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eating my calories burned?

mandamae
mandamae Posts: 13
edited December 2024 in Food and Nutrition
Hi, I am fairly new to this site, I was on Sparkpeople but found it different, I like how easy this site is to use, I have a question for anyone willing to help me...I calculated my BMR and my activity level so I know how many calories I need to eat to loose 2lbs a week (I have alot to loose) I am wondering if I am supposed to eat the calories that I gain from exercising each day? I've been stalling with weight loss and thinking I may not be eating enough calories? thanks for anyone out there with tips/advice!

Replies

  • hillysuze
    hillysuze Posts: 18 Member
    If you look thru previous posts, you'll find lots of info but in short, yes, you are supposed to eat back the calories you burn so you don't go too low for your body's needs. You should never go below 1200 calories per day. So basically, if you ate 1200 calories and then went and swam 500 calories off, you are to re-eat those 500 calories so your body has enough fuel to work correctly.

    It seems totally opposite of common sense but I recently started listening to people on here saying the same things and lo and behold, I dropped 2 lbs and my jeans that were tight last week were loose enough - like how jeans are looser after you've worn them a few hours and they had time to stretch - that's the way they feel now.

    Best of luck!
  • rebeccap13
    rebeccap13 Posts: 754 Member
    You've created a calorie deficit by already reducing how many cals you eat so just by doing that you will lose weight. When you add working out into the equation it makes that deficit even bigger.

    Let's say your Total Daily Energy Expenditure is 2000 cals, to lose 1lb/week (calorie deficit of 500 cals/day) you could have two options, which are really just two ways of looking at the same thing:

    A) 2000 cals in - 500 cals burned by exercise = NET 1500 cals (total daily deficit 500cals, total weekly deficit 500calsX7days= 3500 cals ~ 1lb loss)

    B) 1500 cals in - 500 cals burned by exercise + 500 cals of exercise cals to eat back = NET 1500 cals (total daily deficit 500cals, total weekly deficit 500calsX7days= 3500 cals ~ 1lb loss)

    Or if you just want to lose weight by eating then you have one more option

    C) 1500 cals in - 0 cals burned during exercise = NET 1500 cals

    You should be netting above your BMR because that is the energy required to support your body in a coma, as soon as you get out of bed you start burning more cals than your BMR.
  • indiepops
    indiepops Posts: 96
    im sorry but i dont buy into this, what is the point of exercising to lose weight if you are just eating back the calories, stay with whatever cals u have to have to lose weight and exercise as much as possible, u will lose more a week if u are creating a deficit, as long as you do not drop below 1200, 1200 cals a day is as low as anyone should ever go. good luck with ur weight loss xx
  • rebeccap13
    rebeccap13 Posts: 754 Member
    If you're already eating at a deficit then you will lose weight. The exercise is so that you don't lose lean body mass.
This discussion has been closed.

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