Eating back calories?

runway12
runway12 Posts: 63 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm a little confused on it..so stupid question of the day is... :)

Say for example I eat 1800 cals a day then I go run and burn 300. So does that mean I should now eat 2100 cals to get those back? Is that how it works?

Replies

  • PaytraB
    PaytraB Posts: 2,360 Member
    Yes.
    However, if you're basing your burned calories on MFP's database, the calorie count is probably a bit high so you may not want to eat back more than half or three quarters of your calorie burn, just to be sure that you're not overeating.
  • chicagonick93
    chicagonick93 Posts: 14
    if you eat 1,800 calories and burn 300 calories
    you can eat those 300 calories back.
    everyone will tell you something different

    i never eat my calories back
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    If you are intending on doing MFP the way it is set up you SHOULD be eating those calories back.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    If you're using MFP's numbers, yes.

    If you're using a TDEE method or some other way of figuring your calorie goal, probably not.

    With the caveat that this assumes no medical conditions and an accurate estimate of the number of calories you're eating and burning.
  • Dyann_Alvarez
    Dyann_Alvarez Posts: 61 Member
    If you are intending on doing MFP the way it is set up you SHOULD be eating those calories back.

    This. For sure.
  • prettyhaze
    prettyhaze Posts: 6
    great question! I also wonder too cos it motivates me to exercise because I love to eat.hahaah it's like I run and then I eat.haha but normally I am under my calorie within the day except if we go out and eat in a restaurant.
  • JonnyQwest
    JonnyQwest Posts: 174 Member
    You shouldn't eat your calories back IMHO because there are way too many variables involved to accurately account for how many calories you are allowed to "eat back", it's nonsense to think you can get it down to the exact calorie....the body doesn't actually work like that so why waste your time trying to assume that it does? Just get on the scale once a week and fluctuate your diet accordingly. I dont even log my exercise most of the time because I dont want it skewing my numbers but I am maintaining just fine without it.....as a matter of fact, I STRONGLY feel that if I were logging my exercise and eating back what it told me I should be able to, I would be gaining weight very quickly. Don't over complicate it.

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