Psychology of "eating back calories"

yarwell

I understand the math(s) and that MFP set a deficit without exercise and expect you to log exercise and eat the equivalent number of calories.

I'm intrigued - Does this work for you in terms of motivation?

Do you feel like a rodent in an exercise wheel trying to earn food ?

Do you punish yourself for overeating by racking up some exercise calories to neutralise it ?

Do you resent having your exercise efforts wiped out by "eating back" ?

Are you driven to regular exercise to accommodate your overeating ?

Or is the extra food a reward for something you enjoy doing anyway ?

freemystery

I can't face the idea of going to a birthday party and staying on the sidelines munching celery or never having a ben & jerrys feast. I guess it's healthier for me to see it as YES you can have these things but either gain or exercise. There's no middle way or quick fix.

It's like a see saw in my mind that I just do what I can to keep in balance in order to shift those pounds but stay healthy, motivated and satiated.

Rosannajo88

I just can't eat back my exercise calories, it feels wrong and like Im undoing any hard work. But then I do have a tendency to obsess over numbers....

javajunco

I wouldn't say it motivates me, but it helps me keep track of my exercise and eating, which helps me feel more like I have control. Having more control is motivating, for me.

257_Lag

Do you feel like a rodent in an exercise wheel trying to earn food ? yes (and I don't mind it)

Do you punish yourself for overeating by racking up some exercise calories to neutralise it ? In reverse, I exercise in advance if I want more food, never to "catch ip" from eating too much already

Do you resent having your exercise efforts wiped out by "eating back" ? Nope, I understand how it works and it DOES work for me

Are you driven to regular exercise to accommodate your overeating ? No, not on a regular basis, see #2

Or is the extra food a reward for something you enjoy doing anyway ? No, I hate exercise

amy1612

I tend to go for a TDEE sometimes +/-, so I never really feel like Im 'eating them back' but more eating to fuel my workouts. Im a little different to some in that I'm not eating necessarily to lose weight, but to support my exercise now that Im happy with my body. Any fat loss is a bonus.

mazdauk

I don't agree eating back "wipes out" exercise. Too big a deficit can be as bad as eating too much, in terms of wellbeing, energy levels etc.

I specifically don't go down the TDEE-20% because I know I'd slip back into bad habits if I didn't have to work to "earn" the extra calories. Maybe others are more disciplined, but over-indulgence + lack of exercsie are the reasons I'm on here in the first place :blushing: I might do 2 hours of exercsie in a day, but if you discount the walking to and from work, I knw without "needing" those calories I'd loaf in bed a bit longer, I wouldn't make the effort to walk at lunchtime and I'd maybe only do 20 mins low impact in the eveining rather than up to an hour of Zumba or energetic aerobics.

And I know that if I'm really hungry and want something I can go for a walk to earn my extra treat, or make sure I do extra exercise the next day (because I also keep an eye on my weekly consumption, so do extra to "earn" enough for weekend roasts etc.).

I may be more than 2 stone down, but I know Mrs Fatandlazy is lurking waiting to take me over....:bigsmile:

CyberEd312

Well to me that is a very different way to view it but to each there own. I exercise because 4 years ago I couldn't, 4 years ago I was a prisoner trap in my own home at 560 lbs. I couldn't stand for 30 seconds at a stretch let alone walk from room to room.... Exercise has less to do about over eating as you say it and more to do about allotting me the freedoms I once took for granted. I changed my relationship with food to allow me to lose the weight and I exercise for the sheer joy of being able too.... The relationship between the food and exercise is strictly a mutual one, I eat my exercise calories to fuel my body for the physical demands I am asking of it to do..... Crazy concept but this is my approach.......... Best of Luck..........

asdelmonte

I excercise because I love being active. Running and cycling gives me time to myself and helps me clear my mind. I do my best thinking while out running. I also love kayaking with the kids, hubby, and friends. I do crossfit a couple of times a week because I love challenging myself and i know it will keep me strong and functioning as I get older. As I watch my parents age, I know I want to be independent for as long as possible. I want to carry my own groceries, get up on a step ladder to change a light bulb, etc. for as long as possible. For me, it's always been about taking care of the only body I will ever have. Replacement parts are hard to come by.

asdelmonte

Well to me that is a very different way to view it but to each there own. I exercise because 4 years ago I couldn't, 4 years ago I was a prisoner trap in my own home at 560 lbs. I couldn't stand for 30 seconds at a stretch let alone walk from room to room.... Exercise has less to do about over eating as you say it and more to do about allotting me the freedoms I once took for granted. I changed my relationship with food to allow me to lose the weight and I exercise for the sheer joy of being able too.... The relationship between the food and exercise is strictly a mutual one, I eat my exercise calories to fuel my body for the physical demands I am asking of it to do..... Crazy concept but this is my approach.......... Best of Luck..........

You are amazing! Congratulations on taking back your life!

alisonlynn1976

For me, exercising a lot is the thing that makes it possible for me to eat at a deficit and lose weight without feeling hungry or deprived. I know part of the party line here is that weight loss is completely or mostly about the food component, but not for me. I feel that I owe most of my progress to exercise.

TheVimFuego

I've never logged exercise ... it helps simplify matters

trisH_7183

I can't face the idea of going to a birthday party and staying on the sidelines munching celery or never having a ben & jerrys feast. I guess it's healthier for me to see it as YES you can have these things but either gain or exercise. There's no middle way or quick fix.

It's like a see saw in my mind that I just do what I can to keep in balance in order to shift those pounds but stay healthy, motivated and satiated.

For Sure :bigsmile:

5ftnFun

Well to me that is a very different way to view it but to each there own. I exercise because 4 years ago I couldn't, 4 years ago I was a prisoner trap in my own home at 560 lbs. I couldn't stand for 30 seconds at a stretch let alone walk from room to room.... Exercise has less to do about over eating as you say it and more to do about allotting me the freedoms I once took for granted. I changed my relationship with food to allow me to lose the weight and I exercise for the sheer joy of being able too.... The relationship between the food and exercise is strictly a mutual one, I eat my exercise calories to fuel my body for the physical demands I am asking of it to do..... Crazy concept but this is my approach.......... Best of Luck..........

This is a great approach. Being able to walk, carry groceries, take care of my home, bike ride, hike, etc are things I'd like to do for the rest of my life, so I think of exercise & activity the same way. Congrats on your fabulous success.

clockworkgeisha

I'm not a big exercise fan (being essentially very lazy) so I see my exercise calories as a reward for all my hard work!

puckit61

I go back and forth about this. I hate eating back calories because it's a mental battle all day long to pick the correct foods to stay below my 1300 calorie limit while still finding items that will keep me full for the long periods of time as it is. If I were to eat back whatever I worked off, I have to find more stuff to eat and I feel like the hard work I put in to staying below my limit is put to waste. I do like my like my 4 mile walks at the end of the day but sometimes I wonder, since I'm just trying to lose weight should I just stay below my calorie limit in order to lose my 2 lbs. a week or try to find the proper calorie balance after I burn them off and hope I lose the weight by my next weigh in. (Just how accurate is endomondo?)

I'm pretty sure I rambled about irrelevant information... I apologize.

Helloitsdan

I've never logged exercise ... it helps simplify matters

TDEE +/- is a simpler route for me TBH.
I can prelog food and I always know what acceptable, so long as i work out X amount of times a week.

tumbledownhouse

In a weird way I think just having those extra cals to eat makes me feel fuller whether I eat them or not... Let's get Freud on the case!

Francl27

I switched to TDEE-20% too. Just so much easier.

endoftheside

It has been wonderfully freeing for me. If I sit on my butt, I can eat X calories and it's OK. If I am more active, I can eat Y additional calories. If I am hungry and don't have the calories, I can do exercise and it still comes out as a net benefit since I am usually happy just eating back half my exercise calories. I don't eat over in advance of having worked out because that seems a dangerous game to me.

MyChocolateDiet

I never thought of it in those terms.

I just eat more on the days I do more, which works out because I seem to be hungrier those days, if not the day after.

Nikki_XC

If I eat back my calories, I gain the weight. So forget it, I just try to eat in moderation. I burn a lot of calories on my mountain bike rides, so I'd rather try to not to focus on "burn to earn."

Izzwoz

Do you feel like a rodent in an exercise wheel trying to earn food ? - No. I exercise to get fit and healthy, not to earn food.

Do you punish yourself for overeating by racking up some exercise calories to neutralise it ? - No. I make a decision on whether I can "handle" not being in a deficit for that day or want to plan ahead and exercise. Neither of which is a punishment.

Do you resent having your exercise efforts wiped out by "eating back" ? - As above, exercise is not about losing weight, it's about losing fat AND becoming fit and healthy. So no effort is wiped out, in fact, it is supported by exercise.

Are you driven to regular exercise to accommodate your overeating ? - I don't overeat anymore.

Or is the extra food a reward for something you enjoy doing anyway ? - No. Extra food is to fuel the body to sustain the exercise. Not my fault if it is tasty food :-)

3dogsrunning

I like the set up. To me, eating the extra calories is fueling my workouts. I also like that I eat less on days I am less active. If I have a bad week and miss a whole bunch of workouts, I am not eating extra like I would if I was doing the TDEE method.
I have no resentment towards it. I don't workout to eat.

carolyn0613

I really like earning those extra calories. I tried TDEE-% but when I didn't get that bonus set of calories to eat, it was too hard. I like to eat....

CherylP67

Eating back exercise calories was a big aha moment for me. The thought had never occurred to me until I started this journey 7.5 weeks ago. I was reading these boards voraciously, learning all I could about BMR, TDEE.

I am having much more success this time around. I eat sedentary TDEE-20%, and I eat my exercise calories back if I'm hungry. I don't eat them because they're there, I use them if I need them. This has made a huge difference to me, this is my lifestyle, and it's doable for me. Previously when I was restricting myself to 1200 a day no matter what, or 24 points a day on WW, I was miserable, tired, hungry all the time and obsessed. I really didn't have the energy to workout.

This eating back the exercise calories idea felt like the clouds opening up and the angels singing. I feel like it was one of the keys to success I had been missing all along. Your body is a machine, food is the fuel. If you fill up your gas tank and drive 120 miles, you'll have gas left over. If you drive 240 miles, you're going to have to fill up the tank before you can get anywhere else. Fuel in, energy out and the further you go, you'll need to refuel.

Putting guilt and emotion on eating calories back makes it emotional, not basic survival.

bsuew

I just can't eat back my exercise calories, it feels wrong and like Im undoing any hard work. But then I do have a tendency to obsess over numbers....

This is so me! I just feel like, why am I even exercising if I'm eating them back?

Turnaround2012

Really Good Post. It really made me think.
I really like to exercise now, but it took me about 2 months of being committed to a healthier lifestyle to really get "into it".
The reason was that I was brainwashed into thinking that one should eat 1300-1400 calories if you wanted to lose weight and then work out all the time. Because of that flawed philosophy, my workouts were misery, and I would lose energy 15 minutes in.

Now, taking the time to really understand TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) etc. I am actually losing lbs and inches by eating on the average of 1800-2200 calories per day depending on my exercise. I am not losing as fast as I used to when I went on the "crash" diets, but I don't give a rip. I have energy all day long and my workouts are getting increasingly more varied, strenuous, and fun. (I have just started doing Squats and Deadlifts and I am digging it!)

I do play some "head games" regarding when to enter exercise or not

If I work out early in the AM (getting up before 6:00 AM) then I reward myself by logging my exercise calories in the morning. It is a good feeling know that you have started out the day doing something really positive.

Most of the time I track my exercise on the phone and enter it at the end of the day. That Way I eat to my normal calorie goal in my mind the whole day. I adjust with Nuts or natural peanut butter if I need to up my calories. I usually eat back 50% of my calories.

This is a lifestyle change not a quick fix and it is really starting to get fun!

rezn8

C'mon,
Does anyone understand that if you want to be physically fit you need to eat to support your workouts? If you maintain a calorie deficit you WILL lose weight initially. BUT, you will eventually start burning muscle mass and you don't want to do that. You must keep your metabolism revved up by doing a combination of things. Losing weight is only part of the game. If you build lean muscle mass it will be much easier to maintain a healthy weight and fit body.

patentguru

Not psychology. Simple math. On high cardio days, I need more fuel so I eat more. On low cardio days, I need less fuel so I eat less. When I want to cut, I eat less on both high cardio and low cardio days.

LorinaLynn

When I first joined, it motivated me. I was a fairly sedentary person who wanted to be able to run a 5k, and every bit of motivation helped me achieve that goal. It also made me realize I could eat a pretty damn good amount of food and still lose weight.

The other time I tried to lose weight counting calories, I ate under 1000 calories and that wasn't a pleasant experience. And progress was so slow that I was convinced something was wrong with me and I was doomed to always be just a little bit overweight. So being able to eat a total of 1600-2000 and still lose felt abso-frickin-lutely incredible. :drinker:

Once I got a better understanding of nutrition and fitness, I stopped thinking about it in terms of "eating back" and just thought of it as "eating." I don't need the extra motivation to exercise... how I feel and how I look is motivation itself. I know I'm going to keep exercising the way I do, so I have to eat to fuel that. I've been eating based on my TDEE instead for about a year now and greatly prefer that.