If I have 100lb to lose, should I still eat back burned calo

ladyhawk00

A couple of people have mentioned "other plans" or "trainers/dietitians" saying you should not eat them - this is because most plans and trainers or dietitians use a different kind of calculation than MFP.

"MFP generates a BUILT IN CALORIE DEFICIT to allow for weight loss, regardless of exercise.

This is different than many calorie counters/weight loss programs, or the way that many trainers set up a plan. These other plans usually take your “intended exercise” and use that to create a deficit, keeping your daily cal goal static. Therefore, with other plans, you would not replace calories you burn through exercise. MFP is different and you CANNOT compare them, unless you’re prepared to do some calculations to get apples vs. apples and not apples vs. oranges.

MFP is designed to have you log purposeful exercise each day, as you complete it, and for you to EAT THOSE ADDITIONAL CALORIES. This helps keep you more accountable, motivated and prompts support (all those WTG’s on your status go a long way.) If you do not replace the calories added for exercise, you make your deficit larger than you (presumably) intended. A larger deficit will not necessarily provide for faster weight loss – it will likely lead to feelings of deprivation, binges, irregular blood sugar levels, poor nutrition and bad eating habits - and is one of the key reasons why people give up or regain weight."

For more....Please read these threads that explain how MFP works, metabolism, and why it's important to fuel the body.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/186814-some-mfp-basics

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

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/153704-myth-or-fact-simple-math-3500-calories-one-pound-eat

As well as the other thread mentioned PP and the link. All MUST reads!

kimcat73

As always, well said Ladyhawke:) I love the MFP way and I couldn't do this without eating my exercise calories because I do not feel deprived.

DancingFox

Listen to ladyhawk00 there. She knows what's up.

PJilly

Beautifully said, ladyhawk, as always.

Sunsh1ne

Yes, but the caveat is that you need to make sure you're getting the most accurate numbers possible on the burn. I'd suggest investing in a heart rate monitor and a pedometer. Use the pedometer to calculate your general activity level, and use the heart rate monitor to count the calories you burn during exercise. MFP's database and the HRMs built into most gym machines are not accurate for all people, or even most people, because the best they can do is represent the average.

Christine1110

Make sure you have a HRM to count the calories you burn....or you may be eating back more then you should : )

TrainerRobin

Much of what has been posted here is good advice, IF you weed out any of the advice that promoted a "one size fits all" answer. The truth is that this subject is infinitely more complex than one might think, and isn't conducive to a simple yes or no answer. I know that I will sound like the lawyer that I admittedly am, but the best answer is "it depends." For a little insight into this subject, read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/TrainerRobin/view/myth-or-fact-calories-in-versus-calories-out-3500-calories-one-pound-and-should-i-eat-my-exercise-calories-62012

When the best (and I mean intensively trained and constantly retrained with new information/data) personal trainers guide their clients into a situation where they are not (always) eating back their exercise calories, they are doing this based on information that most folks aren't considering. They know the ongoing changes to their client's body composition (did the client actually put on added muscle in the last week or did he/she lose lean muscle mass?), they've viewed the client's food diary (food choices are relevant as are calories), and they understand that the body only goes into the "starvation mode" under certain circumstances (it's more complicated than just a calorie deficit and involves factors like time of deficit, etc.).

So if you are working with a knowledgeable personal trainer, it's likely you will have excellent results (weight loss and improved body composition) even with working with calorie deficits created by (at least occasionally) not eating back your exercise calories. I've NEVER had anyone fail to lose weight when a calorie deficit approach including not eating back exercise calories was an informed, strategic one. But one must be smart about it.

That said, the "safest" (although admittedly not necessarily the quickest) approach for MOST people, going it alone, is the simple 500 calorie a day deficit (which means consistently eating back your exercise calories) because it will net an average one pound a week weight loss and will minimize loss of lean muscle mass in people who aren't aggressively managing that aspect of their physical transformation (but are mostly just concerned with their weight on the scale -- don't get me started on THAT subject!).

Hope that is at least somewhat helpful. :flowerforyou:

NatalieWinning

A couple of people have mentioned "other plans" or "trainers/dietitians" saying you should not eat them - this is because most plans and trainers or dietitians use a different kind of calculation than MFP.

"MFP generates a BUILT IN CALORIE DEFICIT to allow for weight loss, regardless of exercise.

This is different than many calorie counters/weight loss programs, or the way that many trainers set up a plan. These other plans usually take your “intended exercise” and use that to create a deficit, keeping your daily cal goal static. Therefore, with other plans, you would not replace calories you burn through exercise. MFP is different and you CANNOT compare them, unless you’re prepared to do some calculations to get apples vs. apples and not apples vs. oranges.

MFP is designed to have you log purposeful exercise each day, as you complete it, and for you to EAT THOSE ADDITIONAL CALORIES. This helps keep you more accountable, motivated and prompts support (all those WTG’s on your status go a long way.) If you do not replace the calories added for exercise, you make your deficit larger than you (presumably) intended. A larger deficit will not necessarily provide for faster weight loss – it will likely lead to feelings of deprivation, binges, irregular blood sugar levels, poor nutrition and bad eating habits - and is one of the key reasons why people give up or regain weight."

For more....Please read these threads that explain how MFP works, metabolism, and why it's important to fuel the body.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/186814-some-mfp-basics

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

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/153704-myth-or-fact-simple-math-3500-calories-one-pound-eat

As well as the other thread mentioned PP and the link. All MUST reads!

Well said. You got your deficite already in MFP. You want lean muscle you have to feed yourself. Slow and steady wins this race. It's not an extreme diet or a yo-yo effect. You are building a body and a lifestyle. Learning how to make good choices and feed yourself, while keeping active. Keep those calories healthy ones. That doesn't mean eat a poptart to make up the deficite, it means you need to feed your body with something to build on. Whole grains, less ingredients, real fruits and vegetables, dump the processed foods and refined sugars.

It's not temporary, it's a whole life change so you keep going in the right direction. Eating more when you do more, eating less when you do less. Follow the guidelines honestly and you can't help but be a "loser". A healthy, permanent change. It takes time. Good things take time. So it takes a year or 2, you will be 10 or more years ahead afterward anyway! Look at it in the long term and it's actually pretty fast to go slow!

FearAnLoathing

I very rarely eat mine,I never feel deprived I eat well.But its my choice and im happy and healthy.I have tons of energy.Ive lost 50 pounds since last april so im in no way losing weight to fast.

DoReMiFaSoLaTiDo

I DON'T eat back my exercise calories. I started with over 100 lbs as my goal. It's been a little over 2 months and I am 35 lbs down. There's no way I could stuff my face after a hard workout to BURN those cals. It's about a deficit. I have read stuff over and over on MFP about eating exercise cals back- but ask a dietician or nutritionist- to lose weight you simply need to burn more calories than you consume- of course this means eating healthy foods, and staying active! I myself eat 1200-1300 cals a day and exercise at least 40 mins a day. I am not in starvation mode- My hair, skin & nails are all healthier- I have more energy and I'm losing weight steadily. To each their own, but didn't stuffing our faces when we have no appetite get us here in the first place? I simply don't have the appetite for more food (I did the first 3 weeks or so). I'm not going to eat when my body clearly is telling me I'm not hungry. Unless you have a Heart Rate Monitor the calorie burns on MFP can be a little off- so if you do eat them back- I suggest checking on other sites to calculate an average

I dont "eat" them back but I will drink apple cider or OJ to before and after a workout to add calories and to give me a quick energy boost...

PoleBoy

To be honest, for the first 60 lbs, I'd go with not eating back the first 300 of your exercise calories - when you've got a lot to lose you can get away with it.

Just be prepared to the plateau, and when it hits you'll need to increase your intake, and you WILL put on weight, even though you're still running a deficit, while you adjust..

thcri

I very rarely eat mine,I never feel deprived I eat well.But its my choice and im happy and healthy.I have tons of energy.Ive lost 50 pounds since last april so im in no way losing weight to fast.

After 9 or 10 months and 80 pounds lost it caught up with me. I sat on a plateau for 3 months. Not only was I so tired I couldn't stay awake at my desk I was nautious. I did what I thought best and cut more calories, exercised more and got more tired. This snowball effect I ended up gaining 15 pounds back. After joining and following MFP for two weeks I expect my Thursday weigh in to have lost the 15 I gained back and then some.