I still don't get it..

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PeytonLT
PeytonLT Posts: 20
in Health and Weight Loss
Do I HAVE to eat my exercise calories? Like today my NET (with exercise) caloric intake is at 1,068... Should I try to eat up 200 more calories to stay at 1200? My MFP calorie goal is 1780 calories. I usually never eat all of that but try to stay close to 1400 without exercise. I'm soooo lost!

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  • thedeegan4
    thedeegan4 Posts: 422 Member
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    I see this question almost everyday on here. It's all about how it works for you. Some will say yes, some will say no, some will say eat half. You have to experiment and find out what works for your body.
  • FairyMiss
    FairyMiss Posts: 1,812 Member
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    Do I HAVE to eat my exercise calories? Like today my NET (with exercise) caloric intake is at 1,068... Should I try to eat up 200 more calories to stay at 1200? My MFP calorie goal is 1780 calories. I usually never eat all of that but try to stay close to 1400 without exercise. I'm soooo lost!

    You don't HAVE to do anything, try both ways and see what makes YOU feel best
  • CallieDerenthal
    CallieDerenthal Posts: 170 Member
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    I see this question almost everyday on here. It's all about how it works for you. Some will say yes, some will say no, some will say eat half. You have to experiment and find out what works for your body.

    couldn't agree more!
  • Hahham
    Hahham Posts: 18 Member
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    i haven't figured it out either. I enter my menu for the day based on my starting calories then I enter my exercise after I have completed it and see how I am doing. If I am under then great! I dont try to eat back the calories but if i have room for 2 cookies at the end of the day then I will eat them as i love sweets (my downfall). I am only a week into this so thats how I am starting
  • 2kidzlater
    2kidzlater Posts: 134 Member
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    I've done that in the past, but I am recently reading a book that say's that you shouldn't everyday. The more calories you have remaining the more you will loose in the long run.
  • wanderinggypsy
    wanderinggypsy Posts: 40
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    How do you know how many calories you are burning through exercise? I don't trust the MFP calculator as it tells me that I burned waaaayyyy more than I could have. Does anyone else have this problem?
    But in regards to your question, I would think it would be fairly unhealthy for anyone to consume less than 1100 calories a day.
  • katcod1522
    katcod1522 Posts: 448 Member
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    Im only at 1200 cals a day..on a day with a run...I earn about 600 cals...which gives me 1800 to eat. I never go over the 1400 mark.. On a strength training day...I dont eat those calories at all..just stick to the 1200...cause I dont feel like I worked my body hard enough..that it deserves them. Everyone will have a different plan. Every body is different.

    I did a 6 mile run Sunday....Once I logged for the day..I had 600 cals unused. My body was happy though.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
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    I agree with Thedeegan4.

    MFP is set up the way it is because the people that started up the website truly believe you're better off eating back those calories. There is a chance of starvation mode - some say that's bunk, others live by it. Some swear that not eating their exercise calories was the secret to their success, some (like me) can't imagine not eating them back because we'd be way too hungry and totally miseable.

    I firmly believe that you need to fuel your body. MFP already gives you a deficit from your calorie burn from normal activity. If you burn more calories, it's my opinion that you should eat back at least half of them to make sure your feeding your body properly. You wouldn't run a car on empty, right? Just make sure you're not eating junk to fill up a daily requirement of calories. Eat good whole foods, fruits veggies, grains and lean proteins. And drink that water!
  • radiotrash
    radiotrash Posts: 22 Member
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    You have to remember that MFP already starts you out with a calorie deficit. I think it's 500 calories? At least that's what it is for me. Even if you decide not to eat back your exercise calories I would try to at least eat your base goal as you don't want to eat too few calories either. Personally I go with what my body is telling me. Sometimes I'm hungry and eat most of them back, sometimes it's around half, sometimes it's barely any.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    If MFP sets a specific number of calories for you to eat, why wouldn't you eat them? What's the point of using the site if you aren't going to follow what it says? That's like hiring a personal trainer and then just ignoring the training program they put you on.
  • PeytonLT
    PeytonLT Posts: 20
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    LOL, go ahead... I'm not a cat person...
  • prestonmay
    prestonmay Posts: 107 Member
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    It depends on what the calories are also . Most of my calories are protein ---70 percent.... I want to retain what muscle I do have and lose fat... I have found give or take 300 cals either way works fine for me.
  • kducky22
    kducky22 Posts: 276 Member
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    I would just see what works. EVERYONE is different. Try not eating your calories back, if you get tired, really hungry through out the day, or don't see any movement in the scale for a couple weeks, try eating them back.

    For me, I find i get REALLY hungry if I don't eat them back. I look at it as a lifestyle change and since I don't want to be hungry the rest of my life, I'm trying to lose while eating them back. Best advise is to see what works best for you.

    Gook Luck!!
  • dolphin9803
    dolphin9803 Posts: 125
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    I personally never eat back my exercise cals BUT that is what works for me, If I eat them back I see a slight increase in the scale and if I don't I see the scale drop slowly, but it drops :) I have tries both ways and this is the way that works for me. You just have to experiment with it and see what works for you. Like the people said before try it out both ways. Good Luck!!
  • Matttdvg
    Matttdvg Posts: 133 Member
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    Do what feels right to you. If you don't want to eat them, don't. If you do want to eat them, do. Keep a close eye on the scales, and if you're losing weight, you're clearly doing OK and you don't need to change a thing. If you're not, try doing the opposite and seeing if that works.

    Everyone's metabolism is different. Our bodies all react differently to different amounts and types of food. The numbers on here are all only guidelines, and you'll have to experiment a bit and see what works for you. As long as the number on that scale is going down, you're doing the right thing. If it's not going down, experiment a bit, try different things. Find what works for you.
  • ToniAnn411
    ToniAnn411 Posts: 83
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    It depends on the person. For me, I rarely eat all of it, but I know if I'm hungry, I won't feel guilty eating more than usual. You have to do what works best for you.
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
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    I see this question almost everyday on here. It's all about how it works for you. Some will say yes, some will say no, some will say eat half. You have to experiment and find out what works for your body.
    Exactly. There is no consensus. I would say if you are hungry then you should eat.

    If you're just worried about today, as an isolated incident, where you ate too few calories then don't worry about that. You aren't going to starve in one day.
  • TXBlonde81
    TXBlonde81 Posts: 78 Member
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    I had this issue yesterday. I ate food throughout the day and managed my calories and then I hit the gym and had 400 calories that I still needed to eat. Being that it was 10pm at night I just went with my regular after workout snack (1 glass skim milk and 1 tbsp peanut butter) and called it a day. I figure it will all even out because some days I'll want to go over slightly and some days I might be spot on.
  • PeytonLT
    PeytonLT Posts: 20
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    Thanks :) I've only been here a week, so I'm still trying to get the hang of things with my eating habits and this site. :smile:

    Sorry if this is the million and tenth thread about exercise calories!!

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