Here's why I don't eat back my exercise calories.

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  • tifferz_91
    tifferz_91 Posts: 282 Member
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    I personally don't count calories & i rarely excercise.

    However, i personally don't see anything wrong with having a light yet high nutrient liquid or snack afterwards.
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
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    So. Do you eat back your calories that you burn while exercising? Why or why not? I am interested in opinions on this one and how well eating them back or not works for you.

    I do not because I have tried it and gained weight.

    Then your numbers are wrong or you're not logging correctly.

    That's your answer? Without asking anything else? wow

    Barring any medical conditions, yes. That's pretty much it. It's science. Calories in, calories out. That simple.
  • sabified
    sabified Posts: 1,051 Member
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    To answer the question: I try to average my week out to 1200/day. This means eating back exercise cals- but that doesn't mean I eat them on that day. I tend to eat more on weekends so allow for greater deficits on weekdays. If I'm not hungry. My reasoning (unresearched in any way) is that in the end it all evens out.

    To add my two cents into the drama on here... I only went through 3 pages but I think you're all quite snarky. OP, don't like the responses you've been given? Your original post was snarky to begin with. Minimizing the argument that people who advise eating back cals to "becoming dust particles in the wind" is rude. They have scientific reasoning behind their opinions. Where/what are yours?

    Yes, that first person who answered was snarky in her reply but your response was DEFINITELY rude. (I have no issues with the dude with the Clockwork Orange/Joker/Fight Club pic... I thought he answered well.)

    Don't serve what you can't eat.

    If anyone has comments on my reply, msg me. I probably won't be back to this thread :flowerforyou:
  • NYCNika
    NYCNika Posts: 611 Member
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    I NET 1,500 calories a day and always always eat back exercise calories, even if I am not hungry.

    I care about heath and nutrition. And I don't want to go too far on a slippery slope of calorie restriction just to speed up the weight loss. That is why I set parameters that would prevent myself from doing that.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
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    i'm down 80 pounds overall and i don't eat back my calories and i lift and do cardio for 2-3 hours a day, and only eat like 1200 calories.


    Ummm.....maybe it's just on my end but I don't see that you have logged food.

    ETA: I found a few entries but they are random.
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
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    Most of the time I do, and have done since joining this site.
    It did not hinder my getting to 14% bodyfat, that is for sure.
    If I find I do not need to eat them all, then I do not, as I usually end up going over my goal at some stage anyway and it balances out.
    This subject has been done to death and it is beyond me also why you felt the need to have your own topic on something that comes up every day anyway. I generally end up eating 2000-2600 calories gross a day.
  • DanIsACyclingFool
    DanIsACyclingFool Posts: 417 Member
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    You see, what he did? He took 3 pictures and took a slice from each one. It looks really cool, IMO. I'm kind of "meh" about F.C. but live and let live. :glasses:
  • tlab827
    tlab827 Posts: 155 Member
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    Basically - if i'm hungry I do and if i'm not hungry I don't.
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
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    I've noticed that I have better workouts the day *after* I've eaten well, so instead of eating my exercise calories back, I'm trying to average at least some of them out and eat a little more every day.
  • Dechant63
    Dechant63 Posts: 59
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    I'm with you. Basically I don't. But if I'm hungry I with eat something.
  • Isakizza
    Isakizza Posts: 754 Member
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    I eat back my workout calories, but only 50% of them.

    Usually puts me at 1800-2000 calories per day. About the same place my TDEE -20% is. It works for me.
    Eat when hungry, don't when your not.


    21525558.png
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter
  • Katrina_vw91
    Katrina_vw91 Posts: 232 Member
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    It varies from person to person. Some people eat them back, some people don't. Everyone has different opinions. Do whatever you feel comfortable with. It is your body after all, and no one can tell you how to diet other than yourself.
  • JDHINAZ
    JDHINAZ Posts: 641 Member
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    this should be fun
    *grabs some popcorn*

    Scootch over and let me have some of that popcorn. Ok, what'd I miss?
  • SiempreBella
    SiempreBella Posts: 125 Member
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    If you put something on the message boards expect a variety of responses. That is what I have noticed that people dont think about when they post things that are highly talked about. Oh, I eat back my cals and I have been losing weight. Honestly, I do not want to lose weight on a 1200 of food. I usually eat about 2000 cals and have a net of 1200. If I have a day where I do not go for a jog then I eat at my maintenance cals.
    I know that this is a lifestyle change and that if I tried to stick to 1200 cals it wouls not be realistic to me. I would do it for a week or two and then I would go back to my old habits. I want to change my habits. Now all my food is full of veggies and fruits. IT is super colorful.
  • cawoosley
    cawoosley Posts: 1
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    haha! Thanks for the laugh!
  • teaparty75
    teaparty75 Posts: 170
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    I don't eat back mine either. My reasons? MFP grossly overestimates calories burned. As every single thread where someone got an HRM can tell you. There are plenty of times caloric intake is underestimated, even when measuring. Okay this is about a cup. Okay one more bite, still about a cup. And let me lick the spoon. There is plenty of that to make up those few calories burned, even if you are trying not to. Most calories counts are approximate in the first place. Lastly, I'm working to get these calories off, not eat them back immediately. I would be willing to bet most of these people so surprised by not losing weight can fix that just by not eating back everything.

    totally agree BUT that's after a few months of eating them back and losing weight at a snail's pace LOL
  • michelledfoster
    michelledfoster Posts: 22
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1047512-do-you-eat-back-your-exercise-calories?hl=exercise+calories#posts-16081701

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1047325-hard-eating-back-exercise-calories?hl=exercise+calories#posts-16078452

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1046262-food-vs-exercise-calories?hl=exercise+calories#posts-16060311

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1035368-do-i-have-to-eat-all-my-exercise-calories?hl=exercise+calories

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1043598-confused-about-exercise-calories?hl=exercise+calories#posts-16018182

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1043083-how-many-exercise-calories?hl=exercise+calories&page=1#posts-16009990

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1042639-eating-back-exercise-calories?hl=exercise+calories

    Thank you for posting links to other threads where this was explained in pretty good detail. I am new and have a lot of weight to lose, and have "tried everything"---except sticking with the exercise and healthier eating thing. I have had the same question about eating back exercise cals, and have been told (rather forcefully--and by ppl not doing either exercise or healthier eating--ironic) that I need to not count my exercise cals in order to lose better and faster. There is so much chatter in the diet industry about what works and what doesn't and gets overwhelming. And I am also thinking about (was it Taunto that said this? Im not sure--insert credit here to the person that said it)--I know how I want to look and feel when this weight is off, so I have made my decision on this topic. Thanks again for the links--it genuinely helped this "newbie".
    Good luck to all !
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1047512-do-you-eat-back-your-exercise-calories?hl=exercise+calories#posts-16081701

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1047325-hard-eating-back-exercise-calories?hl=exercise+calories#posts-16078452

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1046262-food-vs-exercise-calories?hl=exercise+calories#posts-16060311

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1035368-do-i-have-to-eat-all-my-exercise-calories?hl=exercise+calories

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1043598-confused-about-exercise-calories?hl=exercise+calories#posts-16018182

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1043083-how-many-exercise-calories?hl=exercise+calories&page=1#posts-16009990

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1042639-eating-back-exercise-calories?hl=exercise+calories

    Thank you for posting links to other threads where this was explained in pretty good detail. I am new and have a lot of weight to lose, and have "tried everything"---except sticking with the exercise and healthier eating thing. I have had the same question about eating back exercise cals, and have been told (rather forcefully--and by ppl not doing either exercise or healthier eating--ironic) that I need to not count my exercise cals in order to lose better and faster. There is so much chatter in the diet industry about what works and what doesn't and gets overwhelming. And I am also thinking about (was it Taunto that said this? Im not sure--insert credit here to the person that said it)--I know how I want to look and feel when this weight is off, so I have made my decision on this topic. Thanks again for the links--it genuinely helped this "newbie".
    Good luck to all !

    Glad to help. Good luck to you, I'm sure you'll do great. :flowerforyou:
  • DawnieB1977
    DawnieB1977 Posts: 4,248 Member
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    I don't eat back exercise calories, apart from on very rare occasions, but I did increase the calories than MFP gave me. It suggested I eat 1450 and I upped it to 1650. It's kind of a compromise between the TDEE method and MFP! By TDEE I should eat over 1800 which I can't quite bring myself to do most days. Until less than a year ago I was on 1200 calories a day and it's hard to totally get out of that mindset.
  • jadestephanie1992
    jadestephanie1992 Posts: 2
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    I have a gym membership, so if a class I attend is in the evening after my dinner, no I don't, but I guess you could say I do if I was to do my fitness dvds at lunchtime say because then I have dinner to go really. Make sense? like I said it depends on the time of the said exercises or class.

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