Why you shouldn't eat back excercise calories.

aplusgeek

There's alot of debate among people here as to whether you should or shoul not eat bac excercise calories. Let me offer you an explanation as to why you should not eat back excercise calories, and hopefully this will put the topic to a rest.

When you set up your goals for myfitnesspal it asks you what your activity level is, based on your activity level it roughly calculates what your daily energy (calorie) expenditure is. From this you select what your weight loss goal is, let's say you want to lose 1 pound of fat a week. It then subtracts 500 calories (500 calories x 7 days = 3500 calories (1 pound of fat is equivalent to 3500 calories)) daily. So at this point the amount of calories that you consume already takes into account your activity level because you would have had to choose it when setting up your profile. So if you are now consuming an extra 700 calories that you "earned" from excercise you are in fact just consuming an extra 700 calories, and are consuming 200 calories above your goal so you will very slowly gain weight instead of losing weight.

Now if you are planning on gaining weight as some do, for weightlifting, powerlifting or even body building purposes then it would be ok to eat back calories as your goals differ from simply cutting fat. For everybody else, eating back excercise calories is counter-intuitive to your weight loss efforts and should be avoided.

You may say, I feel sapped after a workout... well plan your daily calories in such a way that you can afford a protein shake after your workout and you'll feel 100% better.

I hope this helps people understand and clarifies the "excercise calories" fiasco.

ChristinaBarnhouse

I totally agree... Nicely said!

sfgonzales

I have a fit bit and it tracks the calories I burn each day... Then it adjusts my mfp calorie intake based on how many calories I've burned and how many I am projected to burn. So I do eat more, but only if I earn it!

Smuterella

It is confusing I agree.

You should only log and eat back exercise additional to that included in your MFP estimation.

This is why most people estimate based on their daily life without workouts and then log and eat back workout calories.

Im_NotPerfect

I get what you're saying, but my question is...if MFP already takes those 500 calories into consideration, why does it ADD calories to your daily allowance when you record your exercise? Shouldn't it just record your exercise and keep your daily allowance the same if you're not supposed to eat them?

erinw1011

You are correct, if you put that you exercise 4-5 times a week, don't add them. I sit at work all day so I selected Sedentary and I eat some of my exercise calories, especially if it is a high burn and I am hungry.

meljane28

What if you picked "sedentary" as your exercise option?

ronh21

My daily calories are figured using "sedentary". I sit at a desk all day, and exercise is kind of random for me at this point. When I do work out, those calories aren't already figured in, so I can probably eat them. I may or may not, but feel like I can. If I get into a regular exercise routine, I may change up the MFP config to account for it.

LindaCWy

What if you picked "sedentary" as your exercise option?

BAM!

Also, OP I didn't read a word you said, I was distracted by the guy in the background of your picture photo-bombing the sh&t out of it. HAHA< I can't stop looking at him.

secretlobster

What if you picked "sedentary" as your exercise option?

Then the OP doesn't apply. This is what I do, by the way, because my activity levels vary frequently and I can't always eat consistently. (PS: works for me)

fatgirlslove

Most people select "sedentary" as their fitness level yet they workout 5-7days a week...these people should be eating more than the allotted 1200.

montana_girl

You are correct, if you put that you exercise 4-5 times a week, don't add them. I sit at work all day so I selected Sedentary and I eat some of my exercise calories, especially if it is a high burn and I am hungry.

^^ Me too! Except I generally eat back all my exercise calories. What can I say? I like to eat... which is why I run, so I can eat more! :laugh:

JeSuisPrest

But your explanation is the reason to eat them back. MFP creates the deficit for you in the activity level you have chosen. It is so important to fuel the body so that it will metabolize and burn the fat. But again, everyone is different. I could not lose weight until I increased calories and ate back those additional exercise calories.

aplusgeek

What if you picked "sedentary" as your exercise option?

BAM!

Also, OP I didn't read a word you said, I was distracted by the guy in the background of your picture photo-bombing the sh&t out of it. HAHA< I can't stop looking at him.

He got quite a workout with an empty bar. lol

tony2009

I work at a desk job. Therefor I selected sedentary as my activity level, therefor burning at a minimum. This doesn't count in the half mile walk to work that I do (don't count it).

Or the fact that I workout 3-5 times a week, whether it be sports or running/weights. Therefor, I count them, and eat them back. As people have suggested.

Your logic is flawed as much as the peoples that you criticize my friend. :huh:

OhKelsey1

Except it asks you both activity level AND how often you plan on excerising, meaning it wants to know how active you are just in your dailty life. And it's also BUILT INTO MyFitnessPal to eat back your exercise calories.

LaurenAOK

If you did it that way, you set up MFP wrong. It clearly states to select your activity level NOT INCLUDING EXERCISE. Just your daily activity level with normal activities.

If you did include exercise, then you're right you should not eat them back. But most people did not include exercise when setting up their goals. Therefore, most should be eating them back.

secretlobster

"Why you should research your TDEE/BMR and do whatever makes sense for you personally"

LindaCWy

If you did it that way, you set up MFP wrong. It clearly states to select your activity level NOT INCLUDING EXERCISE. Just your daily activity level with normal activities.

If you did include exercise, then you're right you should not eat them back. But most people did not include exercise when setting up their goals. Therefore, most should be eating them back.

WHat she said, Mr. Photobombed

erickirb

There's alot of debate among people here as to whether you should or shoul not eat bac excercise calories. Let me offer you an explanation as to why you should not eat back excercise calories, and hopefully this will put the topic to a rest.

When you set up your goals for myfitnesspal it asks you what your activity level is, based on your activity level it roughly calculates what your daily energy (calorie) expenditure is. From this you select what your weight loss goal is, let's say you want to lose 1 pound of fat a week. It then subtracts 500 calories (500 calories x 7 days = 3500 calories (1 pound of fat is equivalent to 3500 calories)) daily. So at this point the amount of calories that you consume already takes into account your activity level because you would have had to choose it when setting up your profile. So if you are now consuming an extra 700 calories that you "earned" from excercise you are in fact just consuming an extra 700 calories, and are consuming 200 calories above your goal so you will very slowly gain weight instead of losing weight.

Now if you are planning on gaining weight as some do, for weightlifting, powerlifting or even body building purposes then it would be ok to eat back calories as your goals differ from simply cutting fat. For everybody else, eating back excercise calories is counter-intuitive to your weight loss efforts and should be avoided.

You may say, I feel sapped after a workout... well plan your daily calories in such a way that you can afford a protein shake after your workout and you'll feel 100% better.

I hope this helps people understand and clarifies the "excercise calories" fiasco.

I disagree. As MFP tells you to ignore exercise when picking your activity level. In other words base your activity level on your non exercise related activity and log and eat exercise cals separately.

This is a great way of doing it as if you are using TDEE it assumes each week you are doing the same amount of exercise, whereas with MFP you only eat based on the work you did do, not what you planed on doing.

bbchickpea

You are correct, if you put that you exercise 4-5 times a week, don't add them. I sit at work all day so I selected Sedentary and I eat some of my exercise calories, especially if it is a high burn and I am hungry.

That : ) Exactly the same.

The original post doesn't take into consideration that many of us use the sedentary lifestyle setting.

Beth720

Except it asks you both activity level AND how often you plan on excerising, meaning it wants to know how active you are just in your dailty life. And it's also BUILT INTO MyFitnessPal to eat back your exercise calories.

:drinker: Bingo!

(and FWIW, those pounds lost in my ticker? all lost while eating my exercise calories back. BAM! on flawed logic!)

chivalryder

OP got burned.

nixirain

This is completely false. You explained it correctly, but your conclusion is wrong.

MFP says I need to eat 1500 calories a day to lose 1lb. That is my "TDEE-500" for lightly active. If I work out and burn 500 calories. That means after all is said and done by body is getting 1000 calories to live on for the day. My body needs atleast 1300 for my BMR. That is NOT healthy to have 1000 calorie deficit for most people. now if I eat back those 500 calories I am consuming 2000 calories, but my body burn 2500 that day, If my math is correct (and it is) I would still lose 1lb in a week.

Thanks.

_stephanie0

If you did it that way, you set up MFP wrong. It clearly states to select your activity level NOT INCLUDING EXERCISE. Just your daily activity level with normal activities.

If you did include exercise, then you're right you should not eat them back. But most people did not include exercise when setting up their goals. Therefore, most should be eating them back.

THIS!

rose313

If you did it that way, you set up MFP wrong. It clearly states to select your activity level NOT INCLUDING EXERCISE. Just your daily activity level with normal activities.

If you did include exercise, then you're right you should not eat them back. But most people did not include exercise when setting up their goals. Therefore, most should be eating them back.

Exactly!

wisebadger53

I respectfully disagree with the OP. MFP does not include your exercise goal in the calculation of your daily calorie goal. It is purely based on the lifestyle you plug into the goal calculator. You can see this by setting your goals, and then adding or deleting exercise days while leaving your lifestyle alone. Your calorie goal will not change. It only will change when you change your lifestyle choice.

Of course if you sit at a desk all day and plan to exercise 5 days a week, setting your lifestyle to active will surely account for all of your exercise calories. A desk jockey should choose a sedentary lifestyle, and eat back some exercise calories.

myfitnessnmhoy

So at this point the amount of calories that you consume already takes into account your activity level because you would have had to choose it when setting up your profile. So if you are now consuming an extra 700 calories that you "earned" from excercise you are in fact just consuming an extra 700 calories, and are consuming 200 calories above your goal so you will very slowly gain weight instead of losing weight.

While correct, this is neither the "recommended" way (as per MFP's configuration guidance) nor the actual way that many of us do it.

If you chose an "active" lifestyle because you intended for it to include, say, 500 calories a day for your workout, you are absolutely right - adding an ADDITIONAL 500 calories in for your actual workout would be "double-dipping" and your net result would be that you are actually now eating at maintenance if your goal was to lose 1 pound/week with a 500 calorie daily deficit.

If you chose your actual lifestyle not including your daily workout (for me that is sedentary), then you DO want to add in and eat back those burned calories to maintain the 500 calorie deficit.

The hard part is - neither answer is incorrect.

Made up examples:

Your way.


Goal for "active" lifestyle: 2000 calories.
Exercise logged: 0 calories (already included in "lifestyle").
Daily goal: 2000 calories.
Calories eaten: 2000 calories.
Actual TDEE: 2500 calories.
Deficit: 500 calories.


My way.

Goal for "sedentary" lifestyle: 1500 calories.
Exercise logged: 500 calories
Calories eaten: 2000 calories.
Actual TDEE: 2500 calories.
Deficit: 500 calories.


The math works out exactly the same - it's just how we came up with "2000 calories" as the daily intake goal.

And since my workouts tend to be varied, and I like the additional incentive of being able to eat more, I choose "sedentary plus logged exercise", but I recognize that "active plus no logged exercise" accomplishes the same results, and if that's what works for you then that's what you should do.

secretlobster

Except it asks you both activity level AND how often you plan on excerising

If you input a goal for calories burned per week, please note that this is NOT factored into your daily calorie allocation. It's just a personal benchmark.

Hendrix7

"Why you should research your TDEE/BMR and do whatever makes sense for you personally"

lol this.

aplusgeek

And to answer the "sedentary" questions, change it from sedentary to what closer resembles your workout routine. If you choose sedentary and then eat extra only on days you workout, you would still be priming your body for fat storage mode.

Let's say you are eating 1200 on non workout days (as an example only), and then eating 2200 calories on workout days. The message your body is getting is that on non-workout days you are starving and should store fat and cut energy expenditure. I'm sure that you can argue that this approach has worked for 2 weeks, but your body will very quickly adapt and you will start struggling and weight will start going up.