Do you use Workout Calories?

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24

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  • idundidit
    idundidit Posts: 20
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    Eating back calories is all about maintaining energy so you don't get burnt out. I personally don't consume any caffeine in my diet, and I eat back all of my exercise calories. It's simple science, food is energy. If you use up all of your food calories exercising, you will have less energy. Just as with a car, if you use up all of the gasoline you put into it, you will have little gasoline left to keep driving the distance. I never feel burnt out and always have energy, and when I don't eat back my exercise calories I can barely stay up past 8PM.

    I'm not an expert by any means... but come on. It seems like simple knowledge here. If you're not feeling worn out without eating your exercise calories, then you may not need them. Personally, I do.
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
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    I lost all my weight while eating back every single exercise calorie.
  • Laura3BB
    Laura3BB Posts: 250 Member
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    Eat them back if you calculate them with an HRM.
    Eat half back otherwise - MFP overestimates burns consequently.
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
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    Agree with cwolfman13, I use a Polar FT60 hrm and I consume 85% of those calories burned during steady state cardio... My Weight lifting calories are based on a period of time establishing a calorie burn number not based on my hrm monitor but I also consume them as well.... Best of Luckkk
  • TheConsciousFoody
    TheConsciousFoody Posts: 607 Member
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    I eat about half back, sometimes more depending on how many I burn.
  • denny_menter
    denny_menter Posts: 34 Member
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    Eat them back, but beware of eating too many back. Runners weight gain is fairly common. We work so hard that we think we can eat whatever we want afterward. It's real easy to burn 6 miles' worth of calories and eat 7 back to "reward" yourself.
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
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    i'm down 90 pounds or so and i lift every day, do cardio every day and eat 1400 calories, with eating nothing back.

    i don't understand why you'd want to eat back calories you burned off, what's the point in that?

    and don't tell me "starvation mode" bs.

    deficit = loss.
    You're missing the point of exercise.

    And if your deficit is already optimal, then creating a bigger deficit is not better.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    i'm down 90 pounds or so and i lift every day, do cardio every day and eat 1400 calories, with eating nothing back.

    i don't understand why you'd want to eat back calories you burned off, what's the point in that?

    and don't tell me "starvation mode" bs.

    deficit = loss.

    You eat 1,400 calories a day?

    Deficit = loss, yes. But what are you losing?
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
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    i'm down 90 pounds or so and i lift every day, do cardio every day and eat 1400 calories, with eating nothing back.

    i don't understand why you'd want to eat back calories you burned off, what's the point in that?

    and don't tell me "starvation mode" bs.

    deficit = loss.

    You eat 1,400 calories a day?

    Deficit = loss, yes. But what are you losing?
    Muscle, strength, vigor, energy, potential, etc.
  • levitateme
    levitateme Posts: 999 Member
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    You eat 1,400 calories a day?

    Deficit = loss, yes. But what are you losing?

    Not the original poster of this, but I eat about 1400-1600 a day on average (my goal is 1350, so I am eating back some of my exercise calories) and I have lost 2 lbs a week consistently for the past 3 weeks. My log is open and sometimes I even eat WAY too much (2100 the night I made a bad decision that involved Newman-Os)

    Either MFP sets calorie goals way too low OR I have a much higher metabolism than I ever thought.
  • Chairless
    Chairless Posts: 588 Member
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    If i am hungry.
  • BlueBombers
    BlueBombers Posts: 4,065 Member
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    Most of them, yes
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
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    You eat 1,400 calories a day?

    Deficit = loss, yes. But what are you losing?

    Not the original poster of this, but I eat about 1400-1600 a day on average (my goal is 1350, so I am eating back some of my exercise calories) and I have lost 2 lbs a week consistently for the past 3 weeks. My log is open and sometimes I even eat WAY too much (2100 the night I made a bad decision that involved Newman-Os)

    Either MFP sets calorie goals way too low OR I have a much higher metabolism than I ever thought.

    men have higher calorie needs
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
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    You eat 1,400 calories a day?

    Deficit = loss, yes. But what are you losing?

    Not the original poster of this, but I eat about 1400-1600 a day on average (my goal is 1350, so I am eating back some of my exercise calories) and I have lost 2 lbs a week consistently for the past 3 weeks. My log is open and sometimes I even eat WAY too much (2100 the night I made a bad decision that involved Newman-Os)

    Either MFP sets calorie goals way too low OR I have a much higher metabolism than I ever thought.

    The individual you are quoting (not Sara but the person she is questioning) is a male and as such I can guarantee his calorie intake should be higher than 1400...
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    You eat 1,400 calories a day?

    Deficit = loss, yes. But what are you losing?

    Not the original poster of this, but I eat about 1400-1600 a day on average (my goal is 1350, so I am eating back some of my exercise calories) and I have lost 2 lbs a week consistently for the past 3 weeks. My log is open and sometimes I even eat WAY too much (2100 the night I made a bad decision that involved Newman-Os)

    Either MFP sets calorie goals way too low OR I have a much higher metabolism than I ever thought.

    He is a 29 year old male and from his pic is pretty lean.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    You eat 1,400 calories a day?

    Deficit = loss, yes. But what are you losing?

    Not the original poster of this, but I eat about 1400-1600 a day on average (my goal is 1350, so I am eating back some of my exercise calories) and I have lost 2 lbs a week consistently for the past 3 weeks. My log is open and sometimes I even eat WAY too much (2100 the night I made a bad decision that involved Newman-Os)

    Either MFP sets calorie goals way too low OR I have a much higher metabolism than I ever thought.

    The individual you are quoting (not Sara but the person she is questioning) is a male and as such I can guarantee his calorie intake should be higher than 1400...

    Actually, it most likely is. He has logged 15 days (most of which were incomplete) out of the last 3 months!
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
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    You eat 1,400 calories a day?

    Deficit = loss, yes. But what are you losing?

    Not the original poster of this, but I eat about 1400-1600 a day on average (my goal is 1350, so I am eating back some of my exercise calories) and I have lost 2 lbs a week consistently for the past 3 weeks. My log is open and sometimes I even eat WAY too much (2100 the night I made a bad decision that involved Newman-Os)

    Either MFP sets calorie goals way too low OR I have a much higher metabolism than I ever thought.

    The individual you are quoting (not Sara but the person she is questioning) is a male and as such I can guarantee his calorie intake should be higher than 1400...

    Actually, it most likely is. He has logged 15 days (most of which were incomplete) out of the last 3 months!
    I will never understand why people give out advice telling others to do something based on the premise they do it and it "works for them" when in fact they don't actually do what they claim they're doing.
  • Otterluv
    Otterluv Posts: 9,083 Member
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    You eat 1,400 calories a day?

    Deficit = loss, yes. But what are you losing?

    Not the original poster of this, but I eat about 1400-1600 a day on average (my goal is 1350, so I am eating back some of my exercise calories) and I have lost 2 lbs a week consistently for the past 3 weeks. My log is open and sometimes I even eat WAY too much (2100 the night I made a bad decision that involved Newman-Os)

    Either MFP sets calorie goals way too low OR I have a much higher metabolism than I ever thought.

    The individual you are quoting (not Sara but the person she is questioning) is a male and as such I can guarantee his calorie intake should be higher than 1400...

    Actually, it most likely is. He has logged 15 days (most of which were incomplete) out of the last 3 months!
    I will never understand why people give out advice telling others to do something based on the premise they do it and it "works for them" when in fact they don't actually do what they claim they're doing.

    Yep, it's baffling.


    OP: I eat them back. But, I don't go by MFP calculations for my burns, as they tend to be off. For running/walking: I put in a bit under 100 calories a mile for walking and a bit over 100 calories per mile for running, adjusting as necessary. Otherwise, as the other runner mentioned, I would probably eat way more than I burned because OMG THE HUNGER!!! Running, especially longer distances (>10 miles) makes me want to eat everything in sight. Having a deficit while trying to progress with my lifting/running is difficult, and if I do it for too long than I feel it (exhaustion, progress stopping, etc.). I can't imagine running an even higher deficit by not eating back my exercise calories. Wow. That would be AWFUL.
  • TriShamelessly
    TriShamelessly Posts: 905 Member
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    Find what works for you. I will hazard a guess that if you are exercising hard enough, you will need the extra calories to fuel your body.

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