Should I eat my burned calories?

Chigger56

No. It wasn't directed at you. It was directed to the poster. Everyone will do what they want. End of story.

LaurenAOK

NO you do not have to eat them back and there are several reasons you should not.

Reason one NOT to eat back those calories - aren't you working out to get a caloric benefit, in addition to building muscle? Because if you eat back the calories you eliminate the benefit

OP please do NOT listen to this!^

You already have a "caloric benifit" that MFP set up for you regardless of exercise. When you eat those calories back you still have the benefit MFP created. See the above post about fuel.

andreanicole686

Because your body is like a car, the further the car drives the more fuel it needs. The more you workout the more food you need. Your body burns way more calories on days you workout so in turn you should eat back at least half of those calories. You should always have a NET of 1200 minimum.

thaislcrd

Controversial question. Actually, controversial answers.

Here is another thread on this topic:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/606798-eating-back-exercise-calories

runfatmanrun

I do because I am not trying to lose weight. I find that I now like working out and eat to maintain. Like the others said I treat this as a food diary, with a little exercise mixed in. Even logging it all, I still eat when I am hungry and am ok with red on my diary.

luv2balive

Good answer!

kp82883

In order to accurately log your calories burned, heart rate monitor is a MUST. MFP is always wrong on everything I burn. I would recommend Polar heart rate monitors with the strap, they are awesome.

In regards to eating what you burn, your body has to have fuel to build muscle to burn fat.

ashmarie484

I rarely record my exercise & I dont eat back my burned calories.

Zarebeth

I use a FitBit. Burning calories and losing weight is NOT an exact science, but this is what is working for me - your results may vary. If losing weight were an exact science then there would be something that works for everyone the same.

I am allowed 1500 calories a day, I try not to net less than 1000. If I burn more than 500 calories I get to eat the extra. If you are like me, and get most of your exercise doing normal things with occasional bursts of energy and some low impact exercise, then I try not to eat much back.

But, depending on how hard you work out, it can be very important to eat some back. If you are a weight lifter, marathon runner/biker, or you do aerobics, zumba, what have you and you burn mad calories, you need to eat some of those back, or you will stall.

teresaottesen

Sometimes I eat back others I don't. Choosing healthy good protein is the best option and I eat what my body needs to be fulled up so that I don't burn muscle. I guess when I need it, it is available but about half works best for me.

britcurl

NO you do not have to eat them back and there are several reasons you should not.

Reason one NOT to eat back those calories - aren't you working out to get a caloric benefit, in addition to building muscle? Because if you eat back the calories you eliminate the benefit

Reason two NOT to eat back those calories - MFP wildly overestimates how many calories you burned working out. So, if you eat back all of them, you may end up eating back more than you really burned.

If you must eat back calories, eat back only 30% or 50%, or whatever you want, but don't eat them all back!

So wrong! MFP already sets your calories at a deflict. If you are set at 1200 and burn 500 thats like only eating 700 cals. Thats way to low and not going to help you at all!!!! Eat them back...your body needs the fuel!

brondasbest

Thank you, this is helpful!

brentrhodes

Hopefully, you can put a plan together that works for you. We're all different and burn at different rates. You'll know within a few weeks' time if your current method is working or not. That's the beauty of it, you can adjust as you go, either way, you're taking steps toward a better, healthier you. However you choose to get there will be just fine. I'll support ya! Feel free to add me to your list if you'd like.

lizaboots

Just keep it simple and try to focus on your NET calories for the day on MFP. Do that and get a good quality HRM (I use a Polar) so you can get an accurate calorie burn for your workouts. Try to get your NET calories to at least 1200 every day- whether you exercise thay day or not.

lodicox7

You likely need a lot more than at least 1200 colries a day. Use MFP to calculate your BMR. Your BMR is the number of calories your body needs to function at total rest (to keep your heart beating, to breathe, etc.). If you are eating less calories than your BMR, you may lose weight at first, but eventually you WILL enter starvation mode, and you will hit a serious weight loss plateau. On top of that, it won't be fat you are losing, but a lot of lean muscle mass as well. It's not healthy to deny yourself the calories your body needs to function.

My BMR is 1560 cal/day, and MFP had me eating at 1350. I have found it impossible over the last several months to move past 163 pounds. In fact I actually started to gain a little weight back. Now that I'm eating at least my BMR every day, things are starting to settle back down for me, and I feel much better. Plus I'm no longer in starvation mode, so my body isn't panicking and holding onto fat.

So to answer your question, you do not need to eat back exercise calories, UNLESS the amount of exercise you do takes your total net calories for the day below your BMR. As long as you're eating your BMR, you will lose weight and will do so in a healthy way.

As for the TDEE-15% arguments, this likely will work as well, but it's a lot less complicated to just eat your BMR. Eating BMR also let's you burn more calories per day than TDEE-15%.

roorock

Well said!!!

Mercenary1914

Yes....end thread.

Depends...now end thread.

myfitnessnmhoy

Way back when I was your age we never even THOUGHT about eating back exercise calories. We lost weight. We didn't starve to death and we didn't die horribly malnourished. Sometimes I think everything has to be so over thought. Eat less. Exercise. Lose weight. Pretty simple.

Way back when I was his/her age I didn't either. Took me 30 years to reach the point where I am. I'm losing weight now, FAR more easily than I did back then and with a lot more promise of being able to finally keep it off this time.

The site is based on the fact that running a consistent deficit will yield consistent weight loss. There's an optimal range for losing weight where you are eating enough to be energetic and not feel hungry while still running a deficit.

I'm finally putting some thought into how much of a deficit I'm running, and it's finally working for me.

Your mileage may vary. I eat most or all of my exercise calories back because, after 30 years, I'm finally comfortably losing weight and doing something that I feel can convert to a sustainable lifestyle that will allow me to keep it off.

Emancipated_Tai

I don't eat mine back, but that is becuase I already eat at my BMR. It is subjective if you do this method or not. I'm not sure what your caloric intake is, but if it's below your BMR I would eat some back in order to reach that number. If you don't know what yours is there are several sites such as fitnessfrog.com where you can find the info.

kellogs9

I use the Jamie Eason's Livefit training and she has on the site a calorie counter that gives you calorie counter for workout days and off days. Her program is for Ladies 20-39 yrs old.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jamie-eason-livefit-trainer-phase-2-day-56.html