Week 1 of not eating Activity Calories....

heathermarie517
heathermarie517 Posts: 105
edited November 11 in Food and Nutrition
So, for the last 6 weeks I've eaten some or all of my Activity Calories, and had very l-i-t-t-l-e progress. :(

I feel stronger and my endurance has increased, however, my clothes still fit the same, and my weight dropped 3 lbs, and about 1/2 " in my hips and waistline....ugh!

SOOOOOO, new week, new strategy! I will NOT eat Activity Calories!

I'll check in next week to let you know my results. Hopefully, I will be much lighter in the next couple of weeks!
«1

Replies

  • sexyminxinthemaking
    sexyminxinthemaking Posts: 451 Member
    i dont eat mine back, if i do i gain :sad:
  • nathomas1
    nathomas1 Posts: 9
    if i understand what you are doing...you are only going to eat your allotted calories for the day? so if you run for an hour and burn 600 calories, you aren't going to take that as bonus food that you can eat?

    just curious.
  • Meggles63
    Meggles63 Posts: 916 Member
    So, for the last 6 weeks I've eaten some or all of my Activity Calories, and had very l-i-t-t-l-e progress. :(

    I feel stronger and my endurance has increased, however, my clothes still fit the same, and my weight dropped 3 lbs, and about 1/2 " in my hips and waistline....ugh!

    SOOOOOO, new week, new strategy! I will NOT eat Activity Calories!

    I'll check in next week to let you know my results. Hopefully, I will be much lighter in the next couple of weeks!
    I don't want you to take this the wrong way, as I'm not trying to be rude but....you've lost 3 pounds, an inch in hips and waistline and you're stronger...that's not "little progress."
  • JoniBologna
    JoniBologna Posts: 653 Member
    So, for the last 6 weeks I've eaten some or all of my Activity Calories, and had very l-i-t-t-l-e progress. :(

    I feel stronger and my endurance has increased, however, my clothes still fit the same, and my weight dropped 3 lbs, and about 1/2 " in my hips and waistline....ugh!

    SOOOOOO, new week, new strategy! I will NOT eat Activity Calories!

    I'll check in next week to let you know my results. Hopefully, I will be much lighter in the next couple of weeks!
    I don't want you to take this the wrong way, as I'm not trying to be rude but....you've lost 3 pounds, an inch in hips and waistline and you're stronger...that's not "little progress."

    I have to agree. That sounds like great progress to me!
  • LSHANDREW
    LSHANDREW Posts: 39
    i always enter my activity points at the end of the day after I'm done eating so I don't use them.
  • RAFValentina
    RAFValentina Posts: 1,231 Member
    I don't tend to eat back my exercise calories and I burn big! When I have eaten them, I've noticed no other change so... well allowing for overestimation of calories burned and underestimation of calories in (nutritional labels are allowed to be 20% out)

    Please, let us know how you get on!

    I lost a lot of weight by not eating them back and doing 2 x 700-800kCal workouts a day and setting my goal to 1630 (0.5lb loss) So never felt hungry either. Plus it meant that i was probably not losing more than a dangerous rate in reality but it was easier to be motivated by the numbers without thinking, I have no calories spare or small deficits...
  • TiffanyDeanee
    TiffanyDeanee Posts: 158
    So, for the last 6 weeks I've eaten some or all of my Activity Calories, and had very l-i-t-t-l-e progress. :(

    I feel stronger and my endurance has increased, however, my clothes still fit the same, and my weight dropped 3 lbs, and about 1/2 " in my hips and waistline....ugh!

    SOOOOOO, new week, new strategy! I will NOT eat Activity Calories!

    I'll check in next week to let you know my results. Hopefully, I will be much lighter in the next couple of weeks!

    Yes, the same thing has happened to me. but you have lost way more weight than me. As you can tell by my ticker lol. So I am no longer going to eat back my activity calories. Especially since I don't believe that my calories burned is correct.
  • Bikini27
    Bikini27 Posts: 1,290 Member
    It seems like great progress to me.
    I'm seeing a difference in my body without it registering on the scale or the tape measure.
    Perhaps reviewing what you eat and what activities you are doing will help find the disconnect.

    And remember: You didn't put on the weight overnight, it will not come off overnight.
  • alyson820
    alyson820 Posts: 448 Member
    I don't log my exercise calories unless I did something extra - and even then, I won't eat all of it back (maybe a little - but I'm one of those people who will jog for an hour to eat pizza). I still try to exercise 4-5 times a week though.

    Good luck to you! Everyone's body is different.
  • _Bob_
    _Bob_ Posts: 1,487 Member
    I'm very interested in seeing your results.
  • cbl40
    cbl40 Posts: 281 Member
    Three pounds is great! Congrats to you!
  • H_82
    H_82 Posts: 418 Member
    I say "to each their own!!!" ya gotta do what works for YOU.

    Prior to becoming pregnant, if I ate (especially all) of my workout calories, that scale would not budge (nor the tape measure). I saw more results when I didn't eat the calories back, or if I just dipped into them slightly.

    Good luck to you! (And great name......it's mine too :wink: )

    Edit to add: My logging of exercise was only exercise (not everyday things) - unless I have my workout clothes on & I SWEAT, it's not getting logged!
  • jess_kain
    jess_kain Posts: 15
    I aslo put weight back on if I eat my exercise calories back but some days they are nice to have...LOL!!! Congrats on the three pounds so far!!
  • aminakhan1980
    aminakhan1980 Posts: 105 Member
    bump
  • craziedazie
    craziedazie Posts: 185 Member
    I'm very interested in seeing your results.
  • eryn415
    eryn415 Posts: 98 Member
    I'm very curious how this pans out. I decided to give the scale a break and focus on eating right and exercising. In a month I gained 6 lbs! I try to underestimate my calories earned, but the scale just is NOT my friend.
  • CassiHutchings
    CassiHutchings Posts: 98 Member
    The first 25 pounds of my weight loss came from not eating back my exercise calories, however I didn't gain any muscle hardly.

    So yes, you will lose quickly by not eating back your exercise calories, but you will lose muscle at the same time. :frown: This is why they tell you to eat back your calories, because your muscles can't grow without nutrients.

    If you stick to eating back your calories, you will gain more and more muscle which will in turn burn more calories for you naturally.

    The only reason I didn't eat back my calories from the first part of my weight loss is because I didn't know I was supposed to to gain muscle, I know now though :blushing: Unless you want to be "skinny fat" I would suggest eating back your calories, that's just my opinion though!

    Good luck! :happy:
  • ivansmomma
    ivansmomma Posts: 500
    I track everything, sometimes I use my exercise calories, sometimes not. I, as well, try to underestimate exercise calories, and overestimate food calories. Feel that it balances out better. Good luck!
  • mfoster1019
    mfoster1019 Posts: 152 Member
    i also choose not to eat my exercise calories back. my calorie limit is 1200 a day. i usually do not let myself eat more than 1250 calories (occassionally i'll go up to 1275-ish). anything more than that and i feel as if i'm eating too much and sabotaging my weight loss (whether it's right or wrong, that's just my personal feeling/thought). tomorrow will be my 6 week mark and so far i've lost 13.5 pounds (hopefully more after tomorrow's weigh in :) ). try it and see how it goes for you. i will continue this method until i start to see very slowed or no progress. good luck to you!
  • heathermarie517
    heathermarie517 Posts: 105
    After 6 weeks of busting my bootie at the gym and eating healthy, I assumed the pounds would just begin to melt away (within reason).

    Especially since the last 3-6 months were far from this lifestyle (major life changes regarding moving & miiltary stuff with the hubby). We ate out, I completely stopped my exercise regiment, and didn't count one calorie.

    Now, that I'm back on board, and in control, I really hoped for a strong kick start. So, yes, a 3 pound loss over a 6 week time frame was a dissapointment to me. That is why I'm trying something new for the next couple of weeks.

    I've read the good stuff: Bob Greene, Jillian Michaels and Tosca Reno. I'm ready to keep up my good work, and not eat away my efforts.

    Sounds like we all are attempting to find out what our bodies are needing, more/less calories....and that answer to me will feel like the JACKPOT, so I'm willing to take the time to figure it out.

    Thank you for all of your input, and I hope the next couple weeks go well for all of us!!
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    The problem is, in the short term, it will work. It may even work better, at first. It is the longer term effect of eating too few calories that is my concern, that is the loss of muscle mass and the lowered metabolism.
  • TrophyWifeSass
    TrophyWifeSass Posts: 490 Member
    The problem is, in the short term, it will work. It may even work better, at first. It is the longer term effect of eating too few calories that is my concern, that is the loss of muscle mass and the lowered metabolism.

    THIS. Oh, the things I have learned. Love being able to fuel the machine and keep my muscles.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    What does this mean, that you've made your calorie deficit bigger? What is your daily or weekly calorie deficit now? That's what governs your weight loss.
  • hiker282
    hiker282 Posts: 983 Member
    I always find it amusing (and when I say amusing, I mean extremely annoying) when people say they are seeing 'little or no progress' and still list pounds and inches lost. The weight didn't appear there in six weeks, why should it come off that quickly? Have some balls and keep working it. You're obviously doing something right. It's better to go low and slow than fast and heavy when it comes to weight loss.
  • fakeplastictree
    fakeplastictree Posts: 836 Member
    The first 25 pounds of my weight loss came from not eating back my exercise calories, however I didn't gain any muscle hardly.

    So yes, you will lose quickly by not eating back your exercise calories, but you will lose muscle at the same time. :frown: This is why they tell you to eat back your calories, because your muscles can't grow without nutrients.

    If you stick to eating back your calories, you will gain more and more muscle which will in turn burn more calories for you naturally.

    The only reason I didn't eat back my calories from the first part of my weight loss is because I didn't know I was supposed to to gain muscle, I know now though :blushing: Unless you want to be "skinny fat" I would suggest eating back your calories, that's just my opinion though!

    Good luck! :happy:


    ^this!!
  • Bentley2718
    Bentley2718 Posts: 1,689 Member
    I lost a lot of weight by not eating them back and doing 2 x 700-800kCal workouts a day and setting my goal to 1630 (0.5lb loss) So never felt hungry either. Plus it meant that i was probably not losing more than a dangerous rate in reality but it was easier to be motivated by the numbers without thinking, I have no calories spare or small deficits...

    So you're saying you burned 1400-1600 calories a day, and only ate 1630 calories per day, and you weren't hungry, and you didn't get sick. Even if the calories burned estimate is twice what it should be, that still means you're netting 830-930 calories a day. That doesn't seem realistic or sustainable to me.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    This content has been removed.
  • Nopedotjpeg
    Nopedotjpeg Posts: 1,805 Member
    I really don't give a **** what unhealthy things you do to your body. But why do you need to post it on the forums like it's something great?
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    This content has been removed.
  • Phrak
    Phrak Posts: 353 Member
    What i gather from this site is people over-estimate the calories they burn from exercise and most of the time their logging practices are off.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories