Eating back your calories

lauraleeearle

I am new to counting calories so could someone please explain. I am currently eating 1200 calories a day. Sometimes I go over, but within that range. I am exercising and burning 1000 calories a day. This creates a calories deficit so that I will lose weight. However, after reading posts on this site, many people are saying that eating back the calories you burn is the best way to lose weight. Will my method not work? Any ideas? I'm a little confused about the point of working out if you are only going to put those calories back into your body.

jzaz903

The 1200 is already a deficit. You don't need any more of one.
Eat them. Most of them, at least.

megsmom2

Do what you're saying is you're trying to function on 200 calories a day. This is unsustainable and possibly dangerous...and will simply lead to making it even harder to lose. Please read the threads about this issue. And please... fuel your body...its the only one you have.

Unknown

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BigRich822

Never Never Never eat back calories. Only if you want to maintain your current body weight and physique. I have never done it.

jzaz903

Never Never Never eat back calories. Only if you want to maintain your current body weight and physique. I have never done it.

Except that shes talking about eating them back to maintain a deficit. She could (and should, if the burn numbers are from a HRM and accurate) eat all of them back and still lose weight. If she was eating at maintenence and then creating a deficit through exercise, then no, she should not eat them back.

bathsheba_c

Never Never Never eat back calories. Only if you want to maintain your current body weight and physique. I have never done it.

That's a nice theory if you are only burning 200 calories a day from exercise. As someone who burns 500-750 calories a day on average, I prefer to eat above my BMR and to not go around ravenously hungry, but maybe that's just me.

47Jacqueline

I am working up to eating back all my calories. If you sett up your profile right, MFP has calculated your resting heart deficit. Any extra calories burned should be used as extra food.

Whitezombiegirl

In my humble oppinion I would never eat unless I was hungry (emotional eating aside). If you exercise and become hungry, have something small, if you are still genuinely hungry have another small thing. If you are not hungry- then don't force yourself to eat.