Should I Be Eating Exercise Calories Back?

aweigh2go

Now that I have you here because I know many of you are saying, "Here's someone else asking the same question that has been asked time and time again!!!"

I am looking for feedback here. I am going to be my own guniea pig. Some say you should eat exercise calories back and some say you shouldn't. I realize this is based on the individual but I am going to do my own study. For a period of time, I'm going to eat my exercise calories back. For the same period of time following that, I won't eat them back. That will be the only variable. Question is, what would be a reasonable time frame to best determine the effects? A week? Two weeks? A month?

TinaCleg_cancel

Glad you posted this! I have been thinking about this daily and I do not want to eat my excercise calories back. Hope you do great with it !

KareninCanada

A better way to word that would be that you're going to experiment with following MFP guidelines and then not following them.

Do it for at least a month, maybe even two, depending how long you've been cutting calories and/or eating inconsistently. The first couple of weeks you might very well see the scale fluctuating a lot as your body celebrates having the extra calories available. To make your experiment really work, though, you'll have to make sure that your calories never wander outside the goals MFP sets for you, either above OR below.

xALEXANDROx

well this should be good.keep us posted.and thanks.

jsapninz

At least three weeks for each time, month or two would be better.

And no, you shouldn't eat them back if your TDEE includes your usual exercise. (log/eat back everything if you are sedentary).

kmtolle

I asked this of our nutritionist who recommended the site. She said you should eat them because your body is using those calories to give you energy to exercise. I'm not sure I agree, however, you're not supposed to drop below 1,200 calories a day and I would if I didn't eat the extra calories. I'm interested to see how your trial comes out. I'd give it a month.

swat1948

I don't eat my calories back but try to stick to the 1240 calorie limit.

y353

Same doubts. Will wait for your reviews.

People here say that you need a month to see the results of eating the calories back, so I say a month each for the experiment.

LaurenAOK

I apologize if I come off sounding rude here, but I am so sick of seeing this issue debated. I'm so tired of seeing "it's different for every person" and blah blah blah. No, it's not. If you're using MFP, there really shouldn't even be a question of "should I eat my exercise calories back." Because the answer to the question is yes. It's seriously that simple. Yes, you should be eating them back. That's why MFP automatically adds them back in to your allowance when you exercise. Why would it do that if it was a controversial issue or if it worked differently for different people?

Now I'm not saying you're going to die if you don't eat 100% of them back 100% of the time - there have been days when I haven't managed to eat all of mine back. But as a general rule, yes, eat them. Your body needs that fuel! Most of the time,if you don't eat your exercise calories back, you end up far under your daily net calorie goal, which kind of defeats the purpose of MFP.

I know your question wasn't specifically about whether or not to eat them, but that's what this thread is going to end up being about so I figured I'd put this out there.

If you insist on continuing your experiment, I'd say try each condition for at least a month. And even if you lose more weight not eating them back, keep in mind that that's probably not the healthiest way to go about it.

jsapninz

If you're using MFP, there really shouldn't even be a question of "should I eat my exercise calories back." Because the answer to the question is yes. It's seriously that simple. Yes, you should be eating them back. That's why MFP automatically adds them back in to your allowance when you exercise. Why would it do that if it was a controversial issue or if it worked differently for different people?

Yes and No.

If your TDEE includes your exercise, you shouldn't need to add them back. For example, if you have a desk job but you work out three times a week every week and you have your lifestyle set to "lightly active", then your TDEE will include your exercise already and you don't need to eat it back unless you do something ABOVE AND BEYOND your normal TDEE activity. This method is helpful for people who do exercise that is difficult to track or don't have a HRM. Now, if you set your TDEE to sedentary, you SHOULD be eating all of them back because that activity level includes NO exercise.

Also, most people don't like to eat them all back because most cal counters other than HRMs overestimate your burn.

thetiwi1890

www.shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com

:flowerforyou:

Nastasha915

If your following my fitness pal, I think you should definitely eat your calories back. MFP has me at 1200 a day for 1lb a week. That already accounts for a 500 calorie deficit. If I don't eat my calories back, and burn say 400 calories, that's only 800 calories a day! That's also a 900 calorie deficit. I already think 1200 calories a day is not enough, I'm certainly not eating 800. Good luck with your experiment though.

LaurenAOK

If you're using MFP, there really shouldn't even be a question of "should I eat my exercise calories back." Because the answer to the question is yes. It's seriously that simple. Yes, you should be eating them back. That's why MFP automatically adds them back in to your allowance when you exercise. Why would it do that if it was a controversial issue or if it worked differently for different people?

Yes and No.

If your TDEE includes your exercise, you shouldn't need to add them back. For example, if you have a desk job but you work out three times a week every week and you have your lifestyle set to "lightly active", then your TDEE will include your exercise already and you don't need to eat it back unless you do something ABOVE AND BEYOND your normal TDEE activity. This method is helpful for people who do exercise that is difficult to track or don't have a HRM. Now, if you set your TDEE to sedentary, you SHOULD be eating all of them back because that activity level includes NO exercise.

Fair point. I just generally assume that people set their activity levels to accurately reflect their daily lifestyle (without exercise). If you set your activity level to higher than that, you may already have the extra calories calculated in before exercise.

ullrichMEX

I am almost done with the Insanity workout, and I have tried different strategies, including eating my exercise calories back 50% of them 100% of them or none of them.

My conclusion is:

I have been losing weight much more consistently and having more energy and burning most calories during workout when I eat 100% (or almost) my exercise calories back.

During one week I tried not to eat them back, and I had a very poor perfomance during my workout and my calories burned (according to my HRM) were like 20 yo 30% less, because I had to stop and rest a lot.

At least if you are doing cardio you surely need them. thats my own experience

KimBernz

Two weeks should be good enough. It gives you enough time to weigh yourself out and see the results. Your "experiment" would only last for one month.

Let me share a few things I've learned, because I had the same question. For those trying to maintain their weight, eating the exercise calories back is fine. Although, for those trying to lose weight, exercise calories should not be eaten back, so that way you'd add more calories to your calorie deficit count=more weight loss.

I hope that helped!

chevy88grl

If you're using MFP, there really shouldn't even be a question of "should I eat my exercise calories back." Because the answer to the question is yes. It's seriously that simple. Yes, you should be eating them back. That's why MFP automatically adds them back in to your allowance when you exercise. Why would it do that if it was a controversial issue or if it worked differently for different people?

Yes and No.

If your TDEE includes your exercise, you shouldn't need to add them back. For example, if you have a desk job but you work out three times a week every week and you have your lifestyle set to "lightly active", then your TDEE will include your exercise already and you don't need to eat it back unless you do something ABOVE AND BEYOND your normal TDEE activity. This method is helpful for people who do exercise that is difficult to track or don't have a HRM. Now, if you set your TDEE to sedentary, you SHOULD be eating all of them back because that activity level includes NO exercise.

Also, most people don't like to eat them all back because most cal counters other than HRMs overestimate your burn.

I have mine set to "active". I work in a job where I am on my feet and in constant motion the entire time I am at work. I do not count my exercise into my activity level simply because it isn't consistently the same. When I choose the activity level to find out my TDEE, I base it on my daily activities. Since mine is NOT based on working out, but simply living - then I should (and do) be eating them back. I personally think exercise shouldn't necessarily be counted in your daily activity level as it is something that goes beyond your normal day to day (walking, working, etc) activities. Hence why MFP adds it back onto your food diary.

Edited to add: The TDEE numbers I get are pretty darn accurate for me considering I can easily maintain my weight while consuming 2300-2500 NET calories a day (according to most calculators, my TDEE is somewhere around 2449). I eat back my exercise calories and still maintain.

heybales

The eating back stage doesn't need to be that long, 2 wks.

The not eating them back just means you are testing how long it takes your metabolism to slow down, from a state of probably burning much higher while you did eat them back.

So that stage could take 4-6 weeks, depending on how seriously you are undercutting your BMR, longer if not by much, how much you have yo-yo dieted, and the types of workouts.

So what will be the net daily goal level?
What is your current BMR?
And how are you judging the exercise calories to eat back?
And what type of exercise?

For instance, HRM will not be accurate for strength and HIIT workouts, as the formulas are only valid for aerobic range workouts.

All important variables.

mittensofdoom

Probably depends on how you calculate your exercise cals. Apparently MFP's exercise database is terrible (honestly, it seems on par with other Internet calculators) and over estimates cals burned (per other users). I can't afford a HRM so I just add all my exercise at half the time I actually did and eat those cals back.

When I first started MFP I ate 1300 cals a day, regardless of workout and I lost 10 lbs in about 6 weeks. For the last few months I've been adding my full workout time and eating all the cals back and my weight loss has screeched to a stand still. I'm hoping eating back cals when I add exercise at 50% the time actually completed will result in a little weight loss.

heybales

Though, your experiment has already been done - in reverse order, by more than just this following example.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/post/new/539980-people-who-have-had-success-by-upping-their-calories?page=10#posts-7628632

"I was eating no more then 2200 a day yet burning between 600-1000. I swim... a lot. I was at a complete stall on weight loss/fat loss. I didn't lose inches or have any change in exercise performance. I was completely exhausted and only kept up my exercise through sheer will power. I was stalled for 2 months. During that two months I averaged 800 calories burned a day but never exceeded 2200 calories consumed. The last week of the 2 months I had actually gained 1/2 lb.

After examining all the data of calories burned, consumed I finally took the time to figure out my BMR and TDEE.

I'm 6'3" and 270 lbs as of this morning. My BMR is ~2400 calories a day. I upped my calories to a minimum of 3400 on every day I worked out and a mimimum of 2600 on recovery days. I gained 3 lbs over the first 4 weeks but lost an inch off my waist.

I've now lost a total of 12 lbs since I upped my calories and dropped 4 pant sizes and I'm on the verge of another pant size loss. I've gained a lot of performance in exercise as well."

barenaud13

Personally, I do not eat my exercise calories back. I work out because it makes me feel good and BURN MORE, so I would simply feel far too guilty if I used my time in the gym for more time by the fridge. But that's just me

missjoci

www.shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com

:flowerforyou:

Hilarious!

Tamargoal

I am confused. I am supposed to eat 1200 calories a day. I sometimes eat up to 1500 because I expand 400 daily for exercise, but I am stuck and not losing anymore. To lose, it seems, I have to stick to the 1200 no matter how much I exercise.

heybales

I am confused. I am supposed to eat 1200 calories a day. I sometimes eat up to 1500 because I expand 400 daily for exercise, but I am stuck and not losing anymore. To lose, it seems, I have to stick to the 1200 no matter how much I exercise.

That's a bummer.

And was your weight loss at the 1200 actually hitting what the math said it should be?
Or less anyway?

And when you exercise, you are asking your body to make improvements, which usually have little to do with weight loss, but usually fat loss. Therefore, not the scale, the but the tape is what should be used.

If your body has little to work with, you are getting little improvement from your exercise - might as well stop.