Who DOESN'Teat their exercise calories back?

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!