FITBIT && Eating Back Calories ?

donyellemoniquex3
donyellemoniquex3 Posts: 2,384 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Fitbit Flex owner. Should or Shouldn't I eat back all or at least SOME of my workout calories ?

Replies

  • weightliftingdiva
    weightliftingdiva Posts: 522 Member
    In because I'm getting my fitbit One on Saturday and I want to see people's responses.
  • ChristyB1117
    ChristyB1117 Posts: 51 Member
    I'm going to follow this for other opinions. But I have a Bodymedia fit and eat back most of my exercise calories. Sometimes I have really active days and leave a few hundred on the table. But that's not always a bad thing. I have about 40 more lbs. I would like to lose, but I currently average about 3 lbs a month which isn't too bad.
  • kimberlyblindsey
    kimberlyblindsey Posts: 266 Member
    Well I think there are variables involved here, which I think enable me to eat most if not all my cals back: a). my cals are set low--1200, which some may argue are too low, but I have small frame and working on vanity goals, so I'm trying to be vigilant, b). I started measuring my food with scales and measuring cups and counting everything down to the 50 cal. piece of chocolate and 45 cal iced coffee that pass my lips-no freebies for me, and c). I don't use MFP to log my weight lifting which I do at least five days a week for at least 30 min., so it's not logging that 100 cal or so burn. Therefore, I feel justified in eating those calories back and I'm making progress at a decent rate.
  • mickiebabs
    mickiebabs Posts: 183 Member
    It all depends on if I'm hungry enough. Normally I don't eat them back but sometimes I'll use them as a cushion so I can eat an extra snack. Or if I"m having a bad day and eat two rather large cookies like yesterday. I don't usually worry about it though.
  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,731 Member
    I'm going to follow this for other opinions. But I have a Bodymedia fit and eat back most of my exercise calories. Sometimes I have really active days and leave a few hundred on the table. But that's not always a bad thing. I have about 40 more lbs. I would like to lose, but I currently average about 3 lbs a month which isn't too bad.

    This. My Bodymedia is pretty accurate. It allows you to export reports into Excel and you can track changes in calories burned, calories consumed and weight changes side-by-side over time.

    If Fitbit is remotely as accurate, you should eat back at least some, if not all, of the calories it tells you to. Many people on this site have had a lot of success doing so.
  • spikrgrl503
    spikrgrl503 Posts: 247 Member
    I eat them back. Because I earn almost 500 cals a day. If I don´t I become ravenous.But I´m in the process of falling off the wagon, so take that as you will :)
  • lcantrell65
    lcantrell65 Posts: 228 Member
    I think it really depends on which method you used to arrive at your daily calorie goal. If you are using MFP's calorie suggestions, then you should be eating back your exercise calories. If you have used your FitBit to find your TDEE (or some online calculator) and subtracted the appropriate number of calories for your weight loss goals, then you should NOT be eating back your exercise calories. If you have a day where you work out A LOT more than you normally do, then you should probably eat a little more.
  • kmalacho
    kmalacho Posts: 16 Member
    With only anecdote to support my view, I have found that I cannot eat back most of my fitbit calories and lose weight at the pace I would like. I walk between 10,000 and 16,000 steps a day and work out in addition to that 3-4 times per week. I do eat some back, but I try to leave a 200-300 calorie cushion in case my food or exercise calorie calculations weren't 100% accurate.
  • viktha
    viktha Posts: 36 Member
    Depends on the day some days I eat them all some days I don't.
  • Cc215
    Cc215 Posts: 228 Member
    I eat mine. The thought of the extra food helps gets me up and moving!

    I know I would lose weight more quickly if I are back less of them - but I'm losing and I get to eat a decent amount if food - both of which make me happy!
  • _whatsherface
    _whatsherface Posts: 1,235 Member
    I'm going to follow this for other opinions. But I have a Bodymedia fit and eat back most of my exercise calories. Sometimes I have really active days and leave a few hundred on the table. But that's not always a bad thing. I have about 40 more lbs. I would like to lose, but I currently average about 3 lbs a month which isn't too bad.

    I'm not a fitbit owner but I am this way. If I am hungry or want to splurge I will eat them back. If I'm not as hungry then I won't. Listen to your body =D
  • redwoodkestrel
    redwoodkestrel Posts: 339 Member
    I usually eat 25-75% of my Fitbit calories back, generally right around 50%. I've had my Fitbit since January and have lost 60 lbs in that time so it seems to be working!
  • breefoshee
    breefoshee Posts: 398 Member
    It automatically syncs with Myfitnesspal so you can eat them back.... So.. eat them back. The point of having a Fitbit is to more accurately measure your TDEE to see how much you can eat and lose weight.

    3500=1lb

    If you opt to lose 2lbs a week ( you can set it to whatever) then that's a 7000 calorie a week deficit-- that's a 1000 calorie deficit a day. 1000 calories x 7 days = 7000 calories

    On my laziest days, I normally burn about 2300 calories... so subtract 1000 (Fitbit does this for you) from this and I'm eating 1300 calories.
    Yesterday, I burned 3,100 calories... So that's 2100 calories to eat--and I ate them up.

    Eat back your calories, but make sure you WEIGH everything that goes in your mouth--measure oils and everything. If you find that you aren't losing as much as you want to a week, then play with your calories-- maybe try eating 100 calories less a day or something like that.

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