Still confused about eating back cals!!

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  • KarmaxKitty
    KarmaxKitty Posts: 901 Member
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    Definitely don't eat your calories back!!!!!! the point is to burn them off so if you eat them back on then that's defeating the purpose!!!! keep going-you can do it!

    WHAAAT???

    Don't do this! I'm in agreement with most of the other posters. Keep your NET calories at 1200 or slightly over, but NOT just your TOTAL calories. If you do both, you're making a double deficit, which is NOT what you want to do. One deficit made by exercising, combined with healthy food with a reasonable calorie intake is the best way to start off. Eat the calories back with healthy food!
  • Blueknight12
    Blueknight12 Posts: 4
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    I have been doing MFP since early December. I found that when I was eating all of my back calories, I was losing the weight that MFP said I would. However, since my trainer told me that any calories you burn while you are working out, do not take away from what your body needs, I have been eating right at 1200 calories a day, and have been losing much more weight than before. As long as you physically eat 1200 calories a day, that is what your body needs to function normally. I have lost 60 pounds in about 100 days or so on this plan.
  • McKayMachina
    McKayMachina Posts: 2,670 Member
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    As long as you physically eat 1200 calories a day, that is what your body needs to function normally.

    That's actually not true. I mean, you will lose more weight but it's not all fat. Byebye muscle.
  • KarmaxKitty
    KarmaxKitty Posts: 901 Member
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    I have been doing MFP since early December. I found that when I was eating all of my back calories, I was losing the weight that MFP said I would. However, since my trainer told me that any calories you burn while you are working out, do not take away from what your body needs, I have been eating right at 1200 calories a day, and have been losing much more weight than before. As long as you physically eat 1200 calories a day, that is what your body needs to function normally. I have lost 60 pounds in about 100 days or so on this plan.

    This worked for me at first too...but eventually your body hits a point where its simply NOT WORKING. You need a different equation to keep the weight coming off.
  • TXRobinD
    TXRobinD Posts: 15 Member
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    Ok, I am new here and still reading through all of this info and all the numbers thrown around and I agree - it is confusing. I am just going to tell you how I worked out my numbers and that’s it. I learned that my BMR is about 1400 cal a day. That was important to me and made sense that my body needed at least that to function so I feel like I need to consume that amount every day. Now MFP tells me that I need to be eating about 1200 cal for me to lose 1 pound per week to reach my goal by our vacation this summer. I am not real interested in losing it really fast because I know me and I will just be back to where I was by the fall if I don't make some changes that I can learn to live with. So if I feel like I need to eat 1400 so my body can function and I am told to eat 1200 to lose the weight I want, that did not match up. So this week I started working out to get rid of that extra 200 cal I was eating. Now I have been burning more than that so I try and eat that back so that I am netting about 1200 a day. SO far in the last 7 weeks I have lost 10 pounds and I am not cranky or miserable. Right now this is working and I will adjust as I go if my body needs something different. Another way my hubby mentioned is to take your maintain number of calories and subtract 500 per day (for 1# per week) and that is want you should be netting. My numbers end up being the same so that just confirmed to me that I was on the right track. I hope some of this helped a little and good luck!!
  • pattan59801
    pattan59801 Posts: 142
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    BUMP:flowerforyou:
  • bjules79
    bjules79 Posts: 8
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    In my opinion, be careful not to eat all of your excercise calories back. It often seems that people over estimate what they burn, and it is most likely better to err on the side of caution. Sometimes, when entering in my workout, I reduce the amount of time by a few minutes-not a lot - just a few, perhaps even 5 mintues less. And then I eat some of the calories back, but not all. Well, except for those birthday parties at the pub! :wink: going out to eat makes it so much harder!

    I've been doing this for 8 weeks and have lost 9lbs. I have my goal set to lose 1 pound a week-I'd rather eat realistically and lose the weight slowly. In the past, I've tried to lose weight faster, and ended up failing and gaining it back. Slow and steady, right? This is a lifestyle change, not a diet.

    Of course, you must do what works best for YOU. Everyone is a little different. Perhaps, try eating them back one week or don't eat them, and see what happens.

    Best of luck!
  • c2sky
    c2sky Posts: 487 Member
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    Everyone has their own "way" this is what started working for me after 6 weeks of working out with no weight loss, finally I ate as you can see on my diary and the weight came off. All the above recommendations were from my dietitian for me.

    Was this a "registered" dietician or just someone who is a nutritionist? I'm not trying to be rude, but this sounds way wrong to me if your dietician told you to only eat 1200 calories, no more. I am personal trainer. The code of ethics I sign to keep my certification only allows me to refer to registered dieticians. And I have met with several. NEVER have I heard of a dietician saying that. And even if they do, this would never apply to everyone.

    To the original poster, please talk to a REAL dietician and get some advice for YOU!
  • c2sky
    c2sky Posts: 487 Member
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    Exercise is not just about making a deficit, big or small, its about building stamina, making your heart strong, cardiovascular health, there are millions I mean MILLIONS of health benefits to exercise... not to mention the muscle you build that DOES burn more fat and calories and LOOKS a hellofa lot better than fat (my personal opinion). So if anyone is struggling with WHY eat back your calories you work so hard to burn think about it like you already have a deficit (mfp makes one for you) so youre not only working for the above reasons but heck I sleep a lot better too:) Some people use it to fight depression and anxiety, etc. There are many many threads on this exact topic already...I WORK OUT! haha:)

    I like this!
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
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    This seems to be the #1 question asked here. Is there an article somewhere?

    It's really simple.

    MFP is different in that it does not assume you are going to work out. It only provides additional calories if you do work out.

    If you decide to never work out, you will still lose weight. This is why you should eat extra calories when you work out. MFP is providing the minimum you need, without working out, to lose pounds. So, if you work out and burn 500 cals, your body will be in a 1000 calorie deficit for the day (MFP lops off 500 calories so you will lose weight without working out). That's too much and could cause health problems, or you could lose too much too fast. That's not healthy.

    Most programs, assume in advance, that you are going to work out on the scheudle set up for you, so the calories already figure that in for you. That's why it doesn't flucuate. MFP doesn't assume you will workout, until you log it in.

    Make sense?
  • kazzamcamille
    kazzamcamille Posts: 117 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/512956-tdee-what-is-it-and-why-you-should-not-eat-below-your-bmr

    CHECK THIS OUT^^^

    * Eating too few of calories will starve the body, you need to eat more to lose :) Eating to few will only hurt you in the long run :D
  • c2sky
    c2sky Posts: 487 Member
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    Exercise is not just about making a deficit, big or small, its about building stamina, making your heart strong, cardiovascular health, there are millions I mean MILLIONS of health benefits to exercise... not to mention the muscle you build that DOES burn more fat and calories and LOOKS a hellofa lot better than fat (my personal opinion). So if anyone is struggling with WHY eat back your calories you work so hard to burn think about it like you already have a deficit (mfp makes one for you) so youre not only working for the above reasons but heck I sleep a lot better too:) Some people use it to fight depression and anxiety, etc. There are many many threads on this exact topic already...I WORK OUT! haha:)

    I like this!

    And to add further, I own a gym. I have actually had people cancel their gym membership and tell me that their new "cleansing diet" (avialable through various multi level supplement plans) is making it too hard to do a "gym workout". They'll say, "I'll just walk for a while." Then a few months later they are back, done with their "cleansing diet" and eating normal food again. Now they have energy to work out. Sheez............

    Why, oh why oh why would people restrict their calories so much that they don't have the energy to workout?

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