do you eat exercise calories as well?

13

Replies

  • samntha14
    samntha14 Posts: 2,084 Member
    Yep, now I am totally confused. I thought the reason why worked out is so we had calories left over to go against our weight loss. If we are eating what we earn aren't we just staying the same?

    I dont understand now :(
    My fitness pal already has you set to a deficit so you do not need to increase that deficit by NOT eating them back. In fact in many cases if you DON'T eat them back, you may be dangerously low, i.e. under your BMR for the day, depending on your settings.
  • stefanieceleste0530
    stefanieceleste0530 Posts: 177 Member
    If I'm hungry, yes. If not, no.
  • TadaGanIarracht
    TadaGanIarracht Posts: 2,615 Member
    I've stated this numerous times before, I eat when I'm hungry.

    Woah! Right?
  • llkilgore
    llkilgore Posts: 1,169 Member
    NO. Why? Exercise is your daily deficit. If you are on a weight loss, why would you give it up?

    Exactly! It seems that the people that say "eat them back" complain about not losing weight, and those that take them as a deficit have nice weight loss numbers.

    Not really. Jacking up your deficit with exercise may my be setting you up for failure in the long term, even as it seems to be giving good results in the short term. I can't tell you how many "help! I'm stuck on a plateau!" threads I've seen in last 18 months started by people who haven't been eating back their exercise calories.
  • sunnyside1213
    sunnyside1213 Posts: 1,205 Member
    Usually, but sometimes i don't because i'm full. Then i get a scolding from the "Complete Button" nazi (no offense to complete buttons...or Nazis(?)) saying that i'm eating too few calories.

    I don't always, but my biggest problem is eating 1200. I am at 600 for the day and I am full.
  • gsager
    gsager Posts: 977 Member
    Yes 100% - I use a heart rate monitor so calorie burns are accurate.
    ^^^^This^^^^^
  • ucpg
    ucpg Posts: 158
    it seems like a lot eh? I did one time, and i felt like i was stuffing my face. it was too much. but i played a game of soccer with no sub players, so it was 90 min of soccer, which was like 1058 extra calories. way too much for me personally. playing again today, shall see how i feel :)
  • carld256
    carld256 Posts: 855 Member
    My Goal is 1700 calories per day. I exercise 500-600 calories on the treadmill, and allow myself up to 2000 calories, though I'll go a bit over that if I spent a long time walking. So, yeah, I eat back some but not all, and my Dr. approves.
  • AbbsyBabbsy
    AbbsyBabbsy Posts: 184 Member
    My mind can't wrap around the logic of eating back calories, since it's not something I ever heard of until joining this site. Instead, I would rather give myself a higher daily goal (e.g. 1400 instead of 1200), not eat back exercise calories, and let the chips fall where they will.
  • saustin201
    saustin201 Posts: 270 Member
    Sometimes I eat them back, sometimes I don't, and sometimes I eat half of them back. It depends on how hungry I am.
  • Bobby_Clerici
    Bobby_Clerici Posts: 1,828 Member
    NO. Why? Exercise is your daily deficit. If you are on a weight loss, why would you give it up?

    This is what I thought too. Surely if you're trying to lose weight, you're trying to create a deficit so why eat some of that deficit back?! It doesn't make sense to me, and I've never understood it when other people on MFP talk about eating back their calories. If someone could explain, that would be much appreciated :)
    Your deficit is already factored in. Any exercise adds too much to that, and now your deficit is too high.
    That is what causes failure in weight loss.
  • shorty35565
    shorty35565 Posts: 1,425 Member
    Nope I dont, but then again, I dont go by MFP calculations. I sat my own goal.
  • shorty35565
    shorty35565 Posts: 1,425 Member
    My mind can't wrap around the logic of eating back calories, since it's not something I ever heard of until joining this site. Instead, I would rather give myself a higher daily goal (e.g. 1400 instead of 1200), not eat back exercise calories, and let the chips fall where they will.

    Thats what I do. I eat 1400-1600 depending on what I burn and just let it happen.
  • KourtneyP83
    KourtneyP83 Posts: 319
    No...my doctor and nutritionist both told me not to...but I'm a big girl could be different for you.
  • olee67
    olee67 Posts: 208 Member
    I eat as many back as I can. I was recently doing "too much" and couldn't eat everything back. Weight loss stopped. I had even started to gain a small amount of weight back from my lowest weigh in (2lbs). I've scaled everything back and have been able to reach my calorie goal. Last week, I started at 252 on monday. Today, I weighed in at 247...

    I did less, so, I could eat less and still make my goal.
  • Bobby_Clerici
    Bobby_Clerici Posts: 1,828 Member
    Yep, now I am totally confused. I thought the reason why worked out is so we had calories left over to go against our weight loss. If we are eating what we earn aren't we just staying the same?

    I dont understand now :(
    It's very simple.
    Eat back your exercise calories; that's how MFP works. Read this to learn how it works.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/23912-links-in-mfp-you-want-to-read-again-and-again
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo
    Follow the recommendations on this site for safe, steady and lasting results.
    Good luck to you.
    All Is Possible!
  • tryinghard71
    tryinghard71 Posts: 593
    NO. Why? Exercise is your daily deficit. If you are on a weight loss, why would you give it up?

    This is what I thought too. Surely if you're trying to lose weight, you're trying to create a deficit so why eat some of that deficit back?! It doesn't make sense to me, and I've never understood it when other people on MFP talk about eating back their calories. If someone could explain, that would be much appreciated :)
    Your deficit is already factored in. Any exercise adds too much to that, and now your deficit is too high.
    That is what causes failure in weight loss.


    ^^^^^^
    This!!! If it did not work why am I losing weight? :wink:
  • Bobby_Clerici
    Bobby_Clerici Posts: 1,828 Member
    Nope I dont, but then again, I dont go by MFP calculations. I sat my own goal.
    ^^^^^^
    This is OK as well, because she's on a different program. Remember, MFP has a system that factors in your deficit.
    Eat them back if you are working in this system.
    And think about it. Why would you not?
    Don't make yourself miserable on some silly "diet" where you're deprived all the time.
    Life is to be lived, and people on those absurd starvation diets will all die fat.
    We can rise above those old failed routines.
  • ashshields12
    ashshields12 Posts: 54 Member
    I eat 1200 calories a day, exercise at least once a day burning 400-500 calories, I don't eat these back. If I work out a second time usually around 400 calories. I eat half or less of these back. Otherwise what's the point?! Are You are exercising to lose weight? Why eat them back if you are trying to lose weight?!
  • SPNLuver83
    SPNLuver83 Posts: 2,050 Member
    YES!!!! NOM NOM NOM
  • Bobby_Clerici
    Bobby_Clerici Posts: 1,828 Member
    I eat 1200 calories a day, exercise at least once a day burning 400-500 calories, I don't eat these back. If I work out a second time usually around 400 calories. I eat half or less of these back. Otherwise what's the point?! Are You are exercising to lose weight? Why eat them back if you are trying to lose weight?!
    Your deficit is too high - bad move.
    Anything more than 2 lbs per week is unhealthy. Crash diets don't lead to optimal health.
    Good luck to you though. I want to see everybody succeed.
  • tsh0ck
    tsh0ck Posts: 1,970 Member
    I eat 1200 calories a day, exercise at least once a day burning 400-500 calories, I don't eat these back. If I work out a second time usually around 400 calories. I eat half or less of these back. Otherwise what's the point?! Are You are exercising to lose weight? Why eat them back if you are trying to lose weight?!

    um ... that's waaaaay too few calories per day. as in ... well ... waaaaay too few.

    (and for me, I figure that I'm eating less to lose weight. I'm working out to get my body healthy.)
  • Bobby_Clerici
    Bobby_Clerici Posts: 1,828 Member
    I eat 1200 calories a day, exercise at least once a day burning 400-500 calories, I don't eat these back. If I work out a second time usually around 400 calories. I eat half or less of these back. Otherwise what's the point?! Are You are exercising to lose weight? Why eat them back if you are trying to lose weight?!

    um ... that's waaaaay too few calories per day. as in ... well ... waaaaay too few.

    (and for me, I figure that I'm eating less to lose weight. I'm working out to get my body healthy.)
    I agree totally. Our journey is not just about mere weight loss but peak health.
  • tryinghard71
    tryinghard71 Posts: 593
    I eat 1200 calories a day, exercise at least once a day burning 400-500 calories, I don't eat these back. If I work out a second time usually around 400 calories. I eat half or less of these back. Otherwise what's the point?! Are You are exercising to lose weight? Why eat them back if you are trying to lose weight?!

    The point would be fuel for energy, fuel for your brain, fuel for your muscles, fuel for your health. You lose weight but at a healthy sustainable rate. My opinion because it is working for me. I did not start to see actual muscle growth until I was eating them back. I don't want to be skinny fat. I want to be toned and in shape:)
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
    I eat 1200 calories a day, exercise at least once a day burning 400-500 calories, I don't eat these back. If I work out a second time usually around 400 calories. I eat half or less of these back. Otherwise what's the point?! Are You are exercising to lose weight? Why eat them back if you are trying to lose weight?!

    Because if I don't eat them back today, I won't have energy to exercise tomorrow. Also, I would prefer to continue to lose just fat, rather than starting to lose muscles as well.
  • lcn1220
    lcn1220 Posts: 124 Member
    I eat some, but not all and will bank about 250 for my upcoming rest day later this week (which has no exercise calories). If someone told me that I could only live on 1200 cals for the rest of my life, I'd up and punch 'em in the face. Barely skimmed below 1400 last Sunday and I was cranky...this time I'm banking 250 cals for my rest day just to make things manageable.

    How much of my exercise cals I eat depend on how I'm feeling, but I do try keep a slight deficit since the current mfp deficit has me losing 1.2 lbs a week, and I wouldn't mind losing a little more than that.
  • MrsAFR
    MrsAFR Posts: 103 Member
    wow, this is a new refreshing topic :indifferent:

    Apologies but i'm new to this.
  • MrsAFR
    MrsAFR Posts: 103 Member
    Thanks for the responses, I wasn't really asking if I should or shouldn't more what do you do personally as I knew there would be differing opinions. I think i'm in the camp of eat them if I'm hungry.
  • cjh03
    cjh03 Posts: 74 Member
    *Most interesting man in the world voice*....

    I don't always eat my exercise calories....but when I do...I never feel bad since MFP already calculates a deficit.
  • UoNDancer
    UoNDancer Posts: 3
    Might be a stupid comment but why eat them back? How will you lose any weight? I thought the idea was to burn more than you take in to lose weight.
    Have been wrong all this time?!
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