Should I eat my "calories burned?"

swilk627
swilk627 Posts: 245 Member
edited October 13 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm a little confused as to what I should be doing to aid my weight loss.

MFP has me eating 1200 calories. If I eat around that but burn, say, 500, I'm only netting about 700 calories. Then, MFP says I'm going to send my body into starvation mode, which I don't want.

So, am I supposed to care about my NET calories or just focus on the 1200 intake?
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Replies

  • koosdel
    koosdel Posts: 3,317 Member
    Yes.
  • Brandicaloriecountess
    Brandicaloriecountess Posts: 2,126 Member
    MFP is set up so that you should eat back the calories you burn.
  • swilk627
    swilk627 Posts: 245 Member
    MFP is set up so that you should eat back the calories you burn.

    I'm honestly having a hard time doing that!

    Today I've eaten more than my allotment - 1414 and still have a deficit of 362!
  • Nana_Booboo
    Nana_Booboo Posts: 501 Member
    If you eat 1200 and exercise off 400 you're body only gets 800 cal. Instant starvation mode and you'll not lose. You're body will keep everything you give it. It's not your fault, it's the way the body is made. Feast or famine.

    1800 in - 600 exercise = 1200 is still (at the end of the week) from a normal 2000 cal diet is a deficit of 5600 cal which is over 1.5 lbs a week.

    Key is to keep feeding your body, small constant meals. I mean, very small.
    Tangerine & 10 almonds and some lean chicken
    Cup of Cottage cheese and an apple.
    Oatmeal with raisins, cup of almond milk.
  • swilk627
    swilk627 Posts: 245 Member
    If you eat 1200 and exercise off 400 you're body only gets 800 cal. Instant starvation mode and you'll not lose. You're body will keep everything you give it. It's not your fault, it's the way the body is made. Feast or famine.

    1800 in - 600 exercise = 1200 is still (at the end of the week) from a normal 2000 cal diet is a deficit of 5600 cal which is over 1.5 lbs a week.

    Key is to keep feeding your body, small constant meals. I mean, very small.
    Tangerine & 10 almonds and some lean chicken
    Cup of Cottage cheese and an apple.
    Oatmeal with raisins, cup of almond milk.

    Yes, I just saw your thread. Thanks. :)
  • DenverKos
    DenverKos Posts: 182
    To clarify, it's NOT "instant" starvation mode. The body is not that sensitive. You should eat back your calories, but if you miss some one day you won't go into starvation mode. On a routine basis, you should strive to eat them.
    A word of caution - are you using a heart rate monitor for your exercise? MFP has a tendency to grossly overestimate calories burned, so eating all those calories back will put you over your "limit". Track accurately, both what you eat and what you burn. Unless you're working out hard core daily for 90+ minutes, you're probably fine eating 1400-1500 calories a day with your exercise.
  • tatiannajanel
    tatiannajanel Posts: 22 Member
    If you eat 1200 and exercise off 400 you're body only gets 800 cal. Instant starvation mode and you'll not lose. You're body will keep everything you give it. It's not your fault, it's the way the body is made. Feast or famine.

    1800 in - 600 exercise = 1200 is still (at the end of the week) from a normal 2000 cal diet is a deficit of 5600 cal which is over 1.5 lbs a week.

    Key is to keep feeding your body, small constant meals. I mean, very small.
    Tangerine & 10 almonds and some lean chicken
    Cup of Cottage cheese and an apple.
    Oatmeal with raisins, cup of almond milk.
    [/quote

    That makes so much sense!
  • sylverkat
    sylverkat Posts: 55 Member
    At 1200 yes, eat them. You don't want to be in starvation mode. You will still lose weight and best of all you'll get fit doing it. I always eat what I burn to 1200 cals.
  • mejustsmaller316
    mejustsmaller316 Posts: 134 Member
    MFP does over estimated calories burned. The treadmill at the gym will say 200 and MFP will say like 600!
  • kiwinik
    kiwinik Posts: 25 Member
    I'm new here and very confused about this! So you're saying I should eat until the calories "balance" at zero not have some left over from the exercise I do?
  • Brandicaloriecountess
    Brandicaloriecountess Posts: 2,126 Member
    I'm new here and very confused about this! So you're saying I should eat until the calories "balance" at zero not have some left over from the exercise I do?

    Honestly I leave about 100 or so at the end of the day. Because NOTHING is going to be exact, so I feel better with a little margin for error. But for the most part yes, eat more when you workout :)
  • JVanDam77
    JVanDam77 Posts: 130
    I say listen to YOUR BODY...NOT what MFP or ANYONE else says unless they are your Doctor.
  • amandavictoria80
    amandavictoria80 Posts: 734 Member
    I would say only if you are maintaining. It's all about the calorie deficit you create by exercising. No more deficit if you eat it back. :)
  • MaynardLD50
    MaynardLD50 Posts: 36 Member
    I would recommend eating back half of them if you use MFP calorie burning estimations. I use a heart rate monitor that has been proven to be about 90 - 94% accurate, Polar FT7. If you can spare $100, buy one it was one of the best investments I made on this journey.

    I'm the pot calling the kettle black though, I practically never eat back my exercise calories. I'm working on it :)
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,409 Member
    Eat them.
  • karinaes
    karinaes Posts: 570 Member
    MFP is set up so that you should eat back the calories you burn.

    I'm honestly having a hard time doing that!

    Today I've eaten more than my allotment - 1414 and still have a deficit of 362!
    no, you're not. you just think you are having a hard time eating them back. so, EAT THEM BACK!
  • Pebbles536
    Pebbles536 Posts: 199
    www.shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com/

    Just make sure your not over estimating calories burned.
  • karinaes
    karinaes Posts: 570 Member
    I would say only if you are maintaining. It's all about the calorie deficit you create by exercising. No more deficit if you eat it back. :)
    you are wrong. MFP is set so you can eat your calories back and still have a deficit. so, if you don't eat your calories back, you are creating an even bigger (possibly unhealthy) deficit
  • karinaes
    karinaes Posts: 570 Member
    www.shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com/

    Just make sure your not over estimating calories burned.
    LOVE!!
  • mrsacoulter
    mrsacoulter Posts: 12 Member
    I agree with JVanDam... Your body will tell you if it has a deficit re: calories. Especially if you are working out... Although MFP may tell me to eat 1200 calories, I may only eat 1000 because of the high-fiber diet are subscribe too (I am not hungry as often). But, when I workout, I usually consume the entire 1200 calories... that is when I work out... Following that philosophy has assisted me in losing 10lbs over 5 weeks.
  • karinaes
    karinaes Posts: 570 Member
    I don't know why people throw around words like "starvation mode" which never happens. The thing is, to reduce body weight you need to be in a calorie deficit based off your AMR. If you go to long on a low calorie diet, it will impair your thyroid and slow down your metabolic rate, also as you lose weight your metabolism will also slow down(not starvation mode).
    then how do you define starvation mode if it doesn't (partly) mean that your metabolism slows down because your body is clinging to whatever pound it can for dear life?
  • swilk627
    swilk627 Posts: 245 Member
    Wow, I asked an honest question and get mostly super catty replies. My apologies for asking. I'll go elsewhere for questions and advice. Thanks.
  • tamera14
    tamera14 Posts: 2
    Is it a wrist heart rate monitor or one that goes around your chest? Thanks :)
  • Contrarian
    Contrarian Posts: 8,138 Member
    Read this. It explains it rather well.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/390145-should-i-eat-my-exercise-calories
  • DesmaRae90
    DesmaRae90 Posts: 4
    This is really helpful because to be honest I was really confused about this as well. :smile:
  • thisisabbie
    thisisabbie Posts: 521 Member
    I would say only if you are maintaining. It's all about the calorie deficit you create by exercising. No more deficit if you eat it back. :)

    There IS a deficit if you eat back your exercise calories!! MFP has already included a deficit when it gives you your daily intake!

    Sooooo many threads about this...

    To the OP (and anyone else who isn't clear how it all works!!) do a search on this forum for 'exercise calories'. You will find an ABUNDANCE of information.

    Or try here: http://shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com
  • engineman312
    engineman312 Posts: 3,450 Member
    Drink them. That's what I do.
  • jillucidi
    jillucidi Posts: 11
    to maintain 140lbs---i stay at my goal 1400 calories anything extra is EXTRA ;) i know my body needs 1500 or less a day (with exrcise) to stay under 140lbs.
    if you are allowed 1000 extra calories from your exercise...i wouldnt eat them, until your comfortable with your results :)

    ps-i always make sure my extra calories are from raw foods.
    hope this helps...
    :)
  • goingbicyclecrazy
    goingbicyclecrazy Posts: 20
    I say listen to YOUR BODY...NOT what MFP or ANYONE else says unless they are your Doctor.



    Thats the main reason why we're here is because we ALL listened to our body's and got fat. LOL.
  • Mads1997
    Mads1997 Posts: 1,494 Member
    I say listen to YOUR BODY...NOT what MFP or ANYONE else says unless they are your Doctor.



    Thats the main reason why we're here is because we ALL listened to our body's and got fat. LOL.

    Like
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