Dont eat back cals says the adorable little personal trainer

broox80
broox80 Posts: 1,195 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
My agency just hired a personal trainer to come and do crossfit with us once a week. I was asking him about logging my crossfit in my exercise. He said, "well if you want to lose weight, why on earth would you log your calories burned?" I told him that I had always thought you needed to fuel your exercise. He said, "No, I am telling you how to lose weight, do NOT eat back your exercise calories." I probably wont eat them back, I almost never do except for the weekends. At this point adding in my exercise I am going to net around 800 calories. So now I am confused.

Replies

  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member
    Read this:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf

    ETA:
    and read the link in it
  • runner_girl83
    runner_girl83 Posts: 553 Member
    Have you been eating back exercise calories up until now? This is where it is confusing for a lot of people! Will be checking back here to see what others suggest.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    And how do you know how many calories to eat back? This is where the problem stems I believe. Not to mention you may have not specified you are EATING at a deficit.
  • broox80
    broox80 Posts: 1,195 Member
    I only eat back exercise cals if I am hungry and sometimes on the weekends I will. I am eating at about a 25% deficit from my TDEE.
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
    This person might not be aware that MFP has already designed your calorie allowance with a deficit built in. Do MFP the way it was designed, unless you are doing the TDEE method.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    So now I am confused.

    Despite the marketing material, Crossfit doesn't burn large amounts of calories, for most participants. It is very common on MFP to see people stalling because they're eating back over-estimated calories.

    Your trainer's advice is fine - just monitor your body, and if you start dragging during training, you know it's telling you to eat a little bit more.
  • broox80
    broox80 Posts: 1,195 Member
    the 25% deficit is almost the same as the 1 lb per week loss that MFP gives.
  • GoRun2
    GoRun2 Posts: 478 Member
    I eat my exercise calories. I run to eat. I lost 30 lbs and I'm at my goal.

    Agree with poster above that MFP is designed for you to eat your exercisie calories. TDEE is not.
  • rides4sanity
    rides4sanity Posts: 1,269 Member
    If you are using TDEE, it already includes your activity so no you wouldn't eat back exercise calories. That being said you've lost >40lbs already, just keep doing what you are doing. It is working. great job...
  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member
    I only eat back exercise cals if I am hungry and sometimes on the weekends I will. I am eating at about a 25% deficit from my TDEE.

    If you are using the TDEE method, your exercise calories are already configured in with your daily calorie goal. So, you would not eat exercise calories back with this method.

    If you use MFP method, you are expected to eat them back. (or at least a portion)
  • broox80
    broox80 Posts: 1,195 Member
    I have been using the MFP 1 pound lost per week method so far. I just wanted to figure the TDEE and percentage cut compared to the MFP number. If I do the TDEE I am at an over 25-30% deficit. So I guess I do need to just pick one and follow it. So I will pick the MFP method and eat back some of my cals. I just didnt think netting 800 cals a day was good. I am confused now because I just started the crossfit and it is more exercise than I am used to. I usually do cardio for 30 minutes a day.
  • broox80
    broox80 Posts: 1,195 Member
    If you are using TDEE, it already includes your activity so no you wouldn't eat back exercise calories. That being said you've lost >40lbs already, just keep doing what you are doing. It is working. great job...

    Well thanks :)
  • runner_girl83
    runner_girl83 Posts: 553 Member
    I am confused now because I just started the crossfit and it is more exercise than I am used to. I usually do cardio for 30 minutes a day.

    I would wear a HRM if it is an option - It's the only thing I trust to give me the best reading of how many cals I lose during exercise. Also like the fact that it tells me when I am not working hard enough and when I am over-doing it! Most days I enter cardio exercises on MFP and it says I have burnt less cals than what the HRM tells me, so i enter what the HRM says.
  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member
    I have been using the MFP 1 pound lost per week method so far. I just wanted to figure the TDEE and percentage cut compared to the MFP number. If I do the TDEE I am at an over 25-30% deficit. So I guess I do need to just pick one and follow it. So I will pick the MFP method and eat back some of my cals. I just didnt think netting 800 cals a day was good. I am confused now because I just started the crossfit and it is more exercise than I am used to. I usually do cardio for 30 minutes a day.

    You are right, netting 800 calories per day is not a good approach. Read that link above and the link in it.

    Here is another one to browse:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/833026-important-posts-to-read
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
    well give it a try if it works great if not adjust
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    Are you eating MFP's recommended calories which DOES NOT INCLUDE exercise in its calculation?

    Does the trainer know this?

    Typically people eat a deficit off TDEE which includes exercise, and then you would not eat exercise calories. Probably this is what the trainer is thinking.
  • broox80
    broox80 Posts: 1,195 Member
    I told him that and he was acting like I was trying to make excuses to eat like a Fatty McFatterson!!! I am really not, I just dont want to screw up my metabolism more than it already is. I also told him that he is not as adorable as he thinks he is ;)
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    I told him that and he was acting like I was trying to make excuses to eat like a Fatty McFatterson!!! I am really not, I just dont want to screw up my metabolism more than it already is. I also told him that he is not as adorable as he thinks he is ;)

    He's probably not very good at math either.

    A properly set MFP + exercise calorie goal should be about the same as a properly set TDEE - % goal.

    Example:

    My TDEE is 2200. TDEE - 20% = 1760 calories.

    MFP figures my calorie needs without exercise is 1900. Then when I say I want to lose 1 pound a week, it deducts 500 calories and tells me to eat 1400. When I exercise, I burn about 300. 1400 + 300 = 1700.

    Figure out your numbers and disregard what the trainer says, as long as you know you are eating a proper deficit but not so much of a deficit that it will prevent you from training effectively.
  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
    I told him that and he was acting like I was trying to make excuses to eat like a Fatty McFatterson!!! I am really not, I just dont want to screw up my metabolism more than it already is. I also told him that he is not as adorable as he thinks he is ;)

    Did you add that you have lost 47 pounds doing it your way, and you see no reason to change? If not, remind him next time!
  • AbsoluteNG
    AbsoluteNG Posts: 1,079 Member
    You don't have to eat exercise calories back. Not eating them back will make you lose weight faster. Eating them back will make you lose weight slower. If you want to eat them back because it keeps from binging, then do it but that's the only real reason you'd need to do so. Proof below of someone who did not eat them back and she ate 1200 flat, every single day.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/981096-jillian-michaels-body-revolution-results-w-pic

    .
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    You don't have to eat exercise calories back. Not eating them back will make you lose weight faster. Eating them back will make you lose weight slower. If you want to eat them back because it keeps from binging, then do it but that's the only real reason you'd need to do so. Proof below of someone who did not eat them back and she ate 1200 flat, every single day.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/981096-jillian-michaels-body-revolution-results-w-pic

    .

    That is bad advice, for most people.
  • gmallan
    gmallan Posts: 2,099 Member
    I eat my exercise calories. I run to eat. I lost 30 lbs and I'm at my goal.

    I run to eat, I actually find that statement quite sad. I hate seeing people exercise for the sake of being able to eat more. Exercise should be about improving your fitness and overall health.

    I execise to get fitter and because it makes me feel amazing.

    To the OP - you need to eat to fuel your workouts while still being at a deficit in order to lose weight. MFP is just a tool to help you come up with a rough estimate of what this number should be. Beyond that, only exerience and experimentation will tell you what's going to work best for you.

    It really depends on how large your burn is. The larger the burn (i.e. the more exercise you're doing) the more likely it is you'll need to eat at least some calories back. If you're burning 200 cals a day from exercise you can probably get away with not eating them back. If you're burning 1000 cals a day then you're probably going to have to eat at least some back otherwise you're energy levels will suffer. In terms of what is most effective for weight loss, keep an eye on your numbers and the scale. If it's going down at a reaonable pace then you probably don't need to change anything. If it starts going down quicker than you'd like then eat more and vice versa

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