Eating back burned calories

ladyace2078

I do not and here's why:

I've calculated my TDEE, which already includes my activity level. I eat about 15% less than TDEE, and always eat a minimum of BMR. If I eat my exercise calories back, I'm no longer at a deficit. I've set custom goals in MFP to take care of this.

My TDEE: 2600-2700 calories
My BMR: 1600 calories
What I eat every day: 2400 calories
What I burn every day in exercise: 600-800 calories

So if I ate 2400 calories and also ate another 600-800 calories I would be eating 3000-3200 calories which is above TDEE which will cause me to gain weight.

On a side note - I reached a plateau for a month when eating 1700 calories, so I started eating all of my activity/exercise calories back. I continued on my plateau for another month (because I was eating pretty much at maintenance). Since I've started using TDEE, I am consistently losing again.

FlaxMilk

I think MFP changed the language in their FAQ's (may be wrong about that.) The wording says you *can* eat more and that as long as you stick *within* your limits, you will lose weight. It is not directing that you *should* or must hit that target. So eat them when you need them or want them, and don't worry about them if you don't want them or need them. That seems to help me because then there are the days where I overeat on calories because I went out with friends or whatever.

Self or Shape has a plan where you get 1600 calories a day but 200 of them are "fun calories" that can be banked up to I think 800 calories to use on a fun day within a week. I try to eat within guidelines but I think sometimes people get a little hung up on eating exactly what the numbers say on a day to day basis.

adet983

i was stuck at 195 for months....lifting and running more then ever.....read posts on this tried it last week eating most of them back....went from 194 to 188 in a week and a half

DterMined2012

If your BMR * standard activity level = 2250 calories and you want to lose weight eating 1750 calories per day will give you approximately an average of 1lb weight loss per week assuming you do nothing above your standard activity.

If you now add 3500 calories of exercise in a week you should lose about 1lb more that week if you do not eat back your calories. If you eat back half your calories you should lose about 1/2lb more that week. If you eat 3500 calories more food that week you will still lose around the 1lb per week but you wont lose any more. With all of these you will have the health benefits from the exercise.

Eating back some or all of your calories is your choice. If you do a lot of exercise and do not want to eat back your calories you should listen to your body and if you are starting to feel lethargic you need to either calm down your exercise or eat back some of the calories.

For me my main goals are to get healthier and lighter so I do not eat back all my exercise calories as I want a reward on the scales rather than in my belly.

DITTO!!!

krissynicole787

For me, consistently eating my burned calories does not work for me. You have to try to see what works for your body. I was eating my exercise calories back for 2 months and I lost nothing. When I went back to not eating them, I lost about a half a pound a week.

I think the best thing to do is see how you are feeling. If you feel fatigued, and hungry, and you burned 700 calories that day, eat 300 back. Don't eat all. That is what I do about 2-3 times a week. Especially if I jogged for an hour, or did cardio kickboxing. For me those are intense workouts, and I can tell my body needs me to eat some of those burned calories. But on days that I do zumba, or an hour on an elliptical or stepper, I do not feel I need to eat my exercise calories back.

It probably also depends on how often you work out. I work out 5 times a week. If you work out less than 5 times a week, I wouldn't eat back those calories. But if you work out 5 or 6 times a week, eat less than half of those calories back on days you REALLY feel you need it.

That is what works for me. :flowerforyou:

dianeellen2

If you want to do this long term then definatly eat them back or you may find it too difficult and give in

Look at your replies from the people who have lost the mosrt weight - all of them say YES

All of them have got to have been at this a long time and been sucessful

I eat mine back

If you want to look at my diary send me a friend request

I am not an exercise mad person (to start with i only exercised becuase i needed the calories to survive LOL)

Diane

waldo56

This question is only relevant if you don't exercise much.

If you burn 1000 cal/day exercising, eating back exercise calories is not optional.