Eating back your workout calories

SkinnySima

Hello there,

First of all, thank you for your shares and tips! the MFP community is a big help and support for me.

I'm willing to lose about 15 kg/33lb. I tried so many diets before ... I really want to get serious about this one !

I'm on the 1200 calories goal/day ... I'm often under it beacause (or thanks to?) the workout calories.

Do you guys eat back your workout calories in order to reach the daily goal?

Thank you so much for your help

BeardedMike

I will always eat back all of my workout calories and I have been consistently losing weight. Some people are against it, but when we are eating so little, especially if your only eating 1200 cals then its best that you do eat them back.

FattieBabs

1200 is quite low so, yes, eat them back... I am currently on 1800 cals a day but do not eat them back. I exercise 2-3 times a week. Good luck with your progress!

WaterBunnie

Eat them back, it makes the plan easier to stick to, gives you more variety of foods you can fit in, you'll feel healthier for it, and it'll teach you to eat more when you need it and less when you don't which is great training for when you're finished and maintaining, Just be sure you're estimating your burns realistically.

TRD66

Gotta agree with above.

Some folk will say eat back 50%-75% as MFP might be on the generous side, but it's about you finding out what works. I went through a 2-3 week period where I ate none, or very little of them back. I was under or around 1200 a day and lost no weight.

I started eating the majority of the back and the weight started to come off again. If you don't eat enough the body will store the fat it has, rather than burn it.

in short, don't feel guilty eating them back, the MFP model builds in a deficiency so you'll be okay.

erickirb

If you are following MFP caloric guidelines you should be, as they tend to set really low as exercise is not taken into account. If you used other sites the amount they would give you would be much more than MFP, but once you eat exercise cals back they will be about the same in total.

Most professionals (or calculators) will tell you not to eat your exercise calories back because they added it into your TDEE, whereas MFP ignores exercise and only accounts for it when you perform it. Either way should get you to the same place.

As an example say MFP gives you 1450 calories to lose 1 lb/week, and you plan on exercising 5x/week for an average of 400 cals per workout. well MFP will tell you to eat 1450 on the days you don't workout and 1850 on the days you do whereas a "professional" or TDEE calculator may tell you to eat 1700 everyday regardless if you workout.

So for the week MFP will have you eat 12,150 (1450*2+1850*5) whereas doing it the other way will have you eat 11,900 (1700*7) almost the same number of cals for the week (250 dif). The only issue in not following MFP is if you don't workout the full 5 days or burn more or less than planned. If that is the case you may lose more or less than your goal, whereas MFP will have you lose your goal amount regardless how much you actually workout.

laserturkey

Eat them!

Mischievous_Rascal

Eat them! At 1200 plus exercise calories (about 1500-1700) I was a cranky mess and had no energy for anything. I currently eat 2025 - my TDEE -10% - and I don't track my exercise calories anymore. This is where I lose weight consistantly and it stays off. (I hurt my knee this week so I'm off the gym, but the scale is staying steady.) I've also been able to reset my hormone levels by feeding my body properly (my husband and doctor both LOVE this part - LOL!).

This is what made it simple for me: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/974889-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet

Have fun and enjoy the ride!!!