Eating calories back

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aimeelee76
aimeelee76 Posts: 38 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am new here and have a question. Are you supposed to eat your exercise calories back? I am eating 1200 calories a day but netting less than that from working out. Should I be eating them back? If so, how does that help you to lose weight? I am a little confused on this.

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  • skierxjes
    skierxjes Posts: 938 Member
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    Yes, eat your exercise calories back. You should NET at least 1200 a day. MFP calculates you to the deficit without exercise, so you are to eat them back.

    Net = Calories consumed - Calories burned by exercise
  • gatecityradio
    gatecityradio Posts: 401
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    I'm in a similar situation. I'm supposed to net 1730. I do 30-45 minutes of cardio every day, burning anywhere from 200-310 calories. At first I had no problem eating but now I have a hard time netting 1200-1400 calories a day without making myself feel sick. I have an even harder time on days off work because I usually exercise more.
  • aimeelee76
    aimeelee76 Posts: 38 Member
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    Great! Thanks for responding!
  • Twinsmama75
    Twinsmama75 Posts: 76 Member
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    I asked this the other day and a few members freaked out b/c this is asked so often. :ohwell: However, it is really confusing! I DO eat mine back b/c I'm still losing weight this way. I've always had problems losing weight when I restricted my calories too much. Also, try to think of the exercise as a way to strengthen muscles and up your metabolism so you burn more calories all day long instead of exercising to just lose weight...that made me feel okay about eating those calories back.
  • doubglass
    doubglass Posts: 314 Member
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    It is hard to say. You don't need to eat your calories back but if the gap between recommended calories and what you spend in workouts is great then you may have to. Since your recommended calories are 1200 I'd guess you are @ 5-5.2 feet tall. If your cardio workout is an hour or so you are probably burning 300-600 calories. You should't need to eat that back every day if you feel good. However, make sure you have enough protein in your diet.

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    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Nutrition Facts For Foods
  • brittanyjeanxo
    brittanyjeanxo Posts: 1,831 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo
  • skierxjes
    skierxjes Posts: 938 Member
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    I'll put this REALLY simple. Eat them. Food is fuel for your body. Does a car run without gas?

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