Why you shouldn't eat back excercise calories.
Replies
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"Why you should research your TDEE/BMR and do whatever makes sense for you personally"
lol this.
Yep. My weight loss stalled after 10lbs, after researching my TDEE/BMR I started eating MORE the weight loss picked up again. I found my happy place and will adjust as needed, but 1lbs+ lost a week is fine by me.0 -
My confusion comes when exercise does become a daily activity, and part of the routine, then what? Do you change your activity level or are you still considered sedetary? Also, if a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to hear it... does it make a sound? Where does the white go when the snow melts?
This gets me too.0 -
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.
For those who want to build lean strong muscle, I say eat them back after working out and then once you gain the desired amount if muscle, then you can concentrate on losing the fat over the new muscle. I know they suggest HIIT style routines to burn fat and build muscle at the same time, but I did this and lost muscle mass and gained more fat instead. I lost my lean body and definition. My body is even flabbier than before. I was doing Bodyrock and I think I over trained as well. Not good. So for someone like me, I might be safer building muscle first and then lose the layering off fat once I rebuild my lost muscles.0 -
Hi, I have lost almost 2 stone eating back my exercise calories. I have programmed it to know that I exercise 3 times a week. After what you said, I took the exercise out of my goals to see how it changed my calorie intake. Not the slightest difference. Therefore, I will continue to eat back my exercise calories. I have lost weight nicely on that method.0
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right on!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
A. Try logic...the program has no idea how many calories you burn just because you say you are going to work out x many times a week.... my wife's 15 minutes of stretching will come nowhere near what i burn with strength training.
B. Try math... Start with the premise... you need 1200 calories to maintain normal cognitive and body functions. Then add factors of age, weight, and daily activity levels. You now have MFP's unseen estimate of how many calories you burn. (This DOES NOT include exercise because of reasons stated under "Logic"). Now based on your weekly goal of how many pounds you want to lose, MFP subtracts the caloric deficit you need to achieve that. If you excercise, you will need additional calories to offset the energy(aka calories) burnt during excercise so that you willl not be cutting into those 1200 calories we talked about earlier...
C. [politely]
Please.... If you dont know what you are talking about... dont. You are going to discourage sincere people who are trying by telling them something ignorant like" go get a protein shake."
Have a great day:)0 -
Exactly. It's not hard or confusing at all if you follow what MFP sets up for you. It only gets confusing when people needlessly complicate things.
^This. I never thought this was confusing to begin with and then I started visiting the forums to discover most people over-complicate it.0 -
Popcorn....
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I'm not really going to argue with anyone here, if you are seeing success there's no reason to change what you're doing.
What I wrote still applies, it may not apply if you work out once or twice a week but if you choose a lifestyle other than sedentary it applies. And you will be more successful.
I'm not bashing mfp, so there is no reason to bash me. Mfp is a great tool for logging, and will aid people with their weight loss.
Peace out.0 -
It's quite simple really. Burn more calories than you consume and you'll lose weight. I don't know where the confusion is.
Burn how many more?
How many more is no longer realistic and will backfire?
The consume is halfway easy with MFP being great at food logging.
How do you know how many you burned?
Confusion is simply expected with half your equation full of unknowns and uneducated guesses many times.0 -
well I kinda disagree for me because in 1.5 months I have lost about 20 lbs. MFP says I should consume 1840 calories, I have manually set that to be 200 calories less so 1640. When I exercise I do not eat all my calories back, but I do eat some calories back. Since my activity level is set to sedentary I sit on my duff 9 hours a day at work, that is a fact, and any exercising I do is above and beyond what I normally do. So even though I am eating some fo the calories back I am still losing weight. I think it is a very personalized option.0
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right on!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
A. Try logic...the program has no idea how many calories you burn just because you say you are going to work out x many times a week.... my wife's 15 minutes of stretching will come nowhere near what i burn with strength training.
B. Try math... Start with the premise... you need 1200 calories to maintain normal cognitive and body functions. Then add factors of age, weight, and daily activity levels. You now have MFP's unseen estimate of how many calories you burn. (This DOES NOT include exercise because of reasons stated under "Logic"). Now based on your weekly goal of how many pounds you want to lose, MFP subtracts the caloric deficit you need to achieve that. If you excercise, you will need additional calories to offset the energy(aka calories) burnt during excercise so that you willl not be cutting into those 1200 calories we talked about earlier...
C. [politely] Please.... If you dont know what you are talking about... dont. You are going to discourage sincere people who are trying by telling them something ignorant like" go get a protein shake."
Have a great day:)
Had to respond to your last point. Getting people to have a protein shake after a work out is ignorant? I think you need to study medical and sport science literature because you are obviously ignorant of the benefits of a properly composed protein shake after a workout, when your body is primed for taking protein and fast absorbing nutrients. I think you should take your own advice.0 -
EAT ALL OF THE CALORIES ALL OF THE TIME!
failing to do so causes me to binge and that is worse than eating back exercise calories.
Feed dat body.0 -
I'm not really going to argue with anyone here, if you are seeing success there's no reason to change what you're doing.
What I wrote still applies, it may not apply if you work out once or twice a week but if you choose a lifestyle other than sedentary it applies. And you will be more successful.
I'm not bashing mfp, so there is no reason to bash me. Mfp is a great tool for logging, and will aid people with their weight loss.
Peace out.
Please look at the multipliers if you have any desire to educate yourself, because you are flat out wrong on being able to even select an activity level that includes exercise - UNLESS you workout infrequently, then you can get close.
Just the opposite of your statement.
Anyone working out 3 or more hours is tapped out on MFP levels and they don't go high enough.
Please don't go around ignorantly giving people false info when it's so easily in your power to know what you are talking about.0 -
It is so worth it. It is my best friend. I didn't wear it on vacation last week because I was around or in water most of the time and I was lonely without it!
I want a fit bit so bad! But the are so expensive!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!0 -
I'm not really going to argue with anyone here, if you are seeing success there's no reason to change what you're doing.
What I wrote still applies, it may not apply if you work out once or twice a week but if you choose a lifestyle other than sedentary it applies. And you will be more successful.
I'm not bashing mfp, so there is no reason to bash me. Mfp is a great tool for logging, and will aid people with their weight loss.
Peace out.
No, what you wrote doesn't apply if you follow the directions. What happens on days that you don't workout? Do you still eat the calories back? Because I would then say that you automatically going over on your calories on a "Normal" day. Which is kind of build into your logic.0 -
If I did not eat back mine I'd be trying to fuel my healthy, active, 35 year old body with only 760 calories for the day. Not going to happen.0
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I too am sedetary and already get 1500 calories a day without adding back the exercise calories. I typically burn 600-700 each day at the gym and could not imagine eating 2100+ calories a day. I've lost my 32lbs not eating them back.0
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Here's why you don't have to put gas in your car after your first fill up:
You'll spend less money if you don't ever put more gas in the tank.
Of course, you'll be walking because said car will be dead and can't work without REFUELING properly, but hey... you didn't waste your time and/or money on more gas, right?0 -
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.
The rule is that ANYONE that has a desk job (versus say a factory job where you are on your feet 8/9 hrs/day) is considered sedentary. Even those that workout EVERY day.0 -
Why is this such a tricky thing to grasp?!
As long as you're using MFP you have to eat your calories back!0 -
I will be sure to never post my opinion about this matter, ever!! Wow!!0
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I use my extra as a safety net essentially. When I am training (I do races and triathlons), my body needs extra essentials..protein, carbs, calories to recover and stay injury free.
If I stick only to my 1200 calorie goal and burn 600-1200 calories a day, my body will not recover quickly and it will impair my training the next 2-3 days.
As long as you are smart about your calories you are using---keep foods clean, pure and healthy---I say we need some extra!
Depriving your body of the recovery tools it needs post workout is a recipe for injury, fatigue and dehydration.
JUST EAT SMART!--no diet or diet food will do what pure eating does for you!! 0 -
I agree with what you just said about the protein. What my comment is referring to is the idea that if they are sapped they should hold back calories for a protein shake and all will be well. Ex.- I have a Nitrean+ protein shake after my workouts, however, even with a cup of 1% milk that is only 210 calories... not nearly enough for someone who may have burned 500 or more calories. And please understand I am not saying YOU are ignorant, I tried very hard to be civil in my post (as I belive your response was civil.)
right on!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
A. Try logic...the program has no idea how many calories you burn just because you say you are going to work out x many times a week.... my wife's 15 minutes of stretching will come nowhere near what i burn with strength training.
B. Try math... Start with the premise... you need 1200 calories to maintain normal cognitive and body functions. Then add factors of age, weight, and daily activity levels. You now have MFP's unseen estimate of how many calories you burn. (This DOES NOT include exercise because of reasons stated under "Logic"). Now based on your weekly goal of how many pounds you want to lose, MFP subtracts the caloric deficit you need to achieve that. If you excercise, you will need additional calories to offset the energy(aka calories) burnt during excercise so that you willl not be cutting into those 1200 calories we talked about earlier...
C. [politely] Please.... If you dont know what you are talking about... dont. You are going to discourage sincere people who are trying by telling them something ignorant like" go get a protein shake."
Have a great day:)
Had to respond to your last point. Getting people to have a protein shake after a work out is ignorant? I think you need to study medical and sport science literature because you are obviously ignorant of the benefits of a properly composed protein shake after a workout, when your body is primed for taking protein and fast absorbing nutrients. I think you should take your own advice.
Thx 0 -
ABSURD!
MFP is set up for those plugged into this system to eat back exercise calories.
If you want to go set up your own system and website, be my guest.:laugh: :laugh:
Here is how MFP is set up.
MFP suggests a daily net calorie intake to result in 1 lb of weight loss per week.
1 pound equals 3500 calories.
3500 divided by 7 days equals 500 calories per day. Our MFP daily number already has that 500 calories subtracted.
When we exercise, that green number goes up, because MFP expects us to eat back your exercise calories to keep your net daily calorie intake steady; that's how MFP works. Read this to learn more.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/23912-links-in-mfp-you-want-to-read-again-and-again
And This:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo
Just follow the MFP recommendations for healthy, steady and lasting results.
And if you are on some other program, do whatever.
I suspect most who go their own way will die fat.
Do what works and what's fun.
You are my friend and hero. :flowerforyou:0 -
People need to read the MFP directions before waxing eloquent like professor Plumb.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.
Exactly. It's not hard or confusing at all if you follow what MFP sets up for you. It only gets confusing when people needlessly complicate things.0 -
I want a fit bit so bad! But the are so expensive!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!
Try Amazon.com............I got mine there a lot cheaper. And it came really fast. Well worth the money.0 -
Finilly someone with a version I can understand...Thanks!0
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The rule is that ANYONE that has a desk job (versus say a factory job where you are on your feet 8/9 hrs/day) is considered sedentary. Even those that workout EVERY day.
This is quite true. Unless you are spending a significant amount of your typical day on your feet (at least several hours), you are sedentary. One hour of exercise a day, even if it's every single day, doesn't change that fact. Your 1 hour of exercise is still but 1/24th of your day. A lot of people overestimate their activity level. This is exactly the reason why I am "sedentary", set a calorie deficit from my sedentary TDEE, and eat my exercise calories back.0 -
if you don't eat back your calories you are just putting yourself in an even larger calorie deficit which is COUNTER productive
come on people, stop and think about this stuff for a minute0 -
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.
^Agree....
Mine is set to 1350, so if i don't workout I eat 1350 or there abouts...if I burn 500 calories, yes I eat most back....because then my net calorie intake would be VERY low if I didn't. People need to pay attention to the NET calories they consume that is the important number.0
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