Eating back calories?

stormystrickland

Quick question. Does everyone/anyone eat back their exercise calories? I don't, but I heard that not eating them will cause me not to lose weight as fast and it will make my metabolism lower.

I want to know if I will still lose weight quickly if I don't eat back my calories; it is hard for me to eat all of these calories without eating something fattening like fast food because I don't like to eat that much anymore.

I'm on a 1,200 calorie diet. I'm not trying to starve myself, I just can't seem to eat that much without getting sick.

frwybox9

I too am on a 1200 calorie/day. I rarely eat back all my exercise calories. At most I eat 300-500 of my exercise calories back (on days where I have 1500-3000 exercise calories). I let my body tell me if it needs more food or not. So far so good.

Tigermomma66

I do. I didn't in the past, but once I understood it and how MFP calculates - I decided it was best for me to do that. I have got to get my body out of starvation mode. I didn't realize how bad it was at times.

So far, I haven't lost weight but I have gained a TON of information - not just in general but about myself.

And, again, that led me to understanding that I need to eat my exercise calories.

cclark1203

I too am on a 1200 calorie/day. I rarely eat back all my exercise calories. At most I eat 300-500 of my exercise calories back (on days where I have 1500-3000 exercise calories). I let my body tell me if it needs more food or not. So far so good.

How do you get so many exercise calories?

stormystrickland

Thanks everyone. I just didn't know if I would lose more weight if I eat them back or not. Also, I don't really know how the whole deficit thing works. I do know that is says that by being sedentary, I will lose 1900 cal a day and I eat back 1200 so my deficit will be 700; by exercising my deficit should be around 900-1000 calories. However, I don't understand what will happen if I decide not to eat the calories back or if I decide to. Some say it sends your body into "starvation mode" and I don't want that to cause me to not lose weight. I just don't really know what I should do, but I suppose I should just figure out what is right for me by trial and error. Thanks again, everyone!

gavrielaw101

I'm fairly new here and am also at 1200 calories. If you don't "eat" back your exercise calories, there will be a note that you are in a deficit. So my understanding is if you are exercising you will need the additional calories they give you to be able to have the energy to exercise. At least that's how it looks to me. Will be interesting to hear others comments on this.

Jennifernellwebb

Some people do eat their exercise calories back. Some don't. I kind of use them as a "calories in the bank" type thing. I want to stay right around my 1200 calories, but after exercising, if my body is saying to eat, I am going to eat. If I am not hungry, on the other hand, I am not eating because I exercised and people say I should. I think if you were starving yourself, you would be hungry. I am a "stay at home" wife and I get very little exercise outside of what I actually exercise on the equipment in my home. I am not going to eat if I am not hungry. I hope that helps. My advice works for me. It may not work for the next person.

sexysize12

No I don't eat them I already get enough calories, but if I was at a lower calorie range such as 1200 calories I probably would because at that range I never seem satisfied. Keep up the good work )

stormystrickland

Some people do eat their exercise calories back. Some don't. I kind of use them as a "calories in the bank" type thing. I want to stay right around my 1200 calories, but after exercising, if my body is saying to eat, I am going to eat. If I am not hungry, on the other hand, I am not eating because I exercised and people say I should. I think if you were starving yourself, you would be hungry. I am a "stay at home" wife and I get very little exercise outside of what I actually exercise on the equipment in my home. I am not going to eat if I am not hungry. I hope that helps. My advice works for me. It may not work for the next person.

Do you lose around 1.4 lbs a week or more or do you just maintain? I'm trying to lose and I don't want me not eating enough calories to get me stuck to where I'm not getting the results that I want. It seems like it is working, I'm just wondering so I can avoid not losing at all costs. I think that you're very right on this though! Thanks for the great help and advice!

Nitachi

I too am on a 1200 calorie/day. I rarely eat back all my exercise calories. At most I eat 300-500 of my exercise calories back (on days where I have 1500-3000 exercise calories). I let my body tell me if it needs more food or not. So far so good.

Overtraining FTW

chevy88grl

For me, eating them back is necessary. I know the calorie range which makes my body happy and when I'm too low - well, it gets very grumpy. So, I eat them back. I may not eat every last one - but I do make an effort to eat back the majority of them.

Do what works for you. Keep in mind this website has already created a deficit for you when it gave you your daily calorie goal. If what you're doing works, keep it up. Just keep in mind -- most people, at some point, hit a plateau. Be willing to try something new (like eating your calories back) if that happens to you.

cheekyleonie

If you're not hungry don't eat!

Bellyroll

I am on 1500 cal to burn a pound a week, I do eat my cals back. Well some of them I usually eat around 500 cals back during work out days. My goal is to burn around 700 cals. So the way I do it is do intensive hour + work out which would be like 400-500 cals and then at night I do like an hour long yoga which for me is around 200 cals give or take. I dont really stress if I dont hit 700 cals. But during the days I don't work out I just stick to 1500 maybe 1700. My ticker is moving. So it is working for me.

TinaS88

Everyone will have 5 different answers for this question. LoL

I say if you are hungry, then eat them, if not, don't. MFP is already giving you a calorie deficit and going too low could slow your weight loss. You just have to play around a bit and see what works for you. As long as you are not going over, I'm sure you will be fine

Pebble321

Thanks everyone. I just didn't know if I would lose more weight if I eat them back or not. Also, I don't really know how the whole deficit thing works. I do know that is says that by being sedentary, I will lose 1900 cal a day and I eat back 1200 so my deficit will be 700; by exercising my deficit should be around 900-1000 calories. However, I don't understand what will happen if I decide not to eat the calories back or if I decide to. Some say it sends your body into "starvation mode" and I don't want that to cause me to not lose weight. I just don't really know what I should do, but I suppose I should just figure out what is right for me by trial and error. Thanks again, everyone!

It's up to you whether you eat those calories back or not. My personal opinion is that you are only eating 1200 cals a day anyway, I would be eating at least some of them. That is way to few cals for me to survive on every day.

A calorie deficit is the difference between how many calories you eat each day and how many you burn (from daily activities as well as deliberate exercise).

The impact of not eating them back is going to be different for everyone. Basically it just means that you have made that calorie deficit bigger.
If you are just getting started or have lots of weight to lose you might find that you lose weight more quickly.
If you don't have a lot to lose, then your body might not be getting in enough nutrition with a large calorie deficit and this can mean that it tries to work more effeciently with the small number of calories you are giving it - this can mean that your rate of weight loss slows down or stalls.

Try it and see - but lots of people here (inlcuding me) have lost weight and kept it off by eating those calories, so don't be scared to give it a try.

Brandicaloriecountess

I didn't and was ok when I was extremely overweight. Eventually my lose slowed A LOT. I began eating back 1/2 of my exercise calories and my losses picked up again. It's slowed down again so I am planning to up it to 75% and see what happens. Good luck, and eating enough IS important to healthy weight loss.

godfree612

Eat them back or you'll lose more weight than w
hat you anticipated

Nitachi

Most speak of personal experience and think when their ticker show a lost that it is working for them, sorry to bust your bubble but you are also losing muscle which is one of the key components to keeping the weight off (More muscle = more calories burned). Also a by-product of losing to fast is loose skin, so be very very careful whose advice you follow on this site.

Pinkerbell1481

Im still trying to figure that whole mess out. Im going to work on tracking for a month and then weigh and see what it says. It wants me to eat an ungodly amount of calories b/c im always working on cleaning the house and moving stuff and what not not to mention the sedentary calories i burn a day it says. So im trying to figure out right now how it works for me. But so super confused

Tamstar1985

when i started using MFP, i was on 1200 calories too. i didn't realize the exercise i was putting in was giving me "exercise calories". for about two months, i was netting really low, like, 600 or less. then i started getting dizzy, even passing out, and feeling really sick ... after a week of eating back 90% of my exercise calories, i started feeling better again!

folks who are more overweight, or even obese, can go for longer periods of time with huge calorie deficits. i couldn't. i wasn't even overweight (about 145lbs at 5'7") and losing weight too fast and feeling generally horrible.

you may have to play around a bit with your body. everyone is different and it can take a lot of energy and research to find out what is right for YOU. good luck hun

demelza123

Whoa ... what type of exercise do you do & how long do you exercise for - that is a very high calorie burn. Good on you.