Leftover calories?

hush7hush

What have you all been doing to fill up those extra calories?

Or gain back your workout calories?

I thought the point of working out was to get rid of calories. Before this website I didn't know you were supposed to gain those back?!?

Input would be awesome.

Thanks guys!
have a good night.

xraychick77

you dont have to eat those back. people on here get into these diet myths and just follow what others have told them.

i never ate back mine..there is no point.

Hinto

When you set yourself up, MFP assumes a reduction in calories based on how many pounds you want to lose every week, so it's OK to eat your workout calories. Now doesn't mean you HAVE to!

liddodanielle

psh i worked hard to burn those calories i'm not gonna eat them back!

HelenTheKitchen

you dont have to eat those back. people on here get into these diet myths and just follow what others have told them.

i never ate back mine..there is no point.

A nutritionist and trainer both recently told me to eat at least half if not all my exercise calories back because I've plateaued. I don't know if they would give me advice that is considered a diet myth. I think it works for some and not for others.

kathrynthomas5

I find if you are exercising heaps that it helps to eat back at least some of the extra calories as you then have more energy to put into your exercise. It saves your body going into starvation mode too.

mandamama

SO for the people who don't eat them back.. what about going into starvation mode? has that happened to you or do you keep losing? I am having a hard enough time eating all the calories I should be, then to add the ones i work out, I feel like I am just eating all day long!

merrillfoster

I look at them as my buffer zone. Ideally, I'd like to stay around 1200 regardless of exercise, but exercise gives me those extra calories I need if I decide to go out with friends, have a glass of wine, or just really need a cheeseburger. As long as I'm ok on the net, I don't feel as guilty if I go over 1200. I mean the science behind the whole eating your exercise cals thing seems solid, I just don't lose as much when I do. But I don't gain, either, so it's just how you want to use them. I'd say if you want them, eat them--you'll still lose, just slower. If you don't want them, don't stuff your face when you're not hungry just to get some cals in.

fmktjod

I had the same question and recieved varied answers. Personally, am experimenting to see how it works with my body. Currently I'm eating back some of my calories but only when I'm hungry. If I'm not that hungry I don't eat. I am staying around 1200 net as a measuring stick and will see how it goes for the next two weeks. Some people eat them back and sware by it. Others don't and sware by that. My best suggestion is to learn and experiment. It's a process and a journey and you have a great start by being here and by reaching out!

The search engine on this site is particularly helpful - many of the same questions come up again and again.

Here is another string from April 1.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/206951-asked-my-trainer-re-eating-back-calories

Best of luck!

amarie35

I'm by no means an expert on the subject but I've heard that you need to eat @ least 1/2 of your exercise calories back. I know that it sounds crazy but when I was only consuming 1200 calories a day, I eventually reached my plateau. For weeks I hardly lost anything & when I did lose, it was 1/2 pound here or 3/4 pound there. So, I started eating almost all of my exercise calories back & I started losing more weight. You just got to see what works best for you & your body because everyone is different. If you still have a lot to loose, then there's a chance that you possibly won't plateau anytime soon, but again, it all depends on your body.

FlyEaglesGuy

psh i worked hard to burn those calories i'm not gonna eat them back!

Exactly!!!

clairemacd

I find if i'm exercising a lot, which i am at the moment, I need to eat back some of my exercise calories (around half) to keep me from getting really tired and burning out. Otherwise you end up just burning fuel and not putting anything back in!

I tend to use my exercise calories for a treat if i have enough that way i dont feel like i'm starving myself of the little luxuries i enjoy

hush7hush

I'm by no means an expert on the subject but I've heard that you need to eat @ least 1/2 of your exercise calories back. I know that it sounds crazy but when I was only consuming 1200 calories a day, I eventually reached my plateau. For weeks I hardly lost anything & when I did lose, it was 1/2 pound here or 3/4 pound there. So, I started eating almost all of my exercise calories back & I started losing more weight. You just got to see what works best for you & your body because everyone is different. If you still have a lot to loose, then there's a chance that you possibly won't plateau anytime soon, but again, it all depends on your body.

It just seems like if you eat them back, you'll be consuming more than you have, then you'll gain weight, instead of losing it?

Maybe I'm a skeptic.

JenBrown0210

So this is how it worked for me. My first 25 pounds came off easy. I ate my 1200 calories and didn't eat anything for my exercise calories.I started out at 199. Got down to 175 and just got stuck! So now I eat back half of my exercise calories. I usually have a proteiin shake. I use jillian micheals whey protein mix and mix it with skim milk. I also have a Chobani greek yogurt too. Since I have been doing this I kicked my plataue and lost 2 pounds!

Think of your body this way. Its like a car. You need fuel for your car. If it gets to low it doesn't run properly. Your body is the same. You keep running below 1200 calories you will stop losing weight at some point. Make sure you are netting 1200 calories to be healthy!so yesyou need to eat more to lose weight when exercise.

hush7hush

What does everyone think about coffee/cappucino for a way to get some of your calories?

tgbjr1973

SO for the people who don't eat them back.. what about going into starvation mode? has that happened to you or do you keep losing? I am having a hard enough time eating all the calories I should be, then to add the ones i work out, I feel like I am just eating all day long!

This actually happened to me a few weeks ago. I was working out harder than ever and eating healthy, and was very excited to get on the scale and measure my results. I was super disappointed at the end of the week when I weighed myself and had not even lost a pound. After speaking with a few people, they suggested that my workouts were creating too much of a calorie deficit for me. I had never heard of eating back your exercise calories, but since I have been doing it I have been dropping weight faster and seeing good results. I'm now a believer.

amjmomma

What does everyone think about coffee/cappucino for a way to get some of your calories?

You could do that, but try to make it a sugar free drink. That way, you aren't upping your insulin levels. Also, a good way to get in those calories are those almonds, avocado, etc. They are sources of GOOD fat and they won't cause you to gain weight as long as you are staying within your daily goal. I usually try not to use my exercise calories unless I have a special occasion. My dad is on here as well and for a long time he would eat hardly anything and exercise a lot. He lost for a while, but then hit a plateau for about two weeks. He decided to start eating all of his daily calories plus his exercise to get back to losing and now that he is back to losing, he's back to using just his dailies. Just experiment with stuff! You'll find something that works for you. Everyone's body is different, so people's advice is usually based on what is best for them. Experiment and you'll find what's best for you, then you'll be the one giving advice!

amarie35

I'm by no means an expert on the subject but I've heard that you need to eat @ least 1/2 of your exercise calories back. I know that it sounds crazy but when I was only consuming 1200 calories a day, I eventually reached my plateau. For weeks I hardly lost anything & when I did lose, it was 1/2 pound here or 3/4 pound there. So, I started eating almost all of my exercise calories back & I started losing more weight. You just got to see what works best for you & your body because everyone is different. If you still have a lot to loose, then there's a chance that you possibly won't plateau anytime soon, but again, it all depends on your body.

It just seems like if you eat them back, you'll be consuming more than you have, then you'll gain weight, instead of losing it?

Maybe I'm a skeptic.

I know it seems that way. That's why I said it sounded crazy. But, like I said, it depends on your body. Some may gain, but I didn't. I actually lost way more when I started eating them back. I started this site in January & I only had 13 pounds to lose. It took me like a month and 1/2 to lose 7 pounds. Then I plateaued for like 2 weeks....starting eating more calories....and lost 7 more pounds in like a week and 1/2.

jocelynlewis

Lmbo, I feel you! I'm not either!

bmontgomery87

Depends on the type of "working out" you're doing.
And it depends how far below your maintenance you're eating daily.

If you need 2000 cals and you're eating 1500. You'd be fine. But if you're eating 1500 and burning another 500-700, you obviously need to replace those cals.

Anytime I do weight training I re-eat those cals so I can recover.

tryinghard2012

I never eat mine at all! I've managed to lose 84 pounds in a short period of time due to my diet and exercise.

I do not eat them back for the simple fact that I do not trust what the machine is saying. I can do the same exercise at the same intensity two days in a row and one day it says 800 and the next 1000.

I am not trying to set myself up to start gaining. I'm eating very healthy, I respond to my body accordingly. If I'm hungry I eat, if not, I do not force myself to eat. I eat every 2-3 hours with the exception at night I usually stop by 7 pm.

HelenTheKitchen

Depends on the type of "working out" you're doing.
And it depends how far below your maintenance you're eating daily.

If you need 2000 cals and you're eating 1500. You'd be fine. But if you're eating 1500 and burning another 500-700, you obviously need to replace those cals.

Anytime I do weight training I re-eat those cals so I can recover.

I think this is key. I've been advised to eat more, but I burn off upwards of 700-1200 calories some days because I'm in training. So far it's gotten the scale moving again too.