs to work for you.

    As for eating the bad foods, I'd say avoid the best you can. Don't add junk food just to make up a calorie count, because you will still be starving your body of the nutrients it needs.

    Agree.On another thread you said you are dizzy. this could mean your body is not fueled enough,. I lost 36 pounds following to a T the MFP way. Never hungry. Cholesterol down.

    It works!
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