Eating Back Workout Calories?

notjanetoday

Good idea or bad?

stfpa

I wouldn’t eat back all of them because a lot of things such as cardio machines and fitness trackers way overestimate the amount of calories you burn but definitely eat back around half, especially if you’re hungrier that day. Or save those extra calories for another day but if you don’t eat back exercise calories at all, you’ll be under eating which could be a problem depending on how much you burn

kshama2001

If you use MFP to set your calorie goal and don't add in any exercise calories, you are not using MFP the way it was designed.

MFP uses the NEAT method (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis), and as such this system is designed for exercise calories to be eaten back. However, many consider the burns given by MFP to be inflated and only eat a percentage, such as 50%, back. Others, however, are able to lose weight while eating 100% of their exercise calories.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/818082/exercise-calories-again-wtf/p1

eosborne

I tried that and it does not work. I thought that if I did the elliptical and burned 600 calories then I could have a desert and eat into those 600 calories. I found out from the doctor that does not work and it hasn't worked even when I was doing it for a long time not understanding why I did not lose weight or was gaining weight. I work out 4-7 times a day. 4 times weight and 3 days elliptical and I was still gaining weight a little weight. Come to find out I was eating the excess calories I burned and it either did nothing to help me lose weight and if I really went over board I gained a few pounds. Now I am trying to lose weight so I reduced my 1500 maintenance calories to 1200 lose weight calories, and I only eat 1200 calories except on Saturday on my cheat day. Any extra calories I burn from exercise are not supplemented by desert or more carbs. Its been working not for 2 weeks. I have lost 2 pounds per week. And its not as hard as I thought it might be. I can eat any 1200 calories I want but I make sure they are healthier choices so I can eat more per day.

emmamcgarity

I let hunger be my guide

kami3006

Yes, if you are using MFP's numbers you are supposed to eat the calories given for exercise (with the caveat that you take the time to determine what they actually are i.e. starting by eating a portion and evaluating your results after 4 weeks or so and adjusting as needed.

Please watch this video as it explains how the process works:https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10503681/exercise-calories-do-i-eat-these-a-video-explanation/p1

From my personal experience, I have lost, maintained, and ran a few bulk/cut cycles while eating all of my exercise calories.

kimny72

If you are using an MFP calorie goal, it gives you a lower goal that already gives you a deficit and expects you to log your exercise and eat back those calories. As exercise calories are often inflated, many of us started eating back around half, and then tweaked that based on our results over the long term.

If you used a TDEE calculator to determine your calorie goal, it already includes your exercise calories spread out over the week, so you should not add in anything else.

If your food logging is inaccurate, you might think the problem is that you are eating your exercise calories, when really the problem is that you are eating more calories than you think.

malibu927

eosborne wrote: »

I tried that and it does not work. I thought that if I did the elliptical and burned 600 calories then I could have a desert and eat into those 600 calories. I found out from the doctor that does not work and it hasn't worked even when I was doing it for a long time not understanding why I did not lose weight or was gaining weight. I work out 4-7 times a day. 4 times weight and 3 days elliptical and I was still gaining weight a little weight. Come to find out I was eating the excess calories I burned and it either did nothing to help me lose weight and if I really went over board I gained a few pounds. Now I am trying to lose weight so I reduced my 1500 maintenance calories to 1200 lose weight calories, and I only eat 1200 calories except on Saturday on my cheat day. Any extra calories I burn from exercise are not supplemented by desert or more carbs. Its been working not for 2 weeks. I have lost 2 pounds per week. And its not as hard as I thought it might be. I can eat any 1200 calories I want but I make sure they are healthier choices so I can eat more per day.

The way MFP is set up you are supposed to eat those calories back, and it works for everyone here. Try eating 300 calories back, as 600 sounds a bit high.

lynn_glenmont

eosborne wrote: »

I tried that and it does not work. I thought that if I did the elliptical and burned 600 calories then I could have a desert and eat into those 600 calories. I found out from the doctor that does not work and it hasn't worked even when I was doing it for a long time not understanding why I did not lose weight or was gaining weight. I work out 4-7 times a day. 4 times weight and 3 days elliptical and I was still gaining weight a little weight. Come to find out I was eating the excess calories I burned and it either did nothing to help me lose weight and if I really went over board I gained a few pounds. Now I am trying to lose weight so I reduced my 1500 maintenance calories to 1200 lose weight calories, and I only eat 1200 calories except on Saturday on my cheat day. Any extra calories I burn from exercise are not supplemented by desert or more carbs. Its been working not for 2 weeks. I have lost 2 pounds per week. And its not as hard as I thought it might be. I can eat any 1200 calories I want but I make sure they are healthier choices so I can eat more per day.

How many calories are you consuming on your cheat day? MFP isn't designed for you to pretend that you can eat as many calories as you want one day a week and have it magically not affect your energy balance.

nutmegoreo

eosborne wrote: »

I tried that and it does not work. I thought that if I did the elliptical and burned 600 calories then I could have a desert and eat into those 600 calories. I found out from the doctor that does not work and it hasn't worked even when I was doing it for a long time not understanding why I did not lose weight or was gaining weight. I work out 4-7 times a day. 4 times weight and 3 days elliptical and I was still gaining weight a little weight. Come to find out I was eating the excess calories I burned and it either did nothing to help me lose weight and if I really went over board I gained a few pounds. Now I am trying to lose weight so I reduced my 1500 maintenance calories to 1200 lose weight calories, and I only eat 1200 calories except on Saturday on my cheat day. Any extra calories I burn from exercise are not supplemented by desert or more carbs. Its been working not for 2 weeks. I have lost 2 pounds per week. And its not as hard as I thought it might be. I can eat any 1200 calories I want but I make sure they are healthier choices so I can eat more per day.

If you are losing 2lb/week on 1200, your maintenance is 2200. Sounds like you have inaccuracies in your logging somewhere. Likely in both calorie burn and in consumed foods.


OP, start with the video, it will make sense. I don't eat exercise calories, but I don't use MFPs calorie goal. I aim for about 500 cals/day higher. That allows me to have a consistent daily target.

SCoil123

I ate all or most of mine based on FitBit adjustments linked with MFP

amusedmonkey

It's not a matter of opinion, it's how this app was designed to be used, so by default it's good. How accurate the burns are, that's a different matter, but eating at least some of them back is way more accurate than eating none.

sijomial

Of course it's a good idea - that's why both MyFitnessPal and the TDEE sites intend you to take them into account.

It's also a necessity when you get to maintenance at goal weight, a factor that people who are solely focused on this week's weight loss fail to appreciate.

Yes there are issues with estimating and the MFP database is often a poor choice of method to achieve the necessary reasonable accuracy.

Inaccuracy in food logging is a far bigger issue than inaccuracy in exercise logging but often it's the exercise that gets the blame.

h1udd

assuming you are inputting your calories burnt correctly then yes you should eat them back ..... but I would hazzard a guess the majority of people massively over estimate the amount they burn thanks to excitable machines and how much energy is really needed to pick up a barbell 5 times every 3 minutes ... hence only eating back 50% of them.

the theory of eating them back is sound ... the implementation of peoples logging however is flawed.


eat back 50% ... if you are losing too quickly, increase the amount you eat back ... if you are no longer loosing weight, eat back less