"earning" calories through exercise

Options
tsh0ck
tsh0ck Posts: 1,970 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
dumb question ...

my food page says that I've "earned 577 extra calories from exercise today." do I really want to eat back all of the calories I burn off at the gym? isn't the idea to eat x amount per day and then burn away a portion of those through working out, thus dropping pounds?
«1

Replies

  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
    Options
    its not a dumb question....many people ask this...search the topics...you will be amazed at all the opinions...
  • jnhu72
    jnhu72 Posts: 558 Member
    Options
    When I started out on the site, I thought the same thing. The thing is, when you set up your profile and you put in how much weight you want to lose MFP calculates the deficit you will need to lose that weight with out any exercise. So anything you burn off you should eat back (or at least part of it) so that you do not create to large of a deficit and your body goes into starvation mode.
  • tsh0ck
    tsh0ck Posts: 1,970 Member
    Options
    so, working on the bike for an hour, I can get 500-600 calories burned. I'd be good, then, if I ate maybe 300 of those back? That would increase the speed of weight loss (I only set it up for 1 lb per week, trying to be realistic and not get discouraged) while keeping me out of starvation mode, right?

    (and starvation mode sounds bad, mmkay. :)
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
    Options
    so, working on the bike for an hour, I can get 500-600 calories burned. I'd be good, then, if I ate maybe 300 of those back? That would increase the speed of weight loss (I only set it up for 1 lb per week, trying to be realistic and not get discouraged) while keeping me out of starvation mode, right?

    (and starvation mode sounds bad, mmkay. :)

    you will not go into starvation mode unless you stop eating all together for several days
  • NikkiTaber
    NikkiTaber Posts: 190
    Options
    I feel like it really depends on the person. Listen to your body and give it what it needs. I usually eat back 1/2 the calories burned and it works well for me. I know people who eat them all back and get great results.
  • khua0808
    khua0808 Posts: 95
    Options
    If you're "Close" to your goal, then eat back the calories to maintain hormone levels/ not put so much stress on your body's metabolism, energy balance.. ect. If you're not so "close" then don't eat it back so you have a higher calorie deficit
  • ster81
    ster81 Posts: 249
    Options
    I'm not here to anger people, but I hear the words "starvation mode" gets tossed around this site a lot and for the most part, unless your body fat percentage is in the 4% or lower, I doubt anyone here has really ever reached it. You're body stores fat for energy that's used up when your eating at a deficit. Right now I'm eating below my bmr to lose the last bit of fat, and I have not "reached" starvation mode. I never eat back my calories I burned from working out. Also I'm pushing the same amount of weights that I did when I was eating in excess, I'm not getting stronger from the deficit, but I'm definitely not getting weaker at all. Another thing is when people eat back their workout calories, they tend to overestimate on exactly how many calories they burned. At the end of the day, you probably end up being in surplus instead of a deficit. Eat your allotted daily calories and if you notice you're losing more than a lb a week, then up it a bit by like 50-100 cal a day til you get your numbers right
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    Options
    I'm not here to anger people, but I hear the words "starvation mode" gets tossed around this site a lot and for the most part, unless your body fat percentage is in the 4% or lower, I doubt anyone here has really ever reached it. You're body stores fat for energy that's used up when your eating at a deficit. Right now I'm eating below my bmr to lose the last bit of fat, and I have not "reached" starvation mode. I never eat back my calories I burned from working out. Also I'm pushing the same amount of weights that I did when I was eating in excess, I'm not getting stronger from the deficit, but I'm definitely not getting weaker at all. Another thing is when people eat back their workout calories, they tend to overestimate on exactly how many calories they burned. At the end of the day, you probably end up being in surplus instead of a deficit. Eat your allotted daily calories and if you notice you're losing more than a lb a week, then up it a bit by like 50-100 cal a day til you get your numbers right

    starvation mode doesn't necessarily mean you are below 4% body fat and actually starving. What it means is you are not eating enough calories to maintain human life. If you do this for too long your body will just store the fat so you can function.
  • cassandra67
    cassandra67 Posts: 10
    Options
    I asked my trainer the same question, and she said to NOT eat back the calories. She said if we are eating and exercising we will not slow our metabolism, BUT if we were to eat too few calories and NOT exercise, we would slow our metabolism.
    I'm not sure of the science of this. Does anyone have an explanation?
  • winslow207
    winslow207 Posts: 1
    Options
    I agree. the best way to lose weight and not worry about the calories you are burning through exercise. Just keep moving and eat y our calorie goal.:smile:
  • vjrose
    vjrose Posts: 809 Member
    Options
    I don't know about "Starvation Mode" but I can definitely attest to "Conservation of Energy Mode". I have been struggling with weight loss for years and when I joined MFP I thought the 1200 and skip eating back folks had it right, followed their rules, didn't lose a thing, now after much reading of the forums I realize many of those folks, if not most are not "Obese" and near their goal, perhaps I too will someday have that happy problem. After I upped my calories to my BMR I started to lose, yay, and I will adjust my BMR periodically as MFP apparently doesn't automatically shift it for you. I think every single person on here has a unique metabolism including you, so you have to just keep tweaking until you find a combo that gets you a pound a week and hold there till it doesn't work anymore then adjust it again. Take care of yourself and your body will take care of you and don't let anyone tell you that their way is the only effing way to lose weight. You are unique so find your rhythm and have fun losing the weight.
  • ster81
    ster81 Posts: 249
    Options
    Actually, I was stating that starvation mode does not kick in till your atleast at 4% body fat. Since you hardly have any fat to burn off for energy, then your body starts to break itself down looking for other sources of energy. If your sitting at 30% body fat, that's a lot of energy for your body to use.
  • beyg
    beyg Posts: 212 Member
    Options
    I'm not here to anger people, but I hear the words "starvation mode" gets tossed around this site a lot and for the most part, unless your body fat percentage is in the 4% or lower, I doubt anyone here has really ever reached it. You're body stores fat for energy that's used up when your eating at a deficit. Right now I'm eating below my bmr to lose the last bit of fat, and I have not "reached" starvation mode. I never eat back my calories I burned from working out. Also I'm pushing the same amount of weights that I did when I was eating in excess, I'm not getting stronger from the deficit, but I'm definitely not getting weaker at all. Another thing is when people eat back their workout calories, they tend to overestimate on exactly how many calories they burned. At the end of the day, you probably end up being in surplus instead of a deficit. Eat your allotted daily calories and if you notice you're losing more than a lb a week, then up it a bit by like 50-100 cal a day til you get your numbers right

    starvation mode doesn't necessarily mean you are below 4% body fat and actually starving. What it means is you are not eating enough calories to maintain human life. If you do this for too long your body will just store the fat so you can function.
    bingo!!
    Your body needs a minimum to keep all the functions. Not just muscle, but there is a required amount of different fluids you need to have. Just saying.
  • aaronburgess
    aaronburgess Posts: 13 Member
    Options
    All the comments here are helpful. I agree that very few of us in the Western world need to worry about "starving to death." Added into the equation of how many calories you need is also the rate at which an individual burns calories at a resting state which is dependent on a bunch of factors including body type. If you have more muscle as a percentage of your weight then you will probably burn more calories just existing. Weight training and other resistance exercises done over a long period of time also lead to bone density enhancement which can raise your metabolic rate. That is why lean mass also plays a role in determining your caloric needs. I am 171-173 lbs with about 12.5% bf and I usually need about 2500 calories a day just to maintain my weight. That is during the winter when I am not outside in the heat as much and when I am walking a lot in addition to my weight program. During the winter I do no cardio. But I know my caloric needs through trial and error and closely monitoring my weight fluctuations on the scale. But as I've put on muscle I've notice that my caloric needs have grown. I used to eat about 1,700 cal. a day but over the last year as I've put on 17 lbs of lean mass I need much more. So I've turned to protein supplements to help me reach my caloric needs.
  • georgia98_98
    georgia98_98 Posts: 123 Member
    Options
    Should I eat all my calories?

    Yes. MFP is already figuring a deficit for you to lose weight. This deficit is based on what you need to eat based on your everyday activity, not counting exercise. In the end, it's all about "net calories" (you can view yours under reports)

    Example: you need to eat 2,000 calories to maintain your current weight (random number)
    MFP will tell you to eat 1,500 to lose one pound per week (500x7=3500=one pound loss).

    Let's say you exercise, and burn 500 additional calories.
    UH-OH, now you are at a 1,000 calorie a day deficit. You need 2,000 calories to maintian, are already restricted to 1500, so now your net calories are a 1,000 a day. This is starvation central. Your body, which is very good at keeping you alive, will store and save calories. You WILL stop losing weight. You WILL want to throw your scale out the window.

    Eat your exercise calories. At least eat most of them

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/6556-the-answers-to-the-questions


    Hope that helps.. U keep up the great work.... Oh I wondered the same thing 2... find this!
  • Contrarian
    Contrarian Posts: 8,138 Member
    Options
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/390145-should-i-eat-my-exercise-calories
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
    Options
    so, working on the bike for an hour, I can get 500-600 calories burned. I'd be good, then, if I ate maybe 300 of those back? That would increase the speed of weight loss (I only set it up for 1 lb per week, trying to be realistic and not get discouraged) while keeping me out of starvation mode, right?

    (and starvation mode sounds bad, mmkay. :)

    you will not go into starvation mode unless you stop eating all together for several days

    That is not true at all.
  • georgia98_98
    georgia98_98 Posts: 123 Member
    Options
    so, working on the bike for an hour, I can get 500-600 calories burned. I'd be good, then, if I ate maybe 300 of those back? That would increase the speed of weight loss (I only set it up for 1 lb per week, trying to be realistic and not get discouraged) while keeping me out of starvation mode, right?

    (and starvation mode sounds bad, mmkay. :)

    you will not go into starvation mode unless you stop eating all together for several days

    That is not true at all.

    I agree NOT TRUE @ all!
  • georgia98_98
    georgia98_98 Posts: 123 Member
    Options
    If you're "Close" to your goal, then eat back the calories to maintain hormone levels/ not put so much stress on your body's metabolism, energy balance.. ect. If you're not so "close" then don't eat it back so you have a higher calorie deficit

    I agree with this!
  • NightOwl1
    NightOwl1 Posts: 881 Member
    Options
    so, working on the bike for an hour, I can get 500-600 calories burned. I'd be good, then, if I ate maybe 300 of those back? That would increase the speed of weight loss (I only set it up for 1 lb per week, trying to be realistic and not get discouraged) while keeping me out of starvation mode, right?

    (and starvation mode sounds bad, mmkay. :)

    you will not go into starvation mode unless you stop eating all together for several days

    Starvation Mode doesn't mean what you think it means.

Categories