Do you eat back the calories you burn if you are trying to lose weight?

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HotPotato22
HotPotato22 Posts: 91
in Health and Weight Loss
i posted earlier about being on a 1,480 a day calorie diet (my diet is very healthy and nutrient dense). I got mixed responses about eating back the calories. Some days I only burn 200 calories but other days I burn 600. I figured the program was set up to eat back the calories since it added back the calories automatically. What do you all do?

Replies

  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,590 Member
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    I didn't eat back more than maybe 100 cals of it until I reached goal weight. Now I do, but not the amount MFP says because they overestimate! Like 2/3 of it at most.
  • debubbie
    debubbie Posts: 767 Member
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    Are you using MFP to estimate your calorie burns or a heart rate monitor? MFP calorie estimates are grossly exaggerated and most people will eat back a 1/3 to 1/2 of those exercise calories back. MFP should have already calculated your calorie goal and determined that you would lose weight each week at that calorie goal without exercise. Most people exercise to improve their health and to earn additional calories so they can eat a little more when they are feeling hungry. Hope this helps.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    Your daily calorie goal at MFP has you at a deficit before any exercise - meaning you could all your cals every day, do zero exercise, and you'll lose weight. Exercising and burning off more cals leaves you with a much larger deficit, which can lead to problems in the long run. So the burned cals are added back into your goal to bring you back to the original deficit, and you still lose weight.

    However, as gothchiq said, MFP tends to overestimate calorie burn, so if you're using their database and burns for recording exercise, maybe 9only eat 50-75% back and see how it goes. If after a month or so you're not losing, then make adjustments. If you are losing, maybe try eating a little more and see if it continues. If you are using a good HRM or all day tracker, they tend to be a bit more accurate, although are still just estimates, so again, it might take some time to fine tune the numbers.

    My goal is to eat as many calories as I can while still losing weight, so I played with numbers quite a bit until I found the right goal. :smile:
  • BWBTrish
    BWBTrish Posts: 2,817 Member
    edited February 2015
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    i eat 1/4 back of what i burn
    This because when you train your body needs more nutrition's

    btw i feel better when i do too. Dont get tired or hungry or burned out in my training now for 125 days

  • TheSurge0n
    TheSurge0n Posts: 113 Member
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    It depends, if my workout is prior to dinner then I don't & if it's after then i go for 100 cal.
    I only burn 300 cal each day at gym.
  • HotPotato22
    HotPotato22 Posts: 91
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    I set my calories
  • HotPotato22
    HotPotato22 Posts: 91
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    Sorry, I set my calories at 1,480 so I can lose weight a little slower and if I don't exercise then I don't feel like i'm starving. If I work out for a few hours and I don't eat back the calories I feel SOO hungry so I've been eating them all back. I use the workout machines or HRM to track my calories not mfp. I usually undershoot a little as well but it has only been a week at this calorie goal so I don't know if it is working yet or not. This is all so confusing!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    Lucianne22 wrote: »
    I set my calories

    Based on what? Total randomness or what methodology did you use to determine your intake and how did you determine that it was appropriate for you?
  • HotPotato22
    HotPotato22 Posts: 91
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    My concern about not eating them back is binge eating because I have been starving and bingeing for years. When I don't eat enough I set myself up to fail, l have some level of food addiction (yes yes I've talked to therapists about this). Doing 1,480 so far seems to keep me steady so if I don't eat them back won't that be the same as eating 1000-1200 calories (which is what leads to bingeing for me)? I don't want to eat too much and not lose weight though.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    Lucianne22 wrote: »
    My concern about not eating them back is binge eating because I have been starving and bingeing for years. When I don't eat enough I set myself up to fail, l have some level of food addiction (yes yes I've talked to therapists about this). Doing 1,480 so far seems to keep me steady so if I don't eat them back won't that be the same as eating 1000-1200 calories (which is what leads to bingeing for me)? I don't want to eat too much and not lose weight though.

    You eat back exercise calories with MFP because that is that particular methodology...it's how you account for that activity as you do not include it in your activity level when you set your profile. If you're just randomly picking a number, all bets are off...who knows if that number is appropriate, it may or may not be.

    My guess is that you're fine at that intake without eating back exercise calories unless you're doing a *kitten* ton of exercise. But again, only a guess...you're just sort of arbitrarily picking a number out of the sky so it's hard to say.
  • HotPotato22
    HotPotato22 Posts: 91
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Lucianne22 wrote: »
    I set my calories

    Based on what? Total randomness or what methodology did you use to determine your intake and how did you determine that it was appropriate for you?

    Sorry I hit send too soon! I have been using mfp on and off for a few years but never consistently and I've never used used these threads, brand new!
  • debubbie
    debubbie Posts: 767 Member
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    You may want to keep your net calories above 1400 if you are afraid that you will binge if they are too low. MFP will tell you your net calories when you first login after you have entered your food and exercise for they day. Some days I eat all my exercise calories and other days I just eat a 100 or so depending on how hungry I am. Usually it is best to stick with it for 4-6 weeks and analyze how well it is working for you and make adjustments as needed.
  • HotPotato22
    HotPotato22 Posts: 91
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    debubbie wrote: »
    You may want to keep your net calories above 1400 if you are afraid that you will binge if they are too low. MFP will tell you your net calories when you first login after you have entered your food and exercise for they day. Some days I eat all my exercise calories and other days I just eat a 100 or so depending on how hungry I am. Usually it is best to stick with it for 4-6 weeks and analyze how well it is working for you and make adjustments as needed.

    This is really good advice, thanks.

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