To Eat Or Not To Eat Back Your Exercise Calories.

BeautyFromPain

Some people are so judgemental. Different things works for everyone, if it works for you to eat them back good but don't try & push others to & vice versa. It is good to support people but everyone's bodies are made differently so therefore respond differently.

People go on & on about me not eating enough. Generally, I just eat when I am hungry. What's the point otherwise?

MommyofBoys

I completely agree with you!

CassieLEO

Because its not healthy?

whateverdamnit

I don't eat back what I've lost. It doesn't make any sense to me. When I started doing that, I just maintained my weight, rather than actually lose the weight.

BeautyFromPain

I eat at least 1200-1300 calories but I just exercise a lot. Do you think people on the biggest loser got to where they are whilst eating back their exercise calories? I'd say probs not.

Listen to your body. If you are hungry, eat. If you aren't hungry, don't eat. It's as simple as that.

jennifir

I agree....eating really is only supposed to refuel us right? So if we ate to eat back calories when we aren't hungry isnt that over eating? And if we are eating back exercise calories aren't' we just going backwards and maintaining? It doesn't make sense to me either. So, I am with you. I will let my body be the one to tell me.

Losing2Live69

I couldn't help but notice this on your post...


SW : 96.7
CW : 90.7
Mini-Goal#1 : 80's by 30/05
GW : 60 by christmas!


Is that in something different from pounds? I know everyone doesn't use the same units of measure. I saw "60 by Christmas and was like"...What?? Just wondering. Ok....sorry, just saw your profile and saw your weight is in KG!! LOL! I was thinking, is she only 3 feet tall or something!

whateverdamnit

Me too, I only eat when I'm hungry. I notice some people log in every breath they take and then eat it back.. something like 800 calories and then wonder why they're not losing any weight. :S

jennifir

like house cleaning and every day life activities. I don't count those...

whateverdamnit

Yeah, for me, if I'm not REALLY sweating, it wasn't a workout. To be honest, I don't count my beginners Pilates DVD, either. I'll count things like treadmill and elliptical and even then, I wont eat back my calories because it just doesn't work for me. I'm only 5'2 and if I eat over 1300 calories or so, I just end up maintaining, or gaining.

ohthatmomma

I would have to say that I agree somewhat. If I can do that :-) I agree that everyone is different. However, I also believe that if we are losing weight, if that is our ultimate goal, it just wouldn't be wise to eat the calories back unless you were maintaining your weight.

You could very well lose weight by eating some of your calories back, but I wouldn't say to eat them all back. In the beginning I would eat what I wanted, when I wanted, and really I didn't lose a large amount of weight. I did exercise and often I would consume the calories that I had burned. Needless to say I didn't see any dramatic weight loss, but I lost 1/2 lb a week. (Though many scales say many different things *smile*)

I say, we need to eat in a healthful manner. Eat nutrient dense foods and remain active. Enjoy a special treat and just be happy.

:-)

Angeloftheshore

For me, I only eat them back to stay near 1200 calories which is what I am eating to lose weight. If I up my caloric intake after that , I won't eat them back.

twinkle1074

I am new to this forum (almost a week in) and I asked a question concerning this and I got different feedback. After reading the posts I decided to at least eat half my excercise calories back. I am going to be doing my weigh in tomorrow and honestly if I saw the weightloss was not significant then I would just go back to eating within my calories and not use my excercise calories. Also I workout pretty regularly and I don't log every single workout I do so I still try to over compensate for the extra calories consumed on days that I log my excercise.

Angeloftheshore

I mean 1200 is as low as it supposedly healthy to go, I don't want starvation mode and that's what it causes, right?

joamarelo

nice post

rbeckym

is it good to only eat when ur hungry ?

heather0416

I couldn't help but notice this on your post...


SW : 96.7
CW : 90.7
Mini-Goal#1 : 80's by 30/05
GW : 60 by christmas!


Is that in something different from pounds? I know everyone doesn't use the same units of measure. I saw "60 by Christmas and was like"...What?? Just wondering. Ok....sorry, just saw your profile and saw your weight is in KG!! LOL! I was thinking, is she only 3 feet tall or something!

LOL!

NancyCatherineWalker

I was eating 800 to 1,000 a day. I was stuck. Upping the calories to 1200 and eating back my exercise calories I've lost almost 6 lbs. (the ticker says six but it's more like 5 and 1/2) in two weeks. There was one day were I burned off 800 + in exercise so I didn't try to eat all of those back, but in general I eat them back otherwise I get stuck.

wildon883r

If you eat raw/real/healthy foods you can eat ALOT of food. I recently upped my calorie intake to slow my weight loss from 2 lbs a week to 1lb a week. Raising my daily caloric intake 500 calories is like another whole other meal above my 3 meals and snacks i have throughout the day. There is no way i'm going to eat 800 exercise calories on top of 2100 weight loss calories. I have a very hard time hitting 2100 calories as it is. On the other hand a (junk) like a fastfood hamburger, fries and a coke should put you at 1500 calories in one meal. I rarely eat junk maybe once a week. I think we should rely on our body to let us know when it needs fuel and not just fill our mouths with food just for the sake of it. Eat to LIve not Live to Eat.

amymeenieminymo

1. Eating back your exercise calories DOES NOT make you maintain your weight, and you're not "just eating back what you burned off". MFP already sets you up with a calorie deficit, meaning you're already eating less than you were before, you're already eating the right amount to make you lose weight, so if you don't eat them back, your depriving your body of even more fuel, thus you may not end up netting enough.

2. Not being hungry is not always a sign to go by. Sometimes we don't feel hungry when our body is actually lacking enough fuel. If you feel hungry and you ignore it long enough it goes away for a while right? Does that mean you don't still need food?

3. Telling people to eat their exercise calories isn't being judgmental, it's providing education. We're all here because we weren't doing something right and needed to learn the right way. Educating people on what they should be doing is not being judgmental, it's helping them. I agree that not eating back say, 50 calories is not going to kill you. I don't ALWAYS eat back every last EC, but eating 1200 calories and then burning off 500 and not eating them back is NOT healthy.

aclark6818

I think it's ok to eat the calories back to ensure that you've had a net calorie amount of at least 1200--to avoid going into starvation mode. I've also heard that zigzagging your calories can keep you metabolism working more efficiently. If I was really worried about it I would ask a health professional. Keep up your good work & do what works for your body.

jenilla1

There are tons of people who don't understand the scientific principles (the hows and whys) of healthy, long-term weight management. There are also many people who don't understand the way MFP works, how BMR rates are calculated, and how calorie deficits, activity settings and exercise calories work. This all really works, but yes, it takes a lot of patience to do it right. There are loads of people who clearly aren't content to lose the weight slowly - which is the safest and most permanent way to lose. Everyone is free to use MFP however they want. However, I feel it's best to use the program as it was intended, because it REALLY IS set up to help you do this slowly, gradually, and successfully. Good luck to everyone! :flowerforyou:

jkestens63

Me too, I only eat when I'm hungry. I notice some people log in every breath they take and then eat it back.. something like 800 calories and then wonder why they're not losing any weight. :S

I eat back most of mine... typically burn at least 1,000 a day, and I have lost a lot of weight. If I don't eat them back I end up binging after a few days, like my body is telling me I am not fueling it enough so will take what it can get.

But that is me and what works for me.

amymeenieminymo

I am new to this forum (almost a week in) and I asked a question concerning this and I got different feedback. After reading the posts I decided to at least eat half my excercise calories back. I am going to be doing my weigh in tomorrow and honestly if I saw the weightloss was not significant then I would just go back to eating within my calories and not use my excercise calories. Also I workout pretty regularly and I don't log every single workout I do so I still try to over compensate for the extra calories consumed on days that I log my excercise.

A week really isn't enough time to notice a change, good or bad. If I were you I would give it a month. I've gained weight back because I got lazy after my wedding, but in two years time I lose 50 pounds, looked and felt great, had muscle tone and no saggy skin and I ate back 90% of my exercise calories.

psuLemon

As long as your don't have more than a 500 calorie deficit, then you don't have to eat them back. The biggest thing is making sure you calculate your BMR correctly. Once you get beyond that deficit, you will slow the progress of losing weight. Also, when you eat the correct amount of calories, you will increase your metabolism which increase the calories you burn at rest. This is actually why weight training is important. Muscle burns fat and the more muscle you have the more calories you burn at rest. Heck, I eat 2600 calories and I keep body fat (and some weight). Heck, my friend eats 5000 calories a day and has 6% body fat but his BMR is 4000 calories. If you figure out what you burn and back off 500, you don't have to eat back your exercise calories. Just my 2 cents.

aclark6818

I was eating 800 to 1,000 a day. I was stuck. Upping the calories to 1200 and eating back my exercise calories I've lost almost 6 lbs. (the ticker says six but it's more like 5 and 1/2) in two weeks. There was one day were I burned off 800 + in exercise so I didn't try to eat all of those back, but in general I eat them back otherwise I get stuck.

That has happened to me also--I felt better when I ate some of my calories back--keeping under my goal calories

ladyhawk00

I agree....eating really is only supposed to refuel us right? So if we ate to eat back calories when we aren't hungry isnt that over eating? And if we are eating back exercise calories aren't' we just going backwards and maintaining? It doesn't make sense to me either. So, I am with you. I will let my body be the one to tell me.

No, you are confused as to how MFP works. It is different than most other counters/plans. Most plans use your exercise to create your deficit for weight loss, keeping your daily cal goal static.

MFP was designed with the idea that many people can't exercise regularly, or at all, due to physical limitations or time. They also recognized that most people set up an exercise plan, but as we all know, that's not necessarily what actually happens every day. So they built the site to allow for weight loss with or without exercise.

MFP creates a BUILT IN CALORIE DEFICIT based on your loss per week goal, regardless of exercise. So when you log exercise, cals are added back in to keep that deficit stable. If you don't replace those cals, you've made your deficit larger than you (presumably) intended. A larger deficit does not necessarily mean faster/more weight loss; it is usually unhealthy and unsustainable. It is important to fuel the body properly, or it may begin to slow metabolism and burn muscle as fuel.

People with a lot to lose (50+ lbs) can often get away with eating only some or none of their exercise cals. Those who have less to lose risk more by not eating them. It's up to the individual whether they are ok with those risks.

CallejaFairey

well..i would say, one thing to consider to all those who don't eat them back....this place is about setting yourself up to easily maintain a healthy lifestyle once you have reached your goal, as well as getting to that goal in a healthy way. you can't really compare the people on Biggest Loser to most people on here. those people on the show have constant doctor supervision...can you say the same about you? 1/2lb loss a week is a good loss. specially as it depends on what size you are to start with...larger people, like me, can stand to lose a bit more each week because we just have so much more to lose. a smaller person looking to lose a total of 20lbs should not be aiming for 2lbs a week loss. that is just too darn stressful on the body ya know?

in the end though, to each their own.

my personal belief, eat all those cals back, but it comes from personal experience.
i started a new job 2 months ago. and with this job, i went from being pretty much sedentary, to active, which meant my cals went up. as i have lots to lose, i figured it was no big deal if i didn't eat my full amount of cals alloted to me. big mistake, i have yo-yo'd back and forth, gaining, or not losing anything, to losing a bit, and then gaining it back. the only time i lose consistantly, and at a number i am trying for, is when i eat as close as possible to my cals limit, including whatever extras i get from the exercise i do occasionally.

ladyhawk00

is it good to only eat when ur hungry ?

Not for most people just starting out. Hunger cues in someone who is overweight or who has had poor eating habits are NOT reliable. It takes time for the hormones that regulate appetite to balance out.

Might help to read this:

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

chevy88grl

I always eat back ALL of my exercise calories. If I don't eat them back -- I will be way below my daily calorie needs and after a few days this causes me to start to gain weight. I actually LOSE weight by EATING. Now, this doesn't mean I go out and eat a Big Mac meal. I try and eat foods that are good for me.

I am currently eating 2200 calories a day and lost 4lbs in one week!

stariera

I eat lots, I mean I literally eat 6 times a day... I eat more veggies though then carbs or proteins. I am always over on my proteins because they are spread through out the day. I am a very active person I am honest about the amount of activity I have every day. I don't think I could add more calories without adding more carbs which honestly I don't lose when I'm eating tons of them. I get the main source of my carbs in my breakfast that way I have plenty of time to burn them. I am never hungry did I mention the 6 meals in a day... I never make up my calories , I always have energy and have even spoken with my doctor about it. He told me as long as I make up some of them its ok... that he knows my struggle and as long as I am healthy my blood pressure, blood sugars, and my energy are all good then keep up the good work... when any of those go off... then change it up. He knows I'm getting all of my vitamins and he knows I am getting a ton of veggies... I mean heck probably 6-8 cups of veggies or more a day. I get at least 10 oz of protein a day not to mention protein shakes... I just get lean protein like fish or chicken usually. I wish all good luck on their journey.