Non exercise calorie eaters, please explain something to me

lauren3101

This thread, as I have said countless times before, was aimed at people that, for example, eat 1200 calories, log 600 calories of exercise, then don't eat them back, then 6 months down the line moan about why they can't lose weight.

That certainly isn't what you said in the very first post, was it? In fact, it implied that anyone using this website should only be using MFP's methodology. Why else would we be here.

Please could someone explain to me why you would join a website designed to help you lose weight, with many, many successful members, and trust this website to give you your daily calorie amounts, your macro targets, and to provide the nutritional information for thousands of different foods, yet when it tells you to eat your exercise calories back, said website is obviously out to sabotage your weight loss?

I think that's just the way you interpreted it. The question was regarding exercise calories, I never once said everyone had to do it the MFP way.

No it's the way you wrote it and your whole attitude on this thread. I love the way the trying to make it everyone else's problem when it's obvious is yours. You can't seem to accept that different things may work for other people and you may not have all the answers.

Again, I think it's the way you interpreted it (or me). There's been a lot of people on here that HAVE understood what I'm getting at. I've also had a few PMs from people saying the same thing, and others asking for advice.

I have already admitted that the OP was not worded very well. I've helped a lot of people on this site (I'd like to think!) and directed them to the MFP way, TDEE way, whatever seems to suit them most. There is not just one way to do it, but exercising off half your daily intake and then not eating it back js not it <--- point of whole thread.

Ultimately, it doesn't matter what you think of me or I of you, 'tis only the internet.

AlwaysWanderer

Can someone explain this to me please, cause it's getting me confused.
The calories you burn come from different sources (depending on intensity), like fat, glycogen etc.
So, at moderate intensity you'll burn 60-75% fat.
The big question:
Why would you want to eat back the calories you burned from fat? What is the reasoning behind that?
And let's not involve the deficit built into you diet, this is purely about exercise calories.
Thanks for any insights.

Fivepts

It's a mental mind trick.
1.We can't really believe that we can eat (1200 C for exp) and feel full and still loose weight.
2. We've "understood" all these years that we are overweight because we eat too much, so now that we are serious we can't believe that we can "eat back our exercise calories" and actually lose weight.
3.It is a Western cultural belief ie eat less, loose more. (Trying convincing my family that's not true!)
4.It's too good to be true: we can really exercise and then eat more.
5.We hit plateaus or seasons when we don't lose and get desperate.
6. We are afraid that it's not true that we can really eat what MFP says and we will fail again.
7. We are nervous about our measurements, estimations and even MPF calculations.
8. We think that you "eat backers" are as intimidating as your photos and suspect that you are working out all day and underestimating your calories burned :huh:

Be patient with us and give us some good concrete facts from reliable sources that balance is the key and we will try to believe you and not panic when we gain a pound or two.

candiceh3

Sometimes I eat them back, sometimes I don't.

I think the effect of metabolic slow down is far over exaggerated.

Here's a thought - put all that "holier than thou" energy expended in this thread, into a work out, and then eat it back .

IronSmasher

Can someone explain this to me please, cause it's getting me confused.
The calories you burn come from different sources (depending on intensity), like fat, glycogen etc.
So, at moderate intensity you'll burn 60-75% fat.
The big question:
Why would you want to eat back the calories you burned from fat? What is the reasoning behind that?
And let's not involve the deficit built into you diet, this is purely about exercise calories.
Thanks for any insights.

How would your body know they are 'exercise calories' you're eating, instead of just your daily allowance?

Where the calories are burned from doesn't matter, you're going to eat again and redistribute more calories around your body anyway.

yarwell

Can someone explain this to me please, cause it's getting me confused.
The calories you burn come from different sources (depending on intensity), like fat, glycogen etc.
So, at moderate intensity you'll burn 60-75% fat.
The big question:
Why would you want to eat back the calories you burned from fat? What is the reasoning behind that?
And let's not involve the deficit built into you diet, this is purely about exercise calories.

This is the hamster wheel "exercise more to eat more" approach, you aren't exercising for extra fat loss in this scenario so you replace what you burn.

astartig

Well, I think you're right, you should probably just concern yourself with your own routine and methods.

I would imagine there are numerous reasons people don't always eat their calories back from exercise. For those who have a higher calorie intake as it is, 1800+, I can imagine that you could feel like you're eating enough within that and trying to consume more when you're not hungry would feel pointless and uncomfortable. I also think that MFP can overestimate on calories burned for certain exercise so perhaps people are worried about that aspect. I am sure there are a multitude of other reasons.

I actually think it's so rude to suggest people who don't eat their exercise calories back are so stupid or naïve that they assume MFP is "sabotaging" their weight loss.

+1

astartig

I know, I know. I should not concern myself with other peoples methods and should just concentrate on my own.

However, I would say 90% of the threads I read that say 'help, I'm not losing weight!' are made by people that are not eating their exercise calories back

Please could someone explain to me why you would join a website designed to help you lose weight, with many, many successful members, and trust this website to give you your daily calorie amounts, your macro targets, and to provide the nutritional information for thousands of different foods, yet when it tells you to eat your exercise calories back, said website is obviously out to sabotage your weight loss?

Please, for the love of God,

99% of people spout made up statistics that don't reflect reality but do somehow magically support/reflect the users pet theories..

there are plenty of people that are not in a stall that do not eat all their exercise calories back. You do not eat more to lose more. losing weight does not work that way. the less calories you intake the more you lose. it's really all math. no magic.

it's far more likely that those in a stall are calculating their burn vs their intake incorrectly.

NonnyMary

I would hate to be thinking i lost 200 calories of exercise and then thought wow i can now eat 200 more calories, when really i only exercised off 100 calories..

that means im overeating 100 calories.

no thanks!

im sticking to not eating back exercise calories.

no way jose.

no thanks..

noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo never.. no nyet nope ono noez.

and a final NO!

But you are not "overeating" by 100 calories because MFP gave you a calorie deficit BEFORE exercise. At the very worst, your deficit is merely 100 less than it was before exercise.

Why not eat 50% of your exercise calories.....and protect muscle mass. Exercise while dieting should help protect muscle....but not eating enough defeats that.....it's like exercising to "reduce" muscle mass.

No.. because I might be wrong in my eating back exercise calories. I dont do much exercise anyway.. im losing weight by calorie deficit really. so it doens't really matter much .. but if i were to work off 200 calories, i am not going to look to replace that with food, i might go have a glass of something to drink because im thirsty, and it might have calories, but it wont be to replace exercise calories. And like i said above, if i do happen to "think" that I exercised off 500 calories, but really only did 300 then if i eat back 500 calories, i will have eaten 200 excess calories, and if i do that for 17 days I will gain 1 pound. so no thank you, i will continue to NOT eat back exercise calories, only if i want to because im hungry,, ONLY.

Niccidawn092

Well, I think you're right, you should probably just concern yourself with your own routine and methods.

I would imagine there are numerous reasons people don't always eat their calories back from exercise. For those who have a higher calorie intake as it is, 1800+, I can imagine that you could feel like you're eating enough within that and trying to consume more when you're not hungry would feel pointless and uncomfortable. I also think that MFP can overestimate on calories burned for certain exercise so perhaps people are worried about that aspect. I am sure there are a multitude of other reasons.

I actually think it's so rude to suggest people who don't eat their exercise calories back are so stupid or naïve that they assume MFP is "sabotaging" their weight loss.

Haha, I knew I would get a response like this. Should I add a disclaimer? I'm sure not EVERYONE refuses to eat back their exercise calories because they are 'stupid' or 'naive' enough (your words) to think MFP is sabotaging them. But believe me, I see it a lot. 'I don't see the point' and 'why would you burn calories only to eat them again' are common responses.

When I asked a dietitian that is familiar with MFP if I should eat back my exercise calories, she scoffed and said it was the one feature she disliked about MFP because she strongly believed it was dumb to eat back calories. My doctor, on the other hand, said she followed the method of eating back her calories. So I think it is understandable that people are confused if even medical staff can't agree.

I do think it is silly to start a thread like this basically to try and make your self look so much smarter and better than the people that are struggling. I thought the point of this site is to encourage and support each other...

BrandNewFabulousMe

I know, I know. I should not concern myself with other peoples methods and should just concentrate on my own.

However, I would say 90% of the threads I read that say 'help, I'm not losing weight!' are made by people that are not eating their exercise calories back

Please could someone explain to me why you would join a website designed to help you lose weight, with many, many successful members, and trust this website to give you your daily calorie amounts, your macro targets, and to provide the nutritional information for thousands of different foods, yet when it tells you to eat your exercise calories back, said website is obviously out to sabotage your weight loss?

Please, for the love of God,

Because it does not work for everyone. For someone like me, I have to not eat my exercise calories back in order to lose b/c i have so much weight that needs to be lost. This site provides great tools but one must use their own insight and their own situation to use it to work. It does not work for everyone in the same way, but they can remain on this site to utilize other tools it has to offer