Exercise and calories HELP?!?!?!?

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Samia22
Samia22 Posts: 25
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok so I'm on 1500 Cals a day so I eat about 600 before I go gym and burn about 400 cals, when I add this to my tracker my exercise gives me more cals to eat so it will say
'Goal 1500'
'Food 829 (how much I have ate) '
'Exercise 421'
'Net 408'
'Remaining 1092'
So basically it has added what I have burnt at the gym back to my remaining, am I meant to eat them and if so what was the point in going to the gym? I really don't understand this as I've never really changed my eating habits nor done major exercise, please help me understand this!!!

Replies

  • Jade17694
    Jade17694 Posts: 584 Member
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    You're supposed to eat all of your exercise calories back so that your body doesn't think it's going to starve :)
  • RLeighP
    RLeighP Posts: 232 Member
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    MFP puts you at a pretty good calorie deficit to begin with, and that's before exercise. You should NET about 1200 a day at least, which means if you're below that after a workout, you need to eat more. You need to eat to lose weight, and eating back at least some of your workout calories helps to repair your body and to get through the next workout.

    Now, what I would do; in the mornings I'd map out my entire day of meals. I'd purposely log up to 600 calories over my daily goal (which was 1200). I did so because I knew I would burn up to 600-650 calories every day working out. I lost 115 lbs in a year doing that.

    My advice is, eat at least 1200, but if you aren't hungry at the end of the day, don't force yourself to eat. If you know you'll be working out later, let yourself have a higher calorie lunch or breakfast. My breakfasts would be around 600 cals alone. Just make sure they're healthy calories!
  • RachRice29
    RachRice29 Posts: 19
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    The calories MFP tells you to eat are what your body needs to lose weight, without thinking it's starving. When you exercise, yes...it adds on more calories. Eat them! You will still be at your goal of 1500 calories a day (which is where you should be to lose weight), and you will be fuller.

    You don't HAVE to exercise. You can eat just the 1500 calories and still technically lose weight. But, exercising speeds up your weight loss by boosting your metabolism and your overall fitness. Plus, you get to enjoy eating more throughout the day. It helps me feel more satisfied when I can eat the calories that I burned at the gym. Be sure you still exercise!!!
  • dawlschic007
    dawlschic007 Posts: 636 Member
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    Eat them! You earned it! :wink:
  • MissErin10
    MissErin10 Posts: 1
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    This was EXCELLENT advice ladies. I wasn't sure either so I just came on here to check and of course someone else had the same exact question. I thought this was the case since I used to follow Weight Watchers and that program works but just wanted to make sure. I've lost 17.2 lbs so far on MFP and I'm extremely happy about it!!
  • Samia22
    Samia22 Posts: 25
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    The calories MFP tells you to eat are what your body needs to lose weight, without thinking it's starving. When you exercise, yes...it adds on more calories. Eat them! You will still be at your goal of 1500 calories a day (which is where you should be to lose weight), and you will be fuller.

    You don't HAVE to exercise. You can eat just the 1500 calories and still technically lose weight. But, exercising speeds up your weight loss by boosting your metabolism and your overall fitness. Plus, you get to enjoy eating more throughout the day. It helps me feel more satisfied when I can eat the calories that I burned at the gym. Be sure you still exercise!!!
  • Samia22
    Samia22 Posts: 25
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    Thank you guys so much I'm new to all of this so please bear with me if I'm always asking questions! Much love xxxxxx
  • yesthistime
    yesthistime Posts: 2,051 Member
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    I would only advise that if you are going to eat all of your exercise calories back that you accurately measure what you burn. MFP tends to overestimate calories burned. Some members choose to eat only a percentage of them back (50-75% typically) to provide cushion just in case the number is higher than it should be. Other members only eat what they need to feel satisfied on that particular day. Good luck!
  • Samia22
    Samia22 Posts: 25
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    @yesthistime yes I noticed that but at the gym I go to it tell u how many cals u have burnt so I take note of every machine I do and go off that as MFP calculates mire than what the machine did! Xxx

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