Why you shouldn't eat back excercise calories.

brimarie95

I will be sure to never post my opinion about this matter, ever!! Wow!!

wilson1134

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!!

urfitnesspal2

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

right on!

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.

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.)

Thx

Lauren8239

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:

Bobby_Clerici

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.

People need to read the MFP directions before waxing eloquent like professor Plumb.

Lauren8239

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!

I want a fit bit so bad! But the are so expensive!

Try Amazon.com............I got mine there a lot cheaper. And it came really fast. Well worth the money.

Lala20112

Finilly someone with a version I can understand...Thanks!

secretlobster

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.

fhsjewfro

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 minute

JBott84

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.

EClutchey

Ditto!! :laugh:

Shannon2714

This is another one of those things that people want to think they are the end-all-be-all of information on a subject. Something like this is subjective and individual based on every single person. I eat back my exercise calories, and I have been losing between half a pound and a pound and a half every day. EVERYONE'S BODY IS DIFFERENT.

Katanthus

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.

Agreed. IF you selected your activity level when you set your account up...and ONLY selected your NON exercise activity level, then you need to eat back SOME of your exercise calories, or you will be running on empty. The body NEEDS fuel to function. The key, I think is setting the CORRECT non exercise activity level in MFP.

Crochetluvr

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.

Thank you for confirming something I already suspected.

Lala20112

Iam usully not mean,so Iam not going to break my record ) But telling people they are going to die fat!!! Iam glad Iam not your mfp!!

bethmillerwilson

I think the confusion comes in when people decide how active to make their profile. If you set it to light or sedentary, you eat back your calories. If you set it higher, you either do not eat them back or it's a crap shoot as to how much to eat back.

Bobby_Clerici

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.

When you come on MFP and preach another, less effective program, don't be surprised when somebody calls a spade a spade.
MFP has a system, and if anybody has something better, let's see it work for YOU first.
That might be a good start.
The fruit of anybody's philosophy is their results. SHOW ME THE FRUIT!
And then we'll talk about your superior health and fitness system.
We'll get rich!

NannersBalletLegs

Nevermind. Someone already answered my original question. Why can't you delete your own posts on here? Sheesh.

taso42

Unfortunately, you've misunderstood an important point. MFP, unlike basically any other calorie counting calculator, takes exercise out of the daily activity calculation (tries to anyway). Try it yourself, go compare the MFP numbers with what comes out of regular Harris-Benedict calculators. You'll find the MFP number comes in lower. And that's why, "exercise calories" should be "eaten back", assuming everything has been tracked accurately.

ETA: My activity level is set to "very active". I "eat back exercise calories". I lose weight consistently. Even though my job and home life is sedentary. Be careful with the sedentary setting. I don't think anyone should use it unless they are bedridden or in a coma.

devil_in_a_blue_dress

Just don't post it on a site using the exact opposite logic (logic that works for most of its successful users) and posture it as fact. Eh?