Help!!!

ddiana21
ddiana21 Posts: 68 Member
edited December 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
I am having a hard time figuring out how many calories I should eat in a day when I exercise. Right now I'm eating 1200 calories and burning about 400 everyday..should I add those 400 calories to my 1200... I am so confused and instead of losing I am gaining:(.

Replies

  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    You want to look at your NET calories on your page here at MFP. That is your total calorie intake minus your exercise calories - so if you're set to 1200 and you've burned 400 in exercise, you're only netting 800 calories for the day, which is really low. MFP is set up for you to eat back those calories that you burn through your workouts, which is why they show you your daily goal, your exercise calories and your net calories.

    There are differences of opinion here on the boards on whether you should eat those exercise calories or not (personally, I eat mine and I am still losing weight), but if you're set to 1200 calories, which is considered the bare minimum for most women, I think you should definitely eat them back. You gotta feed that body if you want it to work hard in those workouts! :smile:
  • poodlepaws
    poodlepaws Posts: 269 Member
    I try really hard to eat my daily calories minus my exercise calories... I will say I have a day or two each week where I don't come close to getting my 1,200 calories in after exercising.
  • bjfmade
    bjfmade Posts: 543 Member
    I eat my exercise calories back. Sometimes I leave some, but I usually try to eat within 200.
  • Glucocorticoid
    Glucocorticoid Posts: 867 Member
    You don't need to count the expenditure from exercise. Here is an alternative, simpler, and just as effective approach:

    1. Forget about the deficit that MFP calculated for you.

    2. Figure your maintenance intake (this is not your BMR, this is how many calories you'll need to eat per day to neither gain nor lose weight - 13-16x your body weight is usually a good estimate). Read this for details. http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/how-to-estimate-maintenance-caloric-intake.html

    3. Set the deficit. A modest deficit is fine, 10-20%. Read this for the pros and cons of small vs large deficits. http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/setting-the-deficit-small-moderate-or-large.html

    4. Set protein intake
    5. Set fat intake
    6. The rest is carbs.

    Read this link for assistance with steps 4-6
    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/setting-the-deficit-small-moderate-or-large.html

    This way, you don't have to count your exercise calories, nor do you have to eat them back. Adjust the deficit based on real-word changes.
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