Eat my exercise calories? Really??

you dont have to eat your excercise calories only like half the people on here do i do not

This topic has been done to death, search the forums (there is a search feature) and you'll find a ton of discussion of this issue.

Since you aren't losing any weight... just give it a try for a few weeks and see if it works for you.

GOod luck.

OK. I'm gonna give this a shot. I am an avid lifelong athlete. I have never been overweight, however, I used to eat too few calories (without knowing it), and a couple years ago, I actually GAINED weight bc of having slowed my metabolism to the point that every little extra treat I ate caused a weight gain, even though overall my calories were too low. THIS DOES HAPPEN.

It is also the reason so many fat people stay fat. They restrict their calories so low, slow their metabolisms, binge (even a little), gain weight, restrict more . . . . and so on and so on. But they are still fat.

It is also the reason most people can't lose that last 10-20 lbs. For real.

1. MFP has a deficit built in. Let's say you're trying to lose 1 lb/ week. That is a 500/day deficit from your BMR (the amount of calories your body needs to complete basic functions.

2. You exercise and burn 500 calories. Now you are at a 1000 deficit. If you eat back those 500 exercise calories, you refuel your body and you still have a 500 deficit for that 1 lb loss. If you DON'T eat back those calories, you have too little fuel. This is bad. This is too much of a deficit for basic functions. If you do this for a long time, you will STOP LOSING WEIGHT. Why? bc your metabolism will slow down -- it's like a brownout--not quite enough electricity to make the whole city (your body) run, so it has to slow down some things. You will probably start being tired a lot, your skin and hair might start to look worse, and you might even gain weight. But you might NOT be hungry -- your body is getting used to fewer calories. That's bad.


That's when you start to gain weight. Let's say you're running along, eating 1200 calories a day, and exercising 400 calories a day, so net is 800. You're losing, you think this is great. You keep doing it, but after a while you stop losing. hmmmmm. One weekend you go out to a special event and have a slice of pizza and a beer. 1 slice of pizza and 1 beer. So you ate maybe 2000 calories that day and exercised off 400, so net 1600. BOOM! You gain 3 lbs! What?!

Next, you freak out and restrict yourself down to 1000 calories a day and work out extra hard, burning 500 calories. Great, netting 500 now. You don't lose any weight, but you sure feel tired. Better get some red bull.

Are you getting the picture?

EDIT: When you work out, you need fuel. Food is fuel. If you don't eat back those exercise calories, you will not only have a big calorie deficit, you will have an ENERGY deficit. Remember, the calorie deficit for weight loss is built in when you use MFP. Exercising basically earns you more calories because you must refuel.
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There are many people who will tell you not to eat exercise calories. Before you take their advice, you might want to see whether they are at goal, have EVER been at goal, or have ever been able to maintain at goal. If anyone says to you 'THE LAST TIME I LOST WEIGHT", just stop listening right there. :laugh:

Ask some athletes whether or not they replenish their bodies with food equal to the calories they burn. Ask people who are fit and have achieved and maintained a healthy weight for some years. Don't ask people who count walking across a parking lot as exercise.

Here's an interesting case study about how to stay fat while consuming only 700 calories a day. Take a moment, you'll be glad you did:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing

blessings.

I started on MFP about two months ago with exercise and calorie counting and last week was the first week I didn't lose a single pound. It was also the first week when I didn't eat most or all of my exercise calories back.

Coincidence? Maybe. Maybe not.

It's ok to not eat your exercise calories if you are significantly overweight, and most of the people on MFP who tell you not to eat the exercise calories are in that category, or were at one point. But as you get closer to your goal weight, it becomes more important to eat all your allotted calories, including those from exercise. You only have 25 pounds to lose, so if you're seeing big burns, you should eat at least some of those extra calories in order to keep your metabolism working its best and to prevent muscle loss.

Go with how you feel! Everyone is different. If you are tired and have no energy while eating 1200 and burning 500, you need more food! If you feel great, have a ton of energy and are losing, there is no need to eat them.

Your body will tell you if you are in starvation...you will feel like sh$t! AND be hungry.
Oh, and if you are eating 1200, exercising a ton and not losing, try zig-zagging your calories - search forums for how.

Sleepytexan explained it right on track!
For a few months I was only eating 1000 calories a day. I did lose weight but after about 15 pounds I stopped and started gaining-WTH!!??? Now I know it's because I was in starvation mode!

Check out this video from bodybuilding.com-Jamie Eason's LiveFit program. She explains it also.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jamie-easons-livefit-phase-1.html

I guess everyone is different, my doctor told me not to eat back my workout calories.