WHY DO PEOPLE EAT BACK THEIR EXERCISE CALS?!

pastryari

Im VERY new to this site, and weightloss... I dont understand all of what you guys are saying but now im concerned... I need to lose 44 more pounds.... I eat around 1200 calories a day but most days I burn about 1200 calories... but I never eat more tha 1200 calories... I dont want to starve my body... Should I really be eating more?

You should be NETTING 1200 cals. You're netting 0. That is NOT healthy. Please, please eat more.

mermx

Why do people give a crap what other people do?

There is a deficit built into your calorie intake if you are sent to any of the losing settings - if people want to eat their workout calories back and lose at a slower rate, that really isn't your concern.

If people didn`t give a crap about what other people do then they would not post a question?

So they make it other people`s concern when they ask for information or advice :-)

FITnFIRM4LIFE

I drink mine in a long stemmed glass. :drinker:

I do it because I prefer to exercise and have wine than to not exercise and not have wine.

dITTO

Kenzietea2

If you want to lose weight, keep it off, and lose majority fat instead of muscle, have an easier time breaking plateau's and a lower chance of hitting them, it's probably a much smarter idea to eat back your exercise calories. Most of the people who look really, really good on here (not 'skinny fat') eat back their calories from exercise, or at least most of the calories they burn. Also, 2lbs a week for someone who doesn't have as much to lose is the absolute MAX that is considered 'healthy and manageable'. If I were you, I'd set my sights on a 1 lb a week loss, or 4-5 lbs a month. I'd much, MUCH rather lose slowly but change my body and look amazing at the end, than go for a quick loss, losing a bunch of muscle and end up looking 'skinny fat'. People have already explained the science behind it all for you, but this is just my 2 cents On a completely unrelated note, this makes it much easier to be able to ENJOY food!

PaleoRDH

I don't eat them back. Ever. I don't even get to the top of the recommended calories unless I'm having a date night out or something. I don't eat breads or dairy or refined sugars though. Meat, veggies and fruits...... and occasionally nuts...... and a little fat every day. (And I feel fabulous!).... do what you know is best for you.

StevenDial

Eat more people, I am so mad at myself for wasting 70+ days not eating enough and therefore not losing anything for the last 60 days. I just got a bodymedia and was floored that I burn 3500+ on a typical day and was only eating 1200. You don’t need to spend the money on a bodymedia, all the numbers from http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ were quite accurate for me. Here is to eating more, feeling better, and getting to my goal weight

geonbaeLeilee

Obese people feel better knowing they can eat more after they workout and as long as they're still in a caloric deficit it works but it just makes people feel better about eating more for the most part.

Seriously? *SMH*

nxd10

http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/

Use the Military Body Fat Calculator to get your body fat %.
Then use the BMR calculator.
It will give you a chart. Pick your activity level, eat that amount of calories and don't eat back your exercise calories.

I just looked at that and it is insane. I'm at a healthy BMI and used to be a dancer so know how much I should weight when I am lean and muscular at this height.

According to that calculator, at the HIGHEST end of healthy fat percentage, I'd have a BMI of 19. That is, indeed, what I weighed when I was dancing 4-6 hours a day six days a week. But it sure wasn't the high end of healthy - it was skinny - even my dance instructors told me so.

LorinaLynn

ok - now i understand! now - HOW did you get rid of back fat?? i feel like i have a baby koala clinging to me.

Are you asking me?

Appropriate calorie deficit for the amount of weight to lose, adequate protein, exercise calories, and regular exercise. For me that meant an average of 1800-2200 calories total (after adding the exercise calories), minimum of 100g of protein daily, with running and strength training (heavy lifting) for exercise.

I've been maintaining my weight loss (more or less... I've gained a few pounds, but stayed the same size or gotten smaller) for over a year.

This is the ONLY time a weight loss plan has worked for me. Every other time, I got disgusted, frustrated and quit before reaching my goal, and in retrospect, that's because I was doing it all wrong. I didn't have the energy to keep going because I wasn't properly nourished.

This? This is something I can see myself doing the rest of my life. There's nothing to quit. I'm eating normally, and have from the get-go.

IrishHarpy1

Because those exercise calories can be pretty darned tasty, that's why! :bigsmile:

Do I always eat them back? Sometimes... and sometimes I don't.... sometimes I only eat half of them.... and occasionally I plan a big workout so I can go out and enjoy that bacon cheeseburger with a side of fries and still meet all my macros for the day.

It's all up to personal preference, and it seems to be working just fine for me.

TyFit08

I never heard any talk about net calories or eating back exercise calories until I joined MFP. While it does work for some folks, I will remain skeptical because I don't work out to eat more, I work out to get fit. I have been trying to train myself to eat when I'm hungry and not because there is food to eat. I have been eating between 1200-1300 calories a day. I am 5'10, 189lbs so yes I know that is below my BMR. But I have PCOS so BMR calculators aren't exactly accurate for women with PCOS. Actually I don't trust the accuracy of these online calculators period since I get a different result for every one I try. Speaking of calculators, unless you have a HRM how do you know how many calories you burned in the first place. Why risk going over and canceling out your workout.

One problem I do have with MFP is in the settings, for sedentary or lightly active etc. It asks you about you work activity not your workout activity. I work out 6 times a week, but as a freelancer some months I work everyday, some months I don't work at all. I switch from sedentary to lightly active based on my work schedule. Doesn't really make sense to me.

nxd10

Here's typical weight loss, per my exercise physiology textbook.

Thank you for posting this chart!

That's great!

LorinaLynn

Eat more people...

But what if I don't like Soylent Green?!

(Sorry, couldn't resist.)

ItsPheebs

Because MFP already figures in a reasonable to high calorie deficit when you choose your weight loss goals. If you are shooting to lose 2lbs/wk, and you don't eat back exercise calories, your deficit becomes higher than well established safe limits. You can only lose so much fat in a day, so pushing the boundaries means your additional weight loss beyond a reasonable deficit is going to come from your muscle mass. Not a good choice.

NOT TRUE, you won't start using muscle until your below 6% body fat.

NO way ^^ that is right. I lose muscle when I do too much cardio or if I eat and don't exercise, or even if I train too much without eating enough. I haven't been at 6% body fat since I was a fetus.

devil_in_a_blue_dress

Why do people give a crap what other people do?

There is a deficit built into your calorie intake if you are sent to any of the losing settings - if people want to eat their workout calories back and lose at a slower rate, that really isn't your concern.

If people didn`t give a crap about what other people do then they would not post a question?

So they make it other people`s concern when they ask for information or advice :-)

OP was being a bit judgmental and also acting like everyone is here to lose weight at the fastest rate possible and everyone doing it differently is somehow wrong. She "cares" in the wrong way.

She wasn't really asking advice - she was making assumptions and ranting without taking the time to really consider a 1.5-2 weekly weight loss isn't sustainable for most people, especially if they don't have a lot of weight to drop. OP also doesn't seem to understand that exercise isn't done solely to lose weight. Just like it isn't done solely to be able to eat more, or look better naked, or any one single thing.

alladream

I understand the net thing and keeping it under the goal amount, but I also know that some people eat back their calories the way they spend every dime they get...*shrug*. Some people can't accumulate deficits of calories, or savings of money, and some see the bigger picture of it and are able to work it out. I see them both like budgeting, and some people love to do it and some don't. I think that maybe also some people don't understand that exercise calories can be a little bit like a credit card, not really 'yours' to spend without consequences--some sites can be confusing to some people.

ILoveTheBrowns

If you don`t want to follow MFP then why be here?

track food intake

track food intake good answer! but if you track it and not follow the recommendations...why bother tracking? Why would you track calories etc?

its very simple mermaid....the only thing i track is how much food i eat......period.....i workout hard and if im still hungry some days ill eat a little more....if im not i wont....im not going to eat just to fuel my "machine"...eat 1900 cals a day now and work butt off 5 days a week in gym...why waste more time than needed tracking estimated numbers

StevenDial

:laugh:

Cherryblosm3

Why do people give a crap what other people do?

There is a deficit built into your calorie intake if you are sent to any of the losing settings - if people want to eat their workout calories back and lose at a slower rate, that really isn't your concern.

If people didn`t give a crap about what other people do then they would not post a question?

So they make it other people`s concern when they ask for information or advice :-)

OP was being a bit judgmental and also acting like everyone is here to lose weight at the fastest rate possible and everyone doing it differently is somehow wrong. She "cares" in the wrong way.

She wasn't really asking advice - she was making assumptions and ranting without taking the time to really consider a 1.5-2 weekly weight loss isn't sustainable for most people, especially if they don't have a lot of weight to drop. OP also doesn't seem to understand that exercise isn't done solely to lose weight. Just like it isn't done solely to be able to eat more, or look better naked, or any one single thing.

Thats what I was thinking? lol Thanks for clearing that up for me

NormalSaneFLGuy

Because MFP already figures in a reasonable to high calorie deficit when you choose your weight loss goals. If you are shooting to lose 2lbs/wk, and you don't eat back exercise calories, your deficit becomes higher than well established safe limits. You can only lose so much fat in a day, so pushing the boundaries means your additional weight loss beyond a reasonable deficit is going to come from your muscle mass. Not a good choice.

NOT TRUE, you won't start using muscle until your below 6% body fat.

NOT TRUE. You're an idiot.

I'd list why, but many have thankfully already done so.