Do you eat back all of your exercise cals?

Queen_JessieA

I seem to always end up eating mine back...then I feel guilty about it. Like I busted my rear end at the gym for nothing, basically. Am I wrong to think that? Today I did an hour and a half of cardio and ate almost everything I burned back...but I was SO hungry.

ambermichon

Yes because MFP already creates a calorie deficit for you so eating them back is not a waste. I eat all mine back but about 200 to account for error in logging :-)

ChantalGG

i eat 1500 calories a day. I do not eat all my calories back. If i eat more or less it is no big deal now. When i was eating only 1200 a day, i did eat them back. I wasnt losing weight fast though.

indiawastaken

Yes because MFP already creates a calorie deficit for you so eating them back is not a waste. I eat all mine back but about 200 to account for error in logging :-)

Thanks for sharing this! When I wasn't eating my earned cals, MFP chastized me so I was unsure what to do.

MissFit0101

I used to be a firm believer in YOU MUST EAT BACK ALL YOUR EXERCISE CALORIES... but, things have changed a bit. It really just depends. You certainly CAN eat them all back, and if your body is telling you that you need it, i.e. you are hungry, you really SHOULD eat them. When you burn the extra calories you need to replenish them, but I don't think if you burn a couple hundred calories and you decide not to eat them back it will effect your weight loss negatively. Now if you're getting killer 500+ calorie burns then yes, I would say you should be eating at least half of them back. We can't let our bodies run on fumes!

MissFit0101

oops.. double post, LOL... but yes, I do eat most of my exercise calories back and I NEVER feel guilty. You shouldn't either, as long as those extra calories aren't pure junk food haha

amyver3

I always wondered about this too...good feedback, thanks.

Queen_JessieA

I used to be a firm believer in YOU MUST EAT BACK ALL YOUR EXERCISE CALORIES... but, things have changed a bit. It really just depends. You certainly CAN eat them all back, and if your body is telling you that you need it, i.e. you are hungry, you really SHOULD eat them. When you burn the extra calories you need to replenish them, but I don't think if you burn a couple hundred calories and you decide not to eat them back it will effect your weight loss negatively. Now if you're getting killer 500+ calorie burns then yes, I would say you should be eating at least half of them back. We can't let our bodies run on fumes!

I guess that is why I was hungry. I did a killer work out today ~ burned 939 cals (now I do realize that isn't completely accurate w/out a heart rate monitor...but I did err on the side of caution and put in less time than I actually worked). I still have 75 cals left for the night, but I did make 1/2 a peanut butter and banana sandwich to feed my belly. I was so hungry ~ even after drinking 2 cups of water!

sleepytexan

YES

of course you're hungry. you worked out. why would you feel guilty?

You absolutely should eat every single exercise calorie back. Anyone who tells you otherwise is probably a) not anywhere near goal, b) has a history of yo-yo dieting c) has never maintained a healthy or athletic body fat % for any significant period of time d) not an athlete, e) considers walking across a parking lot to be exercise, or f) all of the above.

Check out the 2nd page of SHOULD I EAT MY EXERCISE CALORIES? for very informative links that explain WHY you need to fuel your body properly in order to achieve and maintain a healthy body fat percentage:

shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com

blessings.