To eat or not to eat calories burned?

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  • janicelo1971
    janicelo1971 Posts: 823 Member
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    I eat 1225 a day and initially I was eating all my calories back..i use a heart rate monitor and feel pretty confident I entered the correct # of calories burned...However I was not losing any weight and for 9 months maintained...as of 3 weeks ago I stopped eating calories back and have lost 2 pounds...however im pretty lazy ...so my motivation for working out has diminished as before I did it to eat MORE (and yes to be healthy and stronger also..)
  • brittany2188
    brittany2188 Posts: 63
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    I was eating back little to none of them to begin with. Then I realized I wasn't even netting 1200 calories a day. I fixed that real quick and made sure I was getting AT LEAST 1200. Oops :/
  • _lyndseybrooke_
    _lyndseybrooke_ Posts: 2,561 Member
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    Depends. If you're using MFP recommendations, you should be eating most, if not all, of your exercise calories back. If you're using the TDEE method, then no, you shouldn't eat them back.
  • suejenfb
    suejenfb Posts: 54 Member
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    I eat some of them back because I'm usually hungry if I don't. I try not to go below 1200 calories for the day. I never eat them all back.
  • norcalskater
    norcalskater Posts: 194 Member
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    Eat them. MFP already adds in the deficit. If you eat with a deficit and do not eat burned calories back often times people who do this don't lose weight because your body has a natural reaction and will start to slow your metabolism down and hold onto fat longer because it's not getting enough calories put in. You might lose weight in the beginning of doing this but when your body figures out whats going on that will cease.
  • ElizabethElane
    ElizabethElane Posts: 92 Member
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    Well, if you eat to much then you can always burn them away but when I don't I tend not to eat them most of the time...but sometimes I do. I suppose it can't hurt anything
  • WaterBunnie
    WaterBunnie Posts: 1,370 Member
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    MFP is designed with a deficit in place already.
    If you're using an HRM for steady state cardio, it's still an estimate.. but a closer one than the database on MFP.

    That said; eat a portion of them back. Losing faster isn't necessarily the goal.

    I'll go with this. I use a FitBit so know my burn rates are fairly accurate. Vastly undereating would just make me lethargic. 1.5lbs-2lbs per week is a big enough deficit already in my opinion so I eat them all back across the week and feel much better for it. I have a lot to lose over a long period of time though and want to come out of it with my own hair and teeth ;-)
  • buzybev
    buzybev Posts: 199 Member
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    I eat them back. I wonder how many people have their weekly weight loss goal set to 2lbs...
  • kristie874
    kristie874 Posts: 774 Member
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    Definitely check out this link! DO eat your exercise calories. It's quite important. I've been on this ride before and lost 85 pounds (long story as to the gain back) eating back my calories. At first I didn't and I quickly noticed very slow weight loss. I decided to test eating back my burned calories and the weight started coming off quickly! Your body needs fuel for daily functioning as well as workouts. You can seriously cause your metabolism to slow if you don't eat enough and you could begin burning muscle instead of fat. :(
  • JackieRL55
    JackieRL55 Posts: 144 Member
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    Please see here:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf

    My own personal research and consultation with SEVERAL nutritionists and trainers supports the quoted post so I highly recommend reading it. I also eat back 50% at a minimum, mostly because when I workout I need the extra energy and I'm STARVING afterword so my regular sized meals don't normally satisfy me.

    Bottom line, do your own research to confirm and listen to your body. If you need all the calories then eat them. If you can't eat one more ounce of food then don't.
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
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    I eat them back. I wonder how many people have their weekly weight loss goal set to 2lbs...
    too damn many. Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many 1200 threads.
  • EreborsPrincess
    EreborsPrincess Posts: 139
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    For now, as a person with a hundred pounds to lose, I hoard all of my exercise calories like a cat lady hoards tuna.

    I love this analogy! :laugh: :drinker:
  • sjdowhower
    sjdowhower Posts: 15 Member
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    Like other people, I eat back some not all. I have over 70 lbs to lose so I'm set at 1200 calories a day right now. However I exercise 5-6 times a week and I tend to eat in the 1400-1500 range before exercise. There are times that I don't eat them back, like if I know I'm going to be going out for dinner one night and drinking I will tend to "save" up some my extra calories I get from working out during the week because I know I will need them. No matter what anyone say you do need to do what works for your body. Some people benefit from eating them some people benefit by eating half and some do best not eating any.
  • buzybev
    buzybev Posts: 199 Member
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    I eat them back. I wonder how many people have their weekly weight loss goal set to 2lbs...
    too damn many. Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many 1200 threads.

    Ah. Yes. And I love all of the "MFP gave me that number ALL by itself!" comments that usually fill them.
  • ToogieTuesday
    ToogieTuesday Posts: 29
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    I do but I try to do so by adding more protein as it's what my working muscles need it. =)

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