Eat the calories I just burned off? I don't get it. Explanat

dannylives

Can someone please send me a message as to why I'm supposed to eat back the calories i burned off through exercise? It doesn't make any sense to me to consume calories that were just burned off. This is an honest question.

DancingSquirrel

The calorie plan that mfp creates for you is without any exercise. Let's say your goal is 1200 calories per day. If you then exercise and burn 400 calories, your net calorie intake for the day would only be 800 calories. This is unsustainably low if kept up. It puts your body in starvation mode.

This is why you need to eat the calories your burn so you can have a net consumption of 1200 which is still a deficit but not an unhealthy one.

FairyMiss

The reason for eating back exercise cals, is this site , mfp, already figures in a deficit bases on age, height , weight, activitly level

ladyhawk00

Should help to read this:

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

Forensic

Mfp plans in a defecit for safe weight loss. That being .5 to 2 pounds a week. That calorie defecit is already there. Too much more and it begins to get unhealthy. If you exercise, however, you're more likely to lose fat than muscle and be healthier in the end.

KatyE213

You might find that you don't need to eat all of them back or even any of them. There is a lot of different opinion on this if you search the message boards and what works for one doesn't work for another. You will have to have a little trial and error to see how you go. Good luck

Dtho5159

The reason for eating back exercise cals, is this site , mfp, already figures in a deficit bases on age, height , weight, activitly level

^^

rachmaree

Check out this for lots of threads with useful info:

www.shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com

Remember that mfp already has a good deficit factored in, exercising increases that deficit, and you don't want your overall net calories to be too low. Every now and then is ok, but if it's too low, too often, you can slow your metabolism.
Seriously, check out the link.

stormieweather

MFP has a built in deficit, based on the calorie goals you entered in your setup. The idea is to maintain that deficit, not increase it to potentially unsafe and unsustainable levels, thus, you are expected to eat back your exercise calories. I suggest you eat back part of them, to offset any errors in your dietary log and exercise calculations.

OttawaJeannie

This is a post that helped me understand it
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

Alegna76

I was wondering the same thing! Thanks for the info.

kdub_nyc

Shoot - I exercise just so I can eat more. I love to eat.

atlraine

Shoot - I exercise just so I can eat more. I love to eat.

I love that I am not the only one out here on MFP that exercises so I can eat! That's my mantra!!!

Penelope_373

I struggled with this too until someone used this analogy: Think of your body as a well maintained vehicle, when you use the fuel you have to replenish it. Your body needs fuel to burn fuel. The MFP equation already has the amount of calories for weight loss deducted. If you let your fuel level get too low, your body will go into starvation mode and reserving calories for fuel use later. You don't want that to happen, keep your metabolism up. Just choose healthy calories to replenish what you burn off with exercise.

kaitimae

Shoot - I exercise just so I can eat more. I love to eat.

I love that I am not the only one out here on MFP that exercises so I can eat! That's my mantra!!!

Yes! I am having a bowl of strawberry shortcake for dessert tonight... thanks 6AM walk!!!! Hahaha

nikkishai

Just what I needed to hear. I've been stuck in a plateau and this really makes sense. I've been eating my exercise calories, but never really understood why... til now.

dannylives

Thanks for the help!