Are you supposed to eat half the calories you burn?

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  • xsmilexforxmex
    xsmilexforxmex Posts: 1,216 Member
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    Is this daily? You need to allow your body rest, do different excercises ior it will stop responding.

    As to the eating calories back, I do some days and don't others, I feel like that keeps my body from getting used to one way and helps burn the most. Don't drive yourself crazy on trying to match tho because overcompensation is pretty easily done... Don't force yourself to eat but if you're hungry and you're getting close, reach for something healthier and lower in calories.
  • mrsjoseywales29
    mrsjoseywales29 Posts: 57
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    how much are the heart rate monitors?
  • Lizzy_Sunflower
    Lizzy_Sunflower Posts: 1,510 Member
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    lol i am so screwed bc i burn 1600-1800 calories a day. so that means i have to eat at least 3000 calories. That is a a lot

    If you can't eat that much, even with Protein Shakes throughout the day, you might consider Not burning that many calories a day.
  • quiksandy
    quiksandy Posts: 246 Member
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    I think it varies from person to person. I typically eat about half of mine back. Not intentionally, necessarily. I just eat until I'm not hungry. There are some days I workout out a ton and just can't stomach the idea of eating back all those calories. On those days I don't force it.
  • mrsjoseywales29
    mrsjoseywales29 Posts: 57
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    i usually take off 1-2 days off to allow my body to rest
  • MsQt
    MsQt Posts: 793 Member
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    I never eat my calories back unless it's by mistake. I use burned cals for wiggle room if I do want more. I weight loss was never a problem unless I didn't exercise. Everybody chooses what works best for them. I couldn't imagine eating all my burned cals. We're talk a total of 2500? Please lol..
  • smpreston
    smpreston Posts: 262 Member
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    just from the machines i usually burn bt 1100-1250


    That seems pretty high. I think the machines might be reporting a higher total than actuality. I would suggest that you get an good heart rate monitor. There is a Timex Ironman one that can be had for about $50. I have a Polar FT7 that was less than $100. The Polar model even comes in a women's model. Good heart rate monitors allow you to input your personal stats to give you an accurate representation of your calorie burn. Machines are very generalized in their calculations and are usually quite far off.
  • sjcsviola85
    sjcsviola85 Posts: 40
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    i've been having the same problem working out what to count and what not to count... my MFP 'caloric intake goal' is 1270 and as an example of a fairly active day yesterday (monday) my finished diary looked like :

    Goal:1270 food: 1256 Exercise: 1266 Net: -10 Remaining: 1280


    pretty much each day since i've started logging has looked like this ... yet I still don't seem to have lost any weight (unless its water retention or something) ....
  • Jorra
    Jorra Posts: 3,338 Member
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    i've been having the same problem working out what to count and what not to count... my MFP 'caloric intake goal' is 1270 and as an example of a fairly active day yesterday (monday) my finished diary looked like :

    Goal:1270 food: 1256 Exercise: 1266 Net: -10 Remaining: 1280


    pretty much each day since i've started logging has looked like this ... yet I still don't seem to have lost any weight (unless its water retention or something) ....

    You're not losing weight because you are essentially not feeding your body any energy to live off of. You ate 1256, then you burned 1266. That leaves none of the food you gave your body for the essential "staying alive" functions. You are starving your body.

    Your NET needs to be 1270. If you have 1280 remaining, that means you need to eat 1280 MORE.
  • smpreston
    smpreston Posts: 262 Member
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    i've been having the same problem working out what to count and what not to count... my MFP 'caloric intake goal' is 1270 and as an example of a fairly active day yesterday (monday) my finished diary looked like :

    Goal:1270 food: 1256 Exercise: 1266 Net: -10 Remaining: 1280


    pretty much each day since i've started logging has looked like this ... yet I still don't seem to have lost any weight (unless its water retention or something) ....

    How are you burning 1,200 + calories daily? Where does that number come from?
  • smileeangel
    smileeangel Posts: 8
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    This thread is interesting. I always thought it was counterproductive to eat the calories you burn. I'm allotted 1320 calories and I burn around 400-500 a day through 45-60 minutes of exercise. I do eat the 1320 calories I'm allotted per day, but I generally do not eat the calories I burn. I primarily use them as a buffer in case I want something extra. I just started mfp and I really like it!
  • smpreston
    smpreston Posts: 262 Member
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    The one thing that people forget is that MFP takes into account your exercise. You want your net calories remaining to be zero. During setup when you put in your goals, it already calculates a calorie deficit for you.
  • Jorra
    Jorra Posts: 3,338 Member
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    The one thing that people forget is that MFP takes into account your exercise. You want your net calories remaining to be zero. During setup when you put in your goals, it already calculates a calorie deficit for you.

    You mean you want your remaining calories to be zero. Your net calories should be equal to your given calorie goal, such as 1200.
  • Molly182
    Molly182 Posts: 406
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    If you're doing an interval workout that's cardio and strength should you still eat all your extra calories? You don't get more for strength, and that's half of what you did, so should you round down a little when entering the # of calories burned?
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
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    If you're doing an interval workout that's cardio and strength should you still eat all your extra calories? You don't get more for strength, and that's half of what you did, so should you round down a little when entering the # of calories burned?

    Not sure i understand your question. i burn 300+ doing strength workouts these days. I "eat back" all those calories. Always have, even when i was aggressively losing weight.

    Only round down if you have reason to believe that your calorie count for the exercise is somehow exaggerated.
  • Jorra
    Jorra Posts: 3,338 Member
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    If you're doing an interval workout that's cardio and strength should you still eat all your extra calories? You don't get more for strength, and that's half of what you did, so should you round down a little when entering the # of calories burned?

    Strength workouts still burn calories. The "Strength" exercise diary on MFP is just for record-keeping purposes because it is difficult to estimate the calories burned through strength exercises without an HRM. You can enter strength exercises as cardio for an estimate of calories burned.
  • vs1023
    vs1023 Posts: 417 Member
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    lol i am so screwwed bc i burn 1600-1800 calories a day. so that means i have to eat at least 3000 calories. That is a alot

    I can burn around 1200 when I do back to back classes (BodyPump and BodyCombat) at the gym and I have a HRM with a chest strap. I definitely recommend one. I don't know if i can eat back 600 cals today, but i'll try to eat a little more. I have a hard time eating enough because i'm just so busy.
  • smpreston
    smpreston Posts: 262 Member
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    The one thing that people forget is that MFP takes into account your exercise. You want your net calories remaining to be zero. During setup when you put in your goals, it already calculates a calorie deficit for you.

    You mean you want your remaining calories to be zero. Your net calories should be equal to your given calorie goal, such as 1200.

    That's what I meant by calling it net calories remaining. I shouldn't have put the word "net" in there.
  • cdgliz
    cdgliz Posts: 16
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    I just got a HRM for myself for Christmas. It's a Polar FT7 at Best Buy for $109.00. Comes highly recommended online and I can't wait to use it! I have been struggling with am I eating enough with how much I work out. I think I finally figured out that I do need to eat more on days I workout. Maybe even a little more than this site recommends. I think I have been in starvation mode. Working out a lot and intense and wasn't seeing any weight loss and barely any inches lost. I am stronger....a lot stronger. I want to know exactly how many calories I am burning!! Make sure you get one with the chest strap!! It is way more accurate.
  • Jorra
    Jorra Posts: 3,338 Member
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    The one thing that people forget is that MFP takes into account your exercise. You want your net calories remaining to be zero. During setup when you put in your goals, it already calculates a calorie deficit for you.

    You mean you want your remaining calories to be zero. Your net calories should be equal to your given calorie goal, such as 1200.

    That's what I meant by calling it net calories remaining. I shouldn't have put the word "net" in there.

    Yup, I just wanted to clarify. I know you got this. :flowerforyou:

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