Eating the extra calories?

Amys_Journey
Amys_Journey Posts: 8 Member
edited November 17 in Health and Weight Loss
I workout today, burned 500 calories. Am I suppose to eat that back?

Replies

  • Carillon_Campanello
    Carillon_Campanello Posts: 726 Member
    depends
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10503681/exercise-calories-do-i-eat-these-a-video-explanation
  • inertiastrength
    inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
    The burns mfp gives are very generous. If you're on 1200 cals and you prefer to earn food, I'd eat back no more than 1/3 of what mfp says you burned personally. I saw a guy log 1300 calories burned for shovelling snow for two hours today... anyways, either way your body will keep very accurate track for you!
  • peaceout_aly
    peaceout_aly Posts: 2,018 Member
    They suggest eating back half, not the full amount
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  • fitmom4lifemfp
    fitmom4lifemfp Posts: 1,572 Member
    JerSchmare wrote: »
    Goddammit and the "eat half" people. Fukc that *kitten*. Eat them all. Always.

    Read up on how this site works. You're supposed to eat them all. You earned them, fukcing eat them.

    "You earned them" means nothing. No you are not "supposed to eat them all". It depends on your deficit and how fast you want to lose. Unless you have an eating disorder, there is no reason to eat them ALL if you are not hungry enough to do so.
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  • DietPrada
    DietPrada Posts: 1,171 Member
    JerSchmare wrote: »
    Goddammit and the "eat half" people. Fukc that *kitten*. Eat them all. Always.

    Read up on how this site works. You're supposed to eat them all. You earned them, fukcing eat them.

    I agree with you in principle. However unfortunately many fitness trackers vastly overestimate calorie burn and eating back all of the calories your fitbit reckons you burned (even if it's talking out of it's *kitten*) can often mean people aren't losing any weight and can't work out why.

    I try not to eat back the 300 or 400 extra I earn a day (according to my activity tracker) but I do eat a bit more on the weekend when I've had a big ride or super active day and MFP says I have like 1200 extra. But I'll only eat maybe half that because my activity tracker is a lying traitorous b!tch.
  • Emmey56
    Emmey56 Posts: 18 Member
    This is probably the wrong advice but I use mine if I want a drink. I don't like using my food calories for alcohol so if I work out I use the extra calories to have wine, not all my extra calories but it's a nice way to drink without the guilt of 120 calories per 5 oz of wine!
  • fitmom4lifemfp
    fitmom4lifemfp Posts: 1,572 Member
    JerSchmare wrote: »
    fitmom4lifemfp wrote: »
    JerSchmare wrote: »
    Goddammit and the "eat half" people. Fukc that *kitten*. Eat them all. Always.

    Read up on how this site works. You're supposed to eat them all. You earned them, fukcing eat them.

    "You earned them" means nothing. No you are not "supposed to eat them all". It depends on your deficit and how fast you want to lose. Unless you have an eating disorder, there is no reason to eat them ALL if you are not hungry enough to do so.

    Sorry, but you're wrong.

    NO, I am not. My fitbit GROSSLY overestimates calories, as it does for many others I imagine. It's absurd to think that I need to eat calories that I don't need, especially when I am trying to lose weight due to overeating!
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    It's trial and error. Some people can eat back 100% of their exercise calories and lose as expected, others need to shave some off and eat back 50-75% because their exercise calories are inflated.
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  • chaosbutterfly
    chaosbutterfly Posts: 71 Member
    edited April 2017
    I try not to eat them. If I'm hungry enough, I will eat some but only eat back like 1/3rd to half of them. It doesn't make sense to me to eat them all. If you earn extra money, you're not supposed to just go out and spend it. I treat my exercise calories the same way. It works for me.
  • mangrothian
    mangrothian Posts: 1,351 Member
    fitmom4lifemfp wrote: »
    JerSchmare wrote: »
    fitmom4lifemfp wrote: »
    JerSchmare wrote: »
    Goddammit and the "eat half" people. Fukc that *kitten*. Eat them all. Always.

    Read up on how this site works. You're supposed to eat them all. You earned them, fukcing eat them.

    "You earned them" means nothing. No you are not "supposed to eat them all". It depends on your deficit and how fast you want to lose. Unless you have an eating disorder, there is no reason to eat them ALL if you are not hungry enough to do so.

    Sorry, but you're wrong.

    NO, I am not. My fitbit GROSSLY overestimates calories, as it does for many others I imagine. It's absurd to think that I need to eat calories that I don't need, especially when I am trying to lose weight due to overeating!

    This is about how MFP works, not your Fitbit (remember, they are NOT the same thing). The MFP site is designed for you to input your exercise calories, then eat back said calories to keep to the correct deficit for your own health. If you have 1500 cals a day with a 1000Cal deficit, then perform 500 cals of exercise, then you eat an additional 500 Cals to keep to that 1000Cal deficit. If you don't eat your exercise Cals back, there's a chance you can put your health at risk in the long run.

    If your fitbit overestimates your burn, then it's the fitbit that's giving a false value for you. In that case, you're meant to eat back your true exercise calories (and if that's 300 instead of the 500 that it gives you, it's for you to find out.)
  • inertiastrength
    inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
    @JerSchmare how long have you been at this? Did you eat back all your exercise calories the entire time it took you to lose the weight? How long have you maintained?
  • starryphoenix
    starryphoenix Posts: 381 Member
    A lot of people under estimate their food intake. I think this is the reason a lot of people only eat back half of their exercise calories. It's probably really more than half.
  • fitmom4lifemfp
    fitmom4lifemfp Posts: 1,572 Member
    edited April 2017
    mangrothian wrote: »

    This is about how MFP works, not your Fitbit (remember, they are NOT the same thing). The MFP site is designed for you to input your exercise calories, then eat back said calories to keep to the correct deficit for your own health. If you have 1500 cals a day with a 1000Cal deficit, then perform 500 cals of exercise, then you eat an additional 500 Cals to keep to that 1000Cal deficit. If you don't eat your exercise Cals back, there's a chance you can put your health at risk in the long run.

    If your fitbit overestimates your burn, then it's the fitbit that's giving a false value for you. In that case, you're meant to eat back your true exercise calories (and if that's 300 instead of the 500 that it gives you, it's for you to find out.)

    The post I was responding to stated that "I was wrong". I was responding about why I was not.

    As far as the OP, the question was asking if it's necessary to eat back all of your exercise calories, and the answer is, no it's usually not...for various reasons. But is certainly depends on the individual situation. I think I understand the difference between Fitbit and MFP, thanks. ;)
  • DietPrada
    DietPrada Posts: 1,171 Member
    JerSchmare wrote: »
    EbonyDahlia wrote: »
    JerSchmare wrote: »
    Goddammit and the "eat half" people. Fukc that *kitten*. Eat them all. Always.

    Read up on how this site works. You're supposed to eat them all. You earned them, fukcing eat them.

    I agree with you in principle. However unfortunately many fitness trackers vastly overestimate calorie burn and eating back all of the calories your fitbit reckons you burned (even if it's talking out of it's *kitten*) can often mean people aren't losing any weight and can't work out why.

    I try not to eat back the 300 or 400 extra I earn a day (according to my activity tracker) but I do eat a bit more on the weekend when I've had a big ride or super active day and MFP says I have like 1200 extra. But I'll only eat maybe half that because my activity tracker is a lying traitorous b!tch.

    I don't use activity trackers. Waste of money and time and don't work for lifting anyways. But, if you track results, it doesn't matter. You adjust the intake to match. It's not rocket science. Pretty simple stuff. Most people think it's this magical unicorn and if you only had an activity tracker and willpower, you can do it. Total BS. It just takes discipline and making adjustments as needed. It's really easy. Put in the work, eat to support the work, and you will be rewarded over time.

    Lol, you talk to people like this in RL? Or you just a bully on the internet? Good for you.
  • freshmama06
    freshmama06 Posts: 36 Member
    If I'm hungry, I eat them. Sometimes all and sometimes half. I'm still losing weight and inches so it's what's working for me.
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,486 Member
    I ate mine back when losing. I did drop 50 cals off when I was 5-8 lbs from goal, so I would reach my goal eventually.

    I have also always eaten them while maintaining- 7years.

    It can be different for everyone how much to eat back. I worked out my average burn from my MFP data and used that. It was pretty close to MFP's estimate. (Never used a tracker)

    When asked, I usually tell someone to eat back 50 or 75% for 4-6 weeks and adjust up or down depending on how it is affecting their rate of loss. They should be losing at the rate they set their MFP goal to.

    So yes, eat back your exercise calories.
    Your own data will always be more acurare than an estimate from a tracking device or website.

    Cheers, h.
  • don9992
    don9992 Posts: 49 Member
    JerSchmare wrote: »
    Goddammit and the "eat half" people. Fukc that *kitten*. Eat them all. Always.

    Read up on how this site works. You're supposed to eat them all. You earned them, fukcing eat them.

    And you base that response on what?
This discussion has been closed.

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