WHY DO PEOPLE EAT BACK THEIR EXERCISE CALS?!

AlsDonkBoxSquat

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.

Please look at my pictures, I am definitely not obese . . . this entire sentence is completely nonsensical.

littlejobo120

So since my BMR is like 1700 cal and i want to burn 2lbs a week, i need a defecit of 7000 cals a week (-1000 a day).

So, MFP sets my food at 1200 (-500 so far) and then i need to burn 500 more a day to meet that -7000 cal a week.

So why would I eat it back?!?

Your deficit should come from your TDEE, not your BMR. If your BMR is 1700, a sedentary TDEE is 2040, so your deficit at 1200 cals is actually 840 cals, not 500. And most people have higher TDEE's than truly sedentary.

How do I get my TDEE?

See this - there is a response from me that I wrote the other day and seems to have helped some people:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/692123-feedback-on-my-diary-please-please-please

Hope it helps.

tinytoyjess

I exercise because I want to eat. I reached my goal weight today.

Haven't been obese, or overweight, a day in my life.

chivalryder

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.

You really don't know how the human body works. If you put yourself into an extreme calorie deficit, your body will start to break down your muscle for energy BEFORE it starts breaking down fat. This is because it is easier to break down protein than it is to break down fat Your body will do the easiest thing possible, to obtain whatever it is trying to achieve.

HOWEVER, if you have a SMALL calorie deficit, then I will agree, it will burn fat first, because it doesn't need the energy as badly.

Brandicaloriecountess

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.

WTF? Obese people lol.

Brelynn

You look great...just curious - how tall are you?

moonfire628

I always eat my exercise calories back. Your body needs those calories to burn off the fat; technically you could not exercise at all and still lose 1 pound a week if you're eating 500 calories LESS than what your body needs to maintain weight safely and healthily. If you're only consuming 1200 calories (which honestly is too little for anybody, in my opinion) then burning 600, your body only has 600 calories to fuel its system and do what it needs to do, which means your body is going to hold on to the fat. Yes, you work hard to burn the calories, but you need to make sure you are giving your body enough energy to handle burning those calories off AND burning off the excess fat. If you exercise without putting at least half of those exercise calories back you're not going to lose effectively; sure the scale will go down but you'll be losing muscle instead of fat, and the goal is the opposite.

chrisyoung0422

Um, because I am freaking starving...

ShreddedTweet

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.

BS, I've never been obese, I've never even been classed as overweight. Your statement is utter bunkum.

Cameo530

Because MFP, unlike most calorie counting websites, doesn't include the exercise you SAY you'll do into your calorie goal. It doesn't matter if you say you're going to sit on your *kitten* 7 days a week, or run a marathon every day, MFP will give you the same base calories. Surely you understand that someone who exercises a lot needs more fuel than someone who doesn't?

When I just cut calories, when I believed that creating a large deficit was all it took to get the body I wanted, I lost weight, but too much of that weight was my lean body mass... my muscle. By "eating my exercise calories," I was able to maintain a moderate deficit, which allowed me to retain most of my lean mass and lose mostly body fat.

What that means in terms everyone can understand... The jeans on the bottom are the size 8 jeans I wore at 130 pounds about 5-6 years ago when I didn't eat enough, and the top pair is the size 5 jeans I'm wearing NOW, eating my exercise calories, at about 135-138 pounds. (Typically a 2 or 4 in misses.)


http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/494091-i-just-don-t-care-anymore

Your pictures and the link you gave are compelling proof of the difference between "thin" and "healthy"! Congratulations to you.

Brannock8

I exercise because I want to eat. I reached my goal weight today.

Haven't been obese, or overweight, a day in my life.

Haha agreed

"I don't always eat my excercise calories back, but when I do, I usually prefer beer"

Helloitsdan

OP judging by your profile pic you really dont have much to lose.
Possibly bits just a body composition issue.

Learn the importance of the relationship you have with food.
If you hate food and fear it because you think it makes you fat, youll most likely fail.
If you learn that eating the proper amount of nutrients every day and moving around every day youll give your body a reason not to store extra fat.

Dont give the body reasons to store fat.

k8blujay2

Because I am hungry and I want to be at 1500 calories aday... not 1200, not 1100, not 900... but 1500. Eating less is the way I lose weight... Exercising is the way I strengthen my body and rev up my metabolism... all of which requires energy.

Ivana331

I eat mine back because if I don't I am starving after dinnertime and end up eating more than I should. And it makes sense to me to fuel my body and not run on as little calories as possible. If I can eat more and still lose weight, I will happily do it!!

meshashesha2012

threads like his just end up coming off as people being pissed off that they have to force themselves to stay on a 1200 calorie diet to lose the same amount of weight others lose eating 500-700 calories more.


if you dont get it then fine. if it's not for you then then dont do. if your way is working for you, then why do you need someone else to explain to you their way?


also i just wanted to say that a certain amount of muscle that in loss when you eat at a deficit. there are ways to lessen that amount (ie weight lifting), but depending on how you start, a certain amount of lean body mass will be lost when you eat at a deficit for an extended amount of time. 10% of what i have lost has been muscle mass and i can assure you i neither cut a drastic calorie deficit, nor am i at 6% body fat and i lifted heavy weights

amunet07

You make a good statement with our pics etc.

Because MFP, unlike most calorie counting websites, doesn't include the exercise you SAY you'll do into your calorie goal. It doesn't matter if you say you're going to sit on your *kitten* 7 days a week, or run a marathon every day, MFP will give you the same base calories. Surely you understand that someone who exercises a lot needs more fuel than someone who doesn't?

When I just cut calories, when I believed that creating a large deficit was all it took to get the body I wanted, I lost weight, but too much of that weight was my lean body mass... my muscle. By "eating my exercise calories," I was able to maintain a moderate deficit, which allowed me to retain most of my lean mass and lose mostly body fat.

What that means in terms everyone can understand... The jeans on the bottom are the size 8 jeans I wore at 130 pounds about 5-6 years ago when I didn't eat enough, and the top pair is the size 5 jeans I'm wearing NOW, eating my exercise calories, at about 135-138 pounds. (Typically a 2 or 4 in misses.)



Here's me at about 130 pounds 5-6 years ago, and me at 133 pounds in February.



Then I still had a muffin top, back fat rolls, double chin, and cellulite out the wazzo. Now?



http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/494091-i-just-don-t-care-anymore

ToughTulip

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.

WTF? Obese people lol.

LOL right? I eat every single calorie back. "obese" at 118 pounds?

OhKelsey1

You're aiming for 1200 calories a day. If you eat 1200, and then burn off 600, you've only really eaten 600. What's...not making sense about this? :huh:

SmartAlec03211988

Because 80 lbs lost.

Eating them back clearly worked!

BiscuitsNDavy

Test and experiment with both. Cycle.