Eating your Exercise Calories?

Clarehc

Agree you might want to up your cals. I've about 10lb (or maybe 5lb) to lose too and my progress has slowed right down to a crawl. Previously I was losing 1-2lb a week on the 1200 limit but once I'd lost around 40lb, I plateaued and assume it's those last few pounds being stubborn. I changed my settings to half a pound a week which gives me 1600 cals a day (seems loads) and I exercise every day too. I don't eat back all the cals I earn as I couldn't fit it all in but I am trying to eat closer to my limit. I'm also focusing on trying to tone up (the flipping Mummy tummy just won't shift!) rather than watching the scales at this point in the journey. I'm 5' 5" and 139lb now, if that helps.

jmv7117

Do you eat your exercise calories? If so do you still lose weight? I've been sort of eating mine but not all and have not lost weight. Just wondering if I should just stick to my calories or if I should eat all of my exercise calories - which way to go??

I eat back some but not all even now when I have already met my weight goal. Some days this gives me a high deficit but it works for me. You may have to tinker a bit to see which works best for you. In general, if accurately logging calories in and not over estimating calories burned, you would eat back your exercise calories when using MFP. However, the calories burned is usually over valued in the database so most are eating back only a portion. If you are using the TDEE method, then no you don't eat your exercise calories back but rather if tracking eat according to your TDEE minus your value for weight loss (10%, 15% or 20%) and record your exercise as 1. That way you track your activity without tracking the calories burned.

stephe1987

I don't think eating them all back is a good idea. I'd say eat back about half. That way if you underestimate what you eat and overestimate your burn you're still going to be fine.

amaysngrace

I always eat half of them back. It has worked with me thus far. I started at 238 pounds and I am 5 ft 3.

melnorwich

i think the biggest problem with eating calories back is knowing how many calories you've burnt as the readouts on machines, calculations or MFP etc may not be accurate. I also didnt realise the difference between net and gross calories until about a month ago.

jld0411

The answer - like everything is - it depends. If you're doing heavy lifting or heavy cardio, you definitely need to replace the macros or your body is going to enter starvation mode and you're NOT going to lose no matter what you do. Or, are you counting calories burned every time you park in the far parking lot and walk into the store, and counting calories for doing house work? I'm not saying people shouldn't count that as exercise - what you count is up to you - but I would not recommend eating 500 more calories per day if your burn is coming from normal, daily activities. You do NOT need to replace those types of calorie burn because that's already included in your BMR.

What are you refueling it WITH? If you're filling up your exercise calories with Doritos and Hershey bars, no you won't lose. Your body doesn't know what to do with fake food (I highly recommend reading Master Your Metabolism for more information on this topic). But if you're eating lean proteins, fruits and veggies (a banana post workout is excellent!), healthy fats (walnuts, avocados, etc) then YES you will lose.

When I was REALLY dropping the weight, I ate a very strict diet of real foods, six times per day, and my caloric intake was between 1600-1700 (my goal to lose is 1200). My workouts were five times per week at one hour each, 85% of max AT LEAST, burning roughly 700 calories per session. I went from size 12 to size 4 and 150lbs to 127lbs in just under 5 months. But that was no cheating, no tastes, no treats, hard (albeit not impossible) to maintain in the long term. You can argue that it was simply the calorie deficit that caused the weight loss, but I don't completely agree. I didn't keep up that regimen, gained back about ten pounds, and now I'm trying to lose it again. I don't eat a completely clean diet. My workouts are the same, but I'm eating treats. Chips, candy, etc. if I have "room" at the end of the day. Even though I'm usually under my limit, the weight isn't coming off like it was before. I'm convinced it's the quality of food (or lack of quality) that's causing it. Everyone is different, though. See if you can find that book, I think it will answer a lot of your questions.

As far as how many calories you're actually burning, get a heart rate monitor with a chest strap. That's the only way to know for sure. Everything else is just an estimate.

jld0411

Are you measuring and weighing your food? Food intake can EASILY be more than what you think it is. I always use my coffee creamer as an example. I was eyeballing it for a while thinking, "that's about a tablespoon." 35 calories. When I actually measured it, I was using double. That will add up pretty quickly. It's a pain in the you know what, but if you're working out that much and not losing, make sure you measure everything.

For what it's worth, I always wear a HRM when I work out. When I was with my trainer back in the day, I'd often burn less with him than I could burn working out on my own. That's not going to be true for every person with every trainer, but it was true for me. Get a HRM, measure your food, eat real food, and I'm willing to bet those pounds will start coming off again.

Also, vary your workout routine. If you're doing the same thing over and over, your body will adapt and that will become 'normal'. Switch it up every couple of weeks, vary and increase the intensity. That should help, too!

njitaliana

The amount of calories that MFP says you burn is double what you really burn. The counts are not accurate. If you use an exercise bike or a heart monitor or whatever, you will see this. My diet doctor said that if a person is a marathon runner or weight-lifting 200 lbs on a regular basis, they should eat back the exercise calories. He said a regular person who just does an hour of exercise a day shouldn't eat back the calories. My dietician said the same thing. So, I don't eat mine back.

MPD6944

What are you refueling it WITH? If you're filling up your exercise calories with Doritos and Hershey bars, no you won't lose. Your body doesn't know what to do with fake food (I highly recommend reading Master Your Metabolism for more information on this topic). But if you're eating lean proteins, fruits and veggies (a banana post workout is excellent!), healthy fats (walnuts, avocados, etc) then YES you will lose.

MPD6944

Thanks I will definitely try to find that book! I do not count my daily steps/activities. I only count my workouts which I do want to amp up. I usually do 30 min of cardio 4 days/week and personal trainer for 30 min. 2 days a week. I want to up the cardio to an hour and maybe that will help too. I'm pretty new at this website and plan, I did WW for so many years and just recently stopped as I didn't feel it helped me anymore, I want to concentrate more on the types of food I am eating and like you said not eat so much junk food, still working on that but I have gotten better. Thanks again for everyone's input!

Eoghann

The amount of calories that MFP says you burn is double what you really burn. The counts are not accurate. If you use an exercise bike or a heart monitor or whatever, you will see this. My diet doctor said that if a person is a marathon runner or weight-lifting 200 lbs on a regular basis, they should eat back the exercise calories. He said a regular person who just does an hour of exercise a day shouldn't eat back the calories. My dietician said the same thing. So, I don't eat mine back.

In that scenario it would make sense. However, for someone like me who uses a sedentary setting and has a FitBit on all day, it makes sense to eat some of the exercise calories. The number calculated is reasonably accurate and substantial (900 or more some days).

Keefypoos

'You do NOT need to replace those types of calorie burn because that's already included in your BMR. '

BMR dose not take into account any exercise it is the calories burnt at rest 24/7

hamburgerthighs

Yes, I eat my exercise calories. I have a big appetite, so I have to exercise daily just meet my goals. When I don't I go significantly over. In fact, I'm considering exercising twice daily to have a buffer and increase my results. I'm not sure that there is a way around this for me.

hamburgerthighs

Also, contrary to the other posts, my experience has been that Myfitnesspal calorie burn calculator is less than the read out on my treadmill.

ksy1969

Do you eat your exercise calories? If so do you still lose weight? I've been sort of eating mine but not all and have not lost weight. Just wondering if I should just stick to my calories or if I should eat all of my exercise calories - which way to go??

Please start here >>> http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

criticaltodd

I've been eating back my exercise calories and been losing weight. Not sure if it matters, but when I calculated my caloric goals, I used the "sedentary" setting as my base. This way, I think, no exercise is included that I don't enter in myself from my actual workouts.