help! gym vs. calories.

jenniferhiggins
jenniferhiggins Posts: 116 Member
edited October 6 in Health and Weight Loss
Lets say that you are sedentary. My activity that I do is going to the gym. so I am only allowed to eat 1310 without exercising. Though lets say that I burn off 500 cals at the gym ok. Now it will allow me to eat 1810 calories if I want too. So I eat 1810 cals. Now tomorrow at the gym. should I burn off 500 so that I would still only being eating 1310 for the day or should i burn off 310 cals to act like I ate 1500 cals a day.

Please someone help me with his.

How does some determine how much they are going to workout at the gym.

Replies

  • Hellbent_Heidi
    Hellbent_Heidi Posts: 3,669 Member
    every day is a new day, so don't think about carrying over anythiyng. The MFP target is a NET target. This means, you need to net 1310 if that's your allottment. If you workout and burn 500, eat that 500 (or don't....that's up to you and there are arguments for and against it, but you need to do what works for you), but you should aim to eat the 1310 each day, regardless of how much you exercise.

    There's a million of posts about this...just search "eating exercise calories"
  • MrsHoke04
    MrsHoke04 Posts: 3
    I think of it like this: If you want to lose weight, try not to eat the extra calories, if you want to maintain your weight, eat the calories. : )
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    I think of it like this: If you want to lose weight, try not to eat the extra calories, if you want to maintain your weight, eat the calories. : )

    This is wrong.

    Simply put, if you are allotted 1370 calories in the day, it already includes a deficit. And if you workout and burn 500 calories, that means you increase that deficit. Increasing a deficit doesn't mean you will lose more, especially when you get closer to your goal. Now the one thing is, MFP can over estimate your exercise calories as it's an average. So what is recommended is at least eat 75% of the calories back.


    What many people don't understand is the effects of large deficits on their metabolism and lean muscle mass but we can get into that later.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    ps- here are some threads on people that eat more and lose more. And to let everyone know, food is fuel, so if you don't add enough fuel to your body, it won't run properly.


    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/282320-caloric-intake-body-fat

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/395881-people-who-lost-weight-eating-more
  • BobbyClerici
    BobbyClerici Posts: 813 Member
    You don't determine that until you are done with your workout, and either know the burn rate or have looked it up here.
    Go to exercise link above and search the data base for what you did.

    That's how it works.
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
    Lets say that you are sedentary. My activity that I do is going to the gym. so I am only allowed to eat 1310 without exercising. Though lets say that I burn off 500 cals at the gym ok. Now it will allow me to eat 1810 calories if I want too. So I eat 1810 cals. Now tomorrow at the gym. should I burn off 500 so that I would still only being eating 1310 for the day or should i burn off 310 cals to act like I ate 1500 cals a day.

    Please someone help me with his.

    How does some determine how much they are going to workout at the gym.

    I will answer your question...if your goal is set at "lose .5/1/2 pounds per week" then you are creating a deficit by eating a NET intake of 1310. This means that if you exercise you eat 1310 + (calories burned in the gym). So if you burn 500 you eat 1310+500 = 1810.

    The next day you start with 1310 again...if you burn no additional calories working out then you simply eat 1310. If you burn 200 calories then you eat 1310+200 = 1510.

    Now, some people think that they should NOT eat their exercise calories BUT if you find that you're hungry then you're more likely to wind up binging by forcing yourself to create an even larger deficit by not eating back your calories.

    So I recommend eating at least 1310 + 1/2 of what you burn in the gym...now that is a minimum. So if you workout for an hour and burn 500 calories you'd eat AT LEAST 1310 + 250 = 1560 calories...up to 1310 + 500 = 1810 calories. So 1560-1810 depending on hunger.
  • BobbyClerici
    BobbyClerici Posts: 813 Member
    I think of it like this: If you want to lose weight, try not to eat the extra calories, if you want to maintain your weight, eat the calories. : )

    This is wrong.

    Simply put, if you are allotted 1370 calories in the day, it already includes a deficit. And if you workout and burn 500 calories, that means you increase that deficit. Increasing a deficit doesn't mean you will lose more, especially when you get closer to your goal. Now the one thing is, MFP can over estimate your exercise calories as it's an average. So what is recommended is at least eat 75% of the calories back.


    What many people don't understand is the effects of large deficits on their metabolism and lean muscle mass but we can get into that later.

    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
    The above retort is TRUE!
    And to the previous comment...My God - please research how this site works before giving advice.

    Wow, sometimes it's like the blind leading the blind...
  • christine24t
    christine24t Posts: 6,063 Member
    no doctor/trainer/etc has ever said to eat back calorie. i believe that poster that says eat them back if you're maintaining, don't if you want to lose weight. i've never heard of eating back exercise calories anywhere else but mfp so i don't really believe in it. i just calculated my bmr on a different website and it's exactly the same as my calorie goal on here, so the calorie goal on here is your bmr.

    to the OP - just eat your allotted calories and go exercise. don't overthink it!
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
    no doctor/trainer/etc has ever said to eat back calorie. i believe that poster that says eat them back if you're maintaining, don't if you want to lose weight. i've never heard of eating back exercise calories anywhere else but mfp so i don't really believe in it. i just calculated my bmr on a different website and it's exactly the same as my calorie goal on here, so the calorie goal on here is your bmr.

    to the OP - just eat your allotted calories and go exercise. don't overthink it!

    So are you honestly saying it doesn't matter whether I run 10 miles or walk 2 miles that my calorie target should be the same? Do you know what would happen if I ate at MFPs recommendation for a week with my exercise regimen? I'd be binging by day 4....and I'd GAIN 5 pounds before being able to stop. I think if you're not very active then it doesn't matter but you definitely SHOULD take into account your activity level.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    no doctor/trainer/etc has ever said to eat back calorie. i believe that poster that says eat them back if you're maintaining, don't if you want to lose weight. i've never heard of eating back exercise calories anywhere else but mfp so i don't really believe in it. i just calculated my bmr on a different website and it's exactly the same as my calorie goal on here, so the calorie goal on here is your bmr.

    to the OP - just eat your allotted calories and go exercise. don't overthink it!

    That is because doctors, nutritionist and dieticians all put those calories into your lifestyle calculation. In fact, that is what I do for myself using the Katch McArdle formula. Even though my work life is sedentary, I workout 5-6 days a week for 45-60 minutes so I make my life moderately active. This way I eat the same calories eat day by my net calories fluctuate.
  • beckysiz
    beckysiz Posts: 54 Member
    no doctor/trainer/etc has ever said to eat back calorie. i believe that poster that says eat them back if you're maintaining, don't if you want to lose weight. i've never heard of eating back exercise calories anywhere else but mfp so i don't really believe in it. i just calculated my bmr on a different website and it's exactly the same as my calorie goal on here, so the calorie goal on here is your bmr.

    to the OP - just eat your allotted calories and go exercise. don't overthink it!

    I can honestly say that I lose FASTER when I eat my exercise cals back. When you are building muscle you NEED to feed your body.

    and let me tell you what a Dr. once told me- he said that all women, regardless of size, only need 1200 cals a day, even if you exercise and burn an additional 1000.- of course I believed it and tried to follow it. All I did was lose muscle, gain fat, and stop losing weight.
  • ummlovelovesyou
    ummlovelovesyou Posts: 1,024 Member
    I think of it like this: If you want to lose weight, try not to eat the extra calories, if you want to maintain your weight, eat the calories. : )

    This is wrong.

    Simply put, if you are allotted 1370 calories in the day, it already includes a deficit. And if you workout and burn 500 calories, that means you increase that deficit. Increasing a deficit doesn't mean you will lose more, especially when you get closer to your goal. Now the one thing is, MFP can over estimate your exercise calories as it's an average. So what is recommended is at least eat 75% of the calories back.



    What many people don't understand is the effects of large deficits on their metabolism and lean muscle mass but we can get into that later.

    Yes! Eat your exercise calories back!!!
  • poulingail
    poulingail Posts: 110
    What if I'm not hungry?
    I burned 300 before supper, ate 500 of my remaining 600 for supper and I'm full. Will I be binging later on because I didn't eat the last 100 plus extra 300 calories before going to bed? That sounds crazy!
    FYI I didn't plan to burn the 300. It's usually more like 175 so I can't plan to eat more earlier in the day.
  • annameier8706
    annameier8706 Posts: 417 Member
    Calculate your BMR and never eat less than that. Most people assume they will loose the most weight if they aim for 1200ish a day, but every body is different, for some people 1200 just isn't enough. Since I've calculated my BMR and not gone below that I have been shedding pounds.
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
    What if I'm not hungry?
    I burned 300 before supper, ate 500 of my remaining 600 for supper and I'm full. Will I be binging later on because I didn't eat the last 100 plus extra 300 calories before going to bed? That sounds crazy!
    FYI I didn't plan to burn the 300. It's usually more like 175 so I can't plan to eat more earlier in the day.
    If you're not hungry then don't eat...I guess whether or not you'll be binging later on depends on how big your deficit is on a day to day basis.
  • jenniferhiggins
    jenniferhiggins Posts: 116 Member
    Thanks everyone for your replies. I really appreciate it.
  • jenniferhiggins
    jenniferhiggins Posts: 116 Member
    if you workout 7 days a week at the gym ~would i still be sedentary or active. I am a housewife. I lift some weights and use the treadmill at least and hour at day.
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
    if you workout 7 days a week at the gym ~would i still be sedentary or active. I am a housewife. I lift some weights and use the treadmill at least and hour at day.
    i would log myself as sedentary and then select 1/2 pound or 1 pound loss as my goal and eat ALL calories burned.

    Alternatively you can log yourself as active and select 1/2 pound or 1 pound loss...then don't log your exercise--I think this is less accurate but easier.
  • jenniferhiggins
    jenniferhiggins Posts: 116 Member
    Thank you so much. This is truly helpful.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    What if I'm not hungry?
    I burned 300 before supper, ate 500 of my remaining 600 for supper and I'm full. Will I be binging later on because I didn't eat the last 100 plus extra 300 calories before going to bed? That sounds crazy!
    FYI I didn't plan to burn the 300. It's usually more like 175 so I can't plan to eat more earlier in the day.
    this is why i suggest preplanning your exercise if you can or add your exercise in your lifestyle multiplier. So you dont struggle getting all your calories.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    if you workout 7 days a week at the gym ~would i still be sedentary or active. I am a housewife. I lift some weights and use the treadmill at least and hour at day.

    I would actually consider you lightly active since your probably clean and more throughout the day. But what i would really suggest to you is drop 3 days of cardio and do weight training. Muscle burns fat. The more lean muscle mass the faster your metabolism is and the more calories your body burns. And you really should take one day off from the gym so your muscle can repair.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    I agree with the Lemon. :smile: I think of sedentary as Peg Bundy sitting on the couch eating bon-bons all day. I work part-time from home, so I'm mostly a housewife, and call myself lightly active. I'm not as active as when I was a vet tech and on my feet all day, lugging around dogs, cats and pet supplies, but I'm more active than when I was a code-monkey and sitting 8 hours straight.

    It's all depends on the individual, but I had better results and felt better with the calories I got from being lightly active than I did as sedentary. (Plus exercise calories, of course!)
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