Newbie who's confused...

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bug1114
bug1114 Posts: 268 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok, I keep reading about eating back the calories you burn during excercise. This has me confused. If I meet my calorie intake of 1250 for the day, and then burn 250 during a workout, why would I eat the calories back? Isn't creating a calorie deficit a good thing? Someone help me understand this please.
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  • psychmz3
    psychmz3 Posts: 55 Member
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    I also don't understand the point in it. I've never eaten back my calories since I started and I'm doing just fine. People on here seem to keep saying eat them back but I don't see a point.
  • CharlieBarleyMom
    CharlieBarleyMom Posts: 727 Member
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    www.shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com

    read it. if you're still confused, read it again.
  • maidentl
    maidentl Posts: 3,203 Member
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    The difference in MFP compared to other sites is that it sets up your deficit without exercise. So there is a deficit there whether you exercise or not, thus there is a deficit there if you exercise and eat the calories back. The "point" is to allow you to eat more and in some cases, to get enough calories, if you eat only 1200 for example.
  • Misiaxcore
    Misiaxcore Posts: 659 Member
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    MFP already has a deficit built in. The bigger you make it, the more prone you are to entering starvation mode in which your body will do all it can to hold on to fat and what not. It also depends on how much weight you have to lose. The bigger you are, the bigger your deficit can be because you have a lot of fat reserves.

    You want to make sure your body knows that it will be fed, by feeding it ! Then it will be more willing to let go of the fat.
  • Sezmo83
    Sezmo83 Posts: 331 Member
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    Because MFP already calculates in a calorie deficit for you. Exercising makes that deficit bigger, make it too big and your body will start to hold on to everything.
  • brewingaz
    brewingaz Posts: 1,136 Member
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    www.shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com

    read it. if you're still confused, read it again.

    See quote.
  • momma3sweetgirls
    momma3sweetgirls Posts: 743 Member
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    1250 calories already includes a deficit of 500 calories if you've selected to lose 1 lb a week. If you did zero exercise you already have a deficit and should still lose weight. If you exercise, you can eat them back and still have your original deficit. Your body needs a minimum amout of calories to perform it's natural functions like breathing, digesting, heart beating, thinking, etc. Some claim this number is about 1200 calories for a woman. If you go below this magic number, you're starving your body of calories it needs just to be alive.
  • Mustangsally1000
    Mustangsally1000 Posts: 860 Member
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    Your base calorie count already has the deficit built in. If you have a goal of 1250, and you burn 250, you have only a net of 1000. That puts you into the starvation mode where your body isn't getting enough food to fuel it. Thinks it's starving and hangs on to everything. You can lose to begin with, but your body isn't going to like it, and it will stop to protect itself.
  • Meganalva
    Meganalva Posts: 282 Member
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    MFP already has a deficit built in. The bigger you make it, the more prone you are to entering starvation mode in which your body will do all it can to hold on to fat and what not. It also depends on how much weight you have to lose. The bigger you are, the bigger your deficit can be because you have a lot of fat reserves.

    You want to make sure your body knows that it will be fed, by feeding it ! Then it will be more willing to let go of the fat.

    Yep yep, that ^^^
  • drblythe
    drblythe Posts: 163 Member
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    Some people say you must eat them back.

    Others say don't bother.

    I use the calories as a guide.

    If I reach 1250 at the end of the day and don't feel hungry, then i don't worry about eating back the work out calories I earned during the day.

    But if i'm having one of those days when I just need more food, then I'll eat some (or all) of them back without feeling guilty.

    I'm a big fan of doing what works for you.

    but i never thought forcing myself to eat more when I wasn't hungry made sense as a weight-loss plan.

    Hope that helps.
  • JL3mom
    JL3mom Posts: 48
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    If you do a search for "Eating Back Calories" you will find tons of information people have asked and answered about this same topic!

    I think MFP has you eat 1250 calories each day to lose the amount of weight you want to lose each week. So if you didn't exercise and you kept your calories at 1250 then you should still lose weight each week. If you exercise and your body burns 250 cals then your body is only getting 1000 calories a day. Your body needs all 1250 calories to perform! You will probably lose weight in the beginning if you don't eat them back, but eventually your body will go into starvation mode and store fat. I go back and forth with mine. Sometimes I eat them and sometimes I don't.
  • NaomisNest
    NaomisNest Posts: 3 Member
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    If you are burning a lot of calories, you eat back some of them so your body doesn't go into starvation mode. If you are eating 1200 cals/day, and burning 250/day, then your body is only gettin 950/day. One or two days like this probably isn't going to make a difference if you are just starting out. But if you were burning 600cals/day and only eating 1200 then you see where the problem is. Your body thinks it is starving and your metabolism slows down. That's the reasoning behind it. Of course everyone is different so as you go along you will start to see how your body reacts. Some people can eat all their extra workout cals and still lose, some people have to just use some, while others don't eat any and still lose. The body is a well oiled machine and it takes some time to learn how your's works. Good luck in your journey!
  • psychmz3
    psychmz3 Posts: 55 Member
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    the more prone you are to entering starvation mode

    "Starvation mode" doesn't exist until about 72 hours of not being fed.

    As long as you have enough energy to make it through your day, you'll be fine.

    Here's some help on that. I could name plenty more research.

    http://caloriecount.about.com/truth-starvation-mode-ft28742
  • ilookthetype
    ilookthetype Posts: 3,021 Member
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    As everyone said, MFP is set up so you are supposed to eat all your calories and exercise calories. Now, if you use a HRM then you're ok, if you are using MFP's burn calculator you're probably going to be over estimating your burn. I only eat half my cals back. You should be eating 1200 cals. and someone already directed you to http://shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com/

    also, do a general search on the forums for this, it's been asked and explained a million times.
  • tanman72
    tanman72 Posts: 2
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    From what I have learned you should eat the calories that you burned off during exercise. Your calorie count is figured without any exercise so it is food you need just to get through your daily routine. By not doing so you can cause your body to go into starvation mode and hinder your goal for maximum weight loss.

    10095415.png
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter
  • hpygirl64ColleenLinder
    hpygirl64ColleenLinder Posts: 146 Member
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    Great answers in here, good job! Feel free to friend me for some calorie free food for thought left daily. Cheers, Colleen
  • mvkrayola
    mvkrayola Posts: 165 Member
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    I am new also and have read different opinions. One person wrote that when you set your goal that you say how many times you will exercise, your weight and height, and sex. The computer figures in that when it looks at your goal and determines how many calories you should eat to lose a maximum of 2 pounds a week. So mathematically you can eat all of the calories you are given for the day (extra for exercise) and still lose 2 pounds a week. I try not to eat mine but look at them as a reward earned so if I go over my goal calories I am still in the 2 pound range a week loss. Hope this helps.
  • NiciS72
    NiciS72 Posts: 1,043 Member
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    Obviously there are two camps on this subject. I would talk with your Dr. on this subject. In my case, I spoke with mine and he said NOT to eat them back. The only thing he did say was to make sure on the days where I'm doing weights to eat protein on both sides of it, maybe adding in an extra 200, 300 max calories that day. I was eating back most of mine last month and saw little movement in the scale (I'd been averaging 10 lb a month). Now that I've stopped that and only eat maybe 200-300 more when I exercise, I see the scale moving again. If not eating them works for you, I say do it.
  • bug1114
    bug1114 Posts: 268 Member
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    Thank you everyone. Your answers have been very helpful. I didn't realize that MFP already created the deficit without excercise. My appologies for asking a question that has been asked/answered a million times.
  • catwrangler
    catwrangler Posts: 918 Member
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    My appologies for asking a question that has been asked/answered a million times.
    No need to apologize, it is a question asked daily so people who get upset about it should know the routine and ignore. :wink:

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