Do you eat back the calories earned from exercise?

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Replies

  • armdog07
    armdog07 Posts: 1
    if you are trying to maintain your weight you can can but if you are losing weight you need to sustain the diet calorie plan you are on.
  • kitka82
    kitka82 Posts: 350 Member
    Depends on how hungry I am...if I'm ravenous, then every single one, but if not, I'm not hugely worried about it as I don't think they're particularly accurate in all situations. I figure that if I'm hungry, I've definitely burned that much, but if I'm not, I probably haven't. Over time, it seems to even itself out and work fairly well for me that way.

    ^^This. If I'm hungry, I eat them back. If I'm not hungry, I tend not to. I'm usually hungry though LOL.
  • kitka82
    kitka82 Posts: 350 Member
    Yes, but it's working for me so I'm fine with it. I exercise partly so I can enjoy a little more good food.

    Last weekend, according to my HRM, I burned up 828 calories in a sprint triathlon. The last part (a 5K) I started thinking about what I'd eat for breakfast and remembered a can of vegetarian chili sitting in a closet at home. I loaded it with pasta and thoroughly enjoyed it. Then I took a nap. Wish I could do the same next weekend.

    That sounds like an amazing breakfast. The nap sounds even better! I wish I could do that EVERY weekend.
  • SlimJanette
    SlimJanette Posts: 597 Member
    I want to but I have a hard time determining how many calories I REALLY burn during exercise.

    You can do the machines in the gym and those are accurate ...otherwise the gym wouldn't be so expensive probably lol

    The machines at the gym are not accurate. They are off between 20-30%. The best way is to get a Heart rate monitor and track it that way.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    if you are trying to maintain your weight you can can but if you are losing weight you need to sustain the diet calorie plan you are on.

    It has been explained a few times in this post already that MFP's plan allows you to eat them back and still lose weight. In fact, it expects you to.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I can't believe there are so many people who actually think the MFP calorie goal is their maintenance level of calories. Really...does 1200 calories even sound remotely like a reasonable maintenance level of calories for the average person? Also can't believe how many people pick up a tool without knowing how to use it. Using the NEAT method and not eating back exercise calories is like using a sledge hammer to drive a screw. Learn how a tool works...then use said tool properly.

    I always at back about 70% of mine...or drank them back as it were...35-40 Lbs later, I'd say it works if you understand what you're doing and using the tool properly.
  • BrittanyAnnL
    BrittanyAnnL Posts: 140
    I do sometimes. I have stopped paying so much attention to the numbers and what I am eating back though. If I feel hungry still after meeting my goal then sure, I go ahead and eat something and sometimes that eats into my burned calories. I do know that when I first started my journey I didnt eat back my calories and I was always hungry. I upped my calorie intake and started eating some of them back when I feel the need to.

    I dont think that you should eat just because you can... like say, "oh look, I am not really that hungry but I still have 500 calories left so I think I will have some ice cream" lol if you get what I mean. :)

    I have had great results at 35 total lbs lost, 25 of which with MFP. :)
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
    if you are trying to maintain your weight you can can but if you are losing weight you need to sustain the diet calorie plan you are on.

    If your using the MFP approach to weight loss then your deficit is already figured in and any calories burned through exercise should be consumed to fuel your body and your workouts... I use this approach and have lost a few pounds.... Best of Luck OP.... :drinker:
  • rachelklewis3
    rachelklewis3 Posts: 69 Member
    Most of the time, yes. But I do not force myself to eat them back if I am not hungry.... and sometimes I drink them back with a glass of wine ;)
  • RCottonRPh
    RCottonRPh Posts: 148
    Some, but not many. I already eat above my BMR and I'm trying for a 700-800 calorie daily deficit...so I have to burn an awful lot of calories in a day to be able to eat some back.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Some, but not many. I already eat above my BMR and I'm trying for a 700-800 calorie daily deficit...so I have to burn an awful lot of calories in a day to be able to eat some back.

    Your net calorie goal already has that deficit built in if you've properly set it up...you don't need to burn anything with exercise using MFP...the deficit...100% of the deficit you need to lose weight is built into your calorie goal already. MFP is a NEAT method calculator...as such, exercise is should NOT be included in your activity level..as such it becomes extra activity that needs to be fueled...thus NETTING to your calorie GOAL to lose weight.

    Once again, MFP calorie goals aren't maintenance...they are a HUGE deficit from maintenance already built in.
  • cookiealbright
    cookiealbright Posts: 605 Member
    Sometimes & sometimes I drink them back. :flowerforyou:
  • supermodelchic
    supermodelchic Posts: 550 Member
    No I do not..
  • RCottonRPh
    RCottonRPh Posts: 148
    I actually set a separate goal from what MFP set for me. I eat slightly above my BMR and wear a fitbit all day. So...I try to eat 700-800 calories less than what the FitBit tells me I've burned. I don't like calorie burn estimations...I'd rather have a more accurate reading from my fitbit. If I were eating what MFP told me, I'd be starving!
  • Isakizza
    Isakizza Posts: 754 Member
    Yes, about 50-75% of them.


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    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter
  • janicelo1971
    janicelo1971 Posts: 823 Member
    I try not to...however I have enough fat stored up to live off of for a long time:)
  • kylamaries
    kylamaries Posts: 291
    Nope! Logically, it doesn't make sense to me to exercise just to make room for more food. I've lose about 5 pounds so far (which is about a third of what I want to lose) so the deficit seems to be working for my body type. If I do happen to eat them back, I try not to eat more than 50% of them back since I'm afraid MFP overestimates calories burned (and I don't have access to a gym or HRM).
  • Stargrace2
    Stargrace2 Posts: 48 Member
    I actually set a separate goal from what MFP set for me. I eat slightly above my BMR and wear a fitbit all day. So...I try to eat 700-800 calories less than what the FitBit tells me I've burned. I don't like calorie burn estimations...I'd rather have a more accurate reading from my fitbit. If I were eating what MFP told me, I'd be starving!

    I use my fitbit too, I go 500 under whatever fitbit has told me I've burned (and log any exercises there that fitbit may not recognize very well). Then I sync it here and log my food here through the day. MFP overestimated how 'lightly active' I was since I work from home, I prefer working with numbers that are at least a bit more accurate.
  • Bernadette60614
    Bernadette60614 Posts: 707 Member
    It depends.

    I think when I eat more than I should I'm tempted to record exercise calories on the high end (a brisk walk instead of a leisurerly one.e.g.).

    So, what has worked for me is to underestimate my exercise calories burned.
  • arcticfox04
    arcticfox04 Posts: 1,011 Member
    yes
  • JenM76
    JenM76 Posts: 38 Member
    No way. You aren't supposed to do that. In order to loose, you have to burn more calories than you take in. If you burn X amount of calories then take back in X amount, you are back to square one.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    No way. You aren't supposed to do that. In order to loose, you have to burn more calories than you take in. If you burn X amount of calories then take back in X amount, you are back to square one.

    You haven't read the replies in this thread, have you?
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    No way. You aren't supposed to do that. In order to loose, you have to burn more calories than you take in. If you burn X amount of calories then take back in X amount, you are back to square one.

    You don't understand how this tool of MFP works, do you?

    Learn to use your tools properly, before you get hurt with them.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    I don't' eat exercise calories but I have it figured into my TDEE. So I eat a standard 2500 calories daily. Below is a good thread about this. Essentially, eat too little you will lose more muscle. More muscle lost, the longer it will take you to get lean and fit. I look to optimize fat loss and minimize muscle loss because I rather only need to lose 20 lbs than 30 lbs because I lost muscle.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/729141-exercise-calories-to-eat-or-not-to-eat-results?hl=exercise+calories+psulemon&page=1#posts-10742097
  • starlaca
    starlaca Posts: 779 Member
    I want to but I have a hard time determining how many calories I REALLY burn during exercise.

    I got a heart rate monitor watch (wireless) and it's awesome thus far. It monitors my heart rate, uses my height, weight and age and calculates my calories burned during a workout. I use a simple smarthealth HRM (heart rate monitor) watch that I bought from the pharmacy at CVS. I'm sure there's better ones but I didn't want to spend too much.

    Thanks! Maybe I'll look into getting one. MFP says I burn around 400 calories a day during exercise, which I know is not accurate. This week I started eating an extra 100 calories a day to see if that helps the scale go down. We shall see. :happy:
  • Nimadi486
    Nimadi486 Posts: 93 Member
    Yup. I do. Because they are delicious.
  • hilaryhill
    hilaryhill Posts: 156 Member
    I do, to be honest my main motivation to workout is so that I can eat more, lol.

    LOL me too.
  • quicklabs
    quicklabs Posts: 254 Member
    I'm starting to do that, since I bought a HRM. I trust the numbers that I see there.
    I want to but I have a hard time determining how many calories I REALLY burn during exercise.
  • thesophierose
    thesophierose Posts: 754 Member
    No. But I should.
  • cosmicjenn
    cosmicjenn Posts: 32 Member
    Depends on what you have had and what you plan to consume. If a lb a week is something you're shooting for than you need a 500/day deficit. They only way to truly know what you are burning is to use some kind of monitor. I use the BodyBugg and I have lost almost 10 lbs. I advise to get it asap!

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