Article about eating back calories burned

kimgriff

Yahoo has an article today titled, "Eating Mistakes That Squash Workout Results". It addresses the "eating back calories burned" debate:

"Buying Into the Afterburn Myth
While it's true that you will torch more calories in the hours after a workout, for most women it amounts to just an additional 50 calories burned, not enough to sanction a splurge (note: a medium original Pinkberry = 230 calories).
The Fix: My general rule of thumb: the 50/50 principle - if you’re trying to trim down you can afford to add about half the calories you burn to your usual intake, preferably about 50% before to help fuel the activity, and half after, for recovery. For example, an hour on the elliptical burns about 500 calories (for 150 pound person), which means you can safely “spend” an extra 125 cals both before and after hitting the gym – that’s the amount in about one slice of whole grain bread spread with one tablespoon natural peanut butter before, and a half cup each nonfat Greek yogurt and sliced strawberries topped with a tablespoon of sliced almonds after. "

Here's the link for the full article:

http://shine.yahoo.com/event/workingit/eating-mistakes-that-squash-workout-results-2488742/

Just FYI!

superhippiechik

Thank you for thatt!

losinfat4good

What a great article! I agree 100% for MY body.

aissance

thanks that's really helpful. I've been adding my exercise, but not consuming the extra calories because I've always felt it was a waste of effort to eat what you burned.

ItsTerriC

I'm no expert, but that reinforces what I've felt from the beginning. I'm doing well by following that advice on most days, so I think I'll stick with it.

rmsrws

I always thought eating back your excercise calories was a bit odd. It seemed like a double negative to me. You work out to lose weight and maintain muscle, then you eat those calories back, just seemed like a never ending battle to me. Maybe it works for some people who have a higher metabolism. I just stick to my daily calorie intake and what ever I burn for workouts I look at it as a plus! But heck! I could be wrong. There is so much information out there it is really overwhelming at times!

sararb319

Definitely makes sense to me!!

nancymmorris

This is what works for me and my body. A lot of people disagree with me but it is what works for me. I just tell everyone that they need to try different things because every body is different. I am glad to see this, Thank you for sharing.

McKayMachina

MFP gives you a NET goal. That means eat back your exercise calories. (Not that that's gospel. Just explaining the MFP approach.)

I've lost 40 lbs. in the last 5 months by always eating back 100% of my exercise calories and I always feel awesome. Just sayin'.

natskedat

This makes no sense for people who are already on a calorie reduced diet. MFP's calorie goal already has a calorie deficit built in, and is a reduced calorie diet. Creating a larger calorie deficit may help you lose weight faster, but it will lower your metabolism and will get you to a plateau faster.

LovelySnugs

good point, i guess, if this is what works for you. but MFP already builds in a calorie deficit for you based on your set goals. the reason you're supposed to eat back your exercise calories here is because not doing so may cause you to increase your deficit to unhealthy proportions.

read the stickies if you don't believe me.

stormieweather

I don't think that article takes into account the method that MFP uses, which is, you already have a deficit built in to your goals. You are not creating your deficit here via exercise. It is ALREADY there.

The reason you eat back your exercise calories on MFP is to maintain that deficit exactly, because too large of a deficit can be detrimental to your health and weight loss.

LovelySnugs

This makes no sense for people who are already on a calorie reduced diet. MFP's calorie goal already has a calorie deficit built in, and is a reduced calorie diet. Creating a larger calorie deficit may help you lose weight faster, but it will lower your metabolism and will get you to a plateau faster.

SIMULPOST! great minds and all. . .

CassieLEO

This makes no sense for people who are already on a calorie reduced diet. MFP's calorie goal already has a calorie deficit built in, and is a reduced calorie diet. Creating a larger calorie deficit may help you lose weight faster, but it will lower your metabolism and will get you to a plateau faster.

Amen sista!!!!

registers

Thanks for the post. This is not towards you. It's towards the people who wrote that article. It's such a crock, and I am putting it lightly. Here is one example, it says to drink a smoothie before you work out. What's the point, to burn sugar and no fat? make no sense. Exercising increases growth hormone, hunger (empty stomach) also increases growth hormone which also perserves muscle mass... I wrote about all that stuff in one of my blogs. Here is my blog, it talks about eating back your exercise calories in detail.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/asmcriminal/view/common-theories-disproven-108628

Fattack

This makes no sense for people who are already on a calorie reduced diet. MFP's calorie goal already has a calorie deficit built in, and is a reduced calorie diet. Creating a larger calorie deficit may help you lose weight faster, but it will lower your metabolism and will get you to a plateau faster.

This

SheilaSisco

The thing about that is the article isn't taking into account that MFP ALREADY figures a calorie deficit for you. It is really only SAFE(and borderline at that) to lose 2 pounds per week which puts you at a calorie deficit of 1000 calories a day, and then ONLY if that doesn't put you below 1200 NET calories a day. Any less that that, and you risk doing serious harm to your body and to your metabolism. MFP has that deficit figured for you, so you CAN eat those calories back and still have the desired weight loss. I don't ALWAYS eat ALL of my exercise calories back, but I ALWAYS make sure I net over 1200.... I want to be healthy, and to me that means not completely screwing up my metabolism by not eating enough.

hbrittingham

MFP gives you a NET goal. That means eat back your exercise calories. (Not that that's gospel. Just explaining the MFP approach.)

I've lost 40 lbs. in the last 5 months by always eating back 100% of my exercise calories and I always feel awesome. Just sayin'.

This!

The article even says that if you are eating your normal calories (not a reduced number), that eating back 50% of them is fine.

Rob82

I think some people still don't get it. Your calorie goal here on MFP is set such that YOU WILL LOSE WEIGHT WITHOUT WORKING OUT, just by creating a calorie deficiency between what you eat and the calories you will burn with regular daily activity. Therefore, the calories you burn working out can be eaten back, because there was already a deficiency before working out. You will lose more weight then the weight loss goal you set if you don't eat workout calories back because you've just made the calorie deficiency larger. Obviously, don't eat back your calories with milkshakes and cake. If your eating calories at a level that MAINTAINS yourt weight BEFORE exercise, which is the basis of this article, then obviously you shouldn't eat back workout calories.

registers

MFP gives you a NET goal. That means eat back your exercise calories. (Not that that's gospel. Just explaining the MFP approach.)

I've lost 40 lbs. in the last 5 months by always eating back 100% of my exercise calories and I always feel awesome. Just sayin'.

This!

The article even says that if you are eating your normal calories (not a reduced number), that eating back 50% of them is fine.

I lost 20lbs with NOT eating them back in 3 weeks.

krhea31

thanks for the link!