Should you eat all your exercise calories back

dar9757

I was wondering if you are supposed to eat all your exercise calories back. I don't usually do it, but I have been losing about 2 lbs a week. I try to workout at least 3 times a week, but lately not as much due to my job.

herblackwings39

With MFP's set up you are. Some people worry about the accuracy, but I don't think anything is going to be completely accurate for figuring your burn. I'd suggest eating at least part of them back though.

LorinaLynn

If you're confident your exercise calories are fairly accurate, that your activity level is set appropriately and that your actual calorie counts are accurate... yes.

The only way to know all that for sure is through trial and error. I got the results I wanted eating most of my exercise calories, so all those numbers were close enough to accurate for me.

Personally, I find it easier to just go by an average of how much I burn daily, and go by my TDEE instead. The numbers end up being about the same, but I prefer eating about the same amount every day instead of a huge amount if I do a long run, then a lesser amount on a rest day, then somewhere between on a lifting day, etc.

beckymlong

Bump. I would like to know the same, seems like its been working for you so far not eating then back, I think I won't be eating mine back until I want to maintain my weight, not sure if that's right but seems to make sense to me

shadow2soul

The way MFP is designed works like this:

2500 (calories burned just by living and doing normal daily activity)
-1000 (deficit to give you 2lb per week loss
1500 (calorie goal, with no exercise...again based off wanting to lose 2lb per week and what you burn just by living)
-500 (exercise calories burned)

3000 ( calories burned just by living, doing normal daily activity and exercise)
-1000 (defict to give you 2lb per week loss)
2000 (calorie goal taking into account exercise and wanting to lose 2lbs per week.)

If you aren't sure if your calorie burn is accurate, then eat only 50% back. I eat all my calories and sometimes a little more. I'm losing at an average of 2lbs per week.

edit: You will lose weight if you don't eat them back, but depending on your calorie goal it could potentially be unhealthy for you to do so. It would also take months - years of eating like this for it to have any affect, if it does at all (kind of like how some smokers end up with emphysema and some don't). In other words it's a risk and you have to decide if you want to take it.

melindasuefritz

no

dar9757

Yes it has taken some time to figure out how much I should eat back. I usually eat back some of them. I have eaten back all of them on occasion though and still lost my 2 lbs that week. Thanks for the advice

dar9757

Great advice, thanks!

tessi1993

Hi, if i burn 467 caloriues in excersie, how many should i eat back?