Do you eat your exercise calories???

jazzrose007

Hi, I have been on MFP for about a week now and I never eat my fitness calories back. I'm I supposed too? Does'nt that defeat the purpose of doing the exercise, which is to create calorie deficit in order to lose weight. I can understand eating them back to maintain, but not to lose weight. What do you do?

melanie3103

bump.

jacksonpt

Yes. And I search before I post.

JacksMom12

Yep.

I still lose weight.

Must be rocket science.

CyberEd312

Every last one of them!!! I don't work my A@#$ off to let them go to waste..... lol

cindyhoney2

I don't always eat all of them. But yes you've earned it, take it!

nightsrainfall

MFP estimates your metabolic burn based upon your lifestyle (the bmr). While this is an estimate, it is what is used for the deficit. If you want to lose a pound a week, then that's ~3500 calories per week deficit or 500 cals per day. If your bmr is 2,000 and mfp tells you to eat 1500 calories then your body should already have a deficit of -500/day. When you exericise you add to that deficit. Some people might believe that not eating back your calories, or keeping your food in calories low will help you lose weight faster, but generally this can be a very unhealthy loss. Muscle needs calories to renew itself, be built, repair, etc. Sadly, our bodies generally will break down muscle first over fat, which is one reason why exercise is important - don't use it, you lose it type concept.

Eating back your calories won't deter you from your goal of loss/week technically. Not eating them back, might not only deter you, it may eventually cause your muscles to not get enough calories themselves. Also if your net calories end up too low over an extended time, it could cause future health problems.

Anyway, I suggest googling both sides of the topic anyway - just to decide for yourself what's best. :-)

nill4me

Yep.

I still lose weight.

Must be rocket science.

Its a bummer that we aren't all as smart as you are...

TheWinman

I don't always eat all of them. But yes you've earned it, take it!

It's not about earning it, it's about what your body needs and it aids in weight loss.

ines25

no i never eat back the calories i exercise i have my calories set i just reach that and sometimes if im hungry i go over my calories for 100-200cal thats it

jacksonpt

MFP estimates your metabolic burn based upon your lifestyle (the bmr).

lifestyle does NOT equal BMR.

qtiekiki

Yes. Sometimes I exercise, so I have more calories to eat. What can I say... I LOVE foods.

TeaBea

MFP calculated a calorie deficit for you without including exercise. This design is because not everyone WILL or CAN exercise.

By exercising (and not eating the extra calories) you increase the deficit. The theory is .... "I'll just lose weight that much faster." This may be true in the short term ...... however, your body requires a bare minimum calories for everday functions (heart, lungs, etc.) ... without these bare minimum calories your body will burn existing muscle if it has to.

Eat the extra calories .... if you want to keep your existing muscle mass.

omma_to_3

MFP calculated a calorie deficit for you without including exercise. This design is because not everyone WILL or CAN exercise.

By exercising (and not eating the extra calories) you increase the deficit. The theory is .... "I'll just lose weight that much faster." This may be true in the short term ...... however, your body requires a bare minimum calories for everday functions (heart, lungs, etc.) ... without these bare minimum calories your body will burn existing muscle if it has to.

Eat the extra calories .... if you want to keep your existing muscle mass.

That! And I find exercise calories MUCH more tasty and satisfying LOL.

jazzrose007

Yes. And I search before I post.

Thanks, but I did research but I just wanted to know the opinons of other people, which some give without any other smart remark. I thought that people could ask any question they wanted without being judged. Guess I was wrong!

Sapporo

Yes. And I search before I post.

Thanks, but I did research but I just wanted to know the opinons of other people, which some give without any other smart remark. I thought that people could ask any question they wanted without being judged. Guess I was wrong!

ahahaahahahaha what message board do you think you're on? not be judged.... funny....

impyimpyaj

Yes. And I search before I post.

:laugh:

Seriously though, I eat them. I ate them last year when I was here under a different account and lost around 30 pounds, and I eat them now that I'm back and trying to get lean. Exercise calories are DELICIOUS.

Myobi

Yes. And I search before I post.

Thanks, but I did research but I just wanted to know the opinons of other people, which some give without any other smart remark. I thought that people could ask any question they wanted without being judged. Guess I was wrong!

To be fair, this shows up quite often in all of the forums, so there are lots of opinions out there. That being said, they were a little snarky, which is never fun.

OT: I eat most of my exercise calories back. Here are my main thoughts.
1: The program already has a deficit built in for you to lose weight with no exercise. Not eating your exercise calories back CAN lead you to having an unsafe deficit. (Note the wording - it will vary from individual to individual, depending on how much weight they want to lose a week. Due to some health stuff I have, I stick with 1 pound a week (500 calorie deficit built in a day). If I burn 250 calories in exercise, that just bumps me up to a 750 calorie/day deficit, which is good for 1.5 pounds a week. Because I know what works for me and what my body needs, I try to stick to a 500 calorie deficit.
2: I don't eat ALL of my exercise calories back because I don't know that the estimate burned is entirely accurate. If I had a heart rate monitor and had a more accurate burn estimate, I'd probably eat a bit more back than I do. I also know that on the weekends I tend to eat a bit more, so I try to give myself some allowance there.

Hope that helps.

jacksonpt

Yes. And I search before I post.

Thanks, but I did research but I just wanted to know the opinons of other people, which some give without any other smart remark. I thought that people could ask any question they wanted without being judged. Guess I was wrong!

Give me a break. No one is judging you. I don't think less of you because you are one of the 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 people to post an exercise calorie thread on these boards.

And if you did in fact research, you certainly didn't do it on these boards, thus my point.

And if you actually want information/advice, the question isn't whether or not people do eat them... it's why... but few people ever ask that.

nikkiprickett

YES!! Don't force yourself if you burn something crazy like 1000 cals or something, eat when you're hungry-LISTEN TO YOUR BODY

heytherestephy

I usually eat about half of mine, not because I don't want to eat them but because I can't eat enough to eat them LOL.

runfatmanrun

Just remember, and other people need to remember this toom, exercise is not just beneficial for eating more or less one way or the other. Some crazy people believe it actually makes you feel better, it's fun, it helps alleviate stress, and you just may be healthier to go along with lighter. The extra weight loss or fudge brownie, whichever you may choose, are just added side effects.

myfitnessnmhoy

I have a 1000 calorie a day deficit running to lose 2 pounds a week. I eat back my exercise calories and lose 2 pounds a week. I've tried to speed that up by not eating them and found it counterproductive because my energy levels drop and I burn fewer calories in my daily life and during workouts, plus I feel like crap and tend to cheat. I'm happy with 2 pounds a week, so I try to follow the plan and when I do it works.

Your mileage may vary, I'd encourage experimentation, and remember this is a long-term project and you want to learn SUSTAINABLE eating habits so you can maintain your weight loss after you've reached your goal.

ocylott

I eat back about half my exercise calories. MFP can sometimes be rather generous in their estimate of calories burned, so to keep on the safe side, I try to eat back about half. Works for me, at least so far.

Prefessa

Honestly....from personal experience.....It depends on how you set up your calorie requirements. Your BMR doesn't change much with exercise or starvation....Its Leptin Downregulation/Adaptive Thermogenesis you want to avoid at all cost.

So lets say you workout 5-6 day a week so you multiplied your BMR by 1.5 or 1.6 to get your TDEE....that is an ESTIMATE based on your projected activity level...so now you work out....MFP gives you an ESTIMATED energy expenditure....so now you go and eat your exercise calories back. Congradulations....you have just counted your energy contribution from Exercise into your TDEE...TWICE!

I actually gained a pound a week doing this and wondered WTF???? Until I realized that I was eating back calories that were already accounted for. It was pretty frustrating to have a month of..."You have completed your diary and are within your calorie goals" only to gain weight!

So two schools of thought here...

Either Multiply your BMR with a factor appropriate for your activity level, and log your exercise, but do not eat your exercise calories back. Assess your progress weekly...if you loose more than you planned....add a calories, less subtract calories. By carefully tracking you will be determining your TDEE experimentally and take it from there to keep from creating a big deficit that can cause Leptin Downregulation.

Or...

Multiply your BMR by 1.2 or 1.3 and then track calorie expenditure using a reliable device like a Fitbit, HR Monitor or Bodybugg. Then you can eat back expercise calories when needed. Those estimates you get on this site for exercise are for atheletes....they are too generous for at least 1/3 of the folks here. I rode my bike 16 miles on Friday...My heart reate monitor gave me 300 calories(I had a tail wind)....MFP clocked in at 760 calories....big difference!!

Only eat back VALID and MEASURED exercise calories needed to keep energy balance in the recomended zone....Estimates are just that, estimates.

PrincessMissDee

Yes. And I search before I post.

Thanks, but I did research but I just wanted to know the opinons of other people, which some give without any other smart remark. I thought that people could ask any question they wanted without being judged. Guess I was wrong!

I know, right? You'd think the point of a forum was to ask questions when you're feeling a little lost, but some people seem to revel in this smug attitude. Maybe they have time to read all of everybody's other forum posts but I, for one, have only ever popped on here when I needed to shout out for help.

And I'm very grateful to the people who help.

jjelizalde

Eat back your exercise calories. Your body needs the fuel.

jacksonpt

Yes. And I search before I post.

Thanks, but I did research but I just wanted to know the opinons of other people, which some give without any other smart remark. I thought that people could ask any question they wanted without being judged. Guess I was wrong!

I know, right? You'd think the point of a forum was to ask questions when you're feeling a little lost, but some people seem to revel in this smug attitude. Maybe they have time to read all of everybody's other forum posts but I, for one, have only ever popped on here when I needed to shout out for help.

And I'm very grateful to the people who help.

I'll be the first to admit that I was snarky with my response. I did it intentionally to make a point, but I also did it AFTER I answered the OP's question.

And if you can't be bothered, er... don't have the time to spend a few minutes seaching the forums get find the answers, then at least be a little more understanding when those of use get a little irritated at seeing the same questions asked over and over and over and over and over again, and typing up the same answer to those questions over and over and over and over and over again.

Message boards are great for asking questions and getting advice. But they are also great for educating yourself.

PrincessMissDee

And if you can't be bothered, er... don't have the time to spend a few minutes seaching the forums get find the answers, then at least be a little more understanding when those of use get a little irritated at seeing the same questions asked over and over and over and over and over again, and typing up the same answer to those questions over and over and over and over and over again.

Message boards are great for asking questions and getting advice. But they are also great for educating yourself.

But then you should be a little more understanding when people ask. Answer it or don't, but don't answer it and take your frustration out on that same person.

Personally I can only use MFP on my phone usually so I can't see any forums.. I can see people posting answers but can't get into the actual subject, it's quite frustrating and feels like you're only able to use half of the point of MFP!

I used the forum a week ago, asked almost this exact question, and got some brilliant responses, tailored to my own personal situation. I did a search beforehand and the answers came thick and fast: YES / NO / I do / I never do / Always /etc

Sometimes when a topic has been discusssed SO much, the many answers can be more confusing than helpful!!

(Also, PS, my rage is more about someone who posted about my question, just the words "urgh" and no help whatsoever) :flowerforyou:

kaotik26

If I dont eat them back I would technically be starving myself and shutting down my metabolism. You need the food to feed your body after the workout. My calories are set at 1280. If I burn 400 calories doing Insanity then that gives me 880...which is not healthy for anyone.

megsmom2

If I dont eat them back I would technically be starving myself and shutting down my metabolism. You need the food to feed your body after the workout. My calories are set at 1280. If I burn 400 calories doing Insanity then that gives me 880...which is not healthy for anyone.

this! exactly this! you should eat at least most of those calories back. The point of being here is not to get skrawny, the point is to get HEALTHY.