Eating back calories burned from exercise?

philibre

I'm ultimately trying to lose about 20-25 lbs (current weight is ~151). I have a calorie budget of about 1200 and have been doing about 40 minutes of cardio a day. Should I be eating back those calories after exercising or avoiding eating them back?

Thanks for any advice!

karenwilding3110

I'll be interested in the answer to this as well , I'm unsure if I should be eating them back or not

Hornsby

Yes, if you are following the MFP structure.

That being said, the calorie burns can be inflated on MFP so most people will start off by eating around 50% of their exercise calories back.

The 1200 # that MFP set you up with already included a calorie deficit so don't think you are "undoing" your workout by eating those calories back. It's how the system is designed and has worked for plenty.

shadowofender

If you're using the numbers from MFP, then yes. MFP is designed to give you a number not counting workouts. If you found your TDEE and use that number, then no.

But with a goal of 1200 (which is pretty low) I'm assuming you just use the goals MFP gave you and you should eat back exercise calories. However, most people and evevn MFP way over-estimate what those numbers are, so most of us eat back only a portion. For example, if MFP says you burned 300 calories in a workout, it's common to eat back only 150-225 to account for margin of error. Make sense?

AskTracyAnnK28

TheFeynmanGuy wrote: »

INVOLUNTARILY.... THE BODY HAS A MIND OF ITS OWN REGARDING FAT LEVELS AND MASS

STOP TRYING TO FIGHT IT, THIS WHOLE SITE IS TOTAL UNSCIENTIFIC FRAUD.

huh?????

Hornsby

tracyannk28 wrote: »

TheFeynmanGuy wrote: »

INVOLUNTARILY.... THE BODY HAS A MIND OF ITS OWN REGARDING FAT LEVELS AND MASS

STOP TRYING TO FIGHT IT, THIS WHOLE SITE IS TOTAL UNSCIENTIFIC FRAUD.

huh?????

Some child created a troll account today apparently. It will be banned soon enough.

snarlingcoyote

A

shadowofender wrote: »

If you're using the numbers from MFP, then yes. MFP is designed to give you a number not counting workouts. If you found your TDEE and use that number, then no.

But with a goal of 1200 (which is pretty low) I'm assuming you just use the goals MFP gave you and you should eat back exercise calories. However, most people and evevn MFP way over-estimate what those numbers are, so most of us eat back only a portion. For example, if MFP says you burned 300 calories in a workout, it's common to eat back only 150-225 to account for margin of error. Make sense?

Where is the nodding emoticon? I agree with this 100%.

I'd also add that if you undereat for your calorie burn, say by half, you will find that you are getting more food, which can be rewarding AND you are losing weight faster, which can also also rewarding so you are motivated to exercise! (Hey, I'm not ashamed that this motivation helps me get my rear out the door when it is wet and cold!)

Indigoblu1

shadowofender wrote: »

If you're using the numbers from MFP, then yes. MFP is designed to give you a number not counting workouts. If you found your TDEE and use that number, then no.

But with a goal of 1200 (which is pretty low) I'm assuming you just use the goals MFP gave you and you should eat back exercise calories. However, most people and evevn MFP way over-estimate what those numbers are, so most of us eat back only a portion. For example, if MFP says you burned 300 calories in a workout, it's common to eat back only 150-225 to account for margin of error. Make sense?

I am just curious - isn't eating back burned calories defeating the purpose of burning the calories in the first place? It just doesn't sound right. If you exercise to burn the calories, then why would you want to replace those calories? It sounds like that's reversing everything you exercised so hard for.

cheshirecatastrophe

Indigoblu1 wrote: »

shadowofender wrote: »

If you're using the numbers from MFP, then yes. MFP is designed to give you a number not counting workouts. If you found your TDEE and use that number, then no.

But with a goal of 1200 (which is pretty low) I'm assuming you just use the goals MFP gave you and you should eat back exercise calories. However, most people and evevn MFP way over-estimate what those numbers are, so most of us eat back only a portion. For example, if MFP says you burned 300 calories in a workout, it's common to eat back only 150-225 to account for margin of error. Make sense?

I am just curious - isn't eating back burned calories defeating the purpose of burning the calories in the first place? It just doesn't sound right. If you exercise to burn the calories, then why would you want to replace those calories? It sounds like that's reversing everything you exercised so hard for.

Some people with lower calorie targets because of age, gender, weight, desired weight loss rate, medical conditions, etc exercise in order to be able to eat a little more.

Some people work out for heart and bone health.

Some people lift weights to get stacked.

Some people work out to run far and fast and get shiny race medals.

Some people come to discover for themselves that working out in and of itself is not a good weight loss plan--the couple hundred calories you might burn in a "normal" (i.e. not athlete-in-training) Zumba class or whatever will basically cover the margin of error in calorie counting from estimation on nutrition labels, sneaking a handful of grapes, etc.

Some people (hi!) have a history of working out specifically to burn calories and have gotten sucked into it as an obsessive/eating disorder-related behavior. Eating back 75-100% of calories as a rule has been a great way for me to keep up exercise (I run and bike) without falling into old patterns.

So many reasons for so many different kinds of people!

Amanda4change

I am just curious - isn't eating back burned calories defeating the purpose of burning the calories in the first place? It just doesn't sound right. If you exercise to burn the calories, then why would you want to replace those calories? It sounds like that's reversing everything you exercised so hard for.

Calorie deficit = weight loss
Exercise= health.

Aside from that your body needs a baseline of calories just to function, for the sake of simplicity I'll use the 1,200 that MFP (this is already at a deficit to lose according to the goal entered into MFP)gives most women. If your consuming 1,200 calories and burning 300 with exercise you getting a daily net of 900, there are very few whose bodies can be healthy at a sustained intake of 900 calories a day. Now as long as you have enough fat stored that your body can burn for fuel (aside from likely being hungry, tired, cranky and a negative impact on stamina and inyestosty of workouts) your unlikely to suffer organ damage and other body breakdowns. However if you have very little fat and spend long term with massive calorie deficit you will see medical issues arise, severe calorie restriction coupled with large amounts of exercise are a form of eating disorder.

cwolfman13

Indigoblu1 wrote: »

shadowofender wrote: »

If you're using the numbers from MFP, then yes. MFP is designed to give you a number not counting workouts. If you found your TDEE and use that number, then no.

But with a goal of 1200 (which is pretty low) I'm assuming you just use the goals MFP gave you and you should eat back exercise calories. However, most people and evevn MFP way over-estimate what those numbers are, so most of us eat back only a portion. For example, if MFP says you burned 300 calories in a workout, it's common to eat back only 150-225 to account for margin of error. Make sense?

I am just curious - isn't eating back burned calories defeating the purpose of burning the calories in the first place? It just doesn't sound right. If you exercise to burn the calories, then why would you want to replace those calories? It sounds like that's reversing everything you exercised so hard for.

Not at all...

Because your calorie goal already includes your weight loss deficit if you were to do NO exercise whatsoever. You don't have to "burn" every calorie you eat off with exercise...you "burn" calories 24/7...your greatest "burn" is you merely existing on this planet.

Let's look at the math...let's say I maintain my weight at around 2400 calories with no exercise whatsoever...just the fact that I exist is "burning" around 1800 or so calories, plus my day to day hum drum. In this scenario, MFP would give me a calorie goal of around 1,900 calories to lose 1 Lb per week (provided that I selected that rate of loss). 2,400 - 1,900 = 500 calorie deficit.

Now let's say I exercise and burn 250 calories everyday and I log it and eat back those calories...so I'm eating 2,150 calories but I still maintain a 500 calorie deficit...because my maintenance number will also increase by those same 250 calories...therefore 2400 + 250 = 2,650 and 2,650 - 2,150 (calories I'm now consuming) = 500 calorie deficit still.

Learning how to properly fuel your activity, including exercise activity is important to being healthy and fit...it's not all about dropping weight as fast as possible. The purpose of exercise isn't to burn calories or lose weight...I've been maintaining for over 1.5 years and if that was the case, why would I keep cycling 100 miles per week? The purpose of exercise is general health and well being...your weight control is largely dependent on your energy consumption.

All that said, you have to be very careful with the MFP method...many if not most people tend to underestimate their consumption and aren't particularly accurate in their logging...and they're equally inaccurate in determining calorie burns and end up thinking they're in an energy deficit when, at the end of they day they have so much error going on that they've wiped everything out.

I would also add that the more vigorous and intense your exercise regimen is, the more important it is to figure out what you need fuel wise to support that activity and to support recovery...I wouldn't be overly worried about eating back exercise calories from a little walking or a zumba class or something...training for a marathon is another story.

Liftng4Lis

Yes, eat back at least a portion of exercise calories.

philibre57

Thanks for all the replies. I think that what was mentioned about calories burnt being overestimated is important to keep in mind. I hadn't considered that before when eating back calories.

honkytonks85

MFP is set up so that you eat your exercise calories back if your activity hasn't already been configured initially (when you set your activity level eg sedentary).

That being said burns estimated by MFP aren't exactly accurate so you should be careful eating all your calories back. If you find you're not losing I'd adjust this component of things first.

Mr_Knight

It largely depends on your fitness level. If it's low, the calorie burn is low and the risk of over-eating it probably outweighs anything benefits.

dblzng0613

Ok my calories for the day are at 1600. I work out everyday and burn around 275-360 calories during the exercise. So am I supposed to eat those calories back?

CM9178

dblzng0613 wrote: »

Ok my calories for the day are at 1600. I work out everyday and burn around 275-360 calories during the exercise. So am I supposed to eat those calories back?

If that 1600 was given to you by MFP then you should eat back at least some of those exercise calories - because keep in mind, that number isn't 100% accurate. Think of it this way, if you're supposed to eat 1600 but then you burn 400 extra with exercise, you've only really netted 1200 calories for the day. So not only are you going to be hungry most likely, but that's probably too low for most people.

If the 1600 is a number you came up with using the TDEE method, which includes your activity level, then no, don't eat them back.

pinkteapot3

I eat back 100% of my exercise cals and find they're very accurate. They're the same as those calculated by my activity tracking apps and, more importantly, heart rate monitor.

Exercise needs to be tracked and logged as accurately as food. I do running and cycling which are recorded with apps, so I know exactly how many minutes I've done and at what speed. For that, MFP is spot on for me.

I wouldn't log lifestyle exercise like "gardening" because there can be huge differences in the amount of effort that two different people put in.

I get irked when I see blanket comments saying that everything in the MFP database is inflated because it's simply not true. For correctly measured exercise it seems pretty reasonable.

I've been logging food and exercise accurately (bordering on OCD!) for 7 weeks and have lost 10lbs, with my MFP goal set to lose 1lb per week. That's eating my daily goal plus all exercise cals. One day a week I cycle to work and go for a 5k run at lunchtime - then I get pizza for dinner.