Does anyone suggest not eating their workout calories?

kelligonzales

I don't eat my calories back either....I try to eat exactly what they tell me but not the exercise calories as that doens't make sense to me. To lose weight we have to cut calories and increase exercise so I don't get the logic of "eating exercise calories".

You're misunderstanding how MFP works. MFP has a BUILT IN deficit, based on your chosen loss per week goal (1 lb, 2 lbs, etc). So whether you log no exercise, 20 min of exercise, or 20 hours of exercise, you will still be at a deficit. When you don't replace the cals added for exercise, you make that deficit larger than you (presumably) intended, which is usually unhealthy and unsustainable.

This is a great way to put it...

bayles1

I work to 1200 net minimum.

mariapuhl

I don't eat mine back.

I was losing, then came on here, and tried it like everyone suggested for a month, and lost absolutely no weight for that whole month (gained some, actually), then went back to not eating them and have started losing again.

But, I know it works for some people to eat them, and others, like me, it doesn't. So you really have to see what works for YOU personally, because it's different for everyone.

NikkisNewStart

I always eat my exercise calories. Again, what works for others may not work for you! I also use a HRM and typically burn 400 to 550 calories a day doing strength training and some cardio. Ladyhawk stated it best about your caloric goals already accounting for a deficit. I personally believe that if you do not eat your exercise calories, you're doing your body a huge disservice. Your body needs the fuel to repair muscle and keep your metabolism revved. You may lose weight by not eating them but you'll eventually start cannibalizing muscle and will in turn become a fat "skinny" person. I guess it all depends on what your goals are... mine were/are more than just losing weight. I want my body to run as efficiently as possible. I want to glorify my body and provide the nutrients my internal organs and muscles need. I want to have as much energy as possible. Eating your exercise calories is not going to sabotage your weight loss... on the contrary it will lead you to losing weight while providing the nutrition your body needs to run efficiently.

stormieweather

There is one really important factor to consider when putting your faith into MFP for weight loss...you CANNOT trust the calories it says you have burned! I recently bought a BodyMedia Fit HRM and my ACTUAL calories burned are about 1/4 of what MFP tells me I have burned! That is a HUGE difference and something to consider if you are going to eat back your calories...just my two cents

This is why I recommend that people eat back only 1/2 of them.

When I was eating 100% of them back and not losing weight, it was because I wasn't burning nearly as much as MFP/machines said I was and ALSO, because I was under estimating my calories eaten (I weigh and measure everything now). I now know exactly what I burn each day and eat 500 +/- less than that. I graph it so I know if I'm under or overeating compared to my weight loss.

edorice

I try to eat some of my exercise calories back, but never all of them.

rhazelwood

I don't eat my calories back either....I try to eat exactly what they tell me but not the exercise calories as that doens't make sense to me. To lose weight we have to cut calories and increase exercise so I don't get the logic of "eating exercise calories".

You're misunderstanding how MFP works. MFP has a BUILT IN deficit, based on your chosen loss per week goal (1 lb, 2 lbs, etc). So whether you log no exercise, 20 min of exercise, or 20 hours of exercise, you will still be at a deficit. When you don't replace the cals added for exercise, you make that deficit larger than you (presumably) intended, which is usually unhealthy and unsustainable.

Agreed. i think she says it best here.

The key word here for me is "unsustainable". It is important to implement a healthier lifestyle and anything drastic can often lead to a complete backslide, which is how so many people gain back everything they've lost and then some once they quit 'dieting'. 1-2 pounds per week is considered a healthy loss rate, and a half pound per week is good if you are also conditioning since the muscle you add is heavier than the fat you burn. Most days I eat about half of my workout calories, not as a conscious decision, just that's where I feel satisfied. Some days I eat them all and some days I go over. I've lost 11 pounds in about 8 weeks and since I am also power lifting, I have a more significant loss of inches which is more important to me than the scale. In the past I lost 30 pounds on WW and gained it all back after about 4 years, and am determined to not go the deprivation route again.

Another thing to consider is that it is not just the number of calories that you are eating that is important but also whether or not you are gaining proper nutrition from the calories you do eat.

It really comes down to what works for each individual. If one thing doesn't work, try something else until you are feeling good

susanswan

So I had gotten to a plateau over a week ag,. then finally a day later, weight loss. Someone in my post suggested I don't eat my workout calories and my husband read an article that said you should eat the calories you want to weigh x10, so I want to get to 145, therefore I should eat 1450 cal. a day. Wed. I started doing that & I've gone nothing but up since then. I'm now over 2 weeks behind in getting to my weight loss goal. I'm frustrated & upset. Anyone have any tips for getting the scale to move the right direction again?! (Don't look at my food diary from yesterday. that's the first day since I've started this program that I didn't finish it. It was a *high* calorie day (can't think of the word for it). Should I skip a workout day altogether or should I start eating my workout calories again? I do the elliptical at home everyday along with some strength afterwards for a few min. The elliptical says Ii'm burning 1300 calories but I know that's not even close so I avg. around 750 on a good day when I know I've really pushed myself and am half dead.

AMEN to not eating the exercise calories! I am also now behind on meeting my birthday goal!! I had a nice little weight loss going and then let the popular opinion of eating those calories persuade mem into eating them. Who doesn't want to eat more?? It back fired big time! I gained two pounds in a week. And I am eating VERY clean! I went to bed feeling stuffed and woke up feeling stuffed! I'm 54 in April, so maybe that philosophy works for younger folks, but I don't think it worked for me! My husbands advice: Eat what you feel like eating. If you need to eat more calories, eat them. If you feel fine, don't eat them. Old fashioned advice, but I think that will work better for me. It helped me to lose 53 pounds before by not eating my exercise calories. I hadn't heard that philosophy at the time. And my weight lilfting videos with 3, 5, and 8 pound dumbbells gave me bigger and stronger muscles, too, so don't even try to convince me that I was in "starvation mode". I'm done with that type of thinking! My first day of eating right (check my diary for yesterday) I lost 1.4 pounds. Also I am cutting WAY back on whole grains in favor of eating fresh fruit and veggies. It worked! Good luck!

KKOLB1

I'm not attacking, but are you suggesting that I have an eating disorder or something or just saying in general? I normally eat 1700 calories when I workout daily & last wed. i stopped doing that & was eating 1450 a day.

If you look at the break down of your calories. when you eat them back you end up at you target calorie intake. If you aren't getting enough calories you will shut down and start storing. The whole reason for this site is to do it healthy not get a 1,2,3 result. I don't always eat my calories back, i'll eat half or a quarter sometimes. But i'm doing it the slow way to be the healthiest me. working out hardcore and not eating is called an eating disorder.

susanswan

If you look at the break down of your calories. when you eat them back you end up at you target calorie intake. If you aren't getting enough calories you will shut down and start storing. The whole reason for this site is to do it healthy not get a 1,2,3 result. I don't always eat my calories back, i'll eat half or a quarter sometimes. But i'm doing it the slow way to be the healthiest me. working out hardcore and not eating is called an eating disorder.

So while YOU eat a PORTION of your exercise calories, you do not really eat them all. So if you don't eat them all, you are still under the "recommended" amount for mfp. If you did eat that extra 100, 200, or more calories per day I 'll abe you would also see a gain like the rest of us who do. Also not everyone on this site does a HARDCORE work out. Walking the dog 3+ miles a day, doing a strength training 30 minute video that includes crunches, upper body and lower body 5 times a week and biking around the neighborhood for 45 minutes on Saturday and Sunday after working at my computer all week long sounds like relatively light exercise. Add the fact that I am over 50 and eating all of those exercise calories only caused my weight to go up and cancel out my losses. So like you, I may only eat a small portion of them, but I say NO, I don't eat them, while you say Yes!

taiyola

bump!

taiyola

bump!

AngelsKisses75

This is such a divided topic. To each their own. Do what works for you.

*giggle* It kind of makes me wonder if some people are not sneak exercising the way some people sneak eat!! Goodness if I count that as exercise then I need to eat more. *shrugs* I know I am one side of this argument, but it seems silly to me.