Calorie deficit or not?

pocohontas

Full Member
Yesterday I ate 1200 calories (my recommended intake for weight loss) and did 500 calories worth of exercise. I logged it all on myfitnesspal which told me to eat an extra 500 calories to make up for the excercise, but that seems to me to be defeating the purpose?
 
The 1200 calorie recommended food intake is calculated with the necessary deficit worked in to lose weight at your chosen rate. As you stuck to this and also exercised it will allow you the extra calories so that the net calories for the day are around 1200. This is because my fitness pal works it out daily. My preferred way is to work out what you burn weekly with exercise and then calculate the basic calorie requirements and work out the deficit that way. Then you are allowed the same amount every day which I think is preferable.
 
Hmmm not sure how you understood my post as meaning 'no point exercising', clearly there is either a greater deficit created through exercise or the opportunity to eat a bit more. And there is always a point in exercising.
 
Well exercise has a lot more benefits than just helping your weight loss. Just a few of those being:

- You're creating a healthy and active lifestyle that will continue once you've reached goal and are no longer counting calories to 1200
- It allows you to eat a little more and therefore makes keeping to 1200 calories NET easier
- It means that you can work off the higher calorie meals that you have when you go out or have a special occasion
- Boosts energy levels and helps you sleep better
- It builds muscle and tones changing your body shape
- Strengthens your bones
- Regular exercise makes you less likely to suffer from certain diseases such as heart disease and diabetes
- It improves your overall fitness
- Exercise releases endorphins and improves your mood
- Reduces stress levels
- Lowers your heart rate and blood pressure through improved circulation
- Increases chances of living longer
- improves posture
- Enhances your immune system so less likely to get ill

I could go on, but I think there's enough reasons there!
 
Hi there, its always a good idea to exercise no matter how much you eat. Exercising actually burns very little fat/calories while you do it, the point is that it builds muscle, which will mean that you will burn more fat/calories while you're doing nothing at all. So the more you exercise, the more weight you'll lose while you're just watching tv!

Hope that helps :)

Frankie
 
Well exercise has a lot more benefits than just helping your weight loss. Just a few of those being:

- You're creating a healthy and active lifestyle that will continue once you've reached goal and are no longer counting calories to 1200
- It allows you to eat a little more and therefore makes keeping to 1200 calories NET easier
- It means that you can work off the higher calorie meals that you have when you go out or have a special occasion
- Boosts energy levels and helps you sleep better
- It builds muscle and tones changing your body shape
- Strengthens your bones
- Regular exercise makes you less likely to suffer from certain diseases such as heart disease and diabetes
- It improves your overall fitness
- Exercise releases endorphins and improves your mood
- Reduces stress levels
- Lowers your heart rate and blood pressure through improved circulation
- Increases chances of living longer
- improves posture
- Enhances your immune system so less likely to get ill

I could go on, but I think there's enough reasons there!

Boooommm chiinnggg :D Us on the Calorie counting forum know a thing or two about NET calories (it's all we've seemed to talk about this week hehe) :D Caroline is completely right, you need to keep your NET calories to above 1200 (1500 for guys) otherwise weird things happen to your body (trust me on this one). You might think "Oh but if I eat 1200 and burn off 300 at the gym I'll lose weight quicker" well sorry to be the prophet of doom but you wont. Your body won't have enough calories to function. A couple of months down the line and your hair will start falling out, you'll start becoming ill and other nasties that will permanently damage your body. It's not a maybe, or a ' you could be at risk of' it WILL happen, even if you were as fit as a fiddle with no medical problems beforehand - so don't even think about not eating those extra calories! -mum style lecture over- :D
 
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What happy healthy said lol plus eating that bit more prepares you for 'maintenance' a lot better!! I think that's the crucial thing! If your exercising a lot then you can eat almost 'normally' just without the rubbish! Then when you stop trying to lose you'll be toned AND skinny AND able to eat a nice balanced diet!

Sent from my iPhone using MiniMins
 
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