do you eat exercise calories as well?

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  • Bobby_Clerici
    Bobby_Clerici Posts: 1,828 Member
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    wow, this is a new refreshing topic :indifferent:

    Apologies but i'm new to this.
  • MrsAFR
    MrsAFR Posts: 103 Member
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    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
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    *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
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    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?!
  • UoNDancer
    UoNDancer Posts: 3
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    I'm with you. I really don't understand it. Can some explain this simply?
  • Behavior_Modification
    Behavior_Modification Posts: 24,482 Member
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    No.

    I prefer to keep these entities separate.
  • juliaamilee
    juliaamilee Posts: 262 Member
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    I tired for 3 weeks up 6 pounds. so now I am going back to around 1200 calories
  • lysskartzman
    lysskartzman Posts: 1
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    If MFP has me eating 1200 calories a day to lose 1 pound a week and I burn 400 calories a day it means I'm only taking in 800. I need to most likely eat those extra 400 calories (or less) to get somewhere around 1200.
  • Springer007
    Springer007 Posts: 84 Member
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    Many people love to find reasons to eat. This thread is no different.
    The MFP app yells at you when you log your day ONLY IF YOU HAVE NOT EATEN YOUR BASE CALORIES. If you eat all 1250 of your base (or what ever yours may be), THEN you work off 800 calories and close your day... IT DOES NOT YELL AT YOU. All it cares about is that you have put something in your body and you are not completely starving it.

    But people love to eat. Especially the weak willed ones. So they will claim that you should eat them all back and thats the final word. Truth is, Expirement and do what works best for you. I bet if your will is strong enough to not eat them, you will like the results.
  • larisapurdy
    larisapurdy Posts: 2 Member
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    I track calories burned outside of the MFP calculators to ensure they are accurate. Typically, I do not use exercise bonus calories on a daily basis...except on a splurge day.
  • mcarter99
    mcarter99 Posts: 1,666 Member
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    If MFP has me eating 1200 calories a day to lose 1 pound a week and I burn 400 calories a day it means I'm only taking in 800. I need to most likely eat those extra 400 calories (or less) to get somewhere around 1200.

    If you're eating 1200, you're taking in 1200.

    If you are trying to make your intake match your expenditure, that's called maintenance. You can't eat everything you expend AND lose weight.
  • accountingsyd88
    accountingsyd88 Posts: 2
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    I get the same response from my complete button. I generally don't eat my exercise calories, BUT I feel good to know they are there in case I need them. =P
  • Prahasaurus
    Prahasaurus Posts: 1,381 Member
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    I have this strange feeling of deja vu.....
  • Springer007
    Springer007 Posts: 84 Member
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    I have this strange feeling of deja vu.....

    And thank you for sharing those wise words. Elders are always so kind to share their wisdom. We are all smarter for having read your post and we get that you have "seen a similar topic before". Thanks again, now move along.

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