Explain (in simple terms) eating exercise calories

butterflyfaerie

I just looked at the post by banks1850 on why you must eat exercise calories, and it got me more confused than when I started. I always assumed that the more you exercised, the more burnt off, and can't understand why you would eat these back.

Can someone explain in non-scientific terms the rationale behind eating these exercise calories, as I'm still hesitant to do so, as I don't want to do this if it's going to slow my weight loss.

Also, is there certain foods that should be eaten as part of eating the exercise calories to prevent me going over on other nutrients (ie fats and proteins)?

superbeffie

Basically the idea is that your body requires a certain number of calories to function.
Think of it as a car. It has to have gas to run. If you burn of all the gas and don't put in any more, the car won't start.

So if your body needs 1600 calories and you eat 1600 calories you are doing it just right. If you burn off 150-200 calories it's not a big deal to me if you don't you eat more (the car still runs at 3/4 of a tank) but if you hit the gym and burn 1000 calories off then you only have 600 to run your body, which is not enough.
Make sense?

ebkins7

if you are only taing 1200 calories a day then you go and burn 400 calories in a workout you are really asking your body to only work on 800 calories. Eating back your exercise calories will boost metabolism and keep you for going into starvation mode.

Everyone is different so the ammount you eat back is up to you. I try for at least half of mine back. I work hard and burn almost 1000 calories every workout. Sometimes that's hard to get back!

Hope that explains it so you can understand.

HeidiMightyRawr

You are already losing calories from food (MFP gives you so many less than you would burn just from existing) this will help you to lose weight. If you exercise regularly and don't eat them back you can end up losing/burning too many calories and having too few to survive on. 1/200 calories burnt here and there isn't going to do any harm but if most days your exercise consists of burning 3/400 or more I'd seriously think about eating them back, you're body needs the fuel to give you the energy to live on, and workout.

If you take away what you burn from the calories you're eating you'll find it shouldn't be less than 1200 (this is what you need to be healthy without extra exercise), so if you're eating 1500 and burning about 300 it's usually ok to just leave it, but if you're only eating 1200 and burning 300 it'd be best to eat back the exercise calories.

Hope that helps and isn't too confusing

fitterpam

The calorie goal that the program has given has already built in the weight loss goal / week that you need. It keeps the calorie goal at a level that is not going to slow down your metabolism (and make weight loss harder towards the end). It takes a calorie deficit of 3500 to lose 1 pound of fat. If you chose pounds per week, then provided that it doesn't take you below 1200 calories, they will deduct 1000 calories per day from your calorie goal over what you need based on your lifestyle to function and survive.

Even if you do no exercise you will lose weight (but you won't gain muscle or improve your flexibility or decrease joint pain or any of that other good stuff that comes along with exercise). So by eating back the exercise calories, you are providing your body with enough fuel to keep your metabolism up, which exercise helps with.

ladyhawk00

Here is my explanation copied/pasted from another thread. Maybe it will help?

"Simple math (but yes, I know it can be hard to grasp at first):

MFP uses your info (height/weight/age/sex) to determine your BMR. This is the minimum amount of calories for you to survive, breathe, blink. It then adds in your activity level (daily activities like walking to the mailbox, whatever work you do, etc). It then subtracts a set amount based on your loss/week goal. This is your weight loss cal goal. If you exercise, it then adds in cals to KEEP YOU AT YOUR WEIGHT LOSS CAL GOAL.

For example:

BMR = 1500
Activity Level = + 300

So this puts your Maintenance calories at = 1800
This is the cals you would eat for NO WEIGHT LOSS OR GAIN.

Weight loss goal per week = 1 lb
1 lb = 3500 cals per week. Per day, this equals 500 cals subtracted from your Maintenance cals. This is your cal deficit.

1800 - 500 = 1300
1300 is the amount you would eat for a 1 lb per week weight loss. If you do no exercise, this is how much you get.

If you then go and exercise, you have burned off more calories and CREATED A LARGER DEFICIT.

If you do not replace those calories burned by exercise, you have a greater deficit and will be set up for a greater rate of weight loss than you (presumably) intended. MFP uses the max of 2 lb per week because for most people, anything more than that is UNHEALTHY.

So then we are here:
1300 daily cal goal (includes cals subtracted for weight loss already)
+ 300 for exercise (for example)
= 1600

If you do not eat 1600, you have now created a deficit of more than 500 (the deficit amount needed for 1 lb/week loss.)

You are now at a higher/faster rate of weight loss than you signed up for, and are probably not going to be able to sustain it. Ask yourself.... Is this what you really want?"

If this one doesn't work, here are a couple of other threads that explain it - perhaps these will make more sense to you.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing

Good luck to you!

NOLAdy

I haven't read the other post that you're talking about. I'll check it out. But, could they have been talking about the maintenance period? Once people hit their goal weight, they should still exercise, but the calories that they burn during those workouts can be added into their daily intake. They don't eat it all the time, but it's what people mean when they say "I can eat whatever I want BECAUSE I work out". Obviouslly a person still trying to lose weight will be more strict about their intake, but once you hit your goal weight you have more leeway.

ladyhawk00

I haven't read the other post that you're talking about. I'll check it out. But, could they have been talking about the maintenance period? Once people hit their goal weight, they should still exercise, but the calories that they burn during those workouts can be added into their daily intake. They don't eat it all the time, but it's what people mean when they say "I can eat whatever I want BECAUSE I work out". Obviouslly a person still trying to lose weight will be more strict about their intake, but once you hit your goal weight you have more leeway.

The one she's talking about is here (I assume):

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

NotAllWhoWanderAreLost

when you lose weight, its said that you actually lose 75 % fat / 25 % muscle. Exercising helps preserve and gain muscle, which increases metabolism rate and makes for a more energized and better looking end result. If you routinely consume less than 1200 NET calories (food intake cals MINUS exercise cals burned) you will get into a famine response state in which your body will try to preserve its fat stores by switching to breaking down muscle for energy and you will lose weight at more of a 50% fat / 50% muscle rate. Not what you are aiming for, i bet! So depending on how many calories you are consuming, you will need to eat all or at least SOME of your exercise calories back to remain over 1200 NET calories. Famine response doesnt kick in in a single day, so an "under day" here or there won't be a big issue, but get too many under days in a week or short timespan and you will set your body up to start burning muscle, lower metabolism and lower your overall energy level. This can lead to a quick weight regain (because of lowered metabolism) if you do fall off the wagon at some point. So its really just the healthiest idea to take precautions from letting this happen in the first place..... Take your time losing weight by doing it in a smart and healthy way. We all like to see big # losses, but its not worth risking your health or long-term success in a rush for a quick result.

Hope that helps!

SHBoss1673

The calorie goal that the program has given has already built in the weight loss goal / week that you need. It keeps the calorie goal at a level that is not going to slow down your metabolism (and make weight loss harder towards the end). It takes a calorie deficit of 3500 to lose 1 pound of fat. If you chose pounds per week, then provided that it doesn't take you below 1200 calories, they will deduct 1000 calories per day from your calorie goal over what you need based on your lifestyle to function and survive.

Even if you do no exercise you will lose weight (but you won't gain muscle or improve your flexibility or decrease joint pain or any of that other good stuff that comes along with exercise). So by eating back the exercise calories, you are providing your body with enough fuel to keep your metabolism up, which exercise helps with.

all fine except 1000 calories a day is 2 lbs a week (I.E. 7000 calories), not 3500.

fitterpam

Yup - you're right - I'd just woken up.....500 cals day deficit = 1 lb, 1000 cals day deficit = 2lbs.....

Beastiephile

This is such a confusing concept to me!
So if MFP says, based on the info I put in, I should be consuming 1500 cals a day...and I also burn 500 cals every day at the gym, then actually I should be consuming 2000 cals a day instead to still lose 1lb a week?

Thomasm198

This is such a confusing concept to me!
So if MFP says, based on the info I put in, I should be consuming 1500 cals a day...and I also burn 500 cals every day at the gym, then actually I should be consuming 2000 cals a day instead to still lose 1lb a week?

Yes. Because when you burn the 500 calories it means you have only consumed 1,000 calories at the end of the day.

Moop87

I am new and didn't realize that you needed to eat back your exercise calories. I was under the assumption that with the exercise that if I am showing I still need 200 calories because I burnt it off in a workout that it would be better .