Eating back calories

ThatHealthyCaper

Do you or do you not eat back your calories? And why? For the most part, I do not but I've only just returned to MFP after several years away. I don't have a whole lot of weight to lose and as a rule, I tend to eat "mostly" healthy and clean. I can't remember if I did or did not eat back the calories last time I used MFP

WallyAmadeus

I don't. First, I think MFP's calorie estimates on the high end. Secondly, while I reasonably accurate with my food intake tracking, there are always surprises...like that great lunch at a local (not chain) restaurant which seems very healthy, but then turns out to be a calorie tsunami.

ifabulocitygirl

9/10, no. I use a special online calculator to calculate my calories burned b/c I noticed MFP and other trackers overestimate by as much as 300 calories. But I always eat under my target goal if I exercise, then designate a "cheat" day where I eat at my maintenance, since I know I lost the lbs necess. to pull it off.

Unless of course, I overate and had to burn off cal to reach my goal, lol. That's an entirely different story.

ssurvivor

I think the concept of eating back calories lends itself to unhealthy thinking. That type of thinking is a trigger for me. I mean, this is how eating disorders can begin. One minute you're basing your caloric intake on your activity level, the next minute, you're spending countless hours at the gym while contemplating the number of calories in toothpaste.

I basically try maintain a healthy lifestyle and eat whatever my body tells me. I have a standard menu to follow, but if my body needs more fuel, I'll get a protein shake or eat an extra helping at lunch.

Crafty_camper123

It depends on how I feel and what my body is telling me, but overall yes. In fact, I actually need to start working out again in order to eat the way I would like. At 5'3, my calories to just lose .5lbs a week are 1450 a day. That means I have very little wiggle room for extras. I hate having to debate if I can afford crutons on my damn salad or the bun on my hamburger. Working out, and eating those calories back gives me a lot more freedom.

theknitpicker

Yeah, I'm with you there @Crafty_camper123! Being small means very little margin for error on calorie intake, so I do tend to eat back some of my exercise calories for the sole purpose of having a somewhat normal food intake. Since my exercise schedule can be super varied, it doesn't make sense at the moment to have a higher daily goal based on averages and not eat back, and instead having a moving goal based on what's actually happening on a day-to-day basis works for me. It helps me feel more in control.

That being said, when I do finally switch to maintenance, the picture might change! I think its whatever works best for your body, lifestyle, and motivations/psychology to a large part too. But right now in a losing mode, having a goal based on sedentary TDEE and eating back most exercise calories (note: I go really conservative on my estimates, adjust the MFP ones down to account for my size, or use specific metrics from trainers) works best for me.

Crafty_camper123

@theknitpicker Yeah I'm not sure what maintenance is going to look like. I'm trying to increase my NEAT and trying intermittent fasting to see what that does for me. I'm hoping to shift my calories around so that 1400ish doesn't seem so small on days when I'm not working out. My exercise is quite varied as well. I have a busy schedule and have a hard time fitting it in all the time. So, I just stick with a goal to average out at below maintenance for my current weight.

jesspen91

I eat back the calories that my Garmin watch tells me I have burned. They are lower than MFP recommendations and much more accurate.

Evamutt

I'm 5'4' & I always ate back about 85%. I have my activity set at lightly active so only log exercise when I purposefully exercise, like at the gym or home. Don't include walking etc. mfp does put it at a higher rate, like when I go on the treadmill at gym, it may say I burned 100 cal & mfp says 300, so I go with the lower amount

nic_27_grassisgreener

I've done both...
It depends on your personal preference, and if you're losing the amount of weight that you expect.
When I was eating only 1400 calories per day oh yes for sure I ate those exercise calories back! I was hungry! Now, at maintenance, I don't. I'm trying to find the number of calories that already takes into account my exercise levels.

Elfinnyx

I eat back maybe 50%, because I think MFP does overestimate exercise calories. How much I eat back depends on how hungry I am. Once I reach maintenance, I will try to eat according to my TDEE.

saragd012

I do eat back a good deal of my calories, in the past when I didn't I was exhausted all of the time and my gym sessions really suffered. I do allow for negative calorie adjustments from my fitbit to help balance out the calorie burned projections of mfp, but I'm by no means a perfect logger so I work more on weekly averages than daily.