Eating earned exercise calories?

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  • Elleinnz
    Elleinnz Posts: 1,661 Member
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    Congratulations on the new arrival - not long to go....

    I eat about 80% of my exercise calories ......this post might explain how MFP is setup - and why you should eat your exercise calories....

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/186814-some-mfp-basics
  • Crystal_Pistol
    Crystal_Pistol Posts: 750 Member
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    Feed that baby! Eat! Eat them all back. I am eating for myself and I eat them back and sometimes a few extra for good measure!
  • MaximalLife
    MaximalLife Posts: 2,447 Member
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    Do you eat the calories you earn during exercise or not? I guess its a balance thing depending on the person; but does MFP recommend we eat what we burn as well? TIA
    Yes, unless you want to stifle metabolism and lose lean body mass.

    MFP has already figured out your total calories you need to eat per day to lose 1lb etc. a week. That's WITHOUT exercise. You'll notice that when you actually add exercise in, the calorie limit goes up. Why? Because it's telling you to eat your exercise calories. Large deficits aren't really good to do because while you will lose weight, what kind of weight will it be? In many cases you'll lose lean muscle tissue which LOWERS your metabolic rate even more. Then you have to eat even less to compensate for less of a calorie burn to continue to lose the same amount of weight each week.
    Be efficient. Exercise hard and eat back the calories.

    The hard exercise will RAISE your metabolic rate and burn more fat at rest.
  • MissMaryMac33
    MissMaryMac33 Posts: 1,433 Member
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    I can't believe there are still so many people who don't understand how this site works...
  • xraychick82
    xraychick82 Posts: 10
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    I can't believe there are still so many people who don't understand how this site works...

    Was that a jab at me or another poster? I am new, only 4 days into this site and was asking what other people do with earned exercise calories.
  • kygiirl
    kygiirl Posts: 1
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    I do not eat the calories that I gain from working out. I kind of view those calories as money in the bank in case I need them later in that week...LOL.:smile:
  • Dustinryan24
    Dustinryan24 Posts: 233 Member
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    what would michael phelps do
  • jogdog
    jogdog Posts: 89 Member
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    Usually I don't eat my calories back, but if I'm still hungry and I have the room for it left over, I will eat some healthy choices. Now that I set my calorie goal a bit lower than where it has been I eat back my exercise calories only when I exercise so it helps me want to exercise so I can eat a little more (trying to get back into exercising again so it's a good motivator). When my calorie intake was 1500-1600, I didn't eat back calories. I have lost weight both ways and just breaks down into what your body needs and what you want to do. There is no right or wrong answer. Try it eating back the calories for a week or two and then try it without and see which one you'd prefer. It takes time.
  • CowLover111
    CowLover111 Posts: 17 Member
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    I don't eat them back intentionally, but they help me to not feel so bad if I slip up so I can keep moving in the right direction.
  • Tigermomma66
    Tigermomma66 Posts: 90 Member
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    It took me a bit to understand how it works, because it's different. MOST sites you visit emphasize exercise as a major component so they will include the planned exercise calories in your totals. That's what I love about MFP - it takes into account that things come up and I might not be exercising for a period of time. :wink:

    For anyone who still doesn't understand, the light bulb went off for me when I thought of Weight Watchers. On their plan, at least the last one I did, you were assigned a given number of points based on your weight, etc. So, if I were given 20 points a day, then as long as I ate my 20 points (and they were emphatic that you eat ALL those points) - I would lose weight.

    In Weight Watchers, they would encourage you to exercise - but those were BONUS points. You were encouraged to eat them as well to enhance weight loss. :happy:

    Doctors and many other professionals in weight loss & fitness recommend Weight Watchers. Their setup is just like MFP - only it is points rather than calories. That is good enough for me, so although it may seem counterintuitive - I am going to eat and enjoy those exercise calories. :drinker:

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