If you are eating more than 1000 exercise cals back

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  • skinnyjeansdiva
    skinnyjeansdiva Posts: 119
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    what is your base calorie intake? what types of exercise are you doing? How many GROSS calories are you eating?

    mfp gives me 1890 to eat, I usually walk at the track, ride the exercise bike, go to zumba class or use the elliptical. I am eating all of my exercise calories back that are according to my hrm which can range from 300 as high as 1100
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
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    I just started logging again today so that I can make sure that I eat 800-900 extra calories a day to make up for what I burn breastfeeding. I'm not exactly trying to lose weight at this point but I'm hoping I will once I'm eating enough every day.
  • Loko_Ino
    Loko_Ino Posts: 544 Member
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    Gotta play with it..not an exact science since everyone is different. I have just started eating back 1000 cals of my excercise cals back..and am not gaining any weight. When I was not eating any back I would gain toward the end of the week.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    I am starting to think that either my polar ft7 hrm is not accurate, mfp is not accurate, eating back the exercise cals is not a good thing or maybe I'm just destined to be fat for life. Thanks so much!

    Eating back is good.

    Inaccurate is very possible for women.

    But you have the right HRM to make it better.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/459580-polar-hrm-calorie-burn-estimate-accuracy-study

    My second post in that topic gives solution for biggest improvement.
  • frugalmomsrock
    frugalmomsrock Posts: 1,123
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    1890 is a lot... what did you set your activity level at? If you set it to active and it already includes the fact that you are exercising often (if that's why you set it to active), then maybe you shouldn't be eating back any exercise calories?
  • skinnyjeansdiva
    skinnyjeansdiva Posts: 119
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    I just started logging again today so that I can make sure that I eat 800-900 extra calories a day to make up for what I burn breastfeeding. I'm not exactly trying to lose weight at this point but I'm hoping I will once I'm eating enough every day.

    congrats on the new baby and good luck to you!!
  • skinnyjeansdiva
    skinnyjeansdiva Posts: 119
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    I am starting to think that either my polar ft7 hrm is not accurate, mfp is not accurate, eating back the exercise cals is not a good thing or maybe I'm just destined to be fat for life. Thanks so much!

    Eating back is good.

    Inaccurate is very possible for women.

    But you have the right HRM to make it better.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/459580-polar-hrm-calorie-burn-estimate-accuracy-study

    My second post in that topic gives solution for biggest improvement.

    Thanks, I am checking it out now!
  • skinnyjeansdiva
    skinnyjeansdiva Posts: 119
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    1890 is a lot... what did you set your activity level at? If you set it to active and it already includes the fact that you are exercising often (if that's why you set it to active), then maybe you shouldn't be eating back any exercise calories?

    I am sedentary or however you say it.. that's what I get to lose 1 lb per week. I weigh 250 lbs, should I lower my calories more then?
  • VAMommyAgain
    VAMommyAgain Posts: 400 Member
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    Well I use a BodyMedia Fit so I don't technically count exercise calories but I am eating an average of 2400 calories a day (sometimes more sometimes less but not by much...never lower than 2200 cals a day and sometimes as much as 2800 on my long run days). I aim for a 500 cal a day deficit and I'm losing at a rate of 1.2 lbs/week. So far I've lost 29 lbs.
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
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    1890 is a lot... what did you set your activity level at? If you set it to active and it already includes the fact that you are exercising often (if that's why you set it to active), then maybe you shouldn't be eating back any exercise calories?

    I am sedentary or however you say it.. that's what I get to lose 1 lb per week. I weigh 250 lbs, should I lower my calories more then?

    No, I wouldn't. But I would double-check that you're measuring everything correctly -- weighing what you can weigh, using measuring cups for anything liquid, etc. You may find that there's something (coffee creamer, butter in toast, etc.) that you're not measuring that's adding up. Secondly, you might experiment with eating back only part of the exercise calories.
  • skinnyjeansdiva
    skinnyjeansdiva Posts: 119
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    Well I use a BodyMedia Fit so I don't technically count exercise calories but I am eating an average of 2400 calories a day (sometimes more sometimes less but not by much...never lower than 2200 cals a day and sometimes as much as 2800 on my long run days). I aim for a 500 cal a day deficit and I'm losing at a rate of 1.2 lbs/week. So far I've lost 29 lbs.

    That is absolutely amazing! good for you. I have heard about those but need to research and see what they really are. good for you
  • skinnyjeansdiva
    skinnyjeansdiva Posts: 119
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    1890 is a lot... what did you set your activity level at? If you set it to active and it already includes the fact that you are exercising often (if that's why you set it to active), then maybe you shouldn't be eating back any exercise calories?

    I am sedentary or however you say it.. that's what I get to lose 1 lb per week. I weigh 250 lbs, should I lower my calories more then?

    No, I wouldn't. But I would double-check that you're measuring everything correctly -- weighing what you can weigh, using measuring cups for anything liquid, etc. You may find that there's something (coffee creamer, butter in toast, etc.) that you're not measuring that's adding up. Secondly, you might experiment with eating back only part of the exercise calories.

    I could be a lot more accurate by using a scale and measuring cups, thanks for the advice!!
  • VAMommyAgain
    VAMommyAgain Posts: 400 Member
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    They're magic!!! LOL I wish I'd had one years ago!! Worth every single penny. I'm never hungry and have loads of energy! Nobody needs to starve to get fit.
  • tageekly
    tageekly Posts: 3,755 Member
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    Some good information shared here!

    I have a food scale on the way from Amazon to start more accurately measuring my intake so completely agree with that - we eat more than we realize when we "eyeball" stuff.
  • skinnyjeansdiva
    skinnyjeansdiva Posts: 119
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    Some good information shared here!

    I have a food scale on the way from Amazon to start more accurately measuring my intake so completely agree with that - we eat more than we realize when we "eyeball" stuff.

    I'm so gulity of eyeballing foods and look at me now, big as a house!
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
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    Some good information shared here!

    I have a food scale on the way from Amazon to start more accurately measuring my intake so completely agree with that - we eat more than we realize when we "eyeball" stuff.

    Yes. When I first started tracking (a while back) I measured every single thing. I've now gotten to the point where I don't measure most vegetables because I eat them plain or steamed and I'm not that concerned if I'm over on broccoli. I still measure most meat, dairy, fruit, and grains, though. :P
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,239 Member
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    Some good information shared here!

    I have a food scale on the way from Amazon to start more accurately measuring my intake so completely agree with that - we eat more than we realize when we "eyeball" stuff.

    I'm so gulity of eyeballing foods and look at me now, big as a house!

    Eyeballing food for most people doesn't work. The studies on free pouring cereal and milk show most people go way over what they think they used. Start measuring everything you eat because even being off a little here and a little there will result in being off a lot by the end of the day, especially when eating a lot of calories. It all adds up, and surprisingly quickly. Getting a good digital kitchen scale and using it might solve your problem.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    People often miss the point in these discussions. The debate centers on the "eat back or not eat back" debate, assuming that either one is significant.

    Comments go back and forth--"I eat back my calories and I lost weight" and "I don't eat my calories and I lost weight"--again, with the assumption being that it is the "eating back" or "not eating back" that is the cause behind the change.

    However, the real question--in many cases the ONLY question is: "how accurate are your calorie counts?"

    If you say " I eat all my exercise calories back and I lost weight"--that doesn't mean it is the eating back strategy that is responsible. It just means that, no matter what you ate, you were still at a deficit. People can come up with a reasonable estimate of their BMR, and even with the inaccuracy of tables, machines, and HRMs, we can usually get in the ballpark when it comes to exercise calories. Daily activity calories is the big gray area. Unless you are wearing a Body Bugg or like device, estimates of casual activities are the roughest of rough estimates.

    If you are working out for a long period of time, or burning more than 500-600 calories in a workout, it is probably a good idea to "refuel" by taking in a carb/protein snack of 200-300 calories following a workout. This just allows you to rebuild your fuel stores to allow you to do it again tomorrow.

    Other than that, for the average person on a weight loss program, there is no compelling reason to "eat back" all of your exercise calories. (This does not apply to those who are near their idea weight--that is a different scenario. I am referring to those who have a lot of weight to lose and who are in the beginning/middle of the journey). Unless you are on a super low calorie diet, you will not go into "starvation mode".

    OTOH, unless you are way off in your calorie counts and eating back the exercise calories pushes you into a surplus, there is no real danger in eating them back either. If you are on a fairly low calorie plan (1200-1300/day) and eating back gives you some "breathing room" and makes it easier to stay compliant, that's fine as well.

    Your rate of loss is going to depend on your overall calorie deficit, not whether you do or don't eat back your exercise calories.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
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    People often miss the point in these discussions. The debate centers on the "eat back or not eat back" debate, assuming that either one is significant.

    Comments go back and forth--"I eat back my calories and I lost weight" and "I don't eat my calories and I lost weight"--again, with the assumption being that it is the "eating back" or "not eating back" that is the cause behind the change.

    However, the real question--in many cases the ONLY question is: "how accurate are your calorie counts?"

    If you say " I eat all my exercise calories back and I lost weight"--that doesn't mean it is the eating back strategy that is responsible. It just means that, no matter what you ate, you were still at a deficit. People can come up with a reasonable estimate of their BMR, and even with the inaccuracy of tables, machines, and HRMs, we can usually get in the ballpark when it comes to exercise calories. Daily activity calories is the big gray area. Unless you are wearing a Body Bugg or like device, estimates of casual activities are the roughest of rough estimates.

    If you are working out for a long period of time, or burning more than 500-600 calories in a workout, it is probably a good idea to "refuel" by taking in a carb/protein snack of 200-300 calories following a workout. This just allows you to rebuild your fuel stores to allow you to do it again tomorrow.

    Other than that, for the average person on a weight loss program, there is no compelling reason to "eat back" all of your exercise calories. (This does not apply to those who are near their idea weight--that is a different scenario. I am referring to those who have a lot of weight to lose and who are in the beginning/middle of the journey). Unless you are on a super low calorie diet, you will not go into "starvation mode".

    OTOH, unless you are way off in your calorie counts and eating back the exercise calories pushes you into a surplus, there is no real danger in eating them back either. If you are on a fairly low calorie plan (1200-1300/day) and eating back gives you some "breathing room" and makes it easier to stay compliant, that's fine as well.

    Your rate of loss is going to depend on your overall calorie deficit, not whether you do or don't eat back your exercise calories.

    Nail, head.
  • skinnyjeansdiva
    skinnyjeansdiva Posts: 119
    Options
    People often miss the point in these discussions. The debate centers on the "eat back or not eat back" debate, assuming that either one is significant.

    Comments go back and forth--"I eat back my calories and I lost weight" and "I don't eat my calories and I lost weight"--again, with the assumption being that it is the "eating back" or "not eating back" that is the cause behind the change.

    However, the real question--in many cases the ONLY question is: "how accurate are your calorie counts?"

    If you say " I eat all my exercise calories back and I lost weight"--that doesn't mean it is the eating back strategy that is responsible. It just means that, no matter what you ate, you were still at a deficit. People can come up with a reasonable estimate of their BMR, and even with the inaccuracy of tables, machines, and HRMs, we can usually get in the ballpark when it comes to exercise calories. Daily activity calories is the big gray area. Unless you are wearing a Body Bugg or like device, estimates of casual activities are the roughest of rough estimates.

    If you are working out for a long period of time, or burning more than 500-600 calories in a workout, it is probably a good idea to "refuel" by taking in a carb/protein snack of 200-300 calories following a workout. This just allows you to rebuild your fuel stores to allow you to do it again tomorrow.

    Other than that, for the average person on a weight loss program, there is no compelling reason to "eat back" all of your exercise calories. (This does not apply to those who are near their idea weight--that is a different scenario. I am referring to those who have a lot of weight to lose and who are in the beginning/middle of the journey). Unless you are on a super low calorie diet, you will not go into "starvation mode".

    OTOH, unless you are way off in your calorie counts and eating back the exercise calories pushes you into a surplus, there is no real danger in eating them back either. If you are on a fairly low calorie plan (1200-1300/day) and eating back gives you some "breathing room" and makes it easier to stay compliant, that's fine as well.

    Your rate of loss is going to depend on your overall calorie deficit, not whether you do or don't eat back your exercise calories.

    Nail, head.


    agreed, this should be posted all over for everyone to see. never thought about it that way! thanks for breaking it down

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