eating back calories, Help!

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KaidaKantri
KaidaKantri Posts: 401
in Food and Nutrition
In the last 3 days' I've been exercising over an hour a day. I've stuck with 1400 calories or under. I gained 1 lb back, and I havn't lost anything. I've tried looking on google and yahoo to figure it out, and all the responses are to eat more. Any suggestions? Anyone have this issue, try to eat more and it worked for you?

Replies

  • Bobby_Clerici
    Bobby_Clerici Posts: 1,828 Member
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    Yes, and you have proven yet again that starvation diets stifle metabolism and lead to failure.
    MFP is set up for us to maintain a net calorie intake every day to equal 1 lb of weight loss per week.
    1 pound equals 3500 calories.
    3500 divided by 7 days equals 500 calories per day. Our MFP daily number already has that 500 calories subtracted.
    When we exercise, that green number goes up, because MFP expects us to eat back your exercise calories to keep your net daily calorie intake steady; that's how MFP works. Read this to learn more.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/23912-links-in-mfp-you-want-to-read-again-and-again
    And This:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo
    Follow the recommendations on this site for safe, steady and lasting results.
    You could lose weight faster, but what kind of weight would it be?
    Muscle! And that stifles metabolism.
    No, eat right, exercise - both cardio and resistance, lose weight in such a way that maintains health and preserves lean body mass which burns more calories at rest.
    Good luck to you.:flowerforyou:
    All Is Possible!
  • nannersb
    nannersb Posts: 2
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    I eat back about 300 of my exercise calories and it seems to work for me :O)
    hope you figure it out, It's frustrating not losing.
  • rextcat
    rextcat Posts: 1,408 Member
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    eat more
  • caleb_breidenthal
    caleb_breidenthal Posts: 1
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    Well I don't know your height and weight but 1400 calories does seem very low...

    In any case, just stick with it, make sure you meet your calorie goals, then don't weigh yourself only 3 days after trying something new or getting back on track. Give yourself two weeks or more before you weigh yourself. The body naturally fluctuates in weight throughout the day, sometimes even by 5 or 6 pounds depending on when you weigh yourself.

    Like last night I weighed myself at 194 exactly. This morning i was 192 exactly. Did I lose 2 pounds of fat in one night? Not a chance, and the same thing happens on small time scales like a few days.

    So just stick with it, don't starve yourself at all and you'll see results if you meet your goals.
  • debbiestine
    debbiestine Posts: 265 Member
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    Look at your food diary. Are you eating fast food or prepackaged stuff? You should be getting high protein 100grams/day. Same with carbs- stay between 50-100/day. It's 80% what you eat and 20%exercise. You can eat more if it's more vegetables, good fats (avacado, almond butter, eggs etc), protein-think a can of tuna for a snack or some plain greek yogurt w/cinnamon/berries.
  • RumOne
    RumOne Posts: 266 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    This may help
  • Karenkimberly
    Karenkimberly Posts: 19 Member
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    I actually have this exact same problem. Im allowed 1800 calories a day. Today I exercised and was given an extra 1047 calories. It seems so hard to eat all those calories in a healthy way. I dont have the hunger pangs. Sometimes I have to make myself eat. I have read all about the starvation mode. I do believe that is why I have stalled out at a 9 pound loss. It feels as though I am at a loss.
  • Fenomka
    Fenomka Posts: 103 Member
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    My experience with eating back my calories is this:

    if I try to actually make up ALL the calories I'm supposed to eat in a day, I'm totally overwhelmed - when eating a low carb, high protein/veggie diet, that's a TON of food. however, I aim for 1500 calories a day, and when I burn calories, I make sure to eat more to make up whatever caloric count I burnt to make sure that I'm still meeting my "after exercise" number. so say I burn 200 calories in one workout, the amount I've consumed, though originally would have been 1500 calories, actually nets 1300 calories. so I need to make up those 200, to make sure I'm hitting my goal.

    I know it's kind of confusing, because it doesn't seem to make any sense - what you've eaten is a solid number, right? but you've got to figure for the calories you burn during workouts, you're burning in making wounds in your muscles that then need to heal, and healing takes energy, which is burned extra by the food you eat. so consuming more calories, though it seems like it would be counterproductive, as long as you're within your limit, and the calories you're consuming are healthy calories (lean proteins, fresh or leanly cooked fruits and veggies, whole grain or high fiber/lightly processed carbs, your body will make them work for you more efficiently, and you'll boost your metabolic rate, your muscles will heal faster, and you should feel more energy, as well as see a pleasing reduction on the scale's number!

    I hope that helps!
  • rueyaroo
    rueyaroo Posts: 35
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    i never eat back calories, just because the amount you burn off is really questionable most of the time. If you decide to eat back calories, I would say divide the number of calories you think you burned by 1/3 and eat those. Most people overestimate how much they burn while exercising.
  • KaidaKantri
    KaidaKantri Posts: 401
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    i never eat back calories, just because the amount you burn off is really questionable most of the time. If you decide to eat back calories, I would say divide the number of calories you think you burned by 1/3 and eat those. Most people overestimate how much they burn while exercising.

    This makes sense. I'm sketpical that I lost over 1000 calories by hiking for 118 minutes carrying less then 10 lb load. The numbers seem a bit high on a lot of them.
  • Bobby_Clerici
    Bobby_Clerici Posts: 1,828 Member
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    Eating back your exercise calories is optional. If you eat them back, you'll have more fun and probably lose more FAT. If you don't, you'll be miserable and may hit all types of weight-loss stalling plateaus. Then you'll binge eat and conclude that it's just too hard to be fit and healthy.

    Your choice.
    ^^^^^^^^
    THIS - can't say you weren't warned!:smokin:
  • Bobby_Clerici
    Bobby_Clerici Posts: 1,828 Member
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    i never eat back calories, just because the amount you burn off is really questionable most of the time. If you decide to eat back calories, I would say divide the number of calories you think you burned by 1/3 and eat those. Most people overestimate how much they burn while exercising.
    ^^^^
    ABSURD!
    If you enter good information, the system works. If not, oh well....
    Find your zone - take control.
    Don't make the journey a gloomy road to nowhere.

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