We are pleased to announce that as of March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor has been introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!
Eating Back Exercise Calories
deimosphoebos
Posts: 117 Member
Three question post:
1. What is your opinion on eating back exercise calories during a weight loss journey?
2. What is your preferred pre-workout food?
3. What is your preferred post-workout food?
I have sort of been eating back some of my exercise calories. I am presently running on a calorie deficit based on a sedentary lifestyle to lose 1.5lbs / week. When I go to the gym, I might eat a bit before if my energy level is low (fruit, bread, small quantity of pasta) in order to ensure I have enough energy for an hour + of weightlifting.
When I'm done I will drink a protein shake. Total calories expended training varies between 400-800 cals, and the total eating back is around 300 cals.
1. What is your opinion on eating back exercise calories during a weight loss journey?
2. What is your preferred pre-workout food?
3. What is your preferred post-workout food?
I have sort of been eating back some of my exercise calories. I am presently running on a calorie deficit based on a sedentary lifestyle to lose 1.5lbs / week. When I go to the gym, I might eat a bit before if my energy level is low (fruit, bread, small quantity of pasta) in order to ensure I have enough energy for an hour + of weightlifting.
When I'm done I will drink a protein shake. Total calories expended training varies between 400-800 cals, and the total eating back is around 300 cals.
1
Replies
-
This content has been removed.
-
1. Yes, you should. However, you should also make sure that your estimation is as correct as it can possibly be.
2. Nothing, or some BCAAs with Caffeine and Beta alanine. If I'm going to be running(hard) some gummie chews, either haribo or Gatorade.
3. Nuts, Shake,
All that to say, 800 calories in an hour is a lot. I'd suggest that you would do better to adjust your eating times, rather than adding additional eating times. Build those calories into your training day and recovery day. Rather than eating reactively.1 -
1. It's important. Otherwise you're running too high a deficit and the leaner you get (and the more you burn) the more you're opening yourself up for problems ranging from decreased energy and increased hunger to loss of muscle mass, loss of hair, brittle nails, and more. That being said, when I started, I weighed 254 lbs and my initial exercise most days was a 25-minute walk. I was on 1720 calories to lose 1lb/week and the walk burned something like 150. I didn't eat those back. But I'm now 96 lbs lighter, on a base of 1450 to lose 1/2-week and routinely either walk 90-120 minutes or do 65 minutes on a fitness glider every day, plus strength training three days a week. MFP tells me I burn 650-1000 calories a day. I eat back half of those and save the other half as a cushion against underestimated calories and overestimated burns. I'm losing right about where I should be, sometimes slightly more (but for where I am in my weight loss 1/2-1lb/week is optimal, so if some weeks it's 0.4 and some weeks it's 1.2, it balances in a safe spot).
2. I generally grab a quick snack: a piece of string cheese or a veggie dog. Sometimes some dry cereal or a nutrient-dense dessert. I have some molasses oat squares in the fridge now. Each one has 4g protein, 3g fat, and 7% of my iron RDA.
3. I call it dinner most of the time. It varies.2 -
You want to lose at a safe rate. If your deficit is already at that rate, then eat back your exercise calories. It is how MFP is set up.
Like was said above, 800 calories for an hour of weighlifting is a lot. 400 seems closer. I burn 800 or so with an hour of running but could never burn that much weightlifting. Just be careful on your estimations.
Bottom line is the only way to know for sure is to stick to a program for 4-6 weeks and see if the weight is coming off as expected. all the numbers from MFP or other websites are estimates and you'll need to adjust for your real world results.4 -
I have not ate back any exercise calories
I was set to lose 2lb per week on sedentary eating 2000 which I did. However, I actually average around 2.7lb per week meaning my exercise calories are about 2400 a week. I could eat those if I wanted but I have 2000 a day and don't feel too hungry so I'm OK not eating them back.
I did have 140lb to lose and serious health issues so I wanted to get the weight off asap in as healthy a way as I could1 -
Rickster1967 wrote: »I have not ate back any exercise calories
I was set to lose 2lb per week on sedentary eating 2000 which I did. However, I actually average around 2.7lb per week meaning my exercise calories are about 2400 a week. I could eat those if I wanted but I have 2000 a day and don't feel too hungry so I'm OK not eating them back.
I did have 140lb to lose and serious health issues so I wanted to get the weight off asap in as healthy a way as I could
And that's a really good way of doing things if you're able to eat sufficient calories and have sufficient weight to lose. Unfortunately, a 5'1" 120 lb person with 3 vanity pounds to lose will read your account and try to replicate it.5 -
If you're following MFP's calorie goals, you should be eating at least a portion of your exercise calories back. Like stated above, 400-800 calories for lifting is a lot. How did you come up with that number?0
-
If you're following MFP's calorie goals, you should be eating at least a portion of your exercise calories back. Like stated above, 400-800 calories for lifting is a lot. How did you come up with that number?
I have an unintelligent tracker (Garmin 225) build for running. When I hit the gym I turn it on without the GPS, and it thinks I'm running, although it is tracking my heart rate. I normally begin my training with 5 min on the treadmill, and then jump on the weights quite aggressively with variable rest cycles. My heart rate goes up and down during my sets, and I believe that this has an affect on my calorie burn. I'm also doing a lot of large muscle lifts (Deadlifts, squats, bench). I finish the workout with a spin / step for about 10 minutes. An example being, last Thursday, based on my watch, 1hr 8 min gave me 674 Cals burned.
On Monday, I did a HIIT workout (Spartacus 1.0), and my watch gave me a value of 425 cals burned over 42 minutes which is within the range predicted by this workout.
I am really taking the data my watch gives me with a grain of salt, which is why I said 400-800 calories. I just do not want to go into a 1000 calorie deficit on an already calorie restricted MFP Plan.
1 -
deimosphoebos wrote: »If you're following MFP's calorie goals, you should be eating at least a portion of your exercise calories back. Like stated above, 400-800 calories for lifting is a lot. How did you come up with that number?
I have an unintelligent tracker (Garmin 225) build for running. When I hit the gym I turn it on without the GPS, and it thinks I'm running, although it is tracking my heart rate. I normally begin my training with 5 min on the treadmill, and then jump on the weights quite aggressively with variable rest cycles. My heart rate goes up and down during my sets, and I believe that this has an affect on my calorie burn. I'm also doing a lot of large muscle lifts (Deadlifts, squats, bench). I finish the workout with a spin / step for about 10 minutes. An example being, last Thursday, based on my watch, 1hr 8 min gave me 674 Cals burned.
On Monday, I did a HIIT workout (Spartacus 1.0), and my watch gave me a value of 425 cals burned over 42 minutes which is within the range predicted by this workout.
I am really taking the data my watch gives me with a grain of salt, which is why I said 400-800 calories. I just do not want to go into a 1000 calorie deficit on an already calorie restricted MFP Plan.
A HRM is not a reliable way to track calorie burn during resistance training, so it's good that you're taking it with a grain of salt.1 -
1. I make an attempt to eat back 1/2 my calories. I don't always succeed, but that's my goal.
2. I prefer to workout 6am, so this leaves me little time to eat anything more than 1/2 banana in the morning. Anything more than that 1/2 banana, I get sick and underperform. I actually workout better on an empty stomach. I do however, sip on BCAA's during my workout.
3. As soon as I get home, it's one Scoop of Dymatize protein power, 8oz of fat free or 2% milk, the other 1/2 banana, a handful of frozen strawberries, and top off with a little water. Blend it up in the Ninja, I'm good to go.0 -
I was a big advocate of not eating back my exercise calories for this past year but now, I've done more harm than good to my body by doing that. I thought since I was tracking my macros for say 1600 calories that I should always eat 1600 calories even if I burn 500-600. So, I was inevitably hurting my body that whole time. I recommend eating back at least half of those calories. BUT, the first poster is right. If you have MFP set to lightly active to account for you being active, than those added calories are already in your calorie total. If you have MFP set to sedentary and you work out, then eat those exercise calories.
I used to not eat before a workout. I would just drink BCAAs even if my stomach was growling (another thing that hurt me rather than help me). So, if I'm hungry, I eat before a workout and if I don't have much time for my food to digest then I just eat a slice of bread with peanut butter and half a banana and may sprinkle some chia seeds on top. After my workout, it's usually in the morning, so I just eat my breakfast which can vary every day.3 -
stanmann571 wrote: »Rickster1967 wrote: »I have not ate back any exercise calories
I was set to lose 2lb per week on sedentary eating 2000 which I did. However, I actually average around 2.7lb per week meaning my exercise calories are about 2400 a week. I could eat those if I wanted but I have 2000 a day and don't feel too hungry so I'm OK not eating them back.
I did have 140lb to lose and serious health issues so I wanted to get the weight off asap in as healthy a way as I could
And that's a really good way of doing things if you're able to eat sufficient calories and have sufficient weight to lose. Unfortunately, a 5'1" 120 lb person with 3 vanity pounds to lose will read your account and try to replicate it.
Only if they are a complete idiot2 -
need2belean wrote: »I was a big advocate of not eating back my exercise calories for this past year but now, I've done more harm than good to my body by doing that.
What do you mean by harm?
0 -
need2belean wrote: »I was a big advocate of not eating back my exercise calories for this past year but now, I've done more harm than good to my body by doing that. I thought since I was tracking my macros for say 1600 calories that I should always eat 1600 calories even if I burn 500-600. So, I was inevitably hurting my body that whole time. I recommend eating back at least half of those calories. BUT, the first poster is right. If you have MFP set to lightly active to account for you being active, than those added calories are already in your calorie total. If you have MFP set to sedentary and you work out, then eat those exercise calories.
I used to not eat before a workout. I would just drink BCAAs even if my stomach was growling (another thing that hurt me rather than help me). So, if I'm hungry, I eat before a workout and if I don't have much time for my food to digest then I just eat a slice of bread with peanut butter and half a banana and may sprinkle some chia seeds on top. After my workout, it's usually in the morning, so I just eat my breakfast which can vary every day.
MFP's activity level doesn't include exercise. It's based on your day-to-day life.0 -
1. What is your opinion on eating back exercise calories during a weight loss journey? It worked very well for me and also helps when you tranistion to maintenance when you MUST account for your exercise.
2. What is your preferred pre-workout food? Breakfast, lunch or dinner.
3. What is your preferred post-workout food? Breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Beware that your calorie estimates are horrendously inflated, HR is no guide to actual calorie expenditure for non-aerobic exercise.
Use the database entry "strength training" under the CV section of your exercise diary for a much more reasonable estimate.4 -
need2belean wrote: »I was a big advocate of not eating back my exercise calories for this past year but now, I've done more harm than good to my body by doing that. I thought since I was tracking my macros for say 1600 calories that I should always eat 1600 calories even if I burn 500-600. So, I was inevitably hurting my body that whole time. I recommend eating back at least half of those calories. BUT, the first poster is right. If you have MFP set to lightly active to account for you being active, than those added calories are already in your calorie total. If you have MFP set to sedentary and you work out, then eat those exercise calories.
I used to not eat before a workout. I would just drink BCAAs even if my stomach was growling (another thing that hurt me rather than help me). So, if I'm hungry, I eat before a workout and if I don't have much time for my food to digest then I just eat a slice of bread with peanut butter and half a banana and may sprinkle some chia seeds on top. After my workout, it's usually in the morning, so I just eat my breakfast which can vary every day.
@need2belean
You aren't understanding how the activity setting is designed to work on here - it is nothing to do with your exercise. It specifically excludes it.
Whatever your correct activity setting is (to reflect your lifestyle and job) you are supposed to eat back exercise calories.
For example my son is a builder so would have an active activity setting to account for the calories burned doing a physical job. When he exercises he needs more calories on top.
3 -
I'm in maintenance now and eat all of my cals back. I like to eat fruit and yoghurt or cottage cheese with my coffee in the morning (or a small bagel or oatmeal if I am planning a harder workout) and then take a snack for after, usually a couple of cheese and prosciutto roll-ups, or a boiled egg.0
-
Beware that your calorie estimates are horrendously inflated, HR is no guide to actual calorie expenditure for non-aerobic exercise.
Use the database entry "strength training" under the CV section of your exercise diary for a much more reasonable estimate.
I'm looking at trading in my Garmin for a Fitbit Ionic, apparently their HR monitoring technology has the ability to give accurate calorie burn data.
https://www.fitbit.com/en-ca/purepulse
1 -
I've used a clip Fitbit and Apple Watch and the Fitbit interface gave me way too many cals for each day. YMMV.0
-
I eat them.cos i can and still lose weight
Happy days0 -
deimosphoebos wrote: »Beware that your calorie estimates are horrendously inflated, HR is no guide to actual calorie expenditure for non-aerobic exercise.
Use the database entry "strength training" under the CV section of your exercise diary for a much more reasonable estimate.
I'm looking at trading in my Garmin for a Fitbit Ionic, apparently their HR monitoring technology has the ability to give accurate calorie burn data.
https://www.fitbit.com/en-ca/purepulse
Heart rate still isn't accurate for anything outside of steady state cardio. I just left Fitbit after 4 years and when I lifted I always turned the HR function off.3 -
deimosphoebos wrote: »Beware that your calorie estimates are horrendously inflated, HR is no guide to actual calorie expenditure for non-aerobic exercise.
Use the database entry "strength training" under the CV section of your exercise diary for a much more reasonable estimate.
I'm looking at trading in my Garmin for a Fitbit Ionic, apparently their HR monitoring technology has the ability to give accurate calorie burn data.
https://www.fitbit.com/en-ca/purepulse
Don't believe everything you read in marketing.2 -
NorthCascades wrote: »deimosphoebos wrote: »Beware that your calorie estimates are horrendously inflated, HR is no guide to actual calorie expenditure for non-aerobic exercise.
Use the database entry "strength training" under the CV section of your exercise diary for a much more reasonable estimate.
I'm looking at trading in my Garmin for a Fitbit Ionic, apparently their HR monitoring technology has the ability to give accurate calorie burn data.
https://www.fitbit.com/en-ca/purepulse
Don't believe everything you read in marketing.
That's what I figured. As I progress, my true data is going to be weight lost/gained based on my recorded calorie intake / expended.0 -
stanmann571 wrote: »I'd suggest that you would do better to adjust your eating times, rather than adding additional eating times. Build those calories into your training day and recovery day. Rather than eating reactively.
This is good advice that doesn't come up very often, and the way the thread is moving it may have been missed.
What Stan is saying is you might be able to do your exercise right before lunch or dinner, and then eat a normal meal instead of adding a recovery meal to your day.
You should eat your exercise calories back, but how you spread them out across the day it even the week can make a big difference in how hungry or satisfied you feel.2 -
deimosphoebos wrote: »Beware that your calorie estimates are horrendously inflated, HR is no guide to actual calorie expenditure for non-aerobic exercise.
Use the database entry "strength training" under the CV section of your exercise diary for a much more reasonable estimate.
I'm looking at trading in my Garmin for a Fitbit Ionic, apparently their HR monitoring technology has the ability to give accurate calorie burn data.
https://www.fitbit.com/en-ca/purepulse
I hope you realise that there isn't a direct relationship between heartbeats and calories?
People have wildly differing heart rates at rest, at maximum and during exercise.
2 -
need2belean wrote: »I was a big advocate of not eating back my exercise calories for this past year but now, I've done more harm than good to my body by doing that. I thought since I was tracking my macros for say 1600 calories that I should always eat 1600 calories even if I burn 500-600. So, I was inevitably hurting my body that whole time. I recommend eating back at least half of those calories. BUT, the first poster is right. If you have MFP set to lightly active to account for you being active, than those added calories are already in your calorie total. If you have MFP set to sedentary and you work out, then eat those exercise calories.
I used to not eat before a workout. I would just drink BCAAs even if my stomach was growling (another thing that hurt me rather than help me). So, if I'm hungry, I eat before a workout and if I don't have much time for my food to digest then I just eat a slice of bread with peanut butter and half a banana and may sprinkle some chia seeds on top. After my workout, it's usually in the morning, so I just eat my breakfast which can vary every day.
@need2belean
You aren't understanding how the activity setting is designed to work on here - it is nothing to do with your exercise. It specifically excludes it.
Whatever your correct activity setting is (to reflect your lifestyle and job) you are supposed to eat back exercise calories.
For example my son is a builder so would have an active activity setting to account for the calories burned doing a physical job. When he exercises he needs more calories on top.
Thank you. I understand that. However, some people don't know that. When I first started on hear, I set my activity to lightly active because I was working out 7 days a week but I had a sit down job. I set it at lightly active and then ate back my exercise calories.0 -
deimosphoebos wrote: »need2belean wrote: »I was a big advocate of not eating back my exercise calories for this past year but now, I've done more harm than good to my body by doing that.
What do you mean by harm?
I have a condition called Hypothalamic Amenorrhea. It's caused from under eating, over exercising, stress to the body by both of these things and carb restriction. There's no one cause but the fact that I was eating 1500 calories this year, burning 600 calories, not eating those exercise calories back AND I'm 6'0" tall. So, I did more harm to my body than good. I'm dealing with those consequences now. Men can't get that though so you're all good on that front!
1 -
So overall, I gather from all of your advice. Eat back some or all of my exercise calories, and continue with a steady, healthy weight loss.
Thanks guys.5 -
deimosphoebos wrote: »So overall, I gather from all of your advice. Eat back some or all of my exercise calories, and continue with a steady, healthy weight loss.
This is one place where there is no hard answer, because there are so many variables. Start by eating half your exercise calories for a few weeks, logging carefully, and see what your progress has been. Then tweak to suit.
5 -
deimosphoebos wrote: »So overall, I gather from all of your advice. Eat back some or all of my exercise calories, and continue with a steady, healthy weight loss.
Thanks guys.
Remember, the goal isn't to touch your goal weight for a day, it's to stay there. If you continue to exercise when you move into maintenance, the should you learn now will make things easier for you.3
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 394.7K Introduce Yourself
- 44K Getting Started
- 260.5K Health and Weight Loss
- 176.1K Food and Nutrition
- 47.5K Recipes
- 232.7K Fitness and Exercise
- 444 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.6K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153.1K Motivation and Support
- 8.2K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.4K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 4.1K MyFitnessPal Information
- 16 News and Announcements
- 1.3K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.8K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions