Question on eating back calories burned during exercise

MiloBloom83

http://shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com/

Read these. Just keep following the links.

susannamarie

Adding:

So then, if your only motivation is to lose weight, why not just do it with caloric restriction alone? Consider the following hypothetical situation:

Let's say that your maintenance is 2500, and you want to lose 2 lbs/week. MFP will tell you to eat 1500 cal/day. You're eating 60% of your maintenance calories.

Now let's say that you add in a 500-calorie workout. Your maintenance for the day is now 3000. In order to have the same 1000 calorie deficit, you need to eat 2000 calories. So you're eating 67% of your maintenance calories.

For me, at least, it's a lot easier to stay under goal and not be hungry when eating a higher percentage of maintenance calories.

riskiestlavonn

Here's the logic:

1 lb is equivalent to 3500 calories. When you set up your weight loss goals, it "builds in" a calorie deficit based on the estimation of your BMR; for example, if you set your goals to lose 1 lb/week, it builds in a 500 calorie/day deficit, so that by the end of the week, you'll have a 3500 calorie deficit.

When you exercise, you burn additional calories above and beyond the amount your body needs to just get you through a day. So, since your calorie goal is already set with the calorie deficit built in, some people eat back some/all of the additional calories burned through exercise. That would theoretically still leave you at the calorie deficit that was built in by MFP to achieve your weight loss goals and gives your body the fuel it needs to keep your metabolism going.

Whether or not that theory translates precisely like that into practice is a topic of great debate here on MFP! But hope that helps you understand the logic of those who eat back exercise calories. :flowerforyou:

THIS is the one that makes the most sense to me. Thank you guys so much for answering my question. I feel like after this I will be less "afraid" to eat back at least some of the calories I burn (though I plan not to eat all of them).

riskiestlavonn

http://shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com/

read this ALL of it! it sounds glib but it is alot of links that explain why. Its a simple sciency kinda thing, but it does makes sense!

This website just made my day.

iPlugs

When I go to the gym in the morning (I usually burn about 850 cal.) I am hungry ALL DAY LONG. So, I eat all day long. The nice thing is that when you're eating higher quality foods, you can get away with this without the calories piling up. I generally have a hard time eating back ALL the calories, but I try to eat back a significant amount so that I'll have fuel to finish up my day and to start off tomorrow.

ruffalicious

i don't usually eat all back, i try to eat atleast half of it.. is it ok? am i still need to lose more weight per week?

newcraft

I'm new to MFP but not weight loss, so I can't speak yet to how MFP is formulated, but the idea isn't so much that you eat every calorie burned, but that you don't create such a defecit that your body is thinking it needs to hold onto what it does take in. Many people find a light snack after an intense workout helps keep the panic mode down because it restores the quick-burning glucose you burned (you're still burning more calories even 1+ hours after a cardio session.) If you workout at 3, but don't eat until 7, you're likely going to feel hungrier by the time 7 rolls around and your body will be craving some of the quick energy it lost.

If you're truly working out intensely - just go with what you feel comfortable with, and if it's not affecting your scale weight, don't worry about it. If you're creating a constant large defecit or feeling *truly* hungry after a workout (not simply dehydrated) - eat a sensible snack. Many people find that's enough to get the scale moving again if they plateau when they're exercising daily.

dextertroy

Here we go again. I know people say there is a debate in whether you should or you shouldn't but for me the debate is pointless. It's akin to scientists and creationists debating whether the Earth is older than 5000 years old. Of course it is!

I'm sorry if I'm going to offend some people but it's basic science! Read the thread others have posted about newbies read this. It's scientific fact that your body needs those calories to function healthily and sustainably over the long term. The problem is that some people, unfortunatly go with the idea (without reading the facts) that eating a tiny amount of calories works. Of course it works for a while. I'm not going to go into it in detail as the thread posted several times on here explains all. It will however, stop working eventually as your metabolism slows to a snails pace to efficiently use this calories for thoughts, liver function, kidney function and keeping your heart beating etc. Like a car running with hardly any oil. It'll work but not for long and doing irrepairable damage.

So to everyone not eating exceed use calories and I mean none if them here. The diaries I see posted with 1007 remaining, 580 remaining, 768 remaing.....you are doing long term harm and you will plateau.

Also telling people to "see what works for you" is the same as saying the sun revolves around the earth and in fact the earth is flat. Please read the facts and accept the science. Whats the point if buying an ikea chest of drawers with assembly instructions then get home throw the instructions away and try and do it yourself? You'll end up with a half arsed job that you'll give up on.

Eat you exercise calories!!!!!!! That loud enough?

chattipatty2

http://shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com/

read this ALL of it! it sounds glib but it is alot of links that explain why. Its a simple sciency kinda thing, but it does makes sense!

This website just made my day.

Just LMAO....