i'm confused about counting calories

jess412
jess412 Posts: 29
edited September 19 in Health and Weight Loss
my diet says that i should eat 1200 cals a day. ok, i can do that.

when i put in the cals i burned at the gym in my exercise log, it says that i've earned x cals from exercising. what i'm confused about is: i thought you were supposed to burn the cals you ate to lose weight. if i don't eat 1200 cals a day, after i've exercised, it say's that i won't lose as much weight, and i'm putting my body in starvation mode.

can someone please explain this to me? i feel really dumb. Does this question even make sense? Sorry, if it's confusing. :ohwell:

Replies

  • lotusfromthemud
    lotusfromthemud Posts: 5,335 Member
    An oldie but a goodie:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

    this post will explain it to you.:flowerforyou:
  • lsipe333
    lsipe333 Posts: 1
    Don't forget that you burn calories just by sitting around-- it takes energy just to exist! :smile:

    If you put your body into starvation mode, it will start storing calories as fat to try to save itself more or less...?
  • karenmacneil
    karenmacneil Posts: 34
    Hi there, i've seen this question come up a few times... and everytime people will say to eat those caloires. For me i can't eat those calories, if i do i dont lose weight... my personal trainer agrees with me too. however, i feel it's personal it every person. what works for me may not work for you, i believe it's all about finding that perfect number of calories that allow you to feel full and happy and still lose weight. Since you're calories are pretty low (mine are much higher just on their own - which is why i don't eat the extra) then maybe you should try eating the extra cals and see what happeneds. good luck and keep in mind that there is no right or wrong answer - what ever works for you!
  • Magenta15
    Magenta15 Posts: 850 Member
    short quickie version of what the posted link up there that you should read will tell you

    if MFP is telling to eat 1200 cal that is already with a 500 or more deficit depending what your pound loss per week was -- so it would have calculated that to stay the same you would be at say 1700 - so to lose it's telling you 1200 to eat, if you then go and burn 400 cal - you're back down to only 800 cal of fuel, you shouldn't eat less than 1200 -- so you should eat those, it's already making you eat 500 less a day [500 a day for a 1 lb a week loss]

    clear as mud? :smile:
  • smason3
    smason3 Posts: 1
    The only part of this that doesn't make sense is that your body burns a certain number of calories while you're exercising or not. So, what I found is that I have to subtract a certain number of calories from the ones I burned. For example, you would have burned a certain number of calories if you didn't exercise. This exercise would already be counted in your base calories. So, eat more, but not as much as PT tells you to.

    I hope this makes sense. I think PT should already make this calculation for you since it knows your BMR based on your height/weight.
  • QuakerMom
    QuakerMom Posts: 56 Member
    I have actually found this to be very helpful. I find that I'm losing slowly but more steadily -- AND, importantly, not feeling deprived or starved -- if I eat most or all of the 'extra' calories I earn by working out. In the past i've not paid quite as much attention to how much my exercise levels were burning or adding to my calorie allowance, and as a result I was in fact eating too little and NOT losing weight, which was extremely frustrating, especially because i was always hungry, and yet i felt like i had to keep eating less and less to lose anything. NOT good, obviously.

    BTW, i'm also on a base calorie count of 1200 per day. I usually manage to burn at least 200 and sometimes up to 500 a day by biking or working out at the gym, and i often use up all those extra calories, but i really try to listen to my hunger signals, and if i'm not hungry after dinner or in the evening, then i forget about any extra snacks or larger dinner portions.

    Good luck!
  • tiffanygil
    tiffanygil Posts: 478 Member
    Wow, I am just starting out in this and this is confusing me more, I burn 450 kals in a work out 5 days a week, there is no way i can eat those Kals on top of my 1200 kals....I've also lost 33lbs and (have never eaten my exc. kals) in 9 weeks. Keep in mind I am considered morbidly over wt so we "fatter" people tend to loose faster.
  • jess412
    jess412 Posts: 29
    so i should eat the cals i burn when i exercise? it will help me lose weight?
  • lotusfromthemud
    lotusfromthemud Posts: 5,335 Member
    so i should eat the cals i burn when i exercise? it will help me lose weight?

    If you're set at 1200 calories a day, definitely eat all or some of your exercise calories. 1200 calories already puts you at a pretty big deficit from maintenance.:flowerforyou:
  • jnikitow
    jnikitow Posts: 334
    I do something in between and only eat half of my exercise calories. That works for me, but it is different for everyone.
  • barbiecat
    barbiecat Posts: 17,210 Member
    :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:
    I eat only part of my exercise calories. As long as I actually eat 1200 calories or more, MFP doesn't say that I'm in starvation mode. I make sure that every calorie I eat is a nutritious one so that my body is getting excellent nutrition with fewer calories. It is working for me so far.:bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile:
  • taniaj
    taniaj Posts: 2
    my fitness pal is telling me the same thing i am atleast eating the amount of calories i am supposed to be eating , but after i work out i wont eat those extra colories and i am really seeing the diffrence my clothes fits better looser and i am loving it :smile:
  • astridfeline
    astridfeline Posts: 1,200 Member
    my fitness pal is telling me the same thing i am atleast eating the amount of calories i am supposed to be eating , but after i work out i wont eat those extra colories and i am really seeing the diffrence my clothes fits better looser and i am loving it :smile:

    for me they're not "extra" calories, they're essential to losing weight steadily in a sustainable fashion, w/out being hungry all the time. Keep in mind, cals burned in exercise are estimates, this might be why some people eat only part of them back. It's more accurate to use a HRM to estimate calorie burn.
  • Cindysunshine
    Cindysunshine Posts: 1,188 Member
    I think it depends on so may things. I burn 1000-1,300 calories through my workouts 6 days a week. I eat between 1,700-1,800 calories a day. There is no way I can eat the rest of those exercise calories back. If I was hungry I would eat some back though. I lose about 3.5 pounds a week. I have alot to lose. As I get closer to my goal I'm sure I'll have to eat some of those back to lose. Cindy :heart:
  • Chickiebabe151
    Chickiebabe151 Posts: 59
    I eat some of them. I am also on the 1200 calorie diet and it is pretty hard to stay at that. You really have to make every single calorie count. I try to stay at 1200 and if I am starving or it's Friday night (the one night I let myself splurge) I will eat SOME, but not all. But I lose very slowly too. I shouldn't be eating any of them if I wan to lose a pound a week. Each person is differnet though. You really have to play around week to week and see what works for you.
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    if you truly have only 12 lbs to lose I'll submit that I don't think you should be at 1200 calories with the possible caviat that you're under 5 feet tall.

    what goal did you set? And what is your BMI, height, weight, and activity level?
  • jess412
    jess412 Posts: 29
    if you truly have only 12 lbs to lose I'll submit that I don't think you should be at 1200 calories with the possible caviat that you're under 5 feet tall.

    what goal did you set? And what is your BMI, height, weight, and activity level?

    my bmi is 25.2...right on the borderline of healthy and over. i weigh 142 and i'm 5'3". and i exercise 3-4 times a week for 45-hour.
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    if you truly have only 12 lbs to lose I'll submit that I don't think you should be at 1200 calories with the possible caviat that you're under 5 feet tall.

    what goal did you set? And what is your BMI, height, weight, and activity level?

    my bmi is 25.2...right on the borderline of healthy and over. i weigh 142 and i'm 5'3". and i exercise 3-4 times a week for 45-hour.

    yeah, you're at about an 800-850 calorie deficit right now. For someone who is that close to goal, that's too high IMHO. Your maintenance calories or TDEE is 2050 calories. you should be at about (again this is my opinion only) 1600 calories, AND eating your exercise calories.
  • Chickiebabe151
    Chickiebabe151 Posts: 59
    if you truly have only 12 lbs to lose I'll submit that I don't think you should be at 1200 calories with the possible caviat that you're under 5 feet tall.

    what goal did you set? And what is your BMI, height, weight, and activity level?

    my bmi is 25.2...right on the borderline of healthy and over. i weigh 142 and i'm 5'3". and i exercise 3-4 times a week for 45-hour.

    yeah, you're at about an 800-850 calorie deficit right now. For someone who is that close to goal, that's too high IMHO. Your maintenance calories or TDEE is 2050 calories. you should be at about (again this is my opinion only) 1600 calories, AND eating your exercise calories.

    I disagree. I was at your hieght/weight and I had to stay under 1200 caloriesin order to loose weight. Most women I know who are thin stay at 1200 when they are trying to lose and 1300/1400 when they are trying to maintain. I usually eat some of my exsercise calories but not all. When I eat them all I gain.
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member


    I disagree. I was at your hieght/weight and I had to stay under 1200 caloriesin order to loose weight. Most women I know who are thin stay at 1200 when they are trying to lose and 1300/1400 when they are trying to maintain. I usually eat some of my exsercise calories but not all. When I eat them all I gain.


    Well, I don't know your situation, but I do know that there are lots of reasons for someone NOT to eat too few calories. You may lose weight with a very large deficit, that's not the issue, it's what that weight loss consists of that's the problem, I.E. lean tissue is canabalize with people near maintenance weight and eating a large deficit, which means muscle loss, and fat storage. Never a good thing. Better to find your maintenance (truly find it though, if using this site for that doesn't work, you go see a doctor and get a metabolic rate test done) then work backwards from there.

    Look, she's 5'3", that means that 1200 calories is well below her BMR, which, for someone with her numbers, is well below what is normally considered a safe calorie amount. If she was shorter, and lighter, maybe that would apply, but that's not the case. Will she lose weight eating that few calories? Sure she will. But I adamantly stand by my statement that it's not a safe or healthy practice.
  • JStarnes
    JStarnes Posts: 5,576 Member


    I disagree. I was at your hieght/weight and I had to stay under 1200 caloriesin order to loose weight. Most women I know who are thin stay at 1200 when they are trying to lose and 1300/1400 when they are trying to maintain. I usually eat some of my exsercise calories but not all. When I eat them all I gain.


    Well, I don't know your situation, but I do know that there are lots of reasons for someone NOT to eat too few calories. You may lose weight with a very large deficit, that's not the issue, it's what that weight loss consists of that's the problem, I.E. lean tissue is canabalize with people near maintenance weight and eating a large deficit, which means muscle loss, and fat storage. Never a good thing. Better to find your maintenance (truly find it though, if using this site for that doesn't work, you go see a doctor and get a metabolic rate test done) then work backwards from there.

    Look, she's 5'3", that means that 1200 calories is well below her BMR, which, for someone with her numbers, is well below what is normally considered a safe calorie amount. If she was shorter, and lighter, maybe that would apply, but that's not the case. Will she lose weight eating that few calories? Sure she will. But I adamantly stand by my statement that it's not a safe or healthy practice.

    I agree - weight doesn't always mean fat - just cause the scale says you are down a lb, that doesn't always mean you are down a pound of just fat, and you def. don't want to be losing weight by losing muscle. JMO.
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