Confused about Calories and disheartened
prettylittlechubby
Posts: 125
I can not get my head around this whole eating your exercise calories, I know this may sound stupid and naive but it just does not register in my head. I like to eat within my range and then if I exercise that is a bonus! Something is not working though because I am not loosing pounds. One week I will loose then the next nothing! I would love it to just be steady!
Can anyone explain why I would eat my exercise calories...
Please no "you are stupid" comments, not in a good mood today as the scales didn't move this morning
Can anyone explain why I would eat my exercise calories...
Please no "you are stupid" comments, not in a good mood today as the scales didn't move this morning
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Replies
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Also my carbs are set at 165 for the day...is this too high?0
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Actually I think the same!! If you want to lose weight you have burn calories and not eat them back..
Let's see what people say
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If you're not eating your exercise calories your body may be going into starvation mode. It may sound crazy that you need to eat more to lose weight but lots of ppl on this site have proved it's true. Good luck to you 0
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your body needs a certain amount of fuel to run on through-out the day. when you burn up that fuel with exercise, you need to re-fuel it more.
say 1200 a day you eat
- 300 from exercise
you should eat 1500 to help your body through the day AND the exercise0 -
Thanks guys, I will try it this week and see what sort of a difference it makes....fingers crossed
xx 0 -
Sorry I don't have any tips for you regarding calories but just wanted to say I am exactly the same as you. I eat my proper calories and do a lot of exercise and cannot lose weight. I am sick of looking at articles that say 'little changes' can add up to weight loss As far as I am concerned I am running the legs of myself and eating right and every pound I try to lose has to be literally beat off me.
so really I just wanted to say you are not the only one, but the only thing we can do is keep going. As the alternative is to throw in the towel ( which I have done before ) overeat and gain, which I am determined not to do this year. If it kills me i am going to get to my goal this year.
Last week I lost 4 1/2 lbs and then on Saturday I had a cheat meal, which was just homemade burger with oven chips and a small chocolate bar for desert and the next morning when I weighed in I had gained 3 1/2 lbs back!! I just don't get it. I then read after cheat days the weight gain is not real weight and is just water weight and if you start back straight away you will lose it but I did start back on Sunday, exercising and strict diet again and when I weighed in this morning the 3 1/2 lbs were still there!! what the hell!!! It's so frustrating and at times soul destroying.
I know this might sound a bit dramatic but when you are putting in so much effort you want to get a reward on the scales.
But just try to keep your chin up. Don't give in and just put another week ahead of you, stay positive, give it all you have and hopefully this week was just a blip and next week you will see a decrease on teh scales.0 -
My rule has always been to eat half of my exercise calories. It gives you enough for your body to get through, but you still get that extra weight loss kick.0
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Sorry I don't have any tips for you regarding calories but just wanted to say I am exactly the same as you. I eat my proper calories and do a lot of exercise and cannot lose weight. I am sick of looking at articles that say 'little changes' can add up to weight loss As far as I am concerned I am running the legs of myself and eating right and every pound I try to lose has to be literally beat off me.
so really I just wanted to say you are not the only one, but the only thing we can do is keep going. As the alternative is to throw in the towel ( which I have done before ) overeat and gain, which I am determined not to do this year. If it kills me i am going to get to my goal this year.
Last week I lost 4 1/2 lbs and then on Saturday I had a cheat meal, which was just homemade burger with oven chips and a small chocolate bar for desert and the next morning when I weighed in I had gained 3 1/2 lbs back!! I just don't get it. I then read after cheat days the weight gain is not real weight and is just water weight and if you start back straight away you will lose it but I did start back on Sunday, exercising and strict diet again and when I weighed in this morning the 3 1/2 lbs were still there!! what the hell!!! It's so frustrating and at times soul destroying.
I know this might sound a bit dramatic but when you are putting in so much effort you want to get a reward on the scales.
But just try to keep your chin up. Don't give in and just put another week ahead of you, stay positive, give it all you have and hopefully this week was just a blip and next week you will see a decrease on teh scales.
Its so nice to know that I am not the only one who gets so frustrated, its so easy to put on weight, why cant it be to get it off. But you are so right, if we give in we eat more and gain ALOT more, so its better to try, try, try and loose the pounds rather than gain THANK YOU and I hope you get to your goal this year x 0 -
My rule has always been to eat half of my exercise calories. It gives you enough for your body to get through, but you still get that extra weight loss kick.
Oh ok I might try this, this sounds more doable than eating ALL my exercise calories back. xx 0 -
Your body needs the energy from those calories to recover properly from the exertion of exercise. If you don't give your body enough energy it doesn't run as effectively. It'll get sluggish and you'll end up losing weight more slowly because your body is struggling to keep up with your life. It's like trying to drive your car around without worrying about whether or not is has gas. Yeah, you save money if you don't fill up your tank, but good luck getting anywhere.0
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I have to say and this is where MFP can be off a bit, is its not just about calories. I was set on 1200 calories for most of last year , which isn't much. I did eat my exercise calories. I did lose weight and I ate pretty clean.
I am now doing Jamie Eason Live Fit. Check it out on bodybuilding.com. Its all about eating clean. I am now eating 1600-2000 calories a day which seems like LOADS but I haven't gained any weight in fat body fat is falling off.
So concentrate on eating well, maybe 1500 cals a day, but make sure its clean - egg whites, lean chicken, fish, green veges, wholegrain rice/pasta, sweet potato, low fat greek yoghurt. NO JUNK.
its NOT just about the calories. Otherwise I could eat 2000 calories of cake a day and not gain weight but of course I would gain lots of fat if I did that!0 -
I can not get my head around this whole eating your exercise calories, I know this may sound stupid and naive but it just does not register in my head. I like to eat within my range and then if I exercise that is a bonus! Something is not working though because I am not loosing pounds. One week I will loose then the next nothing! I would love it to just be steady!
Can anyone explain why I would eat my exercise calories...
Please no "you are stupid" comments, not in a good mood today as the scales didn't move this morning
have you read this (http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/186814-some-mfp-basics)?
I think it is explained very clearly here... here are the most important points:
You have under 20 pounds to lose, so you should set your weekly loss goal to 0.5 pounds a week. This is not definitive, you could still end up losing more than that each week.
If you wear a HRM for exercise, then you should eat back all of your exercise calories
If you don't wear a HRM, then only eat some (half to a third) of the exercise calories back0 -
Here is a very nice article about the starvation mode myth.
http://www.weightwatchers.com.au/util/art/index_art.aspx?art_id=37261&tabnum=1&sc=801&subnav=Science+Library:+The+Physics+of+Weight+Loss
I don't eat my exercise calories.0 -
I don't think any1 here will call you stupid! I struggle also with the idea of eating the calories i burn. Seems that i've had the wrong idea about how to lose weight, for as long as i've been trying to lose weight! But.... it seems to work. Everyone who is having success is doing it, and i am willing to give it a go. It cant be any worse than not dieting, and i have found i've been wrong about so many things about weight loss. Reprogramming my brain around these ideas is hard, but being overweight is harder!!!!
Give it a go.... Really, what have you got to lose?0 -
I have also never understood the mindset of eating back what you've burned off (especially ALL of it!). I typically eat close to my calorie limit for the day and stay under, even before adding in my exercise calories. I rarely eat back any of my exercise calories (maybe half of them depending on how much I worked out and how hungry I am) and I've lost 13.6 pounds this month. So I guess what works for some doesn't work for others.0
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Here is a very nice article about the starvation mode myth.
http://www.weightwatchers.com.au/util/art/index_art.aspx?art_id=37261&tabnum=1&sc=801&subnav=Science+Library:+The+Physics+of+Weight+Loss
I don't eat my exercise calories.
You can get with not eating them back, because you have so much more weight to lose.
But for someone with 10-15 pounds to lose, should really be eating close to their maintenance calories.0 -
Last week I lost 4 1/2 lbs and then on Saturday I had a cheat meal, which was just homemade burger with oven chips and a small chocolate bar for desert and the next morning when I weighed in I had gained 3 1/2 lbs back!! I just don't get it. I then read after cheat days the weight gain is not real weight and is just water weight and if you start back straight away you will lose it but I did start back on Sunday, exercising and strict diet again and when I weighed in this morning the 3 1/2 lbs were still there!! what the hell!!! It's so frustrating and at times soul destroying.
^^^^ this exact same thing happened to me!!! On thursday the scale showed I had lost 3 1/2 lbs, had a cheat meal on friday night, worked out over the weekend (gym and cycling) and yesterday the scale was up 4lbs! I was so disheartened by it i ate a Crunchie chocolate bar, which was stupid!!0 -
I am in the same quandary! I exercise 7-8 times a week. It's like an addiction. I burn anywhere between 350-1000 calories a day. I am not about to work that hard and then eat it right back. No thank you! I lost 12 lbs so far and may eat close to my calories once a week. I have seen many posts that say you should and many that say you shouldn't. Patience, exercise, and healthy eating are my own directions to follow. Keep doing you and eventually your body will adjust.0
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If you have less than 14lbs to lose it may not show on the scales thats why measuring is a must especially if you exercise alot the scales wont show a loss as your turning thefat into muscle,its different if youve lots to lose but if not concentrate on the tape measure 0
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It's simple. If you eat less than 1200 a day, your body goes into starvation mode and your metabolism slows down
If you set your goals to eat 1200 a day, and then you go and do exercises and burn away 300 of those, and you have not eaten more than those 1200, then you have only really eaten 900. You know?0 -
I am in the same quandary! I exercise 7-8 times a week. It's like an addiction. I burn anywhere between 350-1000 calories a day. I am not about to work that hard and then eat it right back. No thank you! I lost 12 lbs so far and may eat close to my calories once a week. I have seen many posts that say you should and many that say you shouldn't. Patience, exercise, and healthy eating are my own directions to follow. Keep doing you and eventually your body will adjust.
you know our bodies get used to the exercise we do so thats why they say start low gradually increase and change it often from weight bearing to cardo swimming walking one week exercise classes another its like walking the same distance everyday we wont lose the weight by this as our bodies know we do this its our life also exercise alone wont lose weight unless its very extreme and you eat very little
Try changing exercises x0 -
If you have used the goal generator on here and are close to your recommended net calories but are not losing weight, you might want to find somewhere to get a bodpod or other body measuring test done. When I was tested in a bod pod, they gave me an estimate of my RMR (resting metabolic rate) and a chart of the estimated calories I would burn based on activity levels. In my case, they are pretty similar to what MFP generated, but it's possible it could turn out to be different. I have also read people posting about things like the fitbit/bodybugg, which might help you get on track, though I haven't used one.0
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I support eating exercise calories back because it provides you with proper fuel and you are still eating at a deficit if you're going with the MFP default.
Also, find alternatives to the scale to feel rewarded. Measurements, bf%, how healthy/energetic you feel, those endorphin rushes, genuine enjoyment of exercise, how you feel in your clothes, cholesterol indices, knowledge of increased longevity, enhanced quality of life, new friends you're making at your gym or on MFP, etc. Find other things to value with this because the scale is a fickle, fickle beast and will whip your soul around for fun.0 -
No problem in not eating your exercise calories. Obviously doing this should help with weight loss. Seems strange you lose one week and then steady the next. keep track of everything you eat, are you rewarding yourself for the eweight loss week an dnot recording it ( its easy to do) I;ve found by recording everything I have taken foods out of my diet that i feel just aren:t worth the calories.0
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This is the way MFP calculates it... Let's say your body needs 2310 to maintain the weight. And you choose the setting to lose 2 pounds a week. Well, MFP is going to deduct 1000 calories from your "maintain" number in order to give you a calorie deficit of 7000 (each pound is 3500 x 2 = 7000). Which means ideally you should be able to eat 1310 calories, every day (just an example), without any exercise and lose weight (because the calories have already been deducted for you). If you exercise, you are going beyond the 7000 calorie deficit for the week. MFP fears your body will go into starvation mode so they want you to eat the calories back, so that you stay within the range. Hope that makes sense.
That being said, everyone is different and some people find that eating their exercise calories just doesn't work for them. They don't lose weight like that. I eat mostly all of my exercise calories back, leaving just a few on good days or on bad days I go over a bit. It all depends on what works for you. Try eating a bit back and see if that gets the weight loss going.0 -
bump0
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The premise behind it is that you want to create a relatively small caloric deficit. If the caloric deficit becomes too large, your body will resist and do things like induce excess hunger or make you tired and lazy so that you expend less energy. In the end the weight loss battle becomes harder with less payoff.0
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Your going to get people on both sides of the fence on this but I stand with the camp of eating back your exercise calories. I also believe in using a HRM to get a more accurate calculation of your calories burned. My BMR is set to 2450 and that is with an MFP deficit built in to lose 1 lb. a week. (500 calorie deficit built in) I split train most days and with eating the majority of my exercise calories back (about 85% leaving 15% for error) I consume 3200 calories a day and after 32 months I am still losing 1 to 2 lbs. a week. You do not want to run a large caloric deficit or you stand to slow your metabolism and cause your body to start holding on to calories you are taking in because it is not getting enough to fuel your system.... Good Luck......0
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What really helped me was to do as another MFP member did... I set my MFP goal calories as my maintenance calories. Then I log my calories and exercise as usual. What I watch is the number at the bottom that says (calories remaining). When logging your calories this way... that calories remaining number is actually the deficit I have created. I try to keep it between a 500 and 1,000 calorie deficit so that I will lose 1-2lbs per week.
So if my goal calories say 1800 (that's my maintenance calories) and I eat 1400 calories, MFP will say I have 400 calories remaining. That means I've created a 400 calorie deficit. If I go for a short stroll and burn 100 calories. MFP adds that to the 1800 making it 1900. Now my deficit is 500 calories (1800 +100 - 1400 = 500)
I makes it easy to see when I need to eat more or when I need to eat less.
I eat back some of my workout calories b/c (1) I want to lose fat and not muscle (2) it gives me a way to workout a lot and burn a lot of calories so that I can eat a little more on special nights out (3) some of my workouts are pretty intense - I need that fuel and get tired and weak feeling if I don't. I can't do intervals on elliptical at high heart rate and then eat 1200 calories. I would feel horrible. If I feel horrible, guess how long this new "lifestyle" is going to last???0 -
Last week I lost 4 1/2 lbs and then on Saturday I had a cheat meal, which was just homemade burger with oven chips and a small chocolate bar for desert and the next morning when I weighed in I had gained 3 1/2 lbs back!! I just don't get it. I then read after cheat days the weight gain is not real weight and is just water weight and if you start back straight away you will lose it but I did start back on Sunday, exercising and strict diet again and when I weighed in this morning the 3 1/2 lbs were still there!! what the hell!!! It's so frustrating and at times soul destroying.
^^^^ this exact same thing happened to me!!! On thursday the scale showed I had lost 3 1/2 lbs, had a cheat meal on friday night, worked out over the weekend (gym and cycling) and yesterday the scale was up 4lbs! I was so disheartened by it i ate a Crunchie chocolate bar, which was stupid!! Thank God I am not the only one, it's good to hear the same thing happens and I am not some sort of genetic weirdo (which I feel sometimes as weight just falls off the rest of my family)
but it's definitely tough going and would have me wanting to reach for the chocolate too. I just feel like this week is terrible now as I am just trying to lose the fecking weight I put on from just 1 cheat meal!! Frustrating is just not the word :sad:0
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