Calculations and estimates are so hard to get accurate that the best advice is to just not eat back any exercise calories.

Don’t waste time playing around with all these math games in your head. If after two weeks the scale hasn’t budged then forget what you think the calories/exercise SHOULD add up to. Because for whatever reason in the real world they DON’T.

The best advice I ever got was to forget about using exercise to lose weight. Just count calories. Unless you have a huge amount of weight to lose, focusing on really being consistent with your diet for 3-4 months won’t hinder your long term exercise goals. But taking that time to make the necessary lifestyle changes to lose the 15-20lbs will jumpstart all future weight/fitness goals.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand what you are asking. If you are eating back your calories then you are not putting yourself in a deficit.

Op here. I should be in a deficit if I eat 2200 calories but exercise enough to knock off 700 calories leaving me with a final daily calorie intake of 1500 calories.

I would not lose weight at 1500 calories per day.

The old advice of "people burn 2000 cal per day and so 1500 cal per day is a great target for weight loss" isn't great for most people. I need to be well below that. I burn far less than 2k cal per day. You probably do as well.

In my experience, which is a lot, you can't ever "eat back" exercise calories and expect to lose weight.

Just eat 1500 calories a day and do whatever.
3500 calories to lose a pound.
If you really burn over 2000 calories a day, on 1500 calories you will lose a pound a week maybe.
Do not eat back calories.

Simple answer-you're eating more than you're burning and your calorie counts (both for exercise and eating) are not accurate.

700 calories for 4.5 miles is REALLY high unless you're very heavy. You're probably also underestimating what you're eating. If you're just eyeballing and guessing on your food calories odds are you're really eating more.

How big are you to begin with that your maintenance calories are 2200?

I doubt you burned 700 calories. Maybe half that? Never trust those calorie counters. But if you're not loosing that means cut more calories.

2 weeks is not long.

Give it a couple months at least.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand what you are asking. If you are eating back your calories then you are not putting yourself in a deficit.

Op here. I should be in a deficit if I eat 2200 calories but exercise enough to knock off 700 calories leaving me with a final daily calorie intake of 1500 calories.

This still doesn't make sense. Your fitness tracker (what kind?) says you are burning 2000 calories a day? And you ate 2200 but exercised for 700 calories?

A LOT of people misdo their calories. I make a homemade bread and a slice should be 150 calories, but it's 250. I know because I weigh it. You have to track everything, even ketchup. If you aren't weighing the food, it's likely wrong.

Also the fitness trackers aren't great. My Fitbit used to overinflated my calories vs my Garmin, it was about 300 calories a day difference.

It’s been 2 weeks. And you’re probably retaining water from inflammation due to the new exercise routine straining your body. Exercising in a heat wave doesn’t burn more calories.

Anonymous wrote:How old are you?

I’m in my 50’s I need to eat 1200 calories to lose weight.

35

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand what you are asking. If you are eating back your calories then you are not putting yourself in a deficit.

Op here. I should be in a deficit if I eat 2200 calories but exercise enough to knock off 700 calories leaving me with a final daily calorie intake of 1500 calories.

Obviously your numbers are off.

How old are you?

I’m in my 50’s I need to eat 1200 calories to lose weight.

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand what you are asking. If you are eating back your calories then you are not putting yourself in a deficit.

Op here. I should be in a deficit if I eat 2200 calories but exercise enough to knock off 700 calories leaving me with a final daily calorie intake of 1500 calories.

I don’t understand what you are asking. If you are eating back your calories then you are not putting yourself in a deficit.

Anyone have experience with this? I’ve been running 4-5 miles a day for 2 weeks and “eating back” my calories but I have not lost weight. I am feeling muscle soreness. For example I ran 4.5 miles yesterday in a heat wave with leg and arm weights and according to my fitness tracker I burned 700 calories doing so. I ate 2200 calories but with the running it should be like 1500 calories. I have stayed at the same weight.