Do you and should I eat back my calories burned?

Amoravy

Do you guys eat all of your exercise calories back?

I have my weight loss at 2 pounds a week and not having a lot of success...someone told me to set it at 1 pound per week for someone not extremely overweight, but that makes my caloric intake from 1250 to 1750!

I am confused on how much/little to eat?!

awolf2011

I am set to lose 1 lb a week too. I am 5'4" and am trying to lose 20 lbs. My current calorie intake is 1343 based on my weight, my exercise profile, and my goal. I do try to eat at least 1/2 of them back if not all of them. If I burn 100 calories, I might not eat all of them, but if I burn like 300, I try to at least eat 150 of them back. If you don't eat some of them back, your body can go into starvation mode and start hoarding the fat so that would make it harder to lose weight. You need to keep your body nourished enough to continue with your weight loss and exercise routine to make it all work together. You need all components in order for the program to really work to your advantage....does this make sense??

LorinaLynn

I do. You should. It's how the site was designed to work.

With less than 30 pounds to lose, you shouldn't aim for any more than one pound a week. When you get between 10-15 pounds of your goal, switch it to a half pound a week. Two pounds a week is only for those with more than 75 pounds to lose. Otherwise, your body doesn't have enough excess fat to support that much of a calorie deficit.

seekingstrengthX2

I do and it's working extremely well. I am at 1200 calories ( days of rest only, of course) and eat back all of them most days. I am steadily losing 1lb per week.

KareninCanada

Yes, and yes. I'm 5'2" and consistently losing on average about a pound a week, eating between 1800-2100 calories per day (total) and working out 3x per week.

curvykim78

I am hungry as well, so if I am hungry I will eat back some of the calories. I try to finish the day close to or under my goal for the day. I am still currently losing the weight as well. Bottom line, if you're hungry then eat. If you're not hungry, don't.

susannamarie

If you have included your calories in your lifestyle (i.e. if you chose active rather than sedentary), then they are already accounted for and you shouldn't eat them back. If you did not include them in your lifestyle, then yes, you should. Given I weigh a lot more than you and 1700 has me at 1lb/week, I'm guessing you chose a higher activity level than I did.

Amoravy

I do workout 5 times a week and burn between 400 to 600 calories at the gym. I am also a full time waitress so I am constantly on my feet and I chose the average option, not the active option. I want to lose 25 pounds, not a lot. Should I change it to 1 pound a week and eat back my calories? That seems like SO much food?

Amoravy

I chose active, since I am a full time waitress and running around 40 hours a week, I also exercise for an hour 4 or 5 days a week burning 500-600 calories.

seekingstrengthX2

If you have "active" as your lifestyle, don't log your exercises on your exercise diary. They are included to some extent in that calculation. I would personally not put "active" for a waitress unless you are a rollerskating carhop, LOL. Your heart rate is not in exercise mode all day waiting tables.

sarafil

A lot of your calories are not how MUCH you are eating, but WHAT you are eating. Food is fuel for your body, you need it, especially if you are working out five times a week, plus a job that keeps you moving. Personally, I think 1200 sounds too low, so I would definitely be eating back those exercise calories. You can't keep up your good lean muscle mass with too little food.

rubysphoto

I agree with everyone else, I have lost about 46 lbs so far in the last 6 months and came to a stand still the last 3 weeks with only losing about a half lb. Seems crazy to eat more to lose but I did not use to log my exercise and looking back I was only taking in a net of around 500-800 calories a day. I now log all my exercises and eat back those calories (started this past Tuesday) I have lost 1 lb already. I find my self looking to eat to fill those calories. As the other poster said you need to eat the right food when you are going to increase, not fill up on junk.

rml_16

I don't make a point of it. I eat if I'm hungry. I don't eat if I'm not. I choose healthy foods (most of the time).

People will give you arguments on both sides, whether you should or shouldn't. But I'll tell you to figure out what works for you and do that. Some people do find they have better losses when they eat their exercise calories back, so don't not do it because you think it will slow your losses.

If you can eat more and have larger losses, then why not?

But others find they gain if they eat those calories back. Give it a few weeks before you decide which works for you.

jonnyman41

I am confused!! I only joined today and, as I work from home, I am not very active hence quite a low calorie number allowed per day. I have decided to start exercising 3 times a week (I have two dogs so will do brisk walking). My weight loss is set at just under a 1lb a week as I am only needing to lose around a stone in weight. Does that mean that if I do the exercises I said I would, I then eat extra or do I take that as increased weight loss and risk going into starvation mode? Help please

erickirb

Yes, I do, and have been losing. With as little as you have to lose you should be too, especially with a goal of 2lbs/week which is already a large deficit and I would argue that it is much too aggressive for the amount you have to lose.

here is a guide for setting weekly weight loss goals, and on top of the calroic intake MFP gives you you should be eating back your exercise calories as well:
If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.

The reasons: the less you have to lose the less fat stores you have to pull from. The less fat you have to pull from the less your body wants to take any. So if your deficit is too large given your stats you will burn a large % of lean muscle. Doing the above also helps set you up for maintenance without a large increase in caloric intake all at once.

Chika_2015

Eating back your excercise calories is a choice. My calorie goal is 1430 set to lose a pound a week. When i work out i burn between 500-1000kcalories, so on those days I might eat 1700-1900calories, but there is no way i would eat back 1000cal, i don't even think my tummy could handle that.

So like I said it's a choice. If you are hungry than eat clean, don't force food down your thorat just because you feel you have to eat back those calories.

Good Luck.

Milliebear66

I don't make a point of it. I eat if I'm hungry. I don't eat if I'm not. I choose healthy foods (most of the time).

People will give you arguments on both sides, whether you should or shouldn't. But I'll tell you to figure out what works for you and do that. Some people do find they have better losses when they eat their exercise calories back, so don't not do it because you think it will slow your losses.

If you can eat more and have larger losses, then why not?

But others find they gain if they eat those calories back. Give it a few weeks before you decide which works for you.

Many thanks for this. I am 5ft, weight was 9st 2lbs and have now got down to 7st 12lbs by eating 1000 calories a day (this was before I discovered this site) I now track most days and also log my activities. I do tend to eat some of my activity calories but was weighed last night and have put on 1.5 lbs (since my last weigh in 3 weeks ago) I realise it's not a huge amount but I would, ideally like to lose that 1.5 lbs plus a couple more and keep them off but I find it very very difficult. I have put my stats in again and they gave me 1200 calories per day .... any advice would be greatly received, thanks

rml_16

I don't make a point of it. I eat if I'm hungry. I don't eat if I'm not. I choose healthy foods (most of the time).

People will give you arguments on both sides, whether you should or shouldn't. But I'll tell you to figure out what works for you and do that. Some people do find they have better losses when they eat their exercise calories back, so don't not do it because you think it will slow your losses.

If you can eat more and have larger losses, then why not?

But others find they gain if they eat those calories back. Give it a few weeks before you decide which works for you.

Many thanks for this. I am 5ft, weight was 9st 2lbs and have now got down to 7st 12lbs by eating 1000 calories a day (this was before I discovered this site) I now track most days and also log my activities. I do tend to eat some of my activity calories but was weighed last night and have put on 1.5 lbs (since my last weigh in 3 weeks ago) I realise it's not a huge amount but I would, ideally like to lose that 1.5 lbs plus a couple more and keep them off but I find it very very difficult. I have put my stats in again and they gave me 1200 calories per day .... any advice would be greatly received, thanks

Honestly, the best advice I can give is to play around with your calories and see what works. But also look at what you've eaten. A lot of sodium close to weighing yourself can show a false gain (water retention rather than fat).

Also, 110 pounds is pretty much a healthy range weight for your height, so losing more can be slow and difficult. And fluctuations are normal.

susannamarie

Many thanks for this. I am 5ft, weight was 9st 2lbs and have now got down to 7st 12lbs by eating 1000 calories a day (this was before I discovered this site) I now track most days and also log my activities. I do tend to eat some of my activity calories but was weighed last night and have put on 1.5 lbs (since my last weigh in 3 weeks ago) I realise it's not a huge amount but I would, ideally like to lose that 1.5 lbs plus a couple more and keep them off but I find it very very difficult. I have put my stats in again and they gave me 1200 calories per day .... any advice would be greatly received, thanks

Honestly, the best advice I can give is to play around with your calories and see what works. But also look at what you've eaten. A lot of sodium close to weighing yourself can show a false gain (water retention rather than fat).

Also, 110 pounds is pretty much a healthy range weight for your height, so losing more can be slow and difficult. And fluctuations are normal.

What she said, but additionally -- reweigh and make sure that it wasn't just water/time of the month/whatever. And weight loss is really slow when your BMI is 21.5 already. You're only 15 lbs away from underweight, so you'll probably have to inch your way down.

Carim007

Granted the site is designed for you to eat back the calories you are burning ...

But it is your own decision ... As long as your calorie intake is above 1'200 calories, you can decide :
1. To eat back 100% of the calories burned
2. To eat back 50% of the calories burned
3. To eat back 0% of the calories burned

Ultimately, your decision will only modify the date originally set for your objective ...

Milliebear66

Many thanks for this. I am 5ft, weight was 9st 2lbs and have now got down to 7st 12lbs by eating 1000 calories a day (this was before I discovered this site) I now track most days and also log my activities. I do tend to eat some of my activity calories but was weighed last night and have put on 1.5 lbs (since my last weigh in 3 weeks ago) I realise it's not a huge amount but I would, ideally like to lose that 1.5 lbs plus a couple more and keep them off but I find it very very difficult. I have put my stats in again and they gave me 1200 calories per day .... any advice would be greatly received, thanks

Honestly, the best advice I can give is to play around with your calories and see what works. But also look at what you've eaten. A lot of sodium close to weighing yourself can show a false gain (water retention rather than fat).

Also, 110 pounds is pretty much a healthy range weight for your height, so losing more can be slow and difficult. And fluctuations are normal.

What she said, but additionally -- reweigh and make sure that it wasn't just water/time of the month/whatever. And weight loss is really slow when your BMI is 21.5 already. You're only 15 lbs away from underweight, so you'll probably have to inch your way down.

Thank you for your response, very helpful