Why don't people eat their exercise calories?
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because why workout and burn cals and then just put them back in your mouth. That would just be a waste of time when it comes to weight loss. They idea for most is that if you work out you will get ahead of the game by burning more cals then you were "supposed" to. Wanting to eat the cals back sounds like what got us in this situation in the first place. Lets look to get healthier not find ways to be able to eat more without guilt.
LIKE
You realize there are many more benefits of exercise besides weight loss right? And that exercise plays a big part in body composition?0 -
because why workout and burn cals and then just put them back in your mouth. That would just be a waste of time when it comes to weight loss. They idea for most is that if you work out you will get ahead of the game by burning more cals then you were "supposed" to. Wanting to eat the cals back sounds like what got us in this situation in the first place. Lets look to get healthier not find ways to be able to eat more without guilt.
There is a lot more to exercising than just burning calories.
MFP already gives you the deficit required for the weight loss goal you choose. As PBJunky says you end up being skinnyfat - and also stuck eating low amounts of calories for the rest of your life because you don't have to muscle mass to burn off anything higher.
Me? I eat 2100-2400 calories a day and will continue to do so when i get to goal mmmm mmmmm
Exercising is an antidepressant to me, it makes me happy.0 -
I was under the impression it helped lose weight faster...? Your base calories for the day are based on your BMR, basically how many calories you burn just by being awake, so if you were to eat that set number of calories you would still lose weight, just slowly. When you exercise you are obviously burning extra calories, so IF YOU WANT to you can eat the extra calories, especially since working out generally makes you feel hungry because you are 'depleting' your body. I try to stick to below my base BMR calorie intake, but if I do go over I make sure it stays under my BMR intake plus my exercise calories. For me my BMR is 1270, with exercise it is between 1600-1700, so I usually eat around 1000-1100 or if I go over I am generally around 1200-1300 with my exercise.
you might for the first couple months but then your metabolism will shut right down, trust me.
up til couple weeks ago i didn't eat exercise cals, burnt about 6000 a week so I should have been losing close to 2lb with just exercise plus the deficit MFP gives me? Wrong. I was stuck losing only 0.2kg/0.4lb per week - if that!0 -
Most people don't understand how their calories are calculated and how they should be managing it, thus asking these types of question whether they should be eating their exercise calories back or not.
Here is the truth,
Lets use the formula that MFP use to calculate your calories
Mifflin-St Jeo (Quite inaccurate compared to Katch McArdle)
MEN: BMR = [9.99 x weight (kg)] + [6.25 x height (cm)] - [4.92 x age (years)] + 5
WOMEN: BMR = [9.99 x weight (kg)] + [6.25 x height (cm)] - [4.92 x age (years)] -161
For the sake of this post lets just fill in the blanks with test data
Weight = 80kgs
Height = 180cm
Age = 20
Men: BMR = [9.99 x 80] + [6.25 x 174] - [4.92 x 20] + 5
= 799.2 + 1087.5 - 98.4 + 5
= 1793.3
Great now we have our BMR
Normally you would multiply your BMR with your activity level as to compensate for the extra food you need for energy etc. MFP doesn't do this, instead they expect you to eat back your exercise calories which comes down to the same thing but probably a bit more accurate ...since you know what extra calories you burned and should be compensating for.
1.2 =Sedentary (Little or no exercise + desk job)
1.3-1.4 = Lightly Active (Little daily activity & light exercise 1-3 days a week)
1.5-1.6 = Moderately Active (Moderately active daily life & Moderate exercise 3-5 days a week)
1.7-1.8 = Very Active (Physically demanding lifestyle & Hard exercise or sports 6-7 days a week)
1.9-2.0 = Extremely Active (Hard daily exercise or sports and physical job)
Now since you have your BMR you need to decide whether you want to lose weight or gain weight...
1lb of fat = 3500 Calories
As always it is best to lose fat slow and steady to preserve as much muscle mass as possible so preferably you want to lose 1/2 lbs a week which equates to a deficit of 3500/7000 calories a week...doing if faster will only result in a sack of bones with hanging skin.
So lets say you want to lose 1lb a week then you now you should have a deficit of 3500 calories weekly, which makes a deficit of 500 calories a day. Take that BMR we had earlier and simply subtract the deficit of 500 and that should be your daily calorie intake.
Daily Calorie Intake = BMR - 500
= 1793.3 - 500
= 1293.3
So using MFP it is best to eat back your exercise calories or you will be losing more than just fat...precious muscle
This is why I love you0 -
It has never been my goal to eat back my calories but for a while .I did becasue I was really hungry for what seemed like all day every day.Then I would eat late or more to get the calories I " needed" and would get super full or feel uncomfortable when I was trying to sleep. Now I am working out more, adding weight training and cardio for 50 mins and am actually less hungry. I stick within 1200 calories loose weight and keep it off. If I feel like I need to eat more then I eat more I let my body tell me. I am trying to get rid of the " eat just becasue" mentality. Eating to reach a certain calorie goal when I am not hungry seems to defeat that purpose. I do get why people eat them back but, I also get why people dont.0
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I never judged, just asked? And from some answers, thank you, as I now know why some people don't eat them back.
I know I shouldn't concern myself with what others do, but I do, it is a part of who I am to overthink things and worry about other people. That's how I am, I know it, I accept it, don't judge me for asking a question.
I understand the lack of hunger, in fact I am going through that at the moment, which is why it originally popped into my head, not because I was, for lack of a better word, judging others. I have swimming and netball tonight and I know that I need more food or I will be completely exhausted during netball.
But if your goal is to lose whatever amount per week then the MFP calculator tells you based on your age, height and weight how many NET calories you should aim for, not how many calories you should consume. The net calories that MFP suggests already has a defecit of calories to how much your body burns at rest.
I just don't think it's healthy to not at least TRY to eat them back.
xxquzme - if eating your workout calories back makes you put on weight, then you goal net calories per day must be wrong?
I am glad that you asked...its giving me answer and answer and answers!!
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I don't because when I ate back my calories (typically about 3/4 of them, entered based off of my HRM burn amounts) I gained weight steadily. After doing a lot of calculations and tracking every single days calories in, exercise calories and weight since March 2010 when I joined and also my actual calorie burn sine Feb 2011 when I got my BodyMedia Fit I discovered that eating my exercise calories left me with far too small of a deficit on a daily basis for where I was, weight vs goal wise.
Once I stopped that practice, I started losing again. If my caloric burn is high enough then I'll maybe dip into them for a hundred or so extra calories to eat. But I stay at a deficit of 800-1000 by not eating my exercise calories, which is exactly where I want to be right now. Once I get off the weight I gained by eating my exercise calories, and I'm closer to my goal again, I'll re-evaluate based on my weight, BMI, body fat and goal weight, along with what I'm burning at that time to see if I'll need to eat anything more to reduce my deficit a bit. But until then, I've been losing steadily since I stopped eating them and my overall burn while at rest has gone from being mostly 1 cal per minute to 1.1 cal per minute to 1.1 cal per minute to 1.2 cal per minute, so my metabolism actually seems to be increasing. Which means that I'm happy with my current choices.0 -
It has never been my goal to eat back my calories but for a while .I did becasue I was really hungry for what seemed like all day every day.Then I would eat late or more to get the calories I " needed" and would get super full or feel uncomfortable when I was trying to sleep. Now I am working out more, adding weight training and cardio for 50 mins and am actually less hungry. I stick within 1200 calories loose weight and keep it off. If I feel like I need to eat more then I eat more I let my body tell me. I am trying to get rid of the " eat just becasue" mentality. Eating to reach a certain calorie goal when I am not hungry seems to defeat that purpose. I do get why people eat them back but, I also get why people dont.
Obviously your priorities are different, mine is to reach my fullest potential in life and I would eat that damn calorie whether I have space for it or not. hehe0 -
As always it is best to lose fat slow and steady to preserve as much muscle mass as possible so preferably you want to lose 1/2 lbs a week which equates to a deficit of 3500/7000 calories a week...doing if faster will only result in a sack of bones with hanging skin.
i've lost over 50lbs in the last 4 months and my lean mass hasn't changed, so that's like 2.5lbs a week and im not enroute to skinnyfat...i think it is just a matter of getting at least 50-60% of calories from protein.0 -
It has never been my goal to eat back my calories but for a while .I did becasue I was really hungry for what seemed like all day every day.Then I would eat late or more to get the calories I " needed" and would get super full or feel uncomfortable when I was trying to sleep. Now I am working out more, adding weight training and cardio for 50 mins and am actually less hungry. I stick within 1200 calories loose weight and keep it off. If I feel like I need to eat more then I eat more I let my body tell me. I am trying to get rid of the " eat just becasue" mentality. Eating to reach a certain calorie goal when I am not hungry seems to defeat that purpose. I do get why people eat them back but, I also get why people dont.
Obviously your priorities are different, mine is to reach my fullest potential in life and I would eat that damn calorie whether I have space for it or not. hehe
I can see that POV especially if it is something that is working for you. I have a problem with binge eating so I need to limit, eating till I'm about to burst or eating when I am already full. It is not a good move for me and doing so could set me back. I eat healthy and clean with protein full diet and all. I workout well and have great energy so I feel like I am working at my fullest so I my priorities for my life are a o k.0 -
It has never been my goal to eat back my calories but for a while .I did becasue I was really hungry for what seemed like all day every day.Then I would eat late or more to get the calories I " needed" and would get super full or feel uncomfortable when I was trying to sleep. Now I am working out more, adding weight training and cardio for 50 mins and am actually less hungry. I stick within 1200 calories loose weight and keep it off. If I feel like I need to eat more then I eat more I let my body tell me. I am trying to get rid of the " eat just becasue" mentality. Eating to reach a certain calorie goal when I am not hungry seems to defeat that purpose. I do get why people eat them back but, I also get why people dont.
Obviously your priorities are different, mine is to reach my fullest potential in life and I would eat that damn calorie whether I have space for it or not. hehe
I can see that POV especially if it is something that is working for you. I have a problem with binge eating so I need to limit, eating till I'm about to burst or eating when I am already full. It is not a good move for me and doing so could set me back. I eat healthy and clean with protein full diet and all. I workout well and have great energy so I feel like I am working at my fullest so I my priorities for my life are a o k.
I admire your discipline and and self control.
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Why are people on here so concerned with what everyone else is doing?
Thank you.0 -
Why are people on here so concerned with what everyone else is doing?
Yeah, what works for one doesnt work for everyone does it! if we were all experts and knew exactly what we had to do to make ourselves loose weight we wouldnt be here! I try not to eat them, if i do a big burn however (700 cals +) then ill eat about half otherwise if its a special occasion. I have learnt a lot about my body from doing this. I just try to stick to my cals daily and my exercise cals are my safety net - i normally maintain when i eat them.0 -
Cause they want to be skinnyfat
This!
Plus they dont really understand how MFP works - that there is already a deficit so they dont need to create one with exercise.
And it seems 'quicker' and everyone loves a quick fix!!
But at the end of the day, each to their own!0 -
Why are people on here so concerned with what everyone else is doing?
Because I class a lot of people on here as my family and I want to make sure we are all support each other. Also just for general interest, it is nice to have help on how to lose weight the healthy way, rather than aiding any eating disorder I may have and how to be able to eat well for the rest of my life, not just in the short time by losing weight quickly and then piling it back on. I don't want to be scared when I eat a burger.0 -
Cause they want to be skinnyfat
This!
Plus they dont really understand how MFP works - that there is already a deficit so they dont need to create one with exercise.
And it seems 'quicker' and everyone loves a quick fix!!
But at the end of the day, each to their own!
This and that!0 -
Cause they want to be skinnyfat
This!
Plus they dont really understand how MFP works - that there is already a deficit so they dont need to create one with exercise.
And it seems 'quicker' and everyone loves a quick fix!!
But at the end of the day, each to their own!
This and that!
Flippant quotes are actually not helpful nor supportive! It's a gross generalisation to say that those who don't want to eat all their exercise calories back want to be "skinnyfat". Some people on here have problems with food and stuffing themselves when they don't feel the need for calories is counter-productive. It's not just about the calories.
Just be aware that we are all different and have different requirements!0 -
Cause they want to be skinnyfat
This!
Plus they dont really understand how MFP works - that there is already a deficit so they dont need to create one with exercise.
And it seems 'quicker' and everyone loves a quick fix!!
But at the end of the day, each to their own!
This and that!
Flippant quotes are actually not helpful nor supportive! It's a gross generalisation to say that those who don't want to eat all their exercise calories back want to be "skinnyfat". Some people on here have problems with food and stuffing themselves when they don't feel the need for calories is counter-productive. It's not just about the calories.
Just be aware that we are all different and have different requirements!
Neither is your post as you added no value to this thread, I actually went and explained it thoroughly. As for you requirements, well if your desire is to not preserve your muscle then I don't see any other outcome than being anorexic or skinny fat.
We all share the same goals, thus the rules apply to us all.0 -
Cause they want to be skinnyfat
This!
Plus they dont really understand how MFP works - that there is already a deficit so they dont need to create one with exercise.
And it seems 'quicker' and everyone loves a quick fix!!
But at the end of the day, each to their own!
This and that!
Flippant quotes are actually not helpful nor supportive! It's a gross generalisation to say that those who don't want to eat all their exercise calories back want to be "skinnyfat". Some people on here have problems with food and stuffing themselves when they don't feel the need for calories is counter-productive. It's not just about the calories.
Just be aware that we are all different and have different requirements!
Neither is your post as you added no value to this thread, I actually went and explained it thoroughly. As for you requirements, well if your desire is to not preserve your muscle then I don't see any other outcome than being anorexic or skinny fat.
We all share the same goals, thus the rules apply to us all.
i think you'll find i said in my post 'each to their own' which means the same thing as 'we are all different and have different requirements' which is no more or less supportive than you were!0 -
Why should I eat them back, if I am not hungry and my body doesn't ask for more food? Just because the MFP Number tells me to?0
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