Do we eat the calories back that we burn off

AngieMoore1975

angbytymorgoli...... I'm kind of confussed....Are we really supposed to eat back all the calories we burn from exercise each day? Doesn't that defeat the purpose of working out in the first place. If I burn 300 cals and then eat back 300 cals then my workout is for nothing...right?...or wrong? Still learning... :blushing:

liz3marie

yea ive been wondering the same thing, if i work out will it matter if i eat it back? but i dont want to be too far under on calories from it....i think your supposed to

ushkii

Right, I don't like it deducted from my "to go" calories. I think it will make me think have more to eat. But i guess it is caculated in your goal lost per week so....

still do not like it.

CallieDerenthal

it's a matter of personal choice, honestly. i eat some of mine back, just 'cause i love food! plus, MFP has me set up so that i will lose what i'm set to lose if i eat the calories they tell me to eat. if you have extra calories left over at the end of the day, you'll just be that much closer to losing the next pound. sometimes if i'm really huingry i'll even work out a little more than usual so i can eat a little more.

taso42

goodness no. if you ate back those calories it might stop your body from burning muscle. and you don't want any excess muscle now do you?

GemmaRowlands

You'll use all calories that you eat during exercise; and when you have no more calories to use then you burn fat. Not quite that simple, but basically that's what happens.

This is why, when we diet, the aim is to burn more calories than we eat. Remember that your body burns at least 1,200 calories per day (more if you're larger and more if you're male) just performing its basic functions.

scapez

http://shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com/

nowgirl2004

I eat some of mine. If I am hungry. If not, then I don't.

ElizabethRoad

If you use the search feature you can find 1,000,000 threads about this.

If you don't want to eat those extra calories, don't track your exercise until the end of the day.

killagb

goodness no. if you ate back those calories it might stop your body from burning muscle. and you don't want any excess muscle now do you?

Listen to the man.

anna_jane48

Just eat at least 1200/day, then whatever you WANT to from the calories earned from working out. I usually stick to the 1200/day and try not to eat my workout calories. It's been working good for me

bariachic

Some will say yes some will say no. You should ask your doctor.

MissMaryMac33

No it doesn't defeat the purpose -- your deficit to lose weight was built in when you set your goals.

To account for inaccurate foods int he database and potential calories burned errors -- I eat at least half of mine back, if not all.
I have a good HRM now so I know my calories burned is pretty accurate.

Starving yourself has the reverse effect after a couple weeks -- plus its not something you can do for life.

If you have 43lbs to lose... you should do your goals and choose to lose 1 or 1.5 lbs a week at the most. (2lbs if if yo have 75+ to lose) You should redo your goals everytime you lose 10 lbs. When you get 20lb from you goal, you should adjust it to 1/2 lb week.

hottottie11

Third time copying this lol:

I eat my exercise calories and I still lose. I eat anywhere between 1800 to 2000 cal total and I net an average of 1490 calories a week. Here is what helped me understand "eating my exercise cals":

My activity level (excluding exercise; this is important) is sedentary because I work a desk job. MFP calculated my Total Daily Energy Expenditure to be 1760 calories. This means to maintain my current weight I must stay at 1760 calories.

Now I have set myself to lose 0.5lb per week because I'm getting pretty lean and I want to focus on reduce body fat while maintaining muscle. MFP assigned me 1490 calories per day. A deficit of 250 calories per day. Now I work out ALOT. 6 days a week for 1 to 2 hours. I can burn an additional 500 to 1000 calories on those days.

I use a Polar FT4 HRM and it has been a godsend because I can know for sure what I burn.

For example, I went to zumba today and burned 554 calories. My total calorie burn is no longer 1760...it is now 2311 (1760+551). It is very important to me to maintain my deficit. I don't want to lose more than 0.5 lb per week. So my calorie goal for a 0.5 lb loss per week is now 2061 (2311-250). So in essence, I must eat back my "exercise calories". I really don't like how it sounds because it seems like you are eating away all your hard work but if you don't fuel your body properly you run the risk of stalling your weight loss. Now I always leave a little room for error. So I always leave about 100 to 150 calories for cushion.

I've been losing about 0.5 to 0.75 lbs per week. The key to making this work is making sure your activity level reflects your normal life not including exercise. Then you can add in exercise.

You can, as an alternative, set your activity level to include exercise. For example, active or very active with exercise. MFP will give more calories to eat. In this case you don't log your exercise and you wouldnt have to eat them back.

My settings are sedentary and I add in my exercise cals. I eat a average of 1800 to 1900 cals per day and burn an average of 400 calories per day through exercise (2800 cal per week). I net between 1400 to 1500.

BUT If I change my activity level settings to very active to include my exercise....MFP will give me 2152 as my TDEE and a calorie goal of 1902 to lose 1/2 per week. IN this case I wont "eat back my exercise cals". The math turns out to be the same.

mrmanmeat

angbytymorgoli...... I'm kind of confussed....Are we really supposed to eat back all the calories we burn from exercise each day? Doesn't that defeat the purpose of working out in the first place. If I burn 300 cals and then eat back 300 cals then my workout is for nothing...right?...or wrong? Still learning... :blushing:

No, it's not for nothing.

If your net cals based on your bmr is 1500 and you eat 1500 and burn off 300, then your net is 1200. too low for your body

tammylwv

I actually asked a trainer, in person, yesterday at my gym. He said that you don't really need too unless you've stopped losing weight but one (women) should never go under 1200 calories a day. Up until MFP, I have never heard of eating back calories but you will find a lot of people who believe 100% that you should. I do eat some back, sometimes. Sometimes I don't.

czechsmate

http://shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com/

:bigsmile: :laugh:

rodneyboyd72

I believe the system sets your daily calorie intake based on your long-term goal. For example, my daily goal is 1600 calories. Well, this is well below the 2500 I was eating before. So, the system is only concerned with you hitting your daily target. If you exercise you essentially earn calories or food to eat while still hitting your daily goal which I'm sure is much much lower than our calorie intake before going on the plan.

So all the system cares about is restricting your daily calorie intake because in the end, it's all up to calories!

MissMaryMac33

Just eat at least 1200/day, then whatever you WANT to from the calories earned from working out. I usually stick to the 1200/day and try not to eat my workout calories. It's been working good for me

I wish people would get 1200 out of their mind. This is not some magic number --- this is a VERY low number for most people and it happens to just be the lowest number MFP will ever give. If they let you choose to lose 5lbs a week and eat 500 calories people would start thinking that was the magic number. If you do your settings right and choose the right goals -- very few people would see 1200. Usually its those under 5' tall who are already very thin, or thoe with 75+ lbs to lose because they can choose 2lbs a week..

Live_Aloha

in the end, i think it's up to you/personal choice, but i think it's hard to ignore the facts (in my opinion). here's what i found on MFP (see question #1)...

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/6556-the-answers-to-the-questions

hope that helps :-)

mhotch

I don't eat all of mine.
1} the HRM readings from strength training may not be accurate.
2} If you are using a chart such as MFP or the cardio equipment, they are notoriously wrong, usually overestimating..

But I do eat some, just not all. I eat to satisfied, not full. If I am not hungry, i don't fret about getting them all in.

Live_Aloha

here's another link i found on MFP ;-)

http://shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com/

MinnieInMaine

MFP has already included a calorie deficit in your calorie goal based oon the information you entered when setting up including your activity level and how many pounds per week you chose as a goal (with 1200/day being the minimum). They do not take into account your activity goals because there's no telling if people would actually be as active as they say, or if they'd even be more active than planned. So, when you enter your exercise, they calculate how many calories you've burned and give those back to you.

If you don't eat back the calories you've burned then you're not fueling your body correctly. Some folks will tell you not to bother but a severe calorie deficit is just not healthy. Your net calories for the day should never be less than 1200.

One note though, MFP calorie calculations can be a bit on the high side sometimes so if you find that eating back those calories isn't giving you the results you want, try eating back just half or 2/3rds. Or invest in a good HRM *heart rate monitor) with a chest strap like those by Polar and you'll get a more accurate calorie burn number.

JennC831

Third time copying this lol:

I eat my exercise calories and I still lose. I eat anywhere between 1800 to 2000 cal total and I net an average of 1490 calories a week. Here is what helped me understand "eating my exercise cals":

My activity level (excluding exercise; this is important) is sedentary because I work a desk job. MFP calculated my Total Daily Energy Expenditure to be 1760 calories. This means to maintain my current weight I must stay at 1760 calories.

Now I have set myself to lose 0.5lb per week because I'm getting pretty lean and I want to focus on reduce body fat while maintaining muscle. MFP assigned me 1490 calories per day. A deficit of 250 calories per day. Now I work out ALOT. 6 days a week for 1 to 2 hours. I can burn an additional 500 to 1000 calories on those days.

I use a Polar FT4 HRM and it has been a godsend because I can know for sure what I burn.

For example, I went to zumba today and burned 554 calories. My total calorie burn is no longer 1760...it is now 2311 (1760+551). It is very important to me to maintain my deficit. I don't want to lose more than 0.5 lb per week. So my calorie goal for a 0.5 lb loss per week is now 2061 (2311-250). So in essence, I must eat back my "exercise calories". I really don't like how it sounds because it seems like you are eating away all your hard work but if you don't fuel your body properly you run the risk of stalling your weight loss. Now I always leave a little room for error. So I always leave about 100 to 150 calories for cushion.

I've been losing about 0.5 to 0.75 lbs per week. The key to making this work is making sure your activity level reflects your normal life not including exercise. Then you can add in exercise.

You can, as an alternative, set your activity level to include exercise. For example, active or very active with exercise. MFP will give more calories to eat. In this case you don't log your exercise and you wouldnt have to eat them back.

My settings are sedentary and I add in my exercise cals. I eat a average of 1800 to 1900 cals per day and burn an average of 400 calories per day through exercise (2800 cal per week). I net between 1400 to 1500.

BUT If I change my activity level settings to very active to include my exercise....MFP will give me 2152 as my TDEE and a calorie goal of 1902 to lose 1/2 per week. IN this case I wont "eat back my exercise cals". The math turns out to be the same.

Thank you!! Yo've helped me understand this whole situation better!!!

jknops2

I have a eleven year old. I can't recall how many times I have told him to turn of the light, or flush the toilet, or close the front door. Kind of similar isn't it? How many time do you have to repeat the obvious? Please listen, check older posts and stop asking stupid questions.

jezmarie89

I DONT READ THIS..

http://caloriecount.about.com/eating-back-exercise-calories-ft35823

killagb

I DONT READ THIS..

http://caloriecount.about.com/eating-back-exercise-calories-ft35823

That has nothing to do with how MFP calculates a calorie deficit and is COMPLETELY irrelevant.

MissMaryMac33

I DONT READ THIS..

http://caloriecount.about.com/eating-back-exercise-calories-ft35823

Then you should look at what site you're on.... this site calculates your daily limit completely diffrent and builds in your deficit.
You should be eating them back --- at least half of them.

spammyanna

Just eat at least 1200/day, then whatever you WANT to from the calories earned from working out. I usually stick to the 1200/day and try not to eat my workout calories. It's been working good for me

I wish people would get 1200 out of their mind. This is not some magic number --- this is a VERY low number for most people and it happens to just be the lowest number MFP will ever give. If they let you choose to lose 5lbs a week and eat 500 calories people would start thinking that was the magic number. If you do your settings right and choose the right goals -- very few people would see 1200. Usually its those under 5' tall who are already very thin, or thoe with 75+ lbs to lose because they can choose 2lbs a week..

I am 5'4" and I have mine set to lose .5 lbs per week and my calories are set at 1210. From the beginning they were set at 1200. I think its a more common number on here than you think.

spammyanna

I have a eleven year old. I can't recall how many times I have told him to turn of the light, or flush the toilet, or close the front door. Kind of similar isn't it? How many time do you have to repeat the obvious? Please listen, check older posts and stop asking stupid questions.

There's no need to get angry or snippy...People need to ask the same questions over and over again. Who cares? You don't want to be annoyed, don't click on the topic that says anything about exercise calories.

Some people don't know about the search feature, I didn't when I first signed up. Some people can't find an answer that makes sense to them even with searching.

There's no need to bring people down because you don't need to hear about exercise calories again.

bazzawood30

Eat it all back!

Your calorie intake is designed to give a stable weight loss, if you don’t eat it back you will lose too much too fast. This will cause your body to eat up muscle to survive. Muscles burn calories and therefore fat so you want to build or at least maintain them. Also you will recover faster and be able to complete more exercise sooner. You will also stick to the diet longer if you are under calories your body will crave fatty sugary foods.

I have only lost 6lbs in two months by eating all my calories back, but remember muscle is more dense then fat. my weight loss may not be impressive but my jeans are now 32" waist not 36" I can run 5 miles and bench my body weight easy.

Slow and steady is the secret.