Do you add calories lost after exercise to total allowed?

[AugMummy]

Apologies for posting here when there is a weight loss thread but I know this gets more traffic and I’m really unsure and want a balanced response:

I’m trying to lose weight as I have been in a bad place and slowly starting to be healthy issue is I don’t know whether I’m supposed to add calories to my total now so I’ve just logged the excercise I did - it’s only 60 calories I’ve lost and I’m doing fast 800 so do I now have total of 860 calories to eat today?

I never did or do. I lost 3 stones and tried hard to avoid eating the calories back.

No, on Fast 800 you never add them back

@GoTigers well done on your 3 stone loss! I need to lose around 4 stones but I would be amazed at even 7lb! How did you do it?

Yes, you are meant to do that.

I recommend you use My Fitness Pal. You log all of your food intake, and exercise there and it does the sums for you. I lost 30lb's using it.

No. It massively slows down the weight loss. Sticking to a sensible calorie-restricted diet and adding regular exercise will get the results.

No I don’t but I’m also not starving myself. You should never go beyond your BMR as that’s what keeps you breathing and alive and 800 calories is less calories than what a toddler needs.

is there any reason why you’re on so little calories?

Thanks. Low carb calorie counting and exercise (and not eating the calories back!).

No, it would be very unusual to do that.

Calorie limits are to lose weight and exercise is to improve muscle tone, which then means being fitter, looking better, & burning more calories as a base level, because muscle burns more calories than fat, even at rest.

They are basically two different but complementary functions.

The trouble with this method is that things that track our calories burned often overestimate, whereas tracking calories its very easy to underestimate... so if you add calories from exercise (which are maybe higher than true) to your calories consumed (likely lower than true) you end up catching yourself coming and going!

I think it would work if there was a better way of tracking calories burned and eaten, but the margins for error on both mean it doesn't really work that well...

Also, echoing @Bluesprinkles12 , the BMR (basal metabolic rate) of an average/small woman (I'm 5'3" & 58kg) is (calculated at) ~1200 calories/day. Although actually I think mine is lower in reality, and it doesn't hurt me to eat less.

The BMR is the calories you burn by existing, if you did nothing.

So 800 calories a day is very low. If you want to lose a lot of weight, that's ok for a period, but please do also make sure you're getting enough and varied nutrition, and maybe consider vitamins and mineral supplements while you're on such a low calorie diet.

Good luck with it!

No

Exercise because you should, and because it's good for you but don't use exercise as a weight loss tool. Just find something you like and do it

It takes 3500 calories to gain or lose a pound of fat. I just tot up the calories I supposedly burn in exercise and give myself a pat on the back when I reach 3500 and theoretically lose an additional pound. Mind you, that takes about a month these days 😫

No, it didn't help me to do that unless I was running in excess of 15 miles.

I don't know whether it was that my base fitness level was already good (I had always ran and had gone to the gym for years) when I tried to lose and I didn't have very much to lose, but I was most disappointed to find that eating back exercise calories stalled any weight loss at all.

I suppose it depends on the individual though, we're all different!

No

No you shouldn't do that. You have set calories and you stick to it. I excerise too but never take the calories off. It would defeat the purpose. Eating protein will.make you feel fuller. Apples and popcorn are good fillers for snacking on too. Good luck with your weight loss journey.

No but remember you are not meant to do strenuous cardio on F800. It's also a short term diet I.e. 12 weeks as there is no way you can get enough nutrients and because you will lose muscle mass (most of which happens when you sleep).

And remember it's fine to do 800-1000 calories if you had a really active day! And you Need an exit plan I.e. go to 3/4 then 5/2 etc. as if you put the weight back on quickly, you don't regain the muscle mass you lost, you just regain fat which is less metabolically active so your muscle/fat ratio is worse and you have to eat even less to not put weight on, look less toned etc. As you can tell am not a huge fan but it's okay if you need to lose a lot of weight. Otherwise just balanced macros and eating 100 to 200 calories under your TDEE and strength training is a better more sustainable way to lose weight.

Never.

I lost 8lbs in 4 weeks on 1200 cals, but I would often do 2hrs of power walking plus a workout with weights. Never add them back.

I did however not count milk in my coffee against not counting the exercise.

I've done so many half a stone diets (same half a stone) and the fastest success always comes from just eating calories not exercise.

Just in reference to the post above about not exercising on fast 800.

I used to do 5:2 and always did massive weights sessions on my fasting days. Always worked brilliantly for me.

Depends on the diet but with fasting no you should not add them back you eat the 800 no matter what.

I’m nearly 60 so very much not a toddler and my BMR is around 800 calories.
People differ in their metabolic needs, not everyone is the same.

I ignore exercise calories completely. They are the hardest calories to 'earn' and i just cant face thinking about all the effort i have to do to balance out a single chocolate bar.

Instead i think of it like this, if i just count calories saved with my eating then its always a positive step in the right direction.

Sorry but everywhere online says minimum 1200 calories, 800 is just ridiculous and starving yourself!!

800 calories for a toddler maybe

I’ve just started using Noom, and they recommend eating back half of your calories lost in exercise, just to replenish some energy needs but without accidentally overeating all your calories plus more

I didn’t ’eat them back’ exactly, but I was less fanatical about staying precisely on or below target in days with significant exercise. I lost 2 stone. I’ve lost most of a third without counting any calories at all, just focussed on healthy food when I’m hungry, though I think the calorie counting set my portion expectations. It’s been slow, but that’s fine by me. I’m also massively fitter and stronger, which is way more important to me (and for ongoing health).

The thing with Noom though is that they've got an ulterior motive to slow down your weight loss haven't they?