Those in favor of eating back your exercise calories say "Vr

2

Replies

  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
    OMG. Your weight loss deficit is already built in to your MFP goal. We cut calories (through our daily goal) to lose weight. We exercise to be healthy and fit, and healthy fit bodies need fuel. Unless you are obese, eat at least some of your exercise calories back!! I cannot count how many people I see on these forums every day, complaining that they're not losing weight. Inevitably I look at their diaries (if they're open) and they are not eating their exercise calories back. HEALTHY BODIES NEED FUEL.

    This. Agreed.

    I eat my exercise calories. Always have. Always will. I weigh 143-145lbs and am in maintenance. I have lost 60lbs. I consume 2200-2500 NET calories (yes, NET calories) a day.

    For the love of all that is good in this world, EAT people. Losing weight in a healthy manner means you DO NOT STARVE YOURSELF!

    BTW, I've NEVER had a HRM so ALL of my calorie burns have been estimates (usually from the machines at the gym) and I've done just fine.
  • LovingMe19
    LovingMe19 Posts: 380 Member
    I've lost 46 pounds without eating any of my exercise calories back.

    When you have a lot to lose, your body has plenty of fat to burn and so you can get away without eating the exercise calories. The closer you get to maintenance though, you're going to have to start eating them. Otherwise, you'll either plateau or start GAINING weight.

    Actually, when I plateaued, the only thing that worked was to stop exercising for a week. Eating back my exercise calories did nothing for me. And before you say I probably didn't give it enough time, I plateaued for 3 months, so I gave it plenty of time. I'm currently still working out, just not as hardcore, and still not eating my exercise calories back. I've lost 3 more pounds within a week.
  • veganbaum
    veganbaum Posts: 1,865 Member
    I've lost 46 pounds without eating any of my exercise calories back.

    When you have a lot to lose, your body has plenty of fat to burn and so you can get away without eating the exercise calories. The closer you get to maintenance though, you're going to have to start eating them. Otherwise, you'll either plateau or start GAINING weight.

    Actually, when I plateaued, the only thing that worked was to stop exercising for a week. Eating back my exercise calories did nothing for me. And before you say I probably didn't give it enough time, I plateaued for 3 months, so I gave it plenty of time. I'm currently still working out, just not as hardcore, and still not eating my exercise calories back. I've lost 3 more pounds within a week.

    But this is sort of the same premise. If you stop exercising, or are exercising less, your body is getting more out of the calories you are eating. So you are increasing your NET calories by exercising less just as you would be increasing your NET calories if you still exercised a lot but ate more. Does that make sense? It's the NET calories that matter.
  • NewVonnie
    NewVonnie Posts: 683 Member
    OMG..Gahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...PANTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • Dtho5159
    Dtho5159 Posts: 1,054 Member
    Ive lost 51lb by eating some of my exercise calories back. I don't eat them all, but usually 50-75%. Its really different for each person. You just have to find out what combination works for you.
  • LovingMe19
    LovingMe19 Posts: 380 Member
    I've lost 46 pounds without eating any of my exercise calories back.

    When you have a lot to lose, your body has plenty of fat to burn and so you can get away without eating the exercise calories. The closer you get to maintenance though, you're going to have to start eating them. Otherwise, you'll either plateau or start GAINING weight.

    Actually, when I plateaued, the only thing that worked was to stop exercising for a week. Eating back my exercise calories did nothing for me. And before you say I probably didn't give it enough time, I plateaued for 3 months, so I gave it plenty of time. I'm currently still working out, just not as hardcore, and still not eating my exercise calories back. I've lost 3 more pounds within a week.

    But this is sort of the same premise. If you stop exercising, or are exercising less, your body is getting more out of the calories you are eating. So you are increasing your NET calories by exercising less just as you would be increasing your NET calories if you still exercised a lot but ate more. Does that make sense? It's the NET calories that matter.

    It makes complete sense, BUT, it didn't work.
  • veganbaum
    veganbaum Posts: 1,865 Member
    I've lost 46 pounds without eating any of my exercise calories back.

    When you have a lot to lose, your body has plenty of fat to burn and so you can get away without eating the exercise calories. The closer you get to maintenance though, you're going to have to start eating them. Otherwise, you'll either plateau or start GAINING weight.

    Actually, when I plateaued, the only thing that worked was to stop exercising for a week. Eating back my exercise calories did nothing for me. And before you say I probably didn't give it enough time, I plateaued for 3 months, so I gave it plenty of time. I'm currently still working out, just not as hardcore, and still not eating my exercise calories back. I've lost 3 more pounds within a week.

    But this is sort of the same premise. If you stop exercising, or are exercising less, your body is getting more out of the calories you are eating. So you are increasing your NET calories by exercising less just as you would be increasing your NET calories if you still exercised a lot but ate more. Does that make sense? It's the NET calories that matter.

    It makes complete sense, BUT, it didn't work.

    I can understand that different things may work for different people. Some eat all back, some eat only 1/2 or whatever, but the way you described breaking your plateau says that the idea of increasing your NET calories did work, unless you changed your eating habits. By exercising less, you were still increasing your NET calories, the same idea behind eating your exercise calories. So even though you say eating your exercise calories didn't work, increasing your NET calories did, which is essentially the same idea.
  • MandaLen13
    MandaLen13 Posts: 151 Member
    So what about people who dont have alot to lose? I am only looking to lose 20-25 lbs. I very rarely eat my exercise calories back. Could this be slowing down my weight loss? I'm kind of confused...I thought eating less/exercising more would = weight loss.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    If you only have 20 pounds or less to lose, you should only be losing about 0.5 pounds a week, so yes, definitely eat them back. You don't have a lot of excess weight or excess fat, so you need the extra calories, otherwise your body will cannibalize your muscle instead of fat.
  • MandaLen13
    MandaLen13 Posts: 151 Member
    If you only have 20 pounds or less to lose, you should only be losing about 0.5 pounds a week, so yes, definitely eat them back. You don't have a lot of excess weight or excess fat, so you need the extra calories, otherwise your body will cannibalize your muscle instead of fat.

    Good to know...I was feeling guilty on the days that I ate back my exercise calories. Even when it was on healthy foods. I was going about it all wrong thinking the lowest amount of calories was the way to go. I've actually been under my calorie goal by 200-300 calories most days. Thought that was a good thing but I guess I had the wrong idea. This is awesome information to have! Thank you so much!
  • ghlm
    ghlm Posts: 9 Member
    So does drinking (at least some of) my exercise calories back work as well? I like white wine...
  • agthorn
    agthorn Posts: 1,844 Member
    So does drinking (at least some of) my exercise calories back work as well? I like white wine...

    Red is better, but I'll admit a preference for white as well :-) I had both today though!
  • Hearts_2015
    Hearts_2015 Posts: 12,031 Member
    Not to everybody Seechrisrun1918.

    It doesn’t make any sense to me.

    I don't create calorie deficit to waste it by eating additional calories.

    Then you don't understand how MFP works. MFP already builds in the deficit. If you aren't eating your exercise calories back, then you run the risk of that deficit becoming too large.

    Couldn't have explained it better myself :)
    Great response!! Gotta know how the site works to really take advantage of all the great tools it has to offer. Some can get by for awhile without eating them but then BANG it hits...the dreaded plateau.

    There really is a logical reason many share on here to eat them back or at least 1/2. Yes there are probably a few who can get by without but if you're working out daily and eating only 1200 cals, somethings gotta give and it will likely be your energy (health!). The car having no fuel to run on is always been a favorite analogy of mine, explains it so well, hard not to understand that comparison.
  • natboosh69
    natboosh69 Posts: 277 Member
    Not to everybody Seechrisrun1918.

    It doesn’t make any sense to me.

    I don't create calorie deficit to waste it by eating additional calories.

    Then you don't understand how MFP works. MFP already builds in the deficit. If you aren't eating your exercise calories back, then you run the risk of that deficit becoming too large.

    Couldn't have explained it better myself :)

    This! :)
  • Papillon22
    Papillon22 Posts: 1,160 Member
    I eat them back, and it's working for me.

    I guess each of us needs to find out what works for us. This is a debate that will never end, btw.
  • MoonIite
    MoonIite Posts: 341 Member
    The closer I get to my goal weight the smaller my deficit becomes. I have 11 lbs left to go, and I eat back most (if not all) of my exercise calories. If I don't, I go hungry and my body shuts down. My weight loss is slow (only 0.5/0.6 lb a week) but I see the inches coming off which is more important to me.
  • rosied915
    rosied915 Posts: 799 Member
    [/quote]

    "When you have a lot to lose, your body has plenty of fat to burn and so you can get away without eating the exercise calories. The closer you get to maintenance though, you're going to have to start eating them. Otherwise, you'll either plateau or start GAINING weight".
    [/quote]

    THIS I agree with.

    And I can't wait to get "close to maintenance" to try it out!

    And I do not eat my exercise calories.
  • dsjohndrow
    dsjohndrow Posts: 1,820 Member
    I've lost 46 pounds without eating any of my exercise calories back.

    This worked for me too.
  • HMonsterX
    HMonsterX Posts: 3,000 Member
    Yay, 8th thread on the same subject in 8 days!

    I thought we'd already reached a conclusion on this? Everyone is different, some do, some dont, but people will stick to whatever works for them!

    Isn't there a sticky for this already?
  • carrie1128
    carrie1128 Posts: 267 Member
    Such a debate. It all depends on how many calories you consume to begin with and how much you are exercising. I eat between 1200-1300 calories a day and exercise maybe 300. For me, 900-1000 calories net is not enough. I'd feel sick and exhausted and that's not my goal. People who are bigger with more to lose will have an easier time not eating those calories back. MPF already has a calorie deficit built in which is clearly EXTREMELY confusing to people, otherwise this subject would not come up so often. ;)

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