Why Eating Exercise Calories is so important.

I read this 3 times, and I don't understand it at all. But, I'm pretty sure I've been doing it wrong.

I don't understand what "net calories" means.

What I do, is lets say I get 1800 to eat. Then, I do 400 calories for my workout. I eat 2200 calories. That's it. Is that what you mean, or no?

If you eat 2200 and you exercise 400, then your net is 1800.

I know, but what does that mean? So, what? Is the suggestion was that your net should be what your goal is?

I mean, all net is is the amount I eat less exercise. So, really, all anyone is saying is to eat back your exercise cals? Or am I missing something. It seems like it is really easy and people confuse it and make it sound more complicated than it is, and I can't understand why they keep doing that.

If my goal is to eat 1800. And, I exercise and burn 400, than I should eat 2200? If I don't eat my 400 exercise cals, then if I eat 1800, my net will be 1400. It's just a weird twisted way to look at it and I cna't wrap my head around why people look at it that way.

I read this 3 times, and I don't understand it at all. But, I'm pretty sure I've been doing it wrong.

I don't understand what "net calories" means.

What I do, is lets say I get 1800 to eat. Then, I do 400 calories for my workout. I eat 2200 calories. That's it. Is that what you mean, or no?

If you eat 2200 and you exercise 400, then your net is 1800.

I know, but what does that mean? So, what? Is the suggestion was that your net should be what your goal is?

I mean, all net is is the amount I eat less exercise. So, really, all anyone is saying is to eat back your exercise cals? Or am I missing something. It seems like it is really easy and people confuse it and make it sound more complicated than it is, and I can't understand why they keep doing that.

If my goal is to eat 1800. And, I exercise and burn 400, than I should eat 2200? If I don't eat my 400 exercise cals, then if I eat 1800, my net will be 1400. It's just a weird twisted way to look at it and I cna't wrap my head around why people look at it that way.

Yup. Basically what this explains is net=goal. A lot of people struggle with the idea of eating their exercise calories and don't understand they just further and further increase the size of their deficit by not eating them back.

^^this

<snip>

One major point you are missing here - the people on The BIggest Loser are morbidly obese, and they generally have enough fat stores to use muscle before fat. <snip>

I'm thinking you have a typo here. They would be using fat before muscle, yes?

Wow...this is interesting...so now I have a Question.

I tend to exercise late. Don't really want to eat late. Is it also important to eat those calories back that day? What about early the next day, maybe 10 to 12 hours after the exercise??? Any thoughts?

Wow...this is interesting...so now I have a Question.

I tend to exercise late. Don't really want to eat late. Is it also important to eat those calories back that day? What about early the next day, maybe 10 to 12 hours after the exercise??? Any thoughts?

If you are reasonably sure you will exercise, I'd just plan it in your diet for the day.

bump

Wow...this is interesting...so now I have a Question.

I tend to exercise late. Don't really want to eat late. Is it also important to eat those calories back that day? What about early the next day, maybe 10 to 12 hours after the exercise??? Any thoughts?

If you are reasonably sure you will exercise, I'd just plan it in your diet for the day.

Good idea. That could make me go if I get the, I really don't feel like it feeling too! :embarassed: This could explain why I have stalled out a little in the last 2 weeks :grumble: . Really started to exercise but have not been eating those calories. I will now. Thanks!

If you are strength training it is recomended that you get some sort of protein before and after your workout to fuel your body, also you will notice that your mfp carb, fat and protein go up when you enter your workout. Pay attention to your body it will tell you what you need.

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?

yes... but i think they are saying that MFP automatically calculates the number that you should be taking in to meet whatever weight loss goal you have set in MFP...

so if you exercise and record those calories (most times over estimated by ALOT), you could "ideally" consume those calories and still meet those weight loss goals you wanted...

what people tend to forget is that everyone is different and while the scale may not say you lost any weight this week, it could "simply" be (not really all that simple) a matter of water... you could have burned a pound of fat that week, but the fat was replaced by water and maybe next week, that water is released by the fat cells and you magically lost 4 pounds the next week, when your deficiet wasn't that low to warrant that big a loss...

If you are losing inches but not pounds then you are losing fat cells. You are reshaping your body. Adding more muscle to a certain area and such. Keep it up. How clothes fit is more important than the number on a scale.

i'd just like to point out that you never "lose fat cells" they simply shrink when fat is not being stored in them... and you are NOT adding muscle on a caloric deficiet either...

although i do agree with you that how your clothes are fitting and how you look in the mirror are great indicators of progress...