Why Eating Exercise Calories is so important.

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Replies

  • mel100808
    mel100808 Posts: 23
    Thank you :)
  • elri1908
    elri1908 Posts: 160 Member
    bump
  • canroadrunner
    canroadrunner Posts: 203 Member
    For most people with much to lose, I think this thread is offering some really dangerous advice. One of the biggest sources of weight loss sabotage is thinking that you can afford to eat more just because you worked out, especially since most all calorie estimators (including those on MFP) grossly over-state the calories burned via exercise. You see it all the time, someone does a super intense workout, then drops by Dairy Queen on the way home. Weeks go by, and they wonder why their bodies aren't changing.

    example: MFP says I'm burning over 1000 cals at my jiu-jitsu classes, but there's simply no way that it's anywhere close to that on most days. If I go ahead and add another 1000 cals to my daily intake, I'll be in a significant calorie SURPLUS. Never mind losing weight, most people would start gaining if they followed this protocol.

    I've had the opposite experience. I got a HRM and found out that MFP was grossly underestimating the calories burned for me - probably because I was larger and not in as good a shape as the "average" they use. The counts on MFP can't be all things to all people.
    I've also discovered that since losing weight and getting in better shape, the HRM is reflecting that, so I trust that it is giving me an accurate representation.
    BTW, in one of my combination aerobic and strength exercise sessions which runs an hour, I can easily burn 700 calories. I used to practice martial arts. I can easily see it burning 1000 calories in a session.
  • hellou76
    hellou76 Posts: 33 Member
    Awesome post. Its very helpful to me, I sometimes eat back exercise calories (when hugry) and somestimes not (beacuse I think it will give me a weightloss boost), well from now on I am going to spread them out over the week and eat a little more everyday rather than eating them all at the same time.
  • sassyntat2ed
    sassyntat2ed Posts: 39
    this was very helpful. thank you!!
  • shelyice
    shelyice Posts: 3
    Bump
  • sassysarah92
    sassysarah92 Posts: 13 Member
    wow, didnt know this. i sometimes eat my exercise calories but not all the time. Am going to start doing this:smile:
  • hrtoftx
    hrtoftx Posts: 32
    Wow! I have read many other postings about this and was totally confused after reading them. This is the best I have read because I understood it completely!!!! I realize that for the last 2 1/2 months I have been putting my body in starvation mode. I was under the impression that having 4 to 500 calories left over each day was how you lost weight. How stupid of me.

    Starting today I will start consumeing my workout calories!!!!!! Thank you so much for explaining this so well!!!
  • Lisaba1
    Lisaba1 Posts: 3 Member
    Just make sure you eat back your workout calories in a healthy way. Have a healthy snack (apple/peanut butter or a good yogurt) prior to workout for energy and some good protein (lowfat cheese stick or protein shake) within 20 minutes of ending the workout.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    This is a great explanation
  • trinitrate
    trinitrate Posts: 219 Member
    Just curious if anyone knows... Do the MFP developers agree 100% with this approach?

    The main reason I ask, if you end a day with less than 1200 calories, it yells at you and says your not eating enough. If you take that same day and eat 1500, but exercise for 1000, it doesnt complain or warn you that your in 'starvation mode' because you didnt eat back your exercise calories.

    I'm not challenging the OP, just curious if there is agreement or if this just isn't a feature thats built into the software. Also, when they do the biggest looser type shows, why dont they have them eat back their calories? If they did, I would assume they should only be dropping 1-2 lbs a week right?
  • NewMeKP
    NewMeKP Posts: 37 Member
    just what ive been lookin for! thanks!!
    bumpity bump!
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Just curious if anyone knows... Do the MFP developers agree 100% with this approach?

    The main reason I ask, if you end a day with less than 1200 calories, it yells at you and says your not eating enough. If you take that same day and eat 1500, but exercise for 1000, it doesnt complain or warn you that your in 'starvation mode' because you didnt eat back your exercise calories.

    I'm not challenging the OP, just curious if there is agreement or if this just isn't a feature thats built into the software. Also, when they do the biggest looser type shows, why dont they have them eat back their calories? If they did, I would assume they should only be dropping 1-2 lbs a week right?

    I cannot answer the first question, however, it is not a feature built into the software.

    The difference with shows like the biggest loser - first, they are medically supervised, second, they generally tend to have put the weight back on after the show finishes and third, morbidly obese people do not have the same problem initially as they have enough fat to provide the energy needed
  • gorden05
    gorden05 Posts: 20
    IT WILL! You just gotta BELIEVE! Great Post!!
  • Skye1999
    Skye1999 Posts: 29
    I have read all the posts with interest, never realised that you should eat all of your calorie allowance as well as your exercise ones. Though if my memory serves me right I think Weight Watchers allowed you to have extra points for exercising. At least now I can see the logic.
  • rbbrrmqn
    rbbrrmqn Posts: 132 Member
    Bump---thanks, I needed that!!!
  • GlorytoGodalone400
    GlorytoGodalone400 Posts: 26
    Bump! Thanks so much!
  • lokin4deer
    lokin4deer Posts: 44 Member
    I have some reading for later.
  • clarksonwayne
    clarksonwayne Posts: 9 Member
    I'm glad this has been said, I dropped my cal intake a lot and was already working out so I could eat more as it makes perfect sense. It's all about numbers
  • lnguyen578
    lnguyen578 Posts: 39
    I don't quite understand this... I always thought you needed to create a calorie deficit in order to lose weight. If you were to eat up all the calories you burned from exercise combined with your bmr... wouldn't you be maintaining?
  • clarksonwayne
    clarksonwayne Posts: 9 Member
    You create a deficit by cutting back and watching what you eat if you then add exercise on top of that the deficit becomes too big and your body fears it's losing too many calories, so it holds onto what it can.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    I don't quite understand this... I always thought you needed to create a calorie deficit in order to lose weight. If you were to eat up all the calories you burned from exercise combined with your bmr... wouldn't you be maintaining?

    Your BMR is the energy expended if you were in a coma - what your body needs to keep your organs functioning, You do create a deficit by eating below your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) - if you set your deficit at a number below your TDEE excluding workouts (i.e. normal non-workout activity) you need to eat your exercise calories back otherwise your deficit will be too large. The initial post explains the logic.

    You just need to be clear as to whether your TDEE includes or excludes workout activities - you will see the term TDEE used both ways here.
  • bz6134
    bz6134 Posts: 6
    bump
  • jrhodges20
    jrhodges20 Posts: 103 Member
    Thank you for sharing that, I have been having minor freak outs, the scale is not moving downward, and on average days off I am burrning between 600-700 calories, the scale went up 3 pounds and hasn't moved. I will ensure I eat them back.
  • grinch031
    grinch031 Posts: 1,679
    Just curious if anyone knows... Do the MFP developers agree 100% with this approach?

    The main reason I ask, if you end a day with less than 1200 calories, it yells at you and says your not eating enough. If you take that same day and eat 1500, but exercise for 1000, it doesnt complain or warn you that your in 'starvation mode' because you didnt eat back your exercise calories.

    I'm not challenging the OP, just curious if there is agreement or if this just isn't a feature thats built into the software. Also, when they do the biggest looser type shows, why dont they have them eat back their calories? If they did, I would assume they should only be dropping 1-2 lbs a week right?

    Right I think when people say, "you can't eat that low calories because your body needs fuel", I don't think they really know what they are talking about. They fail to realize that fat stores provide fuel. The body of course can't fuel 100% of its energy needs with fat because the brain needs glucose, which can come from carbs, protein, or in the absence of adequate carbs could be partially substituted with ketones. So they assume everyone is going to go into starvation mode after a week of dieting on a very low calorie diet, but really it depends on how much fat they have available and also whether they eat adequate protein.
  • Nenabobena
    Nenabobena Posts: 79 Member
    Thank you so much! This was such a helpful explanation. I have been reading quite a lot about it but it wasn't until I read your post that I finally got it. I think I love you. HA!
  • 0EmmeNicole0
    0EmmeNicole0 Posts: 180 Member
    Thanks OP! This makes a lot of sense. I used to be so scared to eat my exercise calories back after i gained weight in the beginning, but that's because i was counting my work calories as exercise (i'm a waitress). So there was a lot of error in that. But now i happily eat most of my exercise calories.
  • roblen26
    roblen26 Posts: 3 Member
    correct.
  • Fubar_Bill
    Fubar_Bill Posts: 120 Member
    It is important to understand that exercise calorie estimates are often too high and also that the idea that people can easily put themselves in "starvation mode" has been challenged. Food calorie information, even that provided by the companies, is often too low. Companies are permitted to underestimate the amount of calories by as much as 20%.

    People should monitor their food consumption and their exercise and see what's working. If you automatically eat the amount of calories a program says you've "earned" you may be undermining your weight loss efforts.

    On a personal note: My gym recently upgraded their equipment, replacing my beloved LifeFitness 9500HR elliptical with a newer LifeFitness elliptical. The old machine was telling me that I was burning 1000 to 1200 calories in an hour. The new one tells me I am burning 800 to 900 calories per hour.

    Considering that I was doing this twice a day from monday to friday, the over estimate of calories would be 400 to 600 per day or 2000 to 3000 a week.

    Had I consumed all of those calories I would have put my weightloss journey back by a pound a week.

    When I excersize I eat a bit more. When I am hungry I eat. Other than that, I do not eat every calorie that is calculated for me.

    Do NOT starve yourselves, but don't always assume that the numbers you are seeing are accurate.

    Be healthy, work hard, and you will see the changes.

    Cheers,

    - Bill
  • FinalOutrage
    FinalOutrage Posts: 77
    Just curious if anyone knows... Do the MFP developers agree 100% with this approach?

    The main reason I ask, if you end a day with less than 1200 calories, it yells at you and says your not eating enough. If you take that same day and eat 1500, but exercise for 1000, it doesnt complain or warn you that your in 'starvation mode' because you didnt eat back your exercise calories.

    I'm not challenging the OP, just curious if there is agreement or if this just isn't a feature thats built into the software. Also, when they do the biggest looser type shows, why dont they have them eat back their calories? If they did, I would assume they should only be dropping 1-2 lbs a week right?

    Right I think when people say, "you can't eat that low calories because your body needs fuel", I don't think they really know what they are talking about. They fail to realize that fat stores provide fuel. The body of course can't fuel 100% of its energy needs with fat because the brain needs glucose, which can come from carbs, protein, or in the absence of adequate carbs could be partially substituted with ketones. So they assume everyone is going to go into starvation mode after a week of dieting on a very low calorie diet, but really it depends on how much fat they have available and also whether they eat adequate protein.

    But what you are also neglecting is the fact that the body will break down muscle for energy before it does fat. Eating enough calories to stay at a reasonable deficit combined with an adequate protein intake that accounts for 1g-1.5g per pound of LBM ensures that muscle breakdown is at its lowest when losing weight. (The more LBM you have at the end of your journey, the better you'll look. This is why you shouldn't go for more than two pounds of weight loss a week.)


    On a different note, when it comes to calorie deficits, people aren't paying attention to the fact that when dieting you've already created a deficit before including exercise. It's not the end of the world if you're under your net amount every now and then, but repeatedly missing the mark day in and day out will most likely throw you into starvation mode within a short amount of time.
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