Is there anyone else that can't eat their burned calories???

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paniologal
paniologal Posts: 53 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I don't know, maybe it's just me, but if I even think about eating back the calories I burned off I always manage to gain weight. I know that MFP automatically calculates how many net calories you should be eating and all, and that you should be able to eat back your burned calories. I work at a labor intensive job and usually burn 1400+ calories on days I work. (I couldn't believe it but I've done the calculations and it does check out) But if I eat even back 1000 of those calories I gain a couple pounds.

Hmm. I've learned to just accept it, so I eat 1200 calories or less regardless of how much I exercise and the results are good, and I don't feel like I'm starving myself.

Anyone else the same way?

Replies

  • Mennassey
    Mennassey Posts: 27 Member
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    I definitely get how you feel. When they gave me an extra 500 calories today, I was like WHAT!?!? You know how hard it is to burn that off lol. But I usually stick to 1200 calories, today I was actually close to my total calorie count without the exercise addition.
  • trailriderdee
    trailriderdee Posts: 38
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    I never eat the exercise calories...I'd not lose and or gain. I'm having a hard time eating my required calories...food has gotten very boring. I'm still eating 4 or 5 times a day, but it's lower in calories, and good for me. I have been doing a lot of cooking, meat, veg, paleo inspired, but I'm full and not feeling hungry, so I don't eat "too much". I take my supplements, and drink my water. Starvation mode...well, come on you'd have to seriously deprive yourself to get there, so I'm not worried about that.
  • SergeantSunshine_reused
    SergeantSunshine_reused Posts: 5,382 Member
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    What do you do at your work that you are burning that much? Curious :]

    I eat mine, or at least most of them. I eat because I want to maintain the muscle mass I have. Looks better in the end :]
  • Christine1110
    Christine1110 Posts: 1,786 Member
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    Do you workout useing a HRM? if you use the burn while exercing on this site it's probably wrong. A try and keep it about 1200 calories 4-5 days a week....the other two I eat some of my exercing calories.
  • maidentl
    maidentl Posts: 3,203 Member
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    I work at a labor intensive job and usually burn 1400+ calories on days I work. (I couldn't believe it but I've done the calculations and it does check out) But if I eat even back 1000 of those calories I gain a couple pounds.

    Those aren't exercise calories. That should be included in your activity level.
  • Lift_hard_eat_big
    Lift_hard_eat_big Posts: 2,278 Member
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    I eat back about half to 2/3 of my exercise cals, but mostly protein cals. to maintain muscle mass since I'm on a recomp cycle at the moment. Once I switch to a clean bulk, I'll be eating a fairly large surplus.
  • kyrstensmom
    kyrstensmom Posts: 297 Member
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    I can barely eat the 1200 calories I have to eat before my exercise calories. I eat a lot of healthy foods, and I just can't eat more, and I can't bring myself to eat "bad" foods just to reach my goal. I'm sure I'm giving my body all of the nutrients it needs with what I am eating, so I'm not too worried about it.
  • SergeantSunshine_reused
    SergeantSunshine_reused Posts: 5,382 Member
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    I can barely eat the 1200 calories I have to eat before my exercise calories. I eat a lot of healthy foods, and I just can't eat more, and I can't bring myself to eat "bad" foods just to reach my goal. I'm sure I'm giving my body all of the nutrients it needs with what I am eating, so I'm not too worried about it.

    It doesn't have to be "bad" foods. Adding olive oil to things and a serving of nuts would do wonders.
  • sunnyd52
    sunnyd52 Posts: 48
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    Me too girl ! If I even think about It I gain LB's. I also have to exercise or the scale won't budge. My cal's have not been over 999 since I started MFP in Sept. I do have thyroid issues and am on daily dose of med's. I just that was the reason I gained if I ate back my burned cal's. I do have a doctor appt coming up and I plan on asking his opinion on this. I can let you know if you want to add me as a friend :flowerforyou:
  • jcstanton
    jcstanton Posts: 1,849 Member
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    I think it really depends on the individual. I have a slow thyroid and an insulin resistance problem, so can't really go by what MFP tells me. I'm tracking my BMI (measured with calipers, not Ht/Wt chart), so I know I'm maintaining and even building muscle while only taking in around 1200 cals/day...and have been for five months. I'm still losing weight, but not at an alarming pace. Which is another indicator that my body is not going into "starvation mode" just because I'm not consuming the MFP recommended 1700cals/day. Another indicator...I don't get tired during workouts. If you're not taking in enough calories, you'll get really tired and won't have the stamina to push hard all the way through your workout. That's my 2 cents on the subject. :wink:
  • paniologal
    paniologal Posts: 53 Member
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    What do you do at your work that you are burning that much? Curious :]

    I work with horses, mostly mucking 8 paddocks and pushing heavy wheelbarrows in sand. Grooming horses, lifting saddles, raking, lifting hay, riding, etc, etc.

    I put my activity level at active but I don't pay much attention to it since I would still be eating 1200 calories if I was sedentary. Plus, I dance (a little) ride my own horse, hike, walk, swim, and do some yoga so I count the time I work as exercise. If I burn more than 1200 calories I feel OK at eating 0 net calories.
  • babyblake11
    babyblake11 Posts: 1,107 Member
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    I don't know, maybe it's just me, but if I even think about eating back the calories I burned off I always manage to gain weight. I know that MFP automatically calculates how many net calories you should be eating and all, and that you should be able to eat back your burned calories. I work at a labor intensive job and usually burn 1400+ calories on days I work. (I couldn't believe it but I've done the calculations and it does check out) But if I eat even back 1000 of those calories I gain a couple pounds.

    Hmm. I've learned to just accept it, so I eat 1200 calories or less regardless of how much I exercise and the results are good, and I don't feel like I'm starving myself.

    Anyone else the same way?

    you 'gain' on these days because your body isnt used to getting those extra calories, if you consistently started eating that much, the small gain would come off and you would continue to lose (or maintain depending on your goal) do you really want to deprive your body?
  • Jess5825
    Jess5825 Posts: 228
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    I don't know, maybe it's just me, but if I even think about eating back the calories I burned off I always manage to gain weight. I know that MFP automatically calculates how many net calories you should be eating and all, and that you should be able to eat back your burned calories. I work at a labor intensive job and usually burn 1400+ calories on days I work. (I couldn't believe it but I've done the calculations and it does check out) But if I eat even back 1000 of those calories I gain a couple pounds.

    Hmm. I've learned to just accept it, so I eat 1200 calories or less regardless of how much I exercise and the results are good, and I don't feel like I'm starving myself.

    Anyone else the same way?


    Exactly.

    This is what happened to me. I just kept with it and after a month the gain was gone and I'm fixing my metabolism.
    you 'gain' on these days because your body isnt used to getting those extra calories, if you consistently started eating that much, the small gain would come off and you would continue to lose (or maintain depending on your goal) do you really want to deprive your body?
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
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    Yeah, I really have never had a problem eating enough...
  • summertime_girl
    summertime_girl Posts: 3,945 Member
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    There's no way I could eat back my exercise calories. I'd gain a ton.
  • smpurely
    smpurely Posts: 12
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    I have been eating my exercise calories consistently since I started here 3 weeks ago, and have lost 11 pounds. Prior to that I was doing the same amount of exercise, but only eating 1200 calories total, and was actually gaining weight!

    Today is a problem, though. I had a ****ty day yesterday, and no appointments today, so I decided to work off the "pissed off" and did 3 aerobics classes in a row, and than swam laps for an hour. There is not a chance of a snowball in hell that I will come close to consuming my exercise calories today. Wish I could bank them! *chuckle*
  • Raf702
    Raf702 Posts: 196 Member
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    I CAN eat my exercise calories, I just choose not to. Or I'll consume half of it. Purpose of burning calories through exercise is to increase your calorie deficit. But at the same time, consuming the proper daily amount of macros.

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