according to this site

goku89

if i excercize i can eat more calories

i won't but some people might mistake that for an excuse to eat more. does anyone eat more cause of that? is it ok?

PikaKnight

It's not an excuse.

MFP is designed for its users to eat back their exercise calories. the formula can be found on the Goals page.

servilia

Yes it is ok and I do it.

diannethegeek

It's a feature not a bug. And many of us have found success with the method.

SnowWillow

I find this a similar program to Weight Watchers activity points. You earn activity points with various workouts and activities throughout your day but you have a choice to eat them or not. Some days, depending on the workouts you will be more hungry. When I miss a workout day and I double up I am more hungry because I burned twice as much so I go over but I rarely eat back all the calories I'm allotted. This gives me a higher deficit. MFP does warn you if you are TOO under your calories, in order to keep you healthy.

mockchoc

I always ate mine back and lost just fine.

Iggy1992

I sometimes struggle to eat mine back, but in the end it just makes it easier to up your protein intake.

Sometimes I use these extra calories when I'm actually doing the work out, for e.g when I climb up a mountain I like to take nuts, dried fruit and poweraid drinks to keep me going along with a protein bar. Then I'll have a nice big lunch up the top and make my way back down.
This ensures I don't get really hungry on the way up or the way home and pig out on crap.

Other days I use it as 'treat' as such, for e.g on the nights where I may get take out or go out for dinner and feel like treating myself I'll do extra excersice.

I agree with a post from someone above, saying it is simlilar to weight watchers - and I tend to treat pro points and calories the same. Using the same 'If i want cake I need to get off my fat but' train of thought!

It works really well for me, although I have had a few worries that i'm not eating them all back. Past posts on here have told me that its OK, if im hungry eat, if im not dont

Good luck on your journey to loose, maintain, or gain weight!

Cait_Sidhe

if i excercize i can eat more calories

i won't but some people might mistake that for an excuse to eat more. does anyone eat more cause of that? is it ok?

Yes, it's okay. That's how MFP was designed. If you eat back your exercise calories you're doing it right and are using MFP the way it was indended.

There are other methods that don't include eating your exercise calories back (I follow my own).

goku89

if i excercize i can eat more calories

i won't but some people might mistake that for an excuse to eat more. does anyone eat more cause of that? is it ok?

Yes, it's okay. That's how MFP was designed. If you eat back your exercise calories you're doing it right and are using MFP the way it was indended.

There are other methods that don't include eating your exercise calories back (I follow my own).

it would seem counterproductive to eat back all my calories

happyindian

I do. In fact, the days i know i would be tempted by food, like when i hv to go to a party or something,, i exercise more to earn calories. I call it banking calories....

weightlossdiva1219

if i excercize i can eat more calories

i won't but some people might mistake that for an excuse to eat more. does anyone eat more cause of that? is it ok?

Yes, it's okay. That's how MFP was designed. If you eat back your exercise calories you're doing it right and are using MFP the way it was indended.

There are other methods that don't include eating your exercise calories back (I follow my own).

it would seem counterproductive to eat back all my calories

This. I agree that if you're hungry, you can go over your food, to meet your net. But you shouldn't exercise for the purpose of being able to eat more. I've seen people do that and I think it's stupid. I think it's counterproductive to eat back your calories. I never have, and I've lost 44 lbs in 5 months.

Pandorian

It would seem counter-productive, until you realize that IF you set your profile to any of the LOSE WEIGHT options your daily calorie goal already contains for deficit for weight loss. If you're at 0.5 lbs per week (and your BMR x activity level) leaves enough room that's 250 calories a day deficit. if you're at 1lb per week and there is room that's 500 calories a day.... if you're at 1.5 lbs that's 750 calories a day and if you're at 2 lbs (again if there is room) that's 1000 calorie a day deficit.

Exercising widens that deficit and as designed you can eat them back still maintaining your deficit for weight loss as exercise isn't accounted for until you log it in your cardio exercise diary.

geekyjock76

First, understand where all the calories you eat go. They fuel four components including:
Resting Metabolic Rate
Thermic effect of food
Non-exercise activity
Exercise activity

MFP is designed for people to lose weight even without exercise. That means it's formula does not include exercise activity, unlike various traditional TDEE calculations. Thus, it treats everyone as if they were non-exercisers. This means that for people who do exercise, a deficit (their exercise calories) is already established before the person fills out any information at all.

Let's say that person burns 500 calories in exercise, then he/she would, by default, start with a 500 calorie deficit before selecting their desired weekly weight loss goal. So an exerciser would have to add both deficits to get their actual total deficit. If the person choose to lose 1 lb per week, MFP subtracts 500 calories from their total daily energy needs. By not eating back any exercise calories, the person is thus assuming a potential 1000 calorie deficit instead of the planned 500.

Sherbog

Absolutely I do...I like to eat and I am a quantity eater. It's all a math game. If I don't exercise I eat 1200 cals. If I exercise I eat back the calories I have burned. Works for me.

whitebalance

By working out and eating back my exercise calories, I get a stronger heart, more efficient lungs, denser bones, stronger muscles, and a clear head -- and I get to pack more protein and other important nutrients into a varied diet and have room for a nice sweet treat every day. How exactly is that "counterproductive?"

thatbelinda

By working out and eating back my exercise calories, I get a stronger heart, more efficient lungs, denser bones, stronger muscles, and a clear head -- and I get to pack more protein and other important nutrients into a varied diet and have room for a nice sweet treat every day. How exactly is that "counterproductive?"

I was going to reply, but this is already the perfect answer.

_EndGame_

I usually eat at least 40% of my exercise calories back.

I got fat because I enjoy eating. If exercise earns me calories to eat, then I'm going to do it. Besides, if you exercise and don't eat some back, you usually end up netting below the recommended allowance.

Feeling hungry, tired and depleted of energy sucks.

servilia

If you were eating at maintenance and worked out for your deficit, yes it would be counterproductive. But MFP's calorie goal already includes a deficit so you're fine eating back your exercise calories.

RllyGudTweetr

if i excercize i can eat more calories

i won't but some people might mistake that for an excuse to eat more. does anyone eat more cause of that? is it ok?

Yes, it's okay. That's how MFP was designed. If you eat back your exercise calories you're doing it right and are using MFP the way it was indended.

There are other methods that don't include eating your exercise calories back (I follow my own).

it would seem counterproductive to eat back all my calories

This. I agree that if you're hungry, you can go over your food, to meet your net. But you shouldn't exercise for the purpose of being able to eat more. I've seen people do that and I think it's stupid. I think it's counterproductive to eat back your calories. I never have, and I've lost 44 lbs in 5 months.

This has been covered before. MFP's calculations (via the NEAT method) include a caloric deficit before taking your exercise into account. The site is set up so that you're supposed to eat back your exercise calories and still lose the weight per week (roughly, since natural variations in weight will occur) indicated by the choice you made.

That said, some folks do like to include a small cushion in the amount of calories they eat back, on the basis that both the caloric intake and calorie burns reported are going to be best estimates rather than scientifically exact.

darkangel45422

While I agree with what everyone's said about that being how MFP works, don't think of it as some hard and fast rule. If you're not hungry, it's likely going to be worse for you in the long run to force yourself to eat because you think to you have to meet some kind of calorie goal than it will be to be lower on calories that day.

That said, exercise does tend to make the body crave more foods so its likely that days you exercise you'll be hungrier anyway and will want at least some of those calories for extra food.

goku89

so far i don't think i've ate back my calories except once...

ElizabethFuller

Hmm. I thought that was the whole point of exercising? I do cardio so that I can eat more food and still stay in deficit, i don't usually eat back all my calories (I use a Fitbit and it seems a bit generous) but I almost always eat about half. So far seems to be working well

Kiyalynn

I don't believe you have to eat back all your exercise calories. Tho the people above are right MFP is designed for you to not have to exercise at all to loose weight. However, I do believe if you don't want to focus on eating back all your exercise calories that you should set yourself a Low Calorie net Limit as well. I had a 1600 calorie upper limit. Some day's I'd find that I had 1200 calories eaten, but then had worked out for a additional 400... That put me at 800 calories net, but I felt under 1200 was too low for a healthy food intake. One that would just lead to me being hungry, tired, and quit the diet. So on those days, I did so well at NOT eating and also exercised that I would let myself have a cup of juice as a treat, or maybe some ice cream. That way I'm letting myself enjoy the foods I like while, bringing my NET calories above 1200, and remaining under 1600.

Domane1963

I think it is OK to eat back your "exercise" calories but perhaps not your "activity" ones if you log all your movements. I tend to put everything I do in - be it housework (I'm a housekeeper as a job) or poo-picking my horses' fields (which I have to put in as gardening as funnily enough there isn't an option for PP! lol) but I don't count them towards eating anything back as they are things I do daily anyway. They are still me being active so therefore my BMR would be different than if I sat around all day.

If I do some CV or weight work at the gym or go for a run, then I may eat back THOSE calories only.....

We're all different and you have to find what works for you. Besides, it's a little easier for me as I'm in maintenance now!

chani8

The way I do it now is that I only eat back a serious cardio workout. Like what Domane1963 said. Eat your workouts, not your daily activity.

ThePlight

I have to admit I have not yet tried this, but will be trying it in a few months. Too early for me to do it, I might overdo it, since I just came back from a slump. The beginning of this year started off terrible for us, but the rest has been okay, so trying to get into a full swing of things before trying

jennifer_417

I've been known to exercise for the sole purpose of being able to eat more, and I'm not the only one.

ElizabethFuller

I've been known to exercise for the sole purpose of being able to eat more, and I'm not the only one.

I have been known to spend an extra hour at the gym on pizza/chocolate/ice cream/wine Friday

jennifer_417

I've been known to exercise for the sole purpose of being able to eat more, and I'm not the only one.

I have been known to spend an extra hour at the gym on pizza/chocolate/ice cream/wine Friday

Pizza/chocolate/ice cream/wine AND an extra hour at the gym?! That. Sounds. Glorious!!!!!:drinker:

RunBrew

Look it's pretty easy.

let's say your body would burn 2000 calories a day, so you eat 2000 calories a day. that's 14,000 calories per week. You lose no weight. You gain no weight.
You set your daily intake target at 1 pound per week loss. Since one pound of fat contains 3500 calories, you need to eat 3500 calories less than 14,000 in a week. That's 11,500 in a week, or 1,642 per day.

1)If you did no exercise and ate 1,642 per day, you'd lose about 1 lb per week. Your body burns fat to make up for the deficit.

2)If you ate 2,000 per day (14,000/week), but did 3500 calories of exercise in a week, you'd lose about 1 lb in a week. Your body burns fat to make up the deficit.

3) If you ate 1,642 calories AND did 3500 calories of exercise, you'd lose 2 lbs, but that's unhealthy in a long-term situation.
Your body needs fuel to power muscles and organs to perform that exercise.

MFP builds in the calorie deficit when you set up the account. It assumes situation 1 from above. Eating a deficit and exercising a deficit is only a possibility if you are very obese and not eating at a huge deficit, e.g. weigh 400lbs and eating 1000 cal per day.

RllyGudTweetr

I've been known to exercise for the sole purpose of being able to eat more, and I'm not the only one.

I have been known to spend an extra hour at the gym on pizza/chocolate/ice cream/wine Friday

Your gym has pizza/chocolate/ice cream/wine Fridays?

:drinker: Sign me up!