Hi everyone - exercise = eat more calories?

MFP assigns you a calorie deficit1 based on your weekly goal2. So if you burn 2000 calories a day and you want to lose a pound a week, MFP tells you to eat 1500. When you exercise you burn more than your 2000 calories a day. Say you burn 500. Suddenly you are burning 2500 calories a day. If you do not eat your exercise calories your deficit becomes 1000 calories. If you do eat your exercise calories your deficit remains at 500 calories.

Having "too large" of a calorie deficit can create problems. However, "too large" is subjective and varies from person to person. The more weight you have to lose however, the bigger calorie deficit you can handle. First, and most simply, it makes things harder, makes you hungry, gives you little energy, makes it harder to stick with your diet in the long run. Second, it might slow your metobolism (although this takes times) and slow your weight loss. Third, it makes the transition to maintenance difficult. Lastly, large calorie deficits can start to effect your health if you sustain them too long. Your hair can fall out, your nails crack, your period can stop (if you are female obviously). Your brain stops working at optimal levels, and other things.

Some people say they aren't hungry enough to eat their exercise calories. We need to realize that sometimes our hunger signals aren't the best thing to trust. If they were no one would be over or under weight.

The End.



1. Deficit = calories you eat - calories you burn all day

2. One pound (of fat) = 3500 calories. If you want to lose a pound a week (2lbs a week is possible but hard) you need to eat at a 500 calorie deficit because 3500/7 = 500.

If you only have 17lbs to go (and I doubt you even have that much based on your picture) 2lbs a week is NOT a healthy rate. You body does not like to give up it's last fat stores. When you try to make it, it'll do things like burn muscle in stead. A half pound a week would be best for you.

To enter your weight go to "weigh-in" on your home page.

Thanks. I'm only looking to lose 17lbs, but ideally i want to be losing it asap. I've set my goal to 2lb a week but will be pushing for more than this.

2 pounds is not a "healthy" weight loss goal for someone with 17 pounds to lose. A healthy goal is more like 1/2 to 1 pound a week. Only very large people can lose weight that quickly (at first). A 1 pound loss requires a 3500 deficit.

Example: You eat 1800 calories, then substract 600 for exercise = 1200 NET. This 1200 is a minimum requirement to keep your body functioning in a healthy manner. If you required 1600 calories just to MAINTAIN your existing size, then 1600 LESS 1200 (net) = 400 daily deficit. This is 7 x 400 = 2800 ....... not even 1 pound for the week.

Losing weight too fast ..... can cause your body to burn muscle for fuel. I want to keep my exisitng muscle & just lose fat, so I am for slow & steady.

I don't really get this whole calorie counting thing and it all seems to take so long adding foods, guessing how many grams/ ozs etc i ate of each, or the names of the gym machines i used LOL. Does it get easier?

It definitely gets easier! Before long it will seem like nothing.

By setting your weight at 200lbs, MFP is going to give you a higher calorie allowance than it would at 130lbs because larger people naturally burn more energy throughout the day.

To loose inches off your hips the fastest, lift heavy weights. Squats, deadlifts, etc.

And put in your real weight with the goal at half a pound a week. You may not loose actual weight very fast because you'll be trading fat for muscle, but you'll get into those size 8's much more quickly! Trust me, I've dropped one jeans size in 3 weeks, lifting 3 times a week.

Is it really better to lose 2 lbs/week and then pack it all back on 2 months after you finish your crash diet?

Thanks. I'm only looking to lose 17lbs, but ideally i want to be losing it asap. I've set my goal to 2lb a week but will be pushing for more than this.

By the way, how do you edit your profile/ settings/ goals whatever to show you lose weight? Weighed myself today and I have lost 1lb in the last week

Well i want to win the lottery, but it doesn't work like that. Bodies that don't have a lot of weight to lose fight harder to maintain weight. The only thing you would be doing by creating a large deficit is losing muscle mass which will slow your metabolism and not provide you that fit look you are probably looking for. You didn't put the weight on that fast and you can't expect it to come off that faster. If you are really looking to tighten your body up, then start lifting heavy weights and work on burning fat rather than weight.