Do you eat the extra calories earned from exercise?

jennykcmo

I noticed that 35 min on the elliptical gets me nearly 700 extra calories! That's according to both the elliptical and MyFitnessPal. Of course I would love to eat more but am I really going to lose weight if I do that? Is it better to keep the net at 0?

AdoreZel

I don't. I want to get the best results possible! According to this I should be eating 1800 calories a day but that's too much to me and with exercise it goes up to about 2200! Whoa. lol

Nataliethin81

YES you eat them. Never go below 1200 'NET" calories a day. You will be doing yourself more harm then good.

ladyhawk00

Yes, you are intended to eat them - some good explanations on how MFP works and why it's important to fuel the body properly...

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/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

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

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/188509-my-take-on-exercise-calories-please-read-if-you-are-new

meganwrites1

If I gain calories from exercising, I try to have a healthy snack, like some fruit or lightly salted peanuts rather than trying to eat all the calories I gained. I find that works best for me

new_me_9_67

My wife and I have found that we have better results when we eat back as many of our workout calories as possible.

heathhumble

I don't eat mine.

johnthefatman

Most people who use HRM's to measures their calories burned find the MFP default figures to be well over reality - not important if you don't eat them. All methods of measuring amount burned are tricky so I use 2 simple rules
Never eat more than half my exercise calories
Only eat them if still really hungry

Exceptions are made for special occasions but I try to make up by exercising more than usual.

luv2ash

I noticed that 35 min on the elliptical gets me nearly 700 extra calories! That's according to both the elliptical and MyFitnessPal. Of course I would love to eat more but am I really going to lose weight if I do that? Is it better to keep the net at 0?

I do not eat them, but when I am on the elliptical using my HRM monitor with a chest strap, I am only coming in at about 400 calorie burn---So my point is....I just don't burn an enormous amount of calories in a day. 450 max. I never eat my eat calories.

spaztastic13

I dont eat them cuz i feel your burning them for a reason why would you need to put them back.....unless you feel your body needs it then you might eat a few back!!!!

josavage

Yes you should eat your exercise calories. I will say that my heart rate monitor is way lower than MFP and the machines at the gym for calories burned. I go by my HRM when I log calories and I eat all or most of them.

katie9730

No, I would stick to the calories that are recommended for you to eat daily. If you eat the extra calories you burned off, there won't be any point to working out. You'll have re-consumed the calories you burned off. If you're hungry, grab a snack, but I wouldn't recommend over indulging.

Girl1Beagle4

Out of personal experience, I eat most of mine back. I have thrown my body into starvation mode a few times by not eating them back and by doing this have gained over 20 pounds back.

ladyhawk00

No, I would stick to the calories that are recommended for you to eat daily. If you eat the extra calories you burned off, there won't be any point to working out. You'll have re-consumed the calories you burned off. If you're hungry, grab a snack, but I wouldn't recommend over indulging.

This is incorrect. MFP creates a built in deficit, based on your chosen loss per week goal, regardless of exercise. The deficit remains whether you eat the cals or not. But if you don't eat them, you make the deficit larger than what you signed up for, which is usually unhealthy and unsustainable.

Nataliethin81

No, I would stick to the calories that are recommended for you to eat daily. If you eat the extra calories you burned off, there won't be any point to working out. You'll have re-consumed the calories you burned off. If you're hungry, grab a snack, but I wouldn't recommend over indulging.

This is SO wrong.

Nataliethin81

No, I would stick to the calories that are recommended for you to eat daily. If you eat the extra calories you burned off, there won't be any point to working out. You'll have re-consumed the calories you burned off. If you're hungry, grab a snack, but I wouldn't recommend over indulging.

This is incorrect. MFP creates a built in deficit, based on your chosen loss per week goal, regardless of exercise. The deficit remains whether you eat the cals or not. But if you don't eat them, you make the deficit larger than what you signed up for, which is usually unhealthy and unsustainable.

Exactly.

kalelwifey

I had this sameee question...i mean..most people ive ask are say yes! your body needs this ...so..the best way to go about it i guess is to plan ur meals ahead like..after bout a week u know ur routine so like if u usually do a 30 min walk 4mph and burn 300 calories then set ur meats so that those calories work into it ? Iono im just trying figure it out myselfff hehe

wildkatt7

When your body burns calories you need to replenish... that said, if you aren't hungry, don't eat, but if you are, EAT. MFP does a great job of telling you how it all falls into place. In the long run, if you keep just burning calories and only eating what it says before you burned them, your body will eventually feel starved and you will start gaining weight. It is all about balance. If you don't eat all the "earned" calories, that is fine, so long as you don't feel hungry.

mbalaguer1

I don't eat mine. But to each their own, right?

Jenn070608

I do not eat back my exercise cals. I am losing 1-2 pounds a week, which is a healthy lose. However, I think everyone is different and it depends on your own metabolism.

MaddameKat

Not eating them sounds like a frightening notion... i haven't used MFP before but i used another website like it that gave me 1400 cals a day, i ate only that and then would exercise, after a few days i got dizzy and light headed and generally spaced out.. you can't maintain that and i stopped loosing weight - hence the reason i am here.. although MFP gives me a daily allowance of 1200 before exercise which i still worry is too low.. thats my thought on it all

jonathandavid_t

700 calories in 30 minutes sounds crazily high to me.

Working HARD I manage to burn 250 calories in 15 minutes on elliptical and treadmill, or 82 in 5 minutes on the rowing machine. That's 1000/hour, and my heart rate fluctuates 80-90% max. I'm a 74kg just-about-fit guy.

I'd be surprised if someone could work 1.4 times harder than that unless they were a serious athlete.


You should eat your exercise calories, but you need to get an accurate guesstimate of them.

ladyhawk00

700 calories in 30 minutes sounds crazily high to me.

Working HARD I manage to burn 250 calories in 15 minutes on elliptical and treadmill, or 82 in 5 minutes on the rowing machine. That's 1000/hour, and my heart rate fluctuates 80-90% max. I'm a 74kg just-about-fit guy.

I'd be surprised if someone could work 1.4 times harder than that unless they were a serious athlete.


You should eat your exercise calories, but you need to get an accurate guesstimate of them.

Weight, age and resistance can make a big difference in the amount of cals burned. Someone who is 100 lbs heavier will burn a LOT more cals than someone who is lean and fit.

jennykcmo

Hi, I think you are right, I really believe the truth about the body going into starvation mode and holding onto fat. I will read more of your posts. (It's amazing what a 50/50 response I'm getting on this - people really don't seem to know. )

jennykcmo

I know nearly 700 calories burned in 35 min. seems very high but trust me, I weigh MUCH more than you (based on your photo). I am well over 300 unfortunately. Also you basically said you burn 500 in 30 min on an elliptical so for someone who is probably twice as heavy as you, 700 cal. seems reasonable to me.

jellybaby84

No way in Hell.

a) I don't believe I burn anything like as much as machines or the internet says that I do (just don't feel that tired) so I'm worried about eating more than I've burned.
b) I don't buy this in built deficit thing. We get 1200 cals and 1200 cals is an ordinary weight loss diet amount which you are supposed to exercise on top of
c) The idea of eating 1800-2000 calories in a day terrifies me. Even 1200 makes me panic slightly.

ladyhawk00

Hi, I think you are right, I really believe the truth about the body going into starvation mode and holding onto fat. I will read more of your posts. (It's amazing what a 50/50 response I'm getting on this - people really don't seem to know. )

Yes, unfortunately there is confusion about this (especially from new members) because MFP works differently than most counters/plans. Most counters use your intended exercise to create your deficit, averaging the cals out over the week and keeping the cal goal stable each day.

MFP was designed to help you lose weight whether you exercise or not. Also, logging each exercise as you do it makes the logging more accurate (and is more motivational.) So cals are added back in when you log here, to keep your deficit stable 0 and therefore your weight loss more stable (and healthy and realistic.)

dad106

I eat enough to give me about 1200 net calories.. I tend to burn about 320 to 350 walking on the treadmill at a 15% incline for 30 min at a speed of 3.0 miles per hour. Sometimes I do go over that but as a general rule I keep it around 1200.

dengarrett

I have to say that I have not been convinced one way or another on this subject, but I think may be starting to see the light. Take a look at the following which I think shows that too great of a calorie deficit caused a plateau, and then decreasing the deficit broke the plateau.



SECTION A
I got a lot more serious and made many changes at about day 20 or so about diet and exercise. So I won’t concentrate on this section.

SECTION B
Perhaps a reflection of more seriousness, I consistently consumed between 200 and 300 fewer calories than my MFP target. As a result, I did lose weight at a rapid pace, but…

SECTION C
My body finally said “enough – we are in a famine” and began holding on to the calories for reserves. The result was a plateau.

SECTION D
Towards the end of the “famine”, I began consuming more calories and as a result, my body said “famine is over” and began giving up the calories once again.

ladyhawk00

No way in Hell.

a) I don't believe I burn anything like as much as machines or the internet says that I do (just don't feel that tired) so I'm worried about eating more than I've burned.
b) I don't buy this in built deficit thing. We get 1200 cals and 1200 cals is an ordinary weight loss diet amount which you are supposed to exercise on top of
c) The idea of eating 1800-2000 calories in a day terrifies me. Even 1200 makes me panic slightly.

Not everyone gets "1200 cals" per day as a goal. It depends on your chosen loss per week goal. And unfortunately, many people choose too high of a loss per week goal. Many women are at 1200 because:

1. They've chosen too high of a loss per week goal and 1200 is the minimum recommended by health experts for the average woman to receive adequate nutrition. So MFP defaults to 1200 if the loss/week goal they've chosen would take them below that number.
2. Women have low enough BMRs that unless they have a lot to lose, they cannot withstand as high of a deficit and still require a minimum amount to get adequate nutrition.

2 lbs per week is NOT intended for people who are not obese or morbidly obese. The less fat you have to lose, the lower your loss per week goal should be (and therefore the lower your deficit should be.) People who are relatively lean NEED to eat to fuel the body properly. Eating less will only hamper weight loss and make the weight you DO lose come from muscle, rather than fat.

People who are obese or morbidly obese MAY do ok with a slightly larger deficit (as in not eating all of the exercise cals.) But there are other considerations, which I discussed in this post:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/222019-60-lbs-in-60-days

But for those who have less than 50 lbs to lose, not eating enough WILL slow your weight loss eventually. Please, folks, get out of the "weight loss requires starvation and deprivation" mindset. It isn't helpful in your weight loss (or anything else.)

s_ballchic_2

i have been debating this too. I feel like eating the calories that are extra from working out is a little too much. I try to eat about half of the extra ones though