Do I have to eat back my exercise calories?

laurendough

Hi everyone - I know this topic gets discussed quite frequently, but I would really like to hear a definitive answer on the subject. My calorie goal is 1200, and on average I burn at about 450 calories/day from running. I know that according to MFP, then I should add 450 for a total of 1650. I totally understand that you want to avoid your body going into starvation mode, but I am eating a healthy 1200/day spaced out so that I am eating 5x a day. So far I have NOT been eating back my exercise calories and lost about 1.5 lbs a week. I ate back my exercise calories this weekend and now I am up 1.5 lbs on the scale.

The reason I am so skeptical of eating back all the calories burned is that the Biggest Loser contestants probably burn at least 2000 calories a day, and I know they don't eat all those back. What formula are they using for calorie intake to avoid going into starvation mode while creating as large a deficit as possible?

Will someone confirm that as long as I am eating a healthy 1200 calories, that my body will not go into starvation mode?

My stats:
Age - 25
Height - 5'6
SW: 170
CW: 166
GW: 145

kimziebaby

I'm on the 1200 calorie diet too. I never eat back my exercise calories.. i don't see the point. I eat whenever my body tells me to. Do what works for you. Many people say don't, and many people say do eat them. I'm fine not eating back mine, so just do what works best for your body. Everyone is different.

dayzeerock

*banging head against desk*

PalmettoparkGuy

*banging head against desk*

very hard

MrsCon40

www.shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com

If you don't like MFP's weight loss system (of eating them back) then there are a million other calorie counting sites out there.

Serenifly

I always eat my exersise calories, and I keep gaining (but I quit smoking three months ago too)

So I'm starting to think I shouldn't eat my exersise calories! haha

I need to find a way to be FULL on 1200 calories!

so I would say No don't eat them if you want to lose! lol

taso42_DELETED

i love it. 2 of these threads simultaneously in the recent topics list.

i'm still confused. should i post a third?

lpirie

If you are hungry eat them back but if you arent don't. Idk if I agree with the whole eating back exercise calories. I think you have to be careful how you log your exercise if you do.

Schwiggity

You're not a biggest loser contestant. You have 25 pounds to lose. Not 200. And you know this has been talked about to death, so what makes you think your thread will get a clear cut answer?

ilookthetype

i love it. 2 of these threads simultaneously in the recent topics list.

i'm still confused. should i post a third?

It is probably for the best that you do.

tammykoon

I wonder how many calories there are in a can of worms, because you just opened one.

As far as Biggest Loser goes there is on BIG difference, their starting weight. Those of us with more to lose can go lower on the calories for a longer period of time.

You want a definite answer to a question that has infinite variables and that is not possible.

Dragonwolf

www.shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com

If you don't like MFP's weight loss system (of eating them back) then there are a million other calorie counting sites out there.

Hah, that is awesome. It says a lot about the number of times this gets asked if someone actually bought a domain solely to answer the question.

To the OP - You're not very far off from your goal weight. It might be a good idea to only try for 1lb/week loss. Trying to lose too quickly if you're close to your healthy weight can be troublesome and discouraging.

ChantalGG

try to eat back ever other day. Mix it up so you will have a different calories amount consumed and you body will be confused, same goes with exercise.

Serenifly

MAN PEOPLE ARE FEISTY TODAY!!!!!!

CASE OF THE MONDAYS?

bisky

I read that the biggest losers eat 7 calories per pound of weight. So, as they loose weight and get into better shape they have to keep cutting their calories. They are loosing weight rather fast and not aiming for 1 - 2 lbs a week which is a healthy loss. I think if you are loosing 1.5 lbs a week, you feel good, no headaches or feeling starved all the time then you are okay at 1200 calories a day. Would not go below that. I understand for some people it works to eat back their exercise calories but for others it stalls their weight loss. The important thing is getting your fruits, veggies and lean meats in and that you feel good.

Rae6503

Without exercise in a given day, how much do you think you burn just by living? I'm going to guess... 1700 calories (I burn 2000 and weigh a big less, but I'll give you 1700 as a lower guess). You then burn an ADDITIONAL 500 calories. That puts you burning 2200 calories. Right? You consume 1200. That gives you a deficit of 1000 calories. Great!

However your body doesn't like that. You don't have a lot of fat to work with (the people on the biggest looser do and most don't keep it off anyway). Rather than give up the fat it's going to either slow your metabolism down considerably, OR it'll start using your muscle to fuel itself instead of your fat stores. And who wants to be a skinny woman with NO muscle and lots of fat?

bunchesonothing

Hi everyone - I know this topic gets discussed quite frequently, but I would really like to hear a definitive answer on the subject. My calorie goal is 1200, and on average I burn at about 450 calories/day from running. I know that according to MFP, then I should add 450 for a total of 1650. I totally understand that you want to avoid your body going into starvation mode, but I am eating a healthy 1200/day spaced out so that I am eating 5x a day. So far I have NOT been eating back my exercise calories and lost about 1.5 lbs a week. I ate back my exercise calories this weekend and now I am up 1.5 lbs on the scale.

The reason I am so skeptical of eating back all the calories burned is that the Biggest Loser contestants probably burn at least 2000 calories a day, and I know they don't eat all those back. What formula are they using for calorie intake to avoid going into starvation mode while creating as large a deficit as possible?

Will someone confirm that as long as I am eating a healthy 1200 calories, that my body will not go into starvation mode?

My stats:
Age - 25
Height - 5'6
SW: 170
CW: 166
GW: 145

You are also not the size of the people on biggest loser. When you are closer to your goal weight, you cannot sustain as large of deficits.

People take a look at others and they simply can't just apply a "well, it worked for them" situation. They are them. You are you. And they probably had daily medical care and attention from coaches and what not to make sure it wasn't going to hurt them.

Serenifly

www.shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com

hahaha awesome website!

JeSuisPrest

I was doing the 1200 calories too, not eating my excercise calories. It got me no where. Lesson learned. Feel like I wasted last the 40 days.

Dragonwolf

MAN PEOPLE ARE FEISTY TODAY!!!!!!

CASE OF THE MONDAYS?

You don't get out (on other Internet forums) much, do you? This is tame compared to the snark I've seen on other sites.

laurendough

My apologies for ruining anyone's day by replicating a thread. My point is, there has to be a threshhold at which you stop eating back calories burned in order to maximize weightloss. Hopefully you burned some extra calories today by typing up a needlessly rude response.

jon_brady

What works for you is always the best medicine.

As far as starvation mode is concerned you need find a source you trust to get your basal/resting metabolic rate as long as you are getting that many calories a day, the exercise calories for the most part determine how much and how fast you lose the weight.

There is a point where your exercise can put you into starvation mode but that level is different for everyone and you have to figure the calorie level there individually. You see weeks when BL contestants don't lose or even gain that is when their trainers take a look at nutrition and make adjustments.

If what you were doing was giving you acceptable results stick with it if not play with your calories and keep good records so you can adjust them to meet your weight loss goals.

kimziebaby

My apologies for ruining anyone's day by replicating a thread. My point is, there has to be a threshhold at which you stop eating back calories burned in order to maximize weightloss. Hopefully you burned some extra calories today by typing up a needlessly rude response.

Well said!

writtenINthestars

i love it. 2 of these threads simultaneously in the recent topics list.

i'm still confused. should i post a third?

Go for it.

RunningMom09

The 1200 target is for net calories. If you eat 1200 and burn 450, your net is 750. Keep in mind, though that this target does not work for everyone. You need to do what works for you.

If you are not hungry, are feeling healthy, and are losing at your target rate, then it seems this is working for you

From what I have read, as you get closer to your goal weight, you will likely need to eat back more (if not all) of your excercise calories in order to continue losing weight.

I've heard that 3500 calories = 1lb of fat. So if you ate less than that amount in addition to your 1200 target, the 1.5lb you gained is more likely to be water weight than fat. You may want to check your sodium intake.

Serenifly

MAN PEOPLE ARE FEISTY TODAY!!!!!!

CASE OF THE MONDAYS?

You don't get out (on other Internet forums) much, do you? This is tame compared to the snark I've seen on other sites.

haha I do but none of them are mean ...this isn't mean either but I'm used to a bunch of Kumbaya threads on this forum ... i avoid conflict at all costs! haha

Dragonwolf

My apologies for ruining anyone's day by replicating a thread. My point is, there has to be a threshhold at which you stop eating back calories burned in order to maximize weightloss. Hopefully you burned some extra calories today by typing up a needlessly rude response.

The problem is, this has been talked to death and *you admitted that you knew that* but went ahead and asked the exact same question. There are literally dozens of links in the stickies thoroughly explaining the rationale behind MFP's system and eating back exercise calories.

If you wanted to know if there was some sort of threshold where it's counterproductive, you should have asked *that* question instead (what you really asked and what you wanted to ask are two completely different things).

Also, this is the Internet. As I noted before, what I've seen on MFP is nothing compared to the snark I've seen people on other sites receive for similarly asking a question they admitted to knowing was a dead horse.

ChristineGray825

I try to eat something dense and high in protein low in carbs extra when I work out. Maybe a fifth "meal" of just a chicken breast about 3.5 oz. Extra protein helps to keep you feeling fuller and helps with the rebuilding muscle.

Dragonwolf

MAN PEOPLE ARE FEISTY TODAY!!!!!!

CASE OF THE MONDAYS?

You don't get out (on other Internet forums) much, do you? This is tame compared to the snark I've seen on other sites.

haha I do but none of them are mean ...this isn't mean either but I'm used to a bunch of Kumbaya threads on this forum ... i avoid conflict at all costs! haha

Hah, I'm glad I'm not the only one that found this site unusually tame in the snark department.

(And thanks for picking up on the humor intended in that previous comment. Or at least acting as such. )

bunchesonothing

Hah, I'm glad I'm not the only one that found this site unusually tame in the snark department.

People will probably object, but I think a lot of the people on here don't have quite the internet history to know better.

SiltyPigeon

My apologies for ruining anyone's day by replicating a thread. My point is, there has to be a threshhold at which you stop eating back calories burned in order to maximize weightloss. Hopefully you burned some extra calories today by typing up a needlessly rude response.

On the other hand... thanks for MAKING my day!!! I hope this topic gets posted another four times so I can sit around reading the responses (rather than exercising, of course... wouldn't want to have exercise calories to eat back). Smootches!!!