Do I have to use calories earned from Excercise?

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laungier
laungier Posts: 10
in Introduce Yourself
I'm frustrated! - I've been working out really hard and dieting for the past four weeks and haven't lost anything!
I go to the gym somedays and do crosstrainer and then a spinning class, other days just crosstrainer and treadmill i.e. I mix it up so my body doesn't get used to the same thing.

I'm burning off 1000 calories in some sessions.

This programme adds the calories burned to my daily intake so does that mean I am supposed to consume more food?!?! I do defintely feel more toned and sleep great etc but God I'd like to see some reduction in the scales please!!

Any advice from anyone who has experienced the same greatly appreciated!!
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Replies

  • ClairBears84
    ClairBears84 Posts: 531 Member
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    Hey there,

    No you most certainly do not have to use those calories ( in my opinion) I felt the same at a stage and sometimes still do! If you can feel teh differnece in your body then it is a good start!
    I have only lost 6.5kg but i have lost 37.5cm
    Always remember that : Muscle weighs more than what fat does!

    Keep at it and dont let it demotivate you!! xx
  • laungier
    laungier Posts: 10
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    Thanks for your reply!! I'm looking to lose about 4.5 Kilos in time for my 40th Birthday in September so after a month of nothing I was in a panic thinking this is never going to happen.
    But I am going to be religious about recording my food and excercise and fingers crossed I will hopefully see something soon.
    I never measure myself at the start of this fitness campaign - I should do that and see what the difference will be there!
    Thanks again
    xx
  • Twiztedbeing
    Twiztedbeing Posts: 389
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    I do not eat mine back. As far as not losing any weight, you could be counteracting the weight by gaining muscle. There was another post about a woman who lost inches but not weight, there might be inches lost somewhere that you cant see.
  • Crochetluvr
    Crochetluvr Posts: 3,143 Member
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    If not eating them back doesnt help, try eating them back. Cant hurt. It does help some people.
  • MaraDiaz
    MaraDiaz Posts: 4,604 Member
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    MFP says eat them back and scolds you if you don't. But without measuring your food precisely, there is room for error, and even with a good HRM, there is some room for error, much less if you're relying on MFP or the machines at the gym to tell you how many calories you burned, which leaves a lot of room for error, as does a cheap HRM like mine that is really over-optimistic on how much I burn.

    So to some extent I go by how I feel. Am I hungry? I eat back some exercise calories. Am I fine? Then I don't force myself to eat unless I absolutely know I've been low on calories for a day or two and will soon get dizzy from it. Then I will force something down.

    If you're taking diet pills or otherwise suppressing your appetite this might not work, though.
  • pjstar31
    pjstar31 Posts: 26
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    Ditto to what everyone else said. Muscle weighs more than fat. When I started dieting I lost 4-5 pounds per week from just changing my eating habits (I'm obese) but when I started working out the weight loss dropped to about 2 pounds per week. I can definitely tell a difference in how my clothes fit though. Keep it up!
  • chivalryder
    chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
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    Does this forum have a search function?
  • Sheila_Ann
    Sheila_Ann Posts: 365 Member
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    Always remember that : Muscle weighs more than what fat does!

    I have to respectfully disagree with this quote. Muscle does not weigh more then fat. Muscle takes up less space then fat but weighs the same. If you can, you should have your body fat % calculated and your measurements done.

    I do eat back my workout calories. Since January only twice have I gain and that was about a lb each time. Last Monday I gained a pound and this monday I was down 1.8lbs. There are days where I just can't eat all of it back because I'm just not hungry.

    Best of luck on your journey. :flowerforyou:
  • snusp
    snusp Posts: 93 Member
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    You just have to figure out what is best for you. I eat back about half of the calories burned.
  • ceannesjourney
    ceannesjourney Posts: 250
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    Maybe only try eating half back. That's mostly what I do and it works better for me. Also, have you measured any difference. I saw on here where a girl looked like she had lost 30 lbs from gym, etc. but stayed the exact same weight--she looked toned and wonderful. Keep up the great work, it'll pay off. Take care!!
  • Csdehoyos
    Csdehoyos Posts: 16 Member
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    I just went through this same thing. I had been working extremely hard burning calories 5 days a week at the gym! I was not eating back my calories that were burned, at first! THe first 3 weeks I lost 7 pounds, yay! BUT, then I gained 2 pounds over the next 2 weeks, urgh!! And wasn't losing any weight for weeks!! Last week I started eating most of my calories back and I have already lost 4 pounds! So I think it depends on your body. You might give eating back your calories a try and see if it helps you :) It is what is working for me!
  • Pandabuhr
    Pandabuhr Posts: 5
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    Some people say to eat it back, others say don't. I personally don't, but I do know that it's different for everyone.
  • muadeeb
    muadeeb Posts: 91
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    This can depend on how much calories your taking in to begin with. If your not taking in enough calories your body will go into starvation mode....ie you can be taking in say 1200 calories but your bodie is needing 1500-2000 so every calorie your body dose take in is being converted to fat to save its own *kitten* (literally). This was something that was pointed out to me when i first started.
  • Bobby_Clerici
    Bobby_Clerici Posts: 1,828 Member
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    MFP suggests a daily net calorie intake to result in 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

    Just follow the MFP recommendations for healthy, steady and lasting results.
    You could reduce quicker, but what would be the quality of that weight loss?
    It could lead to increased muscle loss, 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!
  • chivalryder
    chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
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    Always remember that : Muscle weighs more than what fat does!

    I have to respectfully disagree with this quote. Muscle does not weigh more then fat. Muscle takes up less space then fat but weighs the same. If you can, you should have your body fat % calculated and your measurements done.

    I do eat back my workout calories. Since January only twice have I gain and that was about a lb each time. Last Monday I gained a pound and this monday I was down 1.8lbs. There are days where I just can't eat all of it back because I'm just not hungry.

    Best of luck on your journey. :flowerforyou:

    Frankly, neither of these statements make any sense. You need to put it into context. Think about it for a second.
  • brutalrage
    brutalrage Posts: 34 Member
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    As long as you don’t drop below 1500 Calories a day with all you’re exercising than you really don’t need to eat back your calories you burn through exercising. You body needs about 1500 Calories a day to maintain daily functions but beside that most people don’t need more than that. Dropping below that approximate 1500 Calories can cause your body to go into starvation mode and damage you in the long run.

    I only use the burn off calculator for exercising to make sure I don’t go majorly over my calorie limit and even on the days I hit the gym I still try to stay on that excess calorie side of thing (where it says I could eat more).

    Don’t be discourage about what the scale says like most people have said before you could be offsetting weight lost with muscle gain. Another way to track weight/fat lost is to measure your self every month or so and most gyms will give you a free body fat test too. Those tests might not be the most accurate in the world but if done on a regular basis can help track fat lost and muscle gain. So far I only lost 30lbs in about 5 years of trying to loose weight but I started out being about 75% body fat originally and now down to between 35-40% body fat and a lot slimmer waist line.

    If your cloths seem looser on you and you need a new belt ever once and a while then that is a good sign you’re loosing fat and gaining muscle. Just make sure you belt isn’t to loose or you might loose your pants standing up at work, which has nearly happen to me a few times.
  • wisebadger53
    wisebadger53 Posts: 382 Member
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    I have always tried to eat back at least 30% of my exercise calories, and some days almost all of them. The proof is in my ticker...
  • Articeluvsmemphis
    Articeluvsmemphis Posts: 1,987 Member
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    Eat em' if you're hungry. In your case, I don't see how you could not be starving after all that cardio. Try eating some at least. good luck. don't worry, the body is smarter than the person is. one day i may eat 1300-1400calories and eat 2000+ on another day. your body won't be cheated of the nutrients and food it wants no matter what day you decide to put it in there. ideally you want a more even spread not my example, so eat up.
  • MommaRou56
    MommaRou56 Posts: 68 Member
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    I, too, cringe when I hear the old adage, "muscle weighs more than fat does". Not true. A POUND of muscle weighs the same as a POUND of fat. The difference is in the SIZE of that pound. Muscle takes up less volume, so a pound of muscle takes up much less room than a pound of fat. The best way to tell if you're losing weight is by how your jeans fit -- honestly. A good pair of jeans can tell you more about your weight loss than any other piece of clothing in your closet. If your jeans are getting loose, especially when they have just been taken out of the dryer, that's a good sign. Hang in there! It will come if you keep with it.
  • NatalieWinning
    NatalieWinning Posts: 999 Member
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    I use a heart rate monitor to estimate calories, and weight/measure my food. I absolutely do eat the calories back! Unless I'm full. What kinds of food I eat make a difference. Another thing to consider is that when I do intense high level exercise I don't lose weight. Even if my measurements and fitness level change. If I don't eat enough food I also don't lose weight. Food is the biggest factor. Fitness makes you look good and be healthy. It boosts your metabolism allowing you to eat more food without gaining weight, because those extra muscles "eat" more to stay maintained. The weight loss will eventually show up. Just keep going and know you are improving yourself. The scale is not always the best judge of progress.

    A tip: Eating nutritionally calorie dense foods earlier in the day on high exercise days will also help your workouts and your weight loss. You will build more lean muscle and lose the fat instead easier than starving and exercising like a anorexic. I can't work out hard, or burn as many calories, or recover well, when I don't fuel up well. Therefore you will look much sexier if you eat enough for the body sculpting you are trying to do.

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