Calories - Do you eat back your burned exercise calories?
deniseg31
Posts: 667 Member
I know this has been debated before but I can't remember what people said since I've been M.I.A. from MFP for way too long. Trying to get back on the wagon and trying to restart on the right foot. Thank you.
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Replies
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are you using MFP calorie calculator? if yes, then you should eat back at least a portion of exercise calories3
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IIRC, My Fitness Pal uses an algorithm that does not take activities beyond your initial setting "sedentary, light ect." into account. There's probably a much better explanation in the sticky section. So it gives you back the exercise calories expecting you to eat them and still have yourself at a deficit where you will lose weight. I ate back my exercise calories for years, and saw results.
I recently switched to a TDEE calculation, and now I do NOT eat back those calories because those calories are factored in to the original number. Two different ways to crack a nut, you still get the nut.2 -
deannalfisher wrote: »are you using MFP calorie calculator? if yes, then you should eat back at least a portion of exercise calories
Yes. I am using the MFP calorie calculator. Thank you.
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Pocket__Cthulhu wrote: »IIRC, My Fitness Pal uses an algorithm that does not take activities beyond your initial setting "sedentary, light ect." into account. There's probably a much better explanation in the sticky section. So it gives you back the exercise calories expecting you to eat them and still have yourself at a deficit where you will lose weight. I ate back my exercise calories for years, and saw results.
I recently switched to a TDEE calculation, and now I do NOT eat back those calories because those calories are factored in to the original number. Two different ways to crack a nut, you still get the nut.
Thank you so much for your reply. I am going to see how it goes for the next couple of weeks. I won't purposely eat back my calories burned but I will do my best not to try to go over either. I have yet to figure out the TDEE but will be doing my research on that. Thanks so much!0 -
Pocket__Cthulhu wrote: »IIRC, My Fitness Pal uses an algorithm that does not take activities beyond your initial setting "sedentary, light ect." into account. There's probably a much better explanation in the sticky section. So it gives you back the exercise calories expecting you to eat them and still have yourself at a deficit where you will lose weight. I ate back my exercise calories for years, and saw results.
I recently switched to a TDEE calculation, and now I do NOT eat back those calories because those calories are factored in to the original number. Two different ways to crack a nut, you still get the nut.
Thank you so much for your reply. I am going to see how it goes for the next couple of weeks. I won't purposely eat back my calories burned but I will do my best not to try to go over either. I have yet to figure out the TDEE but will be doing my research on that. Thanks so much!
if you are using a TDEE calculator then it factors in workouts, MFP does not - pick whichever method you are going to use and stick to it3 -
i usually eat back some of them.
i like food.3 -
Every one of them. I'm down 70 pounds.
There's a place called Artist Point, in the summer you can drive right up to it, but in winter you have to put skis or snowshoes on and go six miles. Most people think the winter view is better, in part because you have to earn it. That's why exercise calories taste better, because you've earned them.12 -
Determining the true caloric burn via deliberate exercise is difficult. Trackers and online calculators provide wildly differing estimates for the same activity.
There are studies that show net caloric burn for running is approximately .63lbs X weight in pounds X miles .... or .3 X weight in pounds X miles for walking. Cycling with a power meter provides a fairly accurate caloric burn estimate by measuring power produced. Anaerobic activities like weight lifting are problematic for caloric burn estimates.
If you use TDEE or MFP's methodology, track what you should lose based on the estimates and your food intake .... compare that to your realized weight loss .... adjust accordingly to stay on a healthy glide path.2 -
I always have eaten all of them.
Well, I say "all." I kept really good records of my food. The exercise calories were a bit of a crap shoot, as everyone exercises at slightly differing rates and abilities. So I just picked a number (in my case, 300 calories per hour of moderate exercise.) I used that number for a few months and I was having exactly the rate of weight loss tht was predicted, so I've always just used that number.1 -
I almost always eat back all my exercise calories. When I don't, I have problems...such as not being able to sleep, waking up too hungry, still hungry two days afterwards and sometimes overindulging to make up for it.
I've lost 28 lbs. in 13-14 weeks.8 -
If you are using MFP the way it is designed, then your exercise activity isn't accounted for in your activity level...it is additional activity...more activity increases calorie requirements...to account for that, you log your exercise and get additional calories.
The TDEE method includes exercise in your activity level and thus you would get a higher calorie target to begin with...you wouldn't want to eat back calories in this case because they are already rolled up into your higher calorie target.
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Yes, absolutely i ate them back.
The point of a diet is to maintain a steady caloric deficit that is sustainable overtime in order to lose weight. The key to success is to maintain a steady and maintainable deficit, not to try to make your deficit as big as you can force yourself to do because that isn't sustainable. To do that you have to take into account not only your intake but also your expenditure. If your expenditure increases then so should your intake. Its really as simple as that.
If you want to lose 1 pound a week that is a deficit of 500 calories a day. If your typical activity level has you burning 1900 calories a day then that would be with a deficit of 500 calories a goal of 1400 a day. If on a given day you go on a long hike that burns 400 additional calories then your expenditure that day was 2300 calories so you should be eating 1800 calories to maintain that 500 calorie deficit.
Now obviously day to day you might not hit that exact number but you can adjust over the week. For example I did a backpacking trip where my TDEE was about 5000 calories per day. I did not eat and additional 3000 calories every day because that would be unreasonable. That said the week I was back I did eat a lot more in order to re-feed from that deficit. Many dairy queen blizzards were enjoyed. I still didn't make back the entire extra deficit but I did make an effort to eat more to try to compensate. That was rather extreme though.6 -
Eventually. I bank all week so that if I go “over” on the weekends I don’t kill myself with guilt because I still maintained a weekly deficit.6
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I am on a calorie deficit, and work out, mainly cardio. When I want to reach a goal, weight loss and low body fat percentage, I don't care about muscle mass, I don't eat back my exercise calories. I feel fine by it, but as you can read above, other people can have problems with it.1
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deannalfisher wrote: »Pocket__Cthulhu wrote: »IIRC, My Fitness Pal uses an algorithm that does not take activities beyond your initial setting "sedentary, light ect." into account. There's probably a much better explanation in the sticky section. So it gives you back the exercise calories expecting you to eat them and still have yourself at a deficit where you will lose weight. I ate back my exercise calories for years, and saw results.
I recently switched to a TDEE calculation, and now I do NOT eat back those calories because those calories are factored in to the original number. Two different ways to crack a nut, you still get the nut.
Thank you so much for your reply. I am going to see how it goes for the next couple of weeks. I won't purposely eat back my calories burned but I will do my best not to try to go over either. I have yet to figure out the TDEE but will be doing my research on that. Thanks so much!
if you are using a TDEE calculator then it factors in workouts, MFP does not - pick whichever method you are going to use and stick to it
Yes, this. I use the TDEE method, so don't, but if I were using MFP to set a calorie goal I would. It works out to the same thing.0 -
BurtonBmc1965 wrote: »I am on a calorie deficit, and work out, mainly cardio. When I want to reach a goal, weight loss and low body fat percentage, I don't care about muscle mass, I don't eat back my exercise calories. I feel fine by it, but as you can read above, other people can have problems with it.
Maintaining muscle mass is what drives your caloric burn at rest.1 -
As anothe rperson who has been too often MIA from MFP, I find if I don't eat them, I fall off the wagon but if I do, I stay on. How about you, OP?2
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BurtonBmc1965 wrote: »I am on a calorie deficit, and work out, mainly cardio. When I want to reach a goal, weight loss and low body fat percentage, I don't care about muscle mass, I don't eat back my exercise calories. I feel fine by it, but as you can read above, other people can have problems with it.
So you're all in a a lower BMR then?2 -
I eat back maybe half. I rarely exercise hard/long so I don't burn a lot of fuel. Since my main exercise is low intensity walking, and I know many calculators overestimate calories burned, I don't eat back much. I do eat some because extra exercise does make me hungrier.1
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I would be hungry ALL THE TIME if I did not.4
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1/ It's how this tool is designed to be used.
2/ To me a goal is to be hit, not undercut.
3/ I like both food and exercise, a virtuous circle.
4/ My exercise is for health and fitness, not weight loss. It needs proper fuelling.
5/ Something that people often don't consider is that when you get to maintenance at goal weight you are going to have to account for your exercise - learn that skill now and one of the complications of switching from weight loss to weight maintenance is far easier.8 -
1/ It's how this tool is designed to be used.
2/ To me a goal is to be hit, not undercut.
3/ I like both food and exercise, a virtuous circle.
4/ My exercise is for health and fitness, not weight loss. It needs proper fuelling.
5/ Something that people often don't consider is that when you get to maintenance at goal weight you are going to have to account for your exercise - learn that skill now and one of the complications of switching from weight loss to weight maintenance is far easier.
Yeah, this. Simply put but hits all the points and I agree with every one of them.2 -
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Thank you all for your replies. I have a lot of weight to lose (about 70 lbs) and per some folks I should be doing a lot of cardio but I managed to lose 17 lbs in about 13 weeks at the beginning of the year with weightlifting and little cardio and clean eating but I wasn't tracking my calories intake at all. This time around I am trying the weightlifting program again. I hope to finally finish it as I have started that twice and haven't completed it yet. Ugh!
I hate that I gained it all back because I got sick and basically just gave up. I'm hoping the motivation I have will last for the long haul. I need to stay focused so I can get healthy.0 -
Every last one of them. And I swear they taste the best!1
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Yes or I'd be hangry my whole life.1
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Thank you all for your replies. I have a lot of weight to lose (about 70 lbs) and per some folks I should be doing a lot of cardio but I managed to lose 17 lbs in about 13 weeks at the beginning of the year with weightlifting and little cardio and clean eating but I wasn't tracking my calories intake at all. This time around I am trying the weightlifting program again. I hope to finally finish it as I have started that twice and haven't completed it yet. Ugh!
You don't have to do any exercise at all to lose weight. A lot of people don't. Your calorie goal here has a deficit built into it, that's why you're supposed to eat your exercise calories back.
You can do weight lifting and no cardio. It's not ideal, but you can do it and lose weight.0 -
I eat them and lose. I exercise daily - varies between cardio and weights. Had gotten away from mfp lately - tried weightwatchers for a week - even though there is a supposed adjustment for active people - my weight loss completely stalled, metabolism slowed (even digestion was off)- the program simply did not give me enough food - the beauty of mfp is the adjustment so on days with a lot of exercise I stay fueled and feel full - needles to say I quit weightwatchers - love mfp and am back to losing pound or two per week1
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Thank you all for your replies. I have a lot of weight to lose (about 70 lbs) and per some folks I should be doing a lot of cardio but I managed to lose 17 lbs in about 13 weeks at the beginning of the year with weightlifting and little cardio and clean eating but I wasn't tracking my calories intake at all. This time around I am trying the weightlifting program again. I hope to finally finish it as I have started that twice and haven't completed it yet. Ugh!
I hate that I gained it all back because I got sick and basically just gave up. I'm hoping the motivation I have will last for the long haul. I need to stay focused so I can get healthy.
Eating clean (whatever your definition is) isn't necessary. It's great to include a larger % of "healthier" foods, but weight loss doesn't require a perfect diet. Number of calories is far more important.1 -
I was eating all of my exercise calories back, I have my FitBit Charge 2 synced to MFP...I've stalled at the same weight for 2 months, haven't gained, but haven't lost (pounds). This week I've started to only eat back 50% of those delicious exercise calories to see if the scale budges again...1
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