Daily Calorie Goal vs Calories earned with exercise

stephguidry
stephguidry Posts: 2
edited October 3 in Health and Weight Loss
I am not losing much weight by eating all my calories including those earned with exercise. Should I stick to my daily goal of 1200 and not use the ones earned from exercise to see better results?

Replies

  • Motivationrequired
    Motivationrequired Posts: 106
    That's exactly my question.....so many people said you should eat the cals back but I'm not convinced still (it's my Day 8 and finding it harder today than last week!!!)......
  • GymRatRaceRunner
    GymRatRaceRunner Posts: 160 Member
    I usually only eat half my exercise calories back, since MFP estimates burned calories a bit on the high side...
  • ValorieGoode
    ValorieGoode Posts: 8
    The idea is that if you eat more than the 1200 calories, if you messed up in your eating, you can still lose weight if you incorporate the exercise. The exercise is key! Try to stick with the 1200 calories and you will see faster results!
  • Rashel_kitten
    Rashel_kitten Posts: 81 Member
    umm u will do better not to eat them back,.... it just means to me you will still be ok if you eat them back and may still even loose a little ... but its still better to not eat them back... you should see more results that way
  • sharonfincher1
    sharonfincher1 Posts: 311 Member
    I don't eat my calories back, when I do I maintain weight. I know they say that MFP factors in ur exercise goals when you set ur goals and that is what allows u to eat ur exercise calories back, but I don't lose weight when I do.
  • mlemonroe2
    mlemonroe2 Posts: 603
    i eat back about half. everyone is different. you should experiment with your calories to see what works for you! good luck!
  • regthelittleone
    regthelittleone Posts: 95
    LOL I just posted a looong message about the same exact question. I keep getting mixed answers and it makes me more confused on what to do!
  • AZKristi
    AZKristi Posts: 1,801 Member
    For a woman, you always want to consume at least 1200 calories per day. Eating back exercise calories is a personal decision. I typically eat back most or all of my exercise calories and loose 1-2 lbs a week. If you aren't losing, it is possible you are overestimating calories burned during exercise. Try it one way for a few weeks and then switch. See what works for you.
  • rainunrefined
    rainunrefined Posts: 850 Member
    your car needs gas and your body needs fuel.. the more you work out the more food you will need. Try only eating 1/2 of them back for a week or so. Then try not eating them.. but really you will get more out of your exercise if you do eat them back.
  • alwayzevolving
    alwayzevolving Posts: 21 Member
    This was one of my biggest questions when I first began and I figured it out on my own finally. YOU DO NOT have to eat all of those calories. It is a deficit and you need to burn more calories than you consume. Generally, I work out and burn 400 - 500 calories and my daily caloric goal is 1200 so I am have a quite a bit of a deficit left over. I go over 1200 on those days I burn more calories because my body is generally hungrier but I never use all of them and I've been losing 1.5 lbs a week. I go over 1200 but I don't eat all of what I've earned.
  • tkb1985
    tkb1985 Posts: 146 Member
    It's really a personal decision. Some people find eating your exercise calories back, others don't. You have to work out what's best for you.

    The most important thing to remember is that you mustn't eat less than 1200 calories NET. Your body wont get the nutrition it needs to function, and it can actually slow your weight loss down.
  • adera1059
    adera1059 Posts: 9
    Good morning everybody,
    I wanted to ask you about weighting myself. What would you suggest - to weight every day, every three days or once a week???
  • riva1968
    riva1968 Posts: 4
    I try to stick to the 1200 calories a day on my light workout days.....However your body needs fuel for it to workout.....I go over my 1200 calories the day before my big workouts for performance....I can tell when I dont have enough fuel to burn when I run vs. running on a full tank.....
  • KateMossThighs
    KateMossThighs Posts: 3 Member
    I try not to eat them back as a rule but if it is special occassion or meal out I will factor them in on those days. Also the nearer you can exercise to eating something naughty the lesser the impact. Example: I am going for meal out tonight with friends and would like the ice cream sundae so I will go for 30min run before which will give me ample calories but I will also time the run for 5.30-6.00 and be eating by 7pm when my metabolism is still really high and thus won't store fat. You just got to be able to get ready quickly.:drinker:
  • riva1968
    riva1968 Posts: 4
    I weigh every day and sometimes that frustrates me to all get out......and I am thinking of going to once a week....
  • lenwie
    lenwie Posts: 240
    Good morning everybody,
    I wanted to ask you about weighting myself. What would you suggest - to weight every day, every three days or once a week???

    Once a week, im once a month, cos im up and down like a yoyo due to PCOS/hormones.
  • smashatoms
    smashatoms Posts: 144 Member
    Weighing in is a personal choice I think.
    I will get on the scale 2-3 times a week, but I will only record my weight on Saturday's.

    As far as the calorie convo goes-- I agree with it being a personal decision.
    Here is the fact though: if you burn more calories than you consume, you will loose weight. I tend to eat a small portion back, but only because I stick to the 'listen to your body' philosophy. If I am hungry... I eat.
  • bampitt
    bampitt Posts: 43 Member
    I think this is the one question everyone has - do I eat back my exercise calories?

    I've asked the same question and got different answers. I suppose if I'm not hungry and my calories are from a good source, I should do fine. So, if I go over my 1200/day, it's no big deal because I still have a deficit and I should be losing 1 - 2 pounds per week.
  • adera1059
    adera1059 Posts: 9
    I weigh every day and sometimes that frustrates me to all get out......and I am thinking of going to once a week....

    Mostly I also weight myself every day, and I agree with you it does annoys me a lot and sometimes contributes to breaking the diet. So I think this time I will weight myself twice a week - Wednesday and Sunday.
  • stephguidry
    stephguidry Posts: 2
    Thank you for all the replies! I will play with my intake and see what does the best. This week, I will not eat back those calories. Good luck to all of YOU!
  • marianne_s
    marianne_s Posts: 983 Member
    For those that are confused about eating back exercise calories - have you read this?
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/186814-some-mfp-basics

    I think it explains everything quite clearly....

    Just as you have to accurately count the calories you are eating - you also need to accurately (as much you can) count the calories you burn during exercise.

    This means, if you're not wearing a good quality HRM & are relying on the exercise calories amounts listed in the MFP database, then that could probably be the cause of your lack of weight loss.
  • wannabesexymama
    wannabesexymama Posts: 367 Member
    Good morning everybody,
    I wanted to ask you about weighting myself. What would you suggest - to weight every day, every three days or once a week???

    Healthier to wait and do it once a week! As a recovered Bulimic over weighing your self can discourage you to much!!
  • grannygethealthy1111
    grannygethealthy1111 Posts: 422
    I feel that every BODY is different. What works for me at 61 years of age will not work for you. I have lost 93 pounds so far by listening to my body, discovering what works for ME and discarding what doesn't work. Your BMR is determined by your body size and composition, your sex, and your age. Food is not the enemy. It is fuel for our body, nothing more and nothing less.

    I believe a good kitchen scale is important. We need to learn portion control. Weigh and measure all of your food until you learn proper portion control. In the beginning of this journey I thought I was eating a 4-oz. skinless chicken breast, but it was really 8-oz. when I put it on the food scale. Experiment with different exercises. My running 2 miles may burn far fewer calories than you running 2 miles. That is why all of the charts and calculators are general guidelines only.

    Bottom line for all of us regardless of our age or sex is stop eating too many calories for YOU and stop exercising too little for YOU. Clean up unhealthy habits, such as skipping breakfast or not getting enough sleep. Understand that such things as genetics and family history, medications, etc. will affect how you lose weight. If something is not working for you, try something different.

    Good luck!
  • wannabesexymama
    wannabesexymama Posts: 367 Member
    My advice is that Every ones body is different, If you dont seem to be loosing eating all of them back then only eat half and see how that goes or only eat what your hungry for,,, Yesterday I cleaned all day and have over 1000 to eat back and there was no way I had time nor was I hungry for it lol I only eat back about 200 having a few sweets before bed,,, If you find that that still isnt working for you dont eat them back! Just dont go under your 1200 Min a day consumed or you might start gaining back!
  • adera1059
    adera1059 Posts: 9
    Good morning everybody,
    I wanted to ask you about weighting myself. What would you suggest - to weight every day, every three days or once a week???

    Healthier to wait and do it once a week! As a recovered Bulimic over weighing your self can discourage you to much!!

    I will take your advise - and start weighting myself less. I try once a week for a month. thanks
  • zakkthebear
    zakkthebear Posts: 52 Member
    I'd really take whatever "goal" Kcal that MFP is telling you with a lot of salt.

    I just got my BF% done (hydro-static) and a RMR test and they were within 110 kcals of each other. MFP put me on a 1850 goal, and my RMR was 2640. add on 8-10 hours (avg. burn an hour at 710 kcal) at the gym a week busting *kitten*, and I was in starvation mode even on cheat days. If I had eaten back *ALL* my calories burned, it still would not be enough.

    In short: this is a very rough guide. if you really want to know, or don't seem to be making the progress you really and truely feel you should be making (eg not cheating on your diet and really pushing yourself in your workouts) get outside, expert help done.
  • FaithHopeBELIEVE
    FaithHopeBELIEVE Posts: 626
    Just read thata rticle and love it. I am the "smaller than the avg. woman" she stated in that article so I am vowing to only eat half my cals back. I did just buy a HRM today in hopes to be more acurate. Based on my height I have a BMR of 1100.
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