Who DOESN'Teat their exercise calories back?

ktanderson05

Since I said my activity level was moderate in my sign up process I usually don't eat them back becasue I figure my exercise calories would be included in that calculation as well!

idream2bgwen

It totally depends on my day and when I workout. I find that if I workout first thing in the morning I am starving all day long and I tend to eat back some of them...not usually all of them. If I work out in the evening then I do not...but if I am hungry I have a snack. There are days that I am under too. I guess I am all over the board really! Hope that helps!

Ree_Chatelain

I just started eating them back today. I have been losing but it was starting to slow down. So i'm going to see if I was just not eating enough.

zacherybinx

If you don't eat any of them back just watch for the plateau but I think it's always a good idea to listen to your body and your cravings because obviously everyone is different. If you're feeling fatigued or hungry everyday you most likely need to eat more, which seems pretty simple to me. When I first started I lost a lot of weight at least for myself in a very short period of time and then plateaued and quickly came to grips with the reality that I do indeed need to eat back at least a good portion of my workout calories.

corsayre8

I currently eat between 30-50% of my exercise calories. Started at less than that, and have been gradually eating more as I get closer to my goal weight. Which is twenty five pounds, and I am just now hitting a healthy BMI. Began trying to loose weight the second week in January, I have been loosing consistently and steadily since then - down 45 pounds.

Pebble321

I DO! I eat almost all of them back (although I know that wasn't the question!)

Most days I'll be 40 or 50 cals under my net goal of 1550, sometimes a bit more under and sometimes a bit over.
I'm not fussed if I'm 100 or so under but in general I don't feel the need to have an enourmous calorie deficit.
I do want to lose weight, but I also want to get into the habit of eating a healthy amount of real food, and it feels like I'm doing this.

This is working very well for me, I'm not usually hungry at the end of the day, and I'm happily and steadily losing weight - 10kg (22lb) in 13 weeks so far.

Athaiguy

Never do

corsayre8

A healthy amount of real food is a very subjective thing. I eat pretty much continuously, ok, about every two to three hours. More often than anyone else at work. Often around 1700 calories a day.

My burns are usually around 1000 calories or more a day. Just can wrap my head around eating 2200 plus calories a day to lose weight, that is how I got fat in the first place.

I DO! I eat almost all of them back (although I know that wasn't the question!)

Most days I'll be 40 or 50 cals under my net goal of 1550, sometimes a bit more under and sometimes a bit over.
I'm not fussed if I'm 100 or so under but in general I don't feel the need to have an enourmous calorie deficit.
I do want to lose weight, but I also want to get into the habit of eating a healthy amount of real food, and it feels like I'm doing this.

This is working very well for me, I'm not usually hungry at the end of the day, and I'm happily and steadily losing weight - 10kg (22lb) in 13 weeks so far.

abyssfully

Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't depending on if I'm hungry or not.

Once I start to notice my weight loss slowing down I will most likely eat them back

javarushed

I eat when I'm hungry and don't worry about it if I'm full.

believetoachieve

I don't. My only rule is to eat at least 1200 calories per day. It seems to be working so far.

This is also what I do. I'm losing weight at a decent pace (0.5-1.5lbs a week on average), and maintaining muscle mass.

CommittohealthCHANGED

I only eat some of my execrise calories back. I eat between 1200 - 1300 calories a day and had great sucess. Hope this helps.

Pebble321

A healthy amount of real food is a very subjective thing. I eat pretty much continuously, ok, about every two to three hours. More often than anyone else at work. Often around 1700 calories a day.
My burns are usually around 1000 calories or more a day. Just can wrap my head around eating 2200 plus calories a day to lose weight, that is how I got fat in the first place.

It is indeed - I'm eating what seems healthy and is working for me, as we all need to learn to do.

I have sometimes wondered how I would go if I was burning 1000 cals a day - typically I exercise for 30 - 40 mins and burn up to or just over 300. This is an easy enough amount to eat back (mostly) but 1000 would be tricky. Lucky I don't have the time or desire to put myself in this situation, so I won't have to work it out

hsnider29

I haven't been eating mine back and I only exercise moderately but last week I ate over my 1200 allotment by 200 or 300 calories at least 4 days and ended up losing 2 lbs. I'm within about 12 lbs of my goal weight and my weightloss has slowed alot so I decided this week I would try eating half of them back (I don't have a hrm) and see what happens. I think initially it may be ok not to eat them but as you get closer to your goal I think it might actually be more effective to eat at least some of them back.

mishelnkiki

theres NO way i could eat all mine back. i have a hard time trying to eat the alotted 1370! and i burn anywhere between 1500-2000 cals per day! no way! lol.

cklbrown

I don't eat them back. I don't exercise until after 10. By the time I finished it is late. I play around here and go to sleep. I don't like to go over before exercising in case I can't get to it. I have been losing steadily.

FK1983

I don't and I think I've done okay

Same here, never have and never will eat them back
I've also noticed a pattern on this site that the people that don't eat them back tend to lose more than those who do, woot!

Just a shame we get a lot of flak from certain other members on here for doing what works for us, talk to the hand cause the face ain't listening lol!

KCB1978

I will go a little over but not completely.

suzycreamcheese

i eat some/most back, otherwise theres no point exercising if you dont get to eat a bit more.

or am i just super-greedy lol?

xraychick77

i dont. i got down to 117 lbs. still maintained my muscle. i am 5'2" 120 lbs now..bulking now, so trying to build muscle.

nickyevans

I don't eat mine, no problems so far with losing weight, on the odd occasions I have gone over into my exercise calories those are the weeks my weight loss slows, it is different for everyone

gailygail99

i dont eat mine either. if i burn a lot from a long workout, say about 600-700cals, i might eat couple 100 back or so. but normally i burn 300-400 and never eat them back. seems to be working so far.

littlemili

I usually eat max 1/2 of my exercise calories. I am short (5'1") so for one thing I can't get MFP to recommend anything other than 1200 calories even if I change my weight goal, activity level etc, so I use it as a rough guide. I usually eat 900-1000 net. It is working great.
I've been here 1 month and lost 8lb (2lb a week) so I don't see the problem, and also I am eating a lot of food just most of it very low calorie (lots of fish, quorn and salad). Mostly I want to feel like I am not busting my *kitten* every morning for 50 minutes and then scoffing down all my hard work. I KNOW that's not the case but in my mind it is and I am not going to do anything to screw my mental attitude to weight loss.

taiyola

This week and last week I've noticed I've been over for first 2-3 days of the week, then under the rest of the week to earn back the cals I've been over. I was 200 over my weekly goal last week and lost 1.6lb, but was only aiming for 0.5lb

I always eat at least 1200 though.

hollyb9871

I started with the 1200 calorie base and not eating back calories which seemed to be fine until week 4-5 when I stalled for another 2-3 weeks. I changed my plan to losing 1 lb. a week and eating back a few calories which still ended up losing really slow. Now I am set at 1/2 lb. a week and I eat most of my calories back. I leave some wiggle room because I assume the calories burned number is slightly higher and calorie intake slightly over. Since I made the switch I am losing a pound a week and am 6 lbs. from goal. My body did not like being so restricted at the 1200 calorie level, with the exercise I do on top of that I was holding on to everything.

BflSaberfan

In my opinion it depends on how overweight you are. I didn't eat them back and dropped the weight quickly. now I have little fat and have to eat them abck.

Mtsidad

I see the "extra" calories as a nice bonus and feedback, but I still try hard to stay under my original calorie goal. The exercise, in my opinion, is a way to get healthy and not a way to get extra food.

But that's just me.

Peanutmanda

I try to eat 1,200 calories every day. From there, I determine if my body feels like it needs more calories. If I'm hungry or if I have bad cravings, I'll eat my exercise calories back. Otherwise, I won't.

^^^^ Yup, same here, 48 lbs in 3 months : ) and i've deff put on muscle too! It works for me.

Rainbow_Brite86

I don't ever. I burn over 1300 and I only eat 1300-1400

I am never hungry enough to do so.

beccala18

i eat some/most back, otherwise theres no point exercising if you dont get to eat a bit more.

or am i just super-greedy lol?

Haha. I agree! I eat most of mine back if I can by planning healthy ways throughout the day to eat them - then I have to go to stay under!