Eat back calories????????

Eoxenrider
Eoxenrider Posts: 8 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi All!!!

I need help!!! I would like to lose 20 lbs in the next 3-5 months for my destination wedding. I am exercising and have been using MFP to count my caloies. I have my goal set at 1000 calories. I do cheat on weekends. LOL.. Should I be eating my workout calories or not? I"ve been reading so many mixed reviews!!!!

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:explode:

Replies

  • Sleekit
    Sleekit Posts: 80 Member
    I have the same question lol. I try to just eat when I am hungry. And sometimes when I think I am hungry I have green tea or a big glass of water because that feeling of hunger is quite often thirst (especially if you are working out a lot) Drinking often curbs that hunger. There are days when I eat them back and others when I don't. I always feel better when I don't; like I am accomplishing more. lol
  • BreakingOath
    BreakingOath Posts: 193 Member
    I believe you should be eating your exercise calories back! To clarify, is the 1000 calories the amount you are cutting from you're daily intake?
  • nnylee
    nnylee Posts: 811 Member
    1200 calories is usually the minimum people should eat. You might lose some weight at 1000 calories, but you will probably get stuck at some point because your body needs to eat more.
  • NewFitKeri
    NewFitKeri Posts: 190 Member
    You should be eating a minimum of 1200 calories to begin and then also your exercise cals so that you are NETTING 1200 cals..otherwise your body will think it is starving and will actually have the opposite effect you are going for..your body will STORE calories and fat. I understand it is very scary to eat your exercise calories back but it is absolutely necessary!

    Best of luck!:flowerforyou:
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    The closer you are to goal .... the more important eating back your exercise calories will be.

    I NEVER NET below 1200 calories. I'm average height .... so 1200 is the bare minimum for basic bodily functions. Read posts re: hair loss..... scary. Very petite ladies may be able to make 1000 NET work.

    The reason I eat my calories back

    1. I have 15 pounds to lose not 50.
    2. I want to keep ALL my existing muscle mass. This is very important for me (50+ years old). Besides, if I am going to workout .... I want to SEE some results. I don't want to eat way too few calories & have existing muscle being used as fuel. Skinny-fat .... no thanks.
  • TheLukePhone
    TheLukePhone Posts: 30 Member
    I'm with Sleekit on this one, drink water before you eat, and it'll reduce your hunger for sure.

    I have been eating back my workouts too, but I'm finding that my progress is slowing down. As a result I'm dropping my intake to 1500/day, and trying to not eat back my workouts.

    It's tough to stick to the calorie intake, particularly if you are having really calorie dense foods. Once i started really breaking down my calorie intake, I found it much easier to stick to my numbers.

    For example, a Junior Chicken sandwich from McDonalds = 380 cal. Something so small, but so high in calories.. crazy. 3 of those and you are over your 1000cal goal. And there's no way you could live on 3 of those in a day and nothing else.

    Substitute as much fresh fruit and veggies as you can into your diet, and before you eat anything, add the calories to your MFP. You will definitely rethink some of your food choices when you see the numbers before you eat. :)

    If you need to cheat on weekends (I do), then go for one cheat meal (not a whole weekend!), and still keep track of your numbers. I think it'll discourage your cheating a bit, and help you to cheat a little less. :)
  • karendsmith
    karendsmith Posts: 167
    I don't know a whole lot but from what I understand, if you eat too few calories, it will put your body in starvation mode and store the fat. What I have been told is to make healthier choices when you do eat and to eat something every cpl of hours to keep your metabolism working. I am confused about the eating exercise calories back too, some days I do and some I don't. My guess is your body needs more fuel when you exercise. Hopefully someone can explain.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    With less than 30 lbs to go your weekly weight loss goal should be set at 1 lb/week at the most, on top of that you should eat back the cals you burn from exercise to ensure you keep your deficit in the proper range to lose 1 lb/week. Losing too fast when you don't have a lot to lose will lead to the loss of a large % of lean muscle, not just the fat you are looking at losing.
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
    At 33 your BMR is going to be a damn sight higher than 1000 or even 1200 calories, let alone your TDEE. This is a marathon and not a sprint - if you want your weightloss to be sustainable take it more slowly as erickirb suggested.
  • autumnk921
    autumnk921 Posts: 1,374 Member
    If you are only eating 1000 cal/day you should definitely eat your exercise calories back....1200 is the minimum cals/day to stay at least alive....So, definitely eat back your calories b/c once you workout you may be only giving your body 500cals/day which is way way too low....

    16043484.png
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter
  • jabba11
    jabba11 Posts: 44 Member
    Yes eat your calories back..1000 calories is NOT enough..also eat healthy, thi srelaly shouldnt be about losing x amount of weight it should be about being healthy. A healthy weight is the result of good eating and excercise habits, not a pill, NOT a surgery etc.If your only goal is to lose ten pounds you will accomplish that here if once youve lost it you go back to your old ways youll gain it back plus ten..
  • Manabug01
    Manabug01 Posts: 23 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/539912-why-eating-exercise-calories-is-so-important?error_user_id=16331858&error_username=Manabug01&hl=Why+eating+exercise+calories+is+so+important


    Someone should make this a sticky.
  • hyde1977
    hyde1977 Posts: 476 Member
    I would think you are not eatting enough and therefore should eat your calories back.

    I know you are trying to look wonderful (which you already do) for your wedding and you will probably lose the weight but as soon as you get back, unless you keep eatting so little you are just going to gain all the weight back and probably more! If you want to be heathly in your new upcoming life, I would make sure you are NETTING 1200 each day. Fill it with fruits, veggies and protein.
    Not only will you look great on your wedding day in terms of your body but you beautiful on the inside and out! :)

    Go to the serach function and read all the comments....everyone is different on here and 95% are not experts...only offering advice on what we have bought into! I don't always eat all my exercise calories back...but I do make sure that I am always netting 1200 calories.......

    Best of luck and congratulations on your upcoming big day!!!!
  • i_miss_donuts
    i_miss_donuts Posts: 180 Member
    This is one of the most common questions on here and there are permanent threads where this and other questions you may have about BMR, TDEE, what activity level you really are, etc., have been asked and answered that may be helpful. This is one of them.....

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo
  • LordBezoar
    LordBezoar Posts: 625 Member
    You should be eating a minimum of 1200 calories to begin and then also your exercise cals so that you are NETTING 1200 cals..otherwise your body will think it is starving and will actually have the opposite effect you are going for..your body will STORE calories and fat. I understand it is very scary to eat your exercise calories back but it is absolutely necessary!

    Best of luck!:flowerforyou:

    ^^ This. Also, welcome to what feels like the most asked question on MFP. The answer does not change. (^.^)

    beat_dead_horse2.jpg

    To be fair, though, I wondered about this at first as well. Trust me (And most everyone else in this thread) If you aren't eating enough, you will not lose. Best of luck on both your weight loss and the wedding!
  • karendsmith
    karendsmith Posts: 167
    I love the beating a dead horse pic! LOL
  • Eoxenrider
    Eoxenrider Posts: 8 Member
    Ok so i should up my calorie intake to 1200 and count my calories burned?? I usually burn 400-700, 3-4 days a week doing cario, zumba, etc.??? Sound about right? I drink alot of water and we make most of our meals form the Skinny taste website. LOVE IT!!!!!:heart::love:
  • jabba11
    jabba11 Posts: 44 Member
    yes....
  • tropaze
    tropaze Posts: 317 Member
    yes, sounds about right.
  • LordBezoar
    LordBezoar Posts: 625 Member
    Excellent plan, and again, Good luck!
  • Eoxenrider
    Eoxenrider Posts: 8 Member
    Thanks everyone!!:drinker:
  • Heaven71
    Heaven71 Posts: 706 Member
    You should be eating a minimum of 1200 calories to begin and then also your exercise cals so that you are NETTING 1200 cals..otherwise your body will think it is starving and will actually have the opposite effect you are going for..your body will STORE calories and fat. I understand it is very scary to eat your exercise calories back but it is absolutely necessary!

    Best of luck!:flowerforyou:

    ^^ This. Also, welcome to what feels like the most asked question on MFP. The answer does not change. (^.^)

    beat_dead_horse2.jpg

    To be fair, though, I wondered about this at first as well. Trust me (And most everyone else in this thread) If you aren't eating enough, you will not lose. Best of luck on both your weight loss and the wedding!
  • TheLukePhone
    TheLukePhone Posts: 30 Member
    I'm going to try this also. Reading up on this, it's made me think, and reviewing my calorie intake on my week of biggest weight loss, I was consistenly around 2k/day, up to 2500.

    Pushed up my limit to 2k/day, and did 2400 today.. mmm.. burger for dinner. :)
  • TheLukePhone
    TheLukePhone Posts: 30 Member
    So here I am, the first day of my new and improved "eat your workout" routine.

    I have to say that waking up today after a 2400cal day yesterday, I feel awesome. Better than I've felt in probably 2 weeks. Walking up the stairs at work, I had no pain/burning in my legs like I have been experiencing lately.

    My mood and energy are incredible right now! I'm so looking forward to my ride tonight, I think it's gonna be a big one. Lets see if I can do 40km on the stationary bike tonight. :D

    I'll keep everyone posted on my progress this week, but it already feels like upping the calories was the right thing to do. :D
    Cheers!
  • KarateGoddess
    KarateGoddess Posts: 93 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/539912-why-eating-exercise-calories-is-so-important?error_user_id=16331858&error_username=Manabug01&hl=Why+eating+exercise+calories+is+so+important


    Someone should make this a sticky.

    Agreed. This was an excellent post.
  • LordBezoar
    LordBezoar Posts: 625 Member
    Awesome!
  • raw14
    raw14 Posts: 22
    Everyone is different in my opinion and what works for one, might not work for another. Something I've been doing and lost 15lbs in 3 months is Eating for my goal weight. I researched what a 130lb woman my height would need to eat in calories to maintain her weight and set my MFP to that. for me it is a 250 deficit from my maintenence calories which means every day I should lose something. Then I don't eat back my excercise calories as it is additional weight lose and icing on the cake. :P This also helps me establish good eating habits as I will have to eat like this forever to maintain my weight. it also stops me from planning to excercise and then not and going over my calories. (which i have been known to do) I also aim to eat a clean diet of no processed foods, but do have one cheat day. I also eat 3 meals and 3 snacks (including desert) keeps the metabolism going and not worrying about starving. I LOVE THIS! the weight has just melted off in recent partly due to my anniversary comming up and a new goal of burning 500 calories a day in excercise. P>S get a heart rate monitor if you don't have one. Best money spent.

    I do make sure I am not going below 1100 calories even with excercise.
  • walkner88
    walkner88 Posts: 165
    I feel like I agree with the initial post. I'm extremely active with my work (active duty navy) and then if I do my work pt and my workout and walk the 30 minutes to and from work I'm looking at around 2000 Cal worth of workouts. How could I eat this plus my 1800 and not have issues?
  • Mom0fTwo
    Mom0fTwo Posts: 326 Member
    so I was on the 1200 cal thing for a while then I stopped losing (and yes I was eating it all back) then I decided to up it to 1400 and see what happens, for 2 weeks i gained about 4 lbs and then on the 3-4th week i lost all of it and plus 2lbs, so more=better, I love getting the extra food after working out it is like a reward lol
  • TheLukePhone
    TheLukePhone Posts: 30 Member
    Results of day 1: Tons more energy, generally better mood. Did 26km on the bike tonight, could have gone farther if I didnt have the resistance at 85% for the whole thing. :)

    For me: 2000 cal is working out much better so far. I'll update more once I get on the scale on Sunday.

Categories