Do I HAVE to eat my exercise calories??

marialynn2014
marialynn2014 Posts: 89 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am just starting out. My daily goal is 1460 cals, but I am burning on avg about 300 cals/day. This was my first weigh in week and I lost almost 4lbs (YAHOO!) and 3 inches on my waist (EVEN BETTER!!).

I know this won't be every week, but I haven't eaten my exercise cals because I've felt very satisfied at the 1400 mark. Should I just stay doing what I'm doing until I start losing less and then eat those cals or should I get in the habit now of eating the extra calories???

What did you do starting out?! THANKS IN ADVANCE :)
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Replies

  • NaturallyandProperly
    NaturallyandProperly Posts: 138 Member
    Welcome! Yes, if you are following MFP. You don't want your net calories to go below 1200. If you are eating 1460 - 300 calories burned per day, you want to be eating 1760 a day. Good luck!
  • holothuroidea
    holothuroidea Posts: 772 Member
    If you're following MFP's suggested calorie amount, yes you do need to eat your exercise calories.

    MFP already gives you a calorie deficit for weight loss, don't try to add to that deficit or you're going to end up in the pool of "why is this going so slow? why am I so tired? what am I doing wrong?" posters.
  • AlishaRutledge25
    AlishaRutledge25 Posts: 18 Member
    I'm glad you asked this!! I have been wanting to know and did not know how to make a post about it! I have been losing 2lbs every week almost since I started. Sometimes I do eat them back and sometimes I don't. I was told once you should eat at least half of those calories back. Another thing I'm curious about Is, a lot of times I have 4-500 cal left over but ill be right on in my protein and carbs and stuff. Do those matter if your just counting calories or how does that work!!! lol
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    I am just starting out. My daily goal is 1460 cals, but I am burning on avg about 300 cals/day. This was my first weigh in week and I lost almost 4lbs (YAHOO!) and 3 inches on my waist (EVEN BETTER!!).

    I know this won't be every week, but I haven't eaten my exercise cals because I've felt very satisfied at the 1400 mark. Should I just stay doing what I'm doing until I start losing less and then eat those cals or should I get in the habit now of eating the extra calories???

    What did you do starting out?! THANKS IN ADVANCE :)

    A goal is a goal, its what you should be trying to hit. If your goal is 1460 calories that means you should NET 1460 calories every day that you can. If you eat 1460 and then burn 300 you net 1160 and therefore you are missing your goal. Undershooting your goal is not additional success, it is failing to meet your goal.
  • dmariet116
    dmariet116 Posts: 530 Member
    That's a good question! I really don't understand completely either. Mfp calculates the amount of calories you should eat with your exercise level as part of the equation. I guess it comes down to whatever works best for you. If its easy for you to throw in an extra 300 calories a day, see how that works. If it's going to be difficult based on your meal plans, then stick with the 1400 per day until you can plan and shop for next weeks meals.
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
    If you go to MYHOME > GOALS then you will see a breakdown of your weight loss profile. If you don’t eat back some or all of your exercise calories, you could be creating too large of a calorie deficiency which is not good because your body will not have enough calories/fuel to burn away the fat/pounds.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    That's a good question! I really don't understand completely either. Mfp calculates the amount of calories you should eat with your exercise level as part of the equation. I guess it comes down to whatever works best for you. If its easy for you to throw in an extra 300 calories a day, see how that works. If it's going to be difficult based on your meal plans, then stick with the 1400 per day until you can plan and shop for next weeks meals.
    No, it doesn't. It calculates it with your activity level (desk job v. messenger job, chasing around toddlers v. couch potato). Your exercise level is different and it does not calculate that, it expects that you will add and eat the calories back. A TDEE calculator would take exercise into account and not have you eat them back, but MFP does not use TDEE.

    Correct. MFP does NOT include exercise calories burned into your goal and ASSUMES that you are going to eat them back. So you should eat them back, you don't want to disappoint the MFP calculator do you?
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    you could be creating too large of a calorie deficiency which is not good because your body will not have enough calories/fuel to burn away the fat/pounds.

    Err...well no. Its bad because your body needs a certain number of calories to function healthily. You need nutrition and you need a certain amount of macros and your calorie goal reflects that. If you exercise you need to eat those calories back to ensure your deficit isn't too great. If your deficit it too great you will lose weight faster, meaning you will lose fat...and muscle...and bone density and your fitness level and strength.

    There isn't some deficit point at which if you eat less you stop losing fat though.
  • Togi11
    Togi11 Posts: 20
    I sometimes save up my uneaten calories during the week for my day off (where I don't track food or exercise) and eat something yummy. This has been a good tactic so far and helps me avoid deprivation mode. I don't go super crazy but if I want a ice cream or chocolate bar then I don't feel bad about it.
  • YorriaRaine
    YorriaRaine Posts: 370 Member
    If you get super confused about the mfp method, don't know if your overestimating or under, you could just switch to TDEE method.
  • ricki011
    ricki011 Posts: 89 Member
    If you are burning 1000+ calories, you should be eating some of them back with good solid nutrients.
    otherwise a 500 calorie deficit is what I shoot for. I don't always accomplish that, but that's my goal; exercise calories or food calories. 500 calories a day from exercise works out better for me because it not only lets me eat a little more, but it helps me stay focused on exercising, helps my depression and ultimately helps my appetite. It works for me.
  • marialynn2014
    marialynn2014 Posts: 89 Member
    Thank you!! I will definitely start eating those calories!!! :)
  • Bloomboom
    Bloomboom Posts: 31 Member
    I can tell you what happened to me. I started on the MediFast program (VLCD) and the weight came off. I lost over 35 pounds in around 90 days (Oct 23-Jan 15). This was controlled eating. Unsustainable but controlled calories of around 1000 per day. Too few calories...lethargic, moody, hard to focus on things, etc....and way to frickin hungry!! Since January, I have been on my own. Learning, experimenting with my body, gaining a few pounds, losing the same few pounds, "yo-yoing" I guess.

    MFP was set to 1400 calories (my error) and I worked out 3X/week ~500 calories per day, per my HRM. On my rest days, I walked on my "working treadmill". Averaging 2.5 hrs/ 15000 steps/ ~5 miles / ~550 calories. I never ate those "walking" calories back. I gained weight (~4 pounds). Sometimes I even walked on my treadmill after working out. Because I was concerned, I started to see a dietician. She made a lot of sense of my madness and she has been worth the time for me.

    I had my MFP set too low. I wasn't eating my walking calories back, nor was I eating 50% of my exercise calories back and I was trying to over-compensate with additional exercise (calorie burns) to lose the weight I had put on. I have since corrected some of my errors and I am on the way back down.

    Long answer to your question but for me the answer is yes, I have to eat them back. IMO you should be eating at least a percentage back, too. I think I am too new to give you advice on what that percentage should be. It seems counter productive to eat to lose weight but that's what I need to do.
  • salvationsdying
    salvationsdying Posts: 205 Member
    Ive lost 30 pounds since the middle of February. I have a fit bit flex that I sync with mfp. Some days I only eat 1400 calories (I get 1800) some days I eat as much as 2000(that includes some of my work out calories from my fit bit). All in all ive still been losing about 2 pounds a week. Which works for me.

    Ive heard you should eat 50% of your workout calories back. I say experiament. see what works for you. a friend on my friends list say she seen a nutritionist and they told her the 50% as well
  • Lillyeatslilies
    Lillyeatslilies Posts: 91
    My goal is 1220 (damn office job) so I definitely make sure I eat those exercise calories or else I wouldn't be getting enough protein and carbs to fuel my body. It's kind of exciting like "Yes! I get to eat some more!!! Go me!"
  • marialynn2014
    marialynn2014 Posts: 89 Member
    Oh boy. I forgot to change my activity level when I went casual from FT at my nursing job! That changes everything! Now I am super excited to have those extra exercise cals b/c I'm now supposed to be at 1200 and not 1460 anymore. Whoopsie ;) thanks again for all the advice. It's great to ask a question and responses so quickly!
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    That's a good question! I really don't understand completely either. Mfp calculates the amount of calories you should eat with your exercise level as part of the equation. I guess it comes down to whatever works best for you. If its easy for you to throw in an extra 300 calories a day, see how that works. If it's going to be difficult based on your meal plans, then stick with the 1400 per day until you can plan and shop for next weeks meals.

    No .......MFP does not include exercise. MFP includes activity only. This is sedentary, lightly active .....whatever.

    The reason MFP does this is some people can't/won't exercise.....numbers MFP gives will work for them too.

    The purpose of eating calories back, when the calorie deficit is too large you will lose fat + muscle....as opposed to mainly muscle. Now the hard part......calorie burns are estimates. If using MFP numbers try eating back 50-75%. If you feel run down.....eat more.

    TDEE (total daily energy expenditure).....this is a different method, it does include exercise. You could use this number minus a percent.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Oh boy. I forgot to change my activity level when I went casual from FT at my nursing job! That changes everything! Now I am super excited to have those extra exercise cals b/c I'm now supposed to be at 1200 and not 1460 anymore. Whoopsie ;) thanks again for all the advice. It's great to ask a question and responses so quickly!

    FWIW - 1200 is MFP's lowest DEFAULT minimum. While there are a few women (older & petite) that do have to go this low....most women can lose weight with higher numbers. Check your BMR ......make sure you've got that covered. Losing too quickly can lead to muscle loss. Skinny-fat is not a good look.

    http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/
  • holothuroidea
    holothuroidea Posts: 772 Member
    A goal is a goal, its what you should be trying to hit. If your goal is 1460 calories that means you should NET 1460 calories every day that you can. If you eat 1460 and then burn 300 you net 1160 and therefore you are missing your goal. Undershooting your goal is not additional success, it is failing to meet your goal.

    We should get this put in big bold letters at the top of the MFP page. It's the most common mistake people make here.
  • marialynn2014
    marialynn2014 Posts: 89 Member
    ^^^ Totally agree and this is so well said!
  • Tifftiff321
    Tifftiff321 Posts: 61
    Sometimes I eat mine if I'm hungry but if your not hungry don't eat
  • Love62
    Love62 Posts: 18
    I never eat my exercise calories unless I'm celebrating a special holiday or my birthday. I am at 1420 calories a day and I'm very satisfied even after burning up calories. I think everyone is different. I remember when I did Weight Watchers and they too were telling us to eat our exercise points and I just couldn't, I was and still am full by all the food I eat now.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    1200 is what MFP tells you when you go so aggressive in your requested pounds lost per week that MFP bottoms out (it refuses to go below 1200 as it considers below 1200 to be unsafe for pretty much anyone). Truth is though 1200 is pretty unsafe/unsustainable for most people and unless you are a 70 year old 4 foot tall sedentary woman 1200 calories is likely not enough for you, 1460 sounded much more reasonable as an amount to NET (meaning after you eat back calories burned from exercise).
  • NaturallyandProperly
    NaturallyandProperly Posts: 138 Member
    Oh boy. I forgot to change my activity level when I went casual from FT at my nursing job! That changes everything! Now I am super excited to have those extra exercise cals b/c I'm now supposed to be at 1200 and not 1460 anymore. Whoopsie ;) thanks again for all the advice. It's great to ask a question and responses so quickly!

    1200 will be too low. :) Stick to 1460 for a while and see how you do. I don't know how tall you are or what you weigh though.
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
    you could be creating too large of a calorie deficiency which is not good because your body will not have enough calories/fuel to burn away the fat/pounds.

    Err...well no. Its bad because your body needs a certain number of calories to function healthily. You need nutrition and you need a certain amount of macros and your calorie goal reflects that. If you exercise you need to eat those calories back to ensure your deficit isn't too great. If your deficit it too great you will lose weight faster, meaning you will lose fat...and muscle...and bone density and your fitness level and strength.

    There isn't some deficit point at which if you eat less you stop losing fat though.

    For me, I don't lose if I don't eat enough calories. I am not a special snowflake but it's the way my body works.
  • remg81
    remg81 Posts: 8 Member
    I have not been eating my exercise calories and haven't lost in over a week! I stupidly thought that if I eat less and workout more, I would just lose but that's not the case. I am changing strategy this week and eating my exercise calories!
  • Chezzie84
    Chezzie84 Posts: 873 Member
    I am a special snowflake, my mommy says so!!
  • marialynn2014
    marialynn2014 Posts: 89 Member
    Oh boy. I forgot to change my activity level when I went casual from FT at my nursing job! That changes everything! Now I am super excited to have those extra exercise cals b/c I'm now supposed to be at 1200 and not 1460 anymore. Whoopsie ;) thanks again for all the advice. It's great to ask a question and responses so quickly!

    1200 will be too low. :) Stick to 1460 for a while and see how you do. I don't know how tall you are or what you weigh though.

    Currently 226 at 5'6ish
  • NaturallyandProperly
    NaturallyandProperly Posts: 138 Member
    To give you an idea, I started at 208, am 5'4" tall and my calorie goal started around 1900 a day and I eat back my exercise calories. I've lost 17 pounds since January and my current calorie goal is 1690 and I eat back my exercise calories. So, I think you should eat more. :D
  • HMonsterX
    HMonsterX Posts: 3,000 Member
    To be totally fair, you dont need to eat them all back all the time.

    Try to stay over 1200 net, sure, but on odd days it wont matter. Also, i personally like to stay a little under my goal, in order to act as a "buffer" for things i may not have accounted for. The milk in my coffees, etc.

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