Anyone else not eating their exercise calories

MyFeistyEvolution

I have a personal trainer and because I'm always reading about people eating their excersice calories back I asked her about that and she told me if I wanted to maintain my weight then to eat the calories but if I'm trying to lose (which I am) then not to eat them. I don't eat them and I usually lose 1 pound a week. I've recently cut out potatoes, bread and pasta and I've actually lost 4 pounds in 5 days. I've been eating brown rice, gluten free pasta and just last night I baked a loaf of gluten free bread, I find it hard to have choices in meals by cutting out the bread or pasta so I decided to eat gluten free.

Also I understand that if you are trying to build muscle then you would eat back your excersice calories. With my personal trainer I have been building muscle, toning and losing.....1 pound at a time mind you, but they say it's better for it to come off slowly. So I have finally gotten my mind to focus on the overall weight that I've lost (which I am a 1/2 pound away from my half way point) rather than a substantial amount in a short peroid of time. Now that I'm almost half way there I'm excited to lose the second half and reach my goal.

I am a certified trainer too. What if I told you that MFP already factors in your activity level. Everything you do extra like logging cardio is putting you in a deeper deficit.

So, eat your calories back if you care about keeping LEAN BODY MASS. Which is much more important then weight dropping on the scale.

So true! Thank you for posting this. It freaks me out to see how people deprive their bodies of proper nutrition!

I second this!

HollyRutledge

:grumble:

my group does not eat the extra calores awarded for exercise. We ignore them, i like you ate the extra calories and gained a few lbs, nevver again.
Stick to your normal calories and you will be all good.
Me:drinker:

Ditto here...I gained a few lbs back also:grumble:

realsolarina

I worked out my basal metabolic rate (BMR) for my height, weight and age and then multiplied using a set equation to allow for light exercise (up to three times per week moderate stuff) which probably slightly underestimates what I do but better that than over.

Using that formula, my maintenance calories would be 2,000/day - on here, I'm set at 1,200. I definitely eat my exercise calories back, because otherwise I would probably be on under 1,000/day and no way is that healthy. I want to maintain or even build my lean muscle mass, because that's the engine which burns calories as fuel.

I guess you have to adjust for what works for you. If the weight isn't coming off for me, then I'll up the level of exercise I'm doing and perhaps totally strip out the treats like a square of dark chocolate that I currently allow myself! But I know I couldn't do the work I do (running a 15-horse livery stables, helping out on OH farm etc) if I was not eating a decent amount of quality protein-based food

Trinketona

bump

Cross_fitter

I just don't eat the exercise cal's - i only log them for my own interest. Professional advice has told me that you have to be pretty lean to be able to eat them!!

meerkat70

Professional advice from whom?

gwcharley

I don't eat my exercise points. I don't need to, and I always feel like I have achieved something if I have burned more than I've taken in. I am losing so I don't want to do anything different.

crawpapa

Not me. Of course, not everything I eat is considered "clean" or the healthiest. But I have been losing weight and getting stronger.

alisha232

i used to religiously eat back my excercise calories. after a month of maintaining weight i switched it up. i decided to try to avoid eating those calories as long as my defecit wasnt too low, and i am continually loosing weight noe.

i understand the importance of lean mass, but the scale DOES matter. i am active duty Army and just had a baby. if i dont meet weight requirements i can loose my job.

TNoire

I haven't eaten back my calories EVER

Proof it works

Ive lost 7lbs since Feb 3rd 2012 to today

Tina180130

Bump

Tina180130

bump

elsinora

I haven't eaten back my calories EVER

Proof it works

Ive lost 7lbs since Feb 3rd 2012 to today

Agree. I only eat them back if I am maintaining

Soapstone

I eat most of them back (some days a little more), I've lost 13.5 lbs in less than a month. This has made me a believer in eating them bacl, and in spiking calories. It works for me. When I tried staying at 1200, and burning 600-700 a day on the elliptical, I had a day when I almost passed out during my workout. It scared me straight! Netting such a low number of calories is not good for me. Just my experience.
Edit to add: I started out at 192, with a goal weight of 145. The weight is falling off fast, and the only thing I can attribute it to is a clean diet (though I have my moments with chocolate or the random cookie), and a goal of an hour of cardio 6 days a week and strength training with heavy weights a few times a week. I don't always make my goals, but usually do. Eating back the exercise calories seems to be the thing that is signalling my body to drop the weight though, plus varying calories somewhat to keep my body guessing. Dunno, but it works for me.

mdawson2112

Thank you everyone for all the great replies!

kellykat2

I do not eat the exercise calories. If I do, I do not lose weight. I want to lose not maintain, so when I do not eat them I lose. I eat around 1300-1500 calories per week and lose about a pount, which is fine for me,

TNoire

I haven't eaten back my calories EVER

Proof it works

Ive lost 7lbs since Feb 3rd 2012 to today

Agree. I only eat them back if I am maintaining

Agree also, reason im trying to lose I eat what i have to and not eat back my workout cals
its the way to go