Which do you use? I'm a daily plate user, and when I put in my excersize ( which I think calories burned seems a little hight ) it tells me to eat those back. Some days, I prob could, most days I can't imagine eating 800 calories after 8pm. On the other hand, I don't want to mess up my metabolism and I have been in a rut with my weight since Dec with losing and gaining the same 4-5 lbs. Please help!

I never eat back exercise calories. TDP does estimate a little high, as well, at least when I compare their estimates to actual numbers from my HRM. I would eat a little extra when I'm exercising hard, add in some protein. During weight loss I would do 100-200ish calories extra on heavy exercise days, now I sometimes go a little higher depending on what I did. Weight training I might do 200, a long run I might go up to 300-400 extra. Depends on how I'm feeling.

I never eat back my calories. For me one of the main purposes of exercise is to create more of a calorie deficit. So eating back calories would be totally counter-productive. I keep my calories eaten totally and completely separate from my calories burned. Any calories burned due to any sort of physical activity, intentional or unintentional is a bonus to me.

I don't see how not eating back calories would mess up your metabolism though.

Now getting to your rut part and the 4 -5 lbs since December. Just how consistent have you been with your plan? Have you had any off days? How accurately are you tracking your calories? And how about the types of foods you're eating? How consistent have you been with exercise? Could it be possible that you have not been as diligent as you think you have?

Are you hungry? If you're genuinely hungry, eat something, but make a good choice. Take your time eating it, at least 20 minutes, and I wouldn't eat more than 300 to 400 calories at a time later in the day.

If you're not hungry, then you're good. Listen to your body, not software on a website.

Georgia

Just rereading your post. 800 calories? It says you are burning 800 calories through intentional exercise? Yeah, I think that's quite a tad on the high side. Unless of course you're running.

Regardless, unless you are indeed a marathon runner, I wouldn't eat back my calories. B - O - N - U - S in the old calorie deficit department.

I do not eat back my calories. I stay under 1500 daily and run 5 days a week +.

Robin, What do you have your activity level set at? The higher your activity level, the more calories the daily plate gives you in a day. For instance, I have mine set at a goal of losing 2 pounds a week, with a lightly active activity level. At 205 this gives me a calorie amount of 1550 that I can eat a day. If I change only the activity level to moderately active, it gives me 1942 that I can eat a day ( THAT SEEMS HIGH TO ME ) It's hard to know what activity level is right for me. Currently I go to the gym 3-4 days a week, and am there about 60-70 min.

The whole thing about messing with my metabolism, i've just read that if you don't eat those calories back, you could put your body in starvation mode.

Now, as for my rut, I have been diligent about working out, but, yes, I have had off days, and days where I'm guessamating my daily calories. I"m done with that. It's obvious to me I need to track everthing I put in my mouth. I'm so close to onederland I can taste it. That may sound weird, but I can really taste it! As for what I'm eating, I'll post my plate yesterday and so far today. I'd love for you, or anyone who has time to critique my meals.

Monday:
morning: 3 cups coffee, ceral with soymilk = 490 calories
afternoon: Almonds, Salad = 666 calories ( could be a little less, I had no meat in my salad and my salad is set up with meat in it )
preworkout snack: kashi bar = 120 calories
supper: 2 hard boiled eggs, asian pear = 256
*did excersize and TDP said I burned 599 calories*

Total calories: 1532

Tuesday:

morning: 3 cups of coffee and a brat-no bun ( not my usual breakfest ) 550 calories

afternoon: salad and asian pear = 622 calories ( salad had no meat again, so I'm sure calories a little less )

total so far: 1172.00

plan to work out, maybe have a kashi bar before working out to hold me over and then a bowl of cereal for supper = 370 calories

roughly 1542 calories for Tues.

So, I guess I'm asking, if I'm working out, should I set my activity level higher? Or does it seem like keeping it within this range of calories is alright?

sorry, I should of been more clear on that. It says I've burned roughly 600 calories, 800 something would be with what was left over...allowing me for supper. ( I eat after I workout )

Which is why I keep my calories burned SEPARATE from my calories CONSUMED. Separate. Separate. Separate. I don't have ANYthing listed for my activity level. I don't track that. I track my calories. Period.

Let me ask you, why are you exercising? Yes, to get toned and muscles and to work your biggest muscle - your heart. And to feel good, and a slew of other great benefits - bone strength, lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, etc. But really one of the BIG factors is so that we can create more of a calorie deficit. There's only so low we can go on our calories eaten. If we want to lose weight (& keep it off), we've got to burn some of them and we do that with exercise. I urge you to ignore those "calories burned thingamijigs". They are not accurate. Not even a little bit. Track your calories consumed. Exercise can NOT negate the food that you've consumed. You've eaten them. You've gotten their nutrients, minerals & vitamins. There yours. Exercise CAN'T take them away. Remember - more of a calorie deficit. Again, unless you're running marathons daily - don't worry about eating back your calories and/or starvation mode. That is of course my opinion.

And as far as bouncing around those 4 -5 lbs. Wellllll, if you want steady, consistent weight loss, not up and down up and down, well then, I'm afraid you're going to have to be steady and consistent with your food intake. It can't really be any other way. But it sounds like you're ready to kick it up a notch and delve into ONEderland. Yay!!!!

I would love to critique your menu, but I am a bit pressed for time now, but off the bat - this plan wouldn't work *for me*, which means nothing, absolutely nothing for *you*. Because of course, we're all different. But it seems to be waaaay top heavy on the calories for breakfast and lunch. But apparently (???) you like it this way??????? *I* personally like to eat way more frequently. I spread my calories out through out the day. And I make sure to make those calories really, really count. Fiber and protein and lots of volume.

I wouldnt eat 800cal that would be defeating the purpose of burning the calories to loose weight. You are suppose to eat a snack after excerising. I would suggest a protein bar or fruit and nuts. To replenish you. Protein is really important to keep your body strong and healthy.

I don't "eat back" exercise calories normally, that's just part of how we establish the calorie deficit we need for weight loss. The only caveat to that is for people that are performing at a high athletic level. If you are training for a marathon, doing all day backpacking hikes, or other sustained efforts, then you need to fuel appropriately for that level of activity. But that is a special case.

It is very easy to underestimate calorie intake and OVER estimate calorie burn. When I hit a plateau, these strategies have helped me:
- Make sure I'm drinking enough water
- Increase protein intake percentage (reducing carbs to compensate to keep calories the same)
- up the calorie burn by increasing exercise duration or intensity.
- Double check food diary accuracy -- especially, make sure I'm measuring properly. It's very easy for calorie intake to increase because of lax or inaccurate measurements.

The calories in vs. calories out equation has never failed me. Every time I hit a plateau (or in maintenance, started to re-gain), it is because I was either eating more calories or burning less over time.

The sad fact is that as you get smaller, your body needs less to function, so your baseline calorie burn decreases. The best way to counteract that, IMO, is to build muscle, and keep increasing your activity intensity. That tends to naturally occur anyway, if you are training consistently.

By the way, as a benchmark (as measured by sensewear, not through a calculator): my 12 mile long run burns around 1050 calories. A 5 miler burns around 425. A 3.5 hour 10.5 mile kayak excursion burned 800 calories (about 75/mile). Now I'm pretty small, and burn less than most people at doing anything, but still ... it's HARD to burn 800 calories!! My daily 5 mile run would get eaten back (and more) with a granola bar and a gatorade. A large bagel with cream cheese and a frappaccino would pretty much negate my 12 mile run. SO easy to eat it all back and more .....

I do eat back my calories. I have my profile set on 2lbs lost per week and at the low activity. I add in my exercise and make sure to add it back. However my daily activity is not low. I have 4 kids I homeschool all day and do chores all day. This works for me. I have averaged 2 lbs a week since I started using daily plate 8 weeks ago. Before that I used Fitday and stalled for 6 weeks. I was not taking in enough.

Now I take in 1400 calories or so and whatever I exercise but I only count my "organized" exercise. Thing that I set out to do as exercise each day.

Hey there Born to Fly. We haven't heard from you. I was wondering how you've been doing and what you thought about not eating back your calories. You also wanted some insight into your daily menu. Have you tweaked anything? Shifted around a bit? Or no?

Thanks for checking back Robin! I've done really well this week with tracking my food and excersizing. I sure wish we had an extra 4 hours a day. I hadn't really been eating back calories before, and when I hit my stall, I was wondering if maybe I wasn't eating enough and that was the cause. But there were days that I would eat a few hundred of the calories back after logging my excersize. I am gonna continue to not eat back my calories, and hopefully make some food choices that will allow me to eat more food for my calorie budget. For instance, the rest of the week looked like this:

Wed:
breakfest:
Coffee and cereal: 490

snack:
peanut butter: 90
String cheese : 90

Lunch:
Healthy Choice Pumpkin sqaush ravioli 300

supper
fage total with bear naked granola: 500

snack
asian pear 116

total calories: 1576

Thurs:
breakfest
Cereal and coffee 490

lunch
huge salad est cals 633

supper
cereal 250

snack
dreyers lemonade bar 80

Total calories: 1453


Today so far
2 hard boiled eggs and coffee 380


* I sure wish I could kick this coffee habit* I'd be able to eat more then lol

I'm so glad to hear you're doing well!!

I've gotta ask you though - where are your veggies girl?!?!? I'm assuming they're right alongside your protein - somewhere hidden. Cause' I can't see much of either of them. Go find them. Okay? Please. You need them.

I'm seeing a ton of carbs for breakfast and supper and what not.

Anyway can we maybe cut back on that breakfast? What kind of cereal are you eating? A high fiber/high protein one? How about a nice salad with the ravioli? Supper should also have some kind of protein and veggies with it. Chicken. Turkey. Fish. Veggies. Veggies. Veggies. Cereal? Did Thursday's lunch have protein alongside that salad?

And since you put it out there? What's in the coffee? Are you drinking any water as well?

And also very important - are you satisfied? Are you full? Are you ever hungry?

I really, really think adding lots more fiber (veggies) and protein will greatly enhance your menu? Whatcha think?