why eat back exercise calories?

momof4Oneal

Perfectly said.....

erickirb

It wont actually let me change my goal to lose more than 2 lbs per week.

Any more than 2lbs/week is not considered a healthy weight loss. So your goal should not be to lose more than 2lbs/week, unless you have well over 100 lbs to lose, it is not a reasonable amount. Most users on MFP that are set up for 2 lbs/week should probably be on 1.5 or 1 lb/week. Slow weight loss is healthier and you will be more likely to keep it off.

l3ugjuice

I was just answering your suggestion about sticking to 'your goal', and if you dont like your 'goal' you should change it. I cant change it on MFP, that's my point. Your suggestion:

Is your goal so wrong that you want to lose more, if so just change your goal, then you can still eat your exercise calories and lose your new goal amount of weight. It is a goal for a reason.

...won't work, because I cant 'just change my goal'. MFP's goal is only a guideline for me, my actual goals are higher.

EmilyAnn89

Can someone please explain why I would eat back exercise calories? Seems like there's no point in exercising if I just eat the calories back. I am currently eating about 1300 per day. Some days, like on weekends I go up to 1400 - 1600. How do I prevent going into starvation mode, but still lose weight? I don't want to eat too much or too little. My weight loss has been less than a pound a week, even though I have went from sitting on the couch all night and at my desk all day and not caring what I ate to eating 1300 calories and working out 5-6 days a week. aghhh

Okay... Assume that all of the solid advice for *healthy* weight loss is to be ignored...for now. I am not encouraging this by any means, but go ahead and try not eating them back if you think it's counterproductive. I'll tell you from experience that NOT eating them back IS counterproductive, but if you want to learn for yourself, I'll be the first to point you in the right direction for failure.

Constantly not eating them back creates an exercise bulimic disorder, where you will be having a massive calorie deficit each day. You say you don't want to hit "starvation mode", well, mathematically, you will be. It's inevitable. Eating 1200 calories and burning off 600, for example, will only give you 600 calories for that day. Do it again, and you'll have had only 1200 calories in 2 days. Do it again, and so on and so forth. By the end of the week you'll have accumulated so many negative calories that your body will do what its supposed to do... and think that it IS starving. Therefore it will eat away at your muscles and fat and anything else it can use for fuel.

Any food that you put into your body will be held onto for as long as it possibly can and it will convert it immediately for storage in the form of fat. You will then at that point become "skinny fat," where you may be low in weight, but absolutely emaciated and possibly still have flab. Great. You will have successfully attained your goal weight in the worst way possible to your health.

So, that's what the future of not eating your exercise calories holds for you. If it's something you can live with, by all means, don't eat them back. No one here will force you to. Make an informed decision and question no further.

very well said!

ladyhawk00

Anubis, Eric and others have explained it all well, but I just want to throw some more info in here.

- MFP is designed to have you eat those extra cals and still lose your chosen loss per week goal, regardless of exercise. If you have a lot to lose, it MAY not be as crucial that you eat all of those cals, but there are other considerations. Please educate yourself on how MFP works and metabolism - and at least make an informed decision. If you go about your weight loss in an unhealthy manner, you will end up unhealthy.

- Hunger is NOT a reliable way to determine when and how much you should be eating when you are first starting out.

PLEASE read these threads that explain all of this.

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

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/230930-starvation-mode-how-it-works

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/222019-60-lbs-in-60-days?hl=60+lbs

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/231636-the-eating-when-you-re-not-hungry-dilemma

EmilyAnn89

I was just answering your suggestion about sticking to 'your goal', and if you dont like your 'goal' you should change it. I cant change it on MFP, that's my point. Your suggestion:

Is your goal so wrong that you want to lose more, if so just change your goal, then you can still eat your exercise calories and lose your new goal amount of weight. It is a goal for a reason.

...won't work, because I cant 'just change my goal'. MFP's goal is only a guideline for me, my actual goals are higher.

you can change your goals by not selecting the "guided" option. if you select "custom" you can put in how many calories you want to eat. i have mine set at 1350.

l3ugjuice

I was just answering your suggestion about sticking to 'your goal', and if you dont like your 'goal' you should change it. I cant change it on MFP, that's my point. Your suggestion:

Is your goal so wrong that you want to lose more, if so just change your goal, then you can still eat your exercise calories and lose your new goal amount of weight. It is a goal for a reason.

...won't work, because I cant 'just change my goal'. MFP's goal is only a guideline for me, my actual goals are higher.

you can change your goals by not selecting the "guided" option. if you select "custom" you can put in how many calories you want to eat. i have mine set at 1350.

Ok...soo...E, nevermind...I'll just change my goals. Thanks!

Mergator

My first week on MFP, I thought I was doing myself a favor by leaving the exercise calories behind and not eating them. I ended up gaining a pound. Week two, I tried to eat most of those back each day and I lost 4 pounds.

l3ugjuice

Once I bought a 24/7 monitor that gives me an accurate calorie burn count, I've been losing 4 lbs per week pretty much like clockwork. I'm following my 1k per day caloric deficit (based on my sedentary bmr) strictly, then exercising off another 1k per day: then weigh in every Thursday minus 4 lbs. It's like my diet is a math equation, and I have not felt this healthy in 15 years.

So I hear what you guys are saying about the eating off your calories thing, and if that works for you that's awesome. I'm really just not hungry enough to eat that much, and not eating those calories has been working like clockwork for me. Now that can certainly change in the future, and if so I'll change with it. But for the time being, if it aint broke I aint fixin it...

ladyhawk00

Once I bought a 24/7 monitor that gives me an accurate calorie burn count, I've been losing 4 lbs per week pretty much like clockwork. I'm following my 1k per day caloric deficit (based on my sedentary bmr) strictly, then exercising off another 1k per day: then weigh in every Thursday minus 4 lbs. It's like my diet is a math equation, and I have not felt this healthy in 15 years.

So I hear what you guys are saying about the eating off your calories thing, and if that works for you that's awesome. I'm really just not hungry enough to eat that much, and not eating those calories has been working like clockwork for me. Now that can certainly change in the future, and if so I'll change with it. But for the time being, if it aint broke I aint fixin it...

Well, there is a reason health experts recommend not losing more than 2 lbs per week. Rapid weight loss carries many risks, including but not limited to: gallstones, arrhythmias, diabetes, hair/skin issues, menstruation issues, excess loose skin, liver/kidney issues, fatigue and depression, and weight regain. People who lose the weight slowly and learn healthy eating habits (which includes eating enough) are MUCH more likely to keep the weight off.

And hunger is NOT a reliable indicator of when and how much to eat, especially if your eating habits do not meet your body's needs.

What you see as "working for you" may actually be causing problems, such as slower metabolism and loss of lean mass (muscle).

Again, I'd recommend reading the "60 lbs" thread I posted previously. Obviously, you have to make your own decisions. But consider all aspects of your health when making those decisions.

l3ugjuice

I've been to my PCP once a month since January, and reviewed my diet, exercise, sleep patterns, etc. My father died of a heart attack when I was 18, and now that I'm getting close to his age when he died (42) I'm pretty petrified of suffering the same fate. Bloodwork is steadily improving (as it should, since I've lost about 60 lbs since Jan), livery & kidneys are perfect, blood pressure is literally perfect, I have no fatigue at all (for the first time in a decade, I actually have quite a bit of energy), I already had no hair (thanks DNA).

So like I said, I hear ya guys...and I'm not questioning how your body works. Mine, however, is responding wonderfully to NOT eating back my exercise calories....and it is doing so in every single way. So while you say whats "working for me" may "actually be causing problems"...its just not. Maybe I'm an anomaly, maybe I have Greek-God DNA and am just a superior being to the rest of humanity....but I really kinda doubt it. So, wonderful information you guys, but I'm going to take to heart what my doctor and my body are telling me.

l3ugjuice

Oh, I am getting quite a bit of relatively loose skin though. Which is kinda odd. I was never a "Jiggly" fat guy before, if that makes any sense. I was (and still am) certainly fat, but it was...uh...well, kinda tight-fat. Does that make sense? Anyway, not the case anymore. But, the loose skin isnt going to kill me...the weight will.

ShapeUpSidney

I
So like I said, I hear ya guys...and I'm not questioning how your body works. Mine, however, is responding wonderfully to NOT eating back my exercise calories....and it is doing so in every single way. So while you say whats "working for me" may "actually be causing problems"...its just not. Maybe I'm an anomaly, maybe I have Greek-God DNA and am just a superior being to the rest of humanity....but I really kinda doubt it. So, wonderful information you guys, but I'm going to take to heart what my doctor and my body are telling me.

Everyone is different. If you are already significantly overweight, you might be able to get by without eating back those exercise calories. Me though? I'd be exhausted. I have to lose weight slowly, because I'm trying to go from thin to thinner and more toned. For my body type, I simply cannot get through the day without eating back the exercise calories. I still lose weight, because I still have a caloric deficit, but I can't handle the caloric deficit of someone else who may have more calories in...err...reserve

l3ugjuice

Yep, that's what I mean. Everyone is different....and even further, the "me" of 4 months ago is different from the "me" of today, and the "me" of 6 months from now will very likely be different again. I've probably still got a good 30 pounds or so to lose before my BMI actually gets out of "obese" and into just "fat"...so I'm pretty much good to go on what I'm eating. YMMV.

I understand that my situation will likely change as I get closer to a more normal weight, hopefully, which is why I read posts discussing these things. What's working for me is currently working, but if it stops working I want to know what to do next =D

doliveresti

Okay... Assume that all of the solid advice for *healthy* weight loss is to be ignored...for now. I am not encouraging this by any means, but go ahead and try not eating them back if you think it's counterproductive. I'll tell you from experience that NOT eating them back IS counterproductive, but if you want to learn for yourself, I'll be the first to point you in the right direction for failure.

Constantly not eating them back creates an exercise bulimic disorder, where you will be having a massive calorie deficit each day. You say you don't want to hit "starvation mode", well, mathematically, you will be. It's inevitable. Eating 1200 calories and burning off 600, for example, will only give you 600 calories for that day. Do it again, and you'll have had only 1200 calories in 2 days. Do it again, and so on and so forth. By the end of the week you'll have accumulated so many negative calories that your body will do what its supposed to do... and think that it IS starving. Therefore it will eat away at your muscles and fat and anything else it can use for fuel.

Any food that you put into your body will be held onto for as long as it possibly can and it will convert it immediately for storage in the form of fat. You will then at that point become "skinny fat," where you may be low in weight, but absolutely emaciated and possibly still have flab. Great. You will have successfully attained your goal weight in the worst way possible to your health.

So, that's what the future of not eating your exercise calories holds for you. If it's something you can live with, by all means, don't eat them back. No one here will force you to. Make an informed decision and question no further.

This is probably the best explanation I've heard for why you need to eat back your calories.

This whole thing makes a lot of sense to me thank you!

Lisa076

I am one of the people that don't eat back my calories burned and the reason is I do not have a HRM & don't want to estimate what I am burning, I am not really trying to lose although a few more pounds would be nice but my real goal is to maintain and tone. MFP gave me 1200 calories and I work out 35-45 minutes every morning (P90) plus walk daily as well as the every day stuff cleaning etc...So here is my question, should someone like me that is just trying really to maintain and tone still eat back my calories burned? If so I guess I better look into a HRM.

ladyhawk00

I am one of the people that don't eat back my calories burned and the reason is I do not have a HRM & don't want to estimate what I am burning, I am not really trying to lose although a few more pounds would be nice but my real goal is to maintain and tone. MFP gave me 1200 calories and I work out 35-45 minutes every morning (P90) plus walk daily as well as the every day stuff cleaning etc...So here is my question, should someone like me that is just trying really to maintain and tone still eat back my calories burned? If so I guess I better look into a HRM.

If you selected maintain in your loss per week goal, there's no way MFP gave you 1200 cals.

But yes, especially if you are training to maintain and build muscle, it is VITAL that you fuel the body properly - which included exercise cals.

Lisa076

I haven't changed it as of yet but I am thinking about doing so...probably a good idea! I am going to have to train myself as far as eating goes, I find myself having a hard time reahing 1200 calories most day's unless I throw a little not so healthy food in there. What I have been doing has been working, I am toning and not gaining but not losing anymore either?!? Who knew changing for the better could be so confusing :laugh: but SO worth it!!!