WHY DO PEOPLE EAT BACK THEIR EXERCISE CALS?!

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Replies

  • Cherryblosm3
    Cherryblosm3 Posts: 106 Member
    You look great...just curious - how tall are you?

    Im 5'5, 187 lbs.
    Im supposed to be 140lbs MAX (according to my doctor)
  • Caiii
    Caiii Posts: 27
    Because MFP already creates a deficit for you. You technically don't need to exercise to lose weight. But you do need to fuel your body and not create a too large deficit that can be harmful and dangerous.

    AMEN!
  • cynthiaj777
    cynthiaj777 Posts: 787 Member
    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.

    this

    That would be the level for men. Not women. :huh:
  • LokiOfAsgard
    LokiOfAsgard Posts: 378 Member
    Because they want you to net at least 1200 calories. Meaning if you eat 1200 and no exercise then that's fine. But if you exercise and burn 600 calories then they say your only having 600 calories that day for food intake and that's to low. Whatever I don't eat mine back unless I'm hungry.

    At least that's what I get from all the other posts about this subject

    Finally! That right there makes sense to me!
  • Elen_Sia
    Elen_Sia Posts: 638 Member
    I eat most of mine back because I love food. Nom nom nom.
  • larosita57
    larosita57 Posts: 60 Member
    I'm training for my fifth marathon - I need to lose some of my middle age flab and started reducing my calories w/the help of MFP. Now that I'm up to 18 mile runs, I really see the bad effects of not eating back your calories. Running without enough fuel sucks and is exhausting. I ran 16 miles last Sunday and ate back a good amount of that large amount of calories I burned - I feel OK with it b/c otherwise, I am going to be weak and unable to run well...
  • NoxDineen
    NoxDineen Posts: 497 Member
    LOL right? I eat every single calorie back. "obese" at 118 pounds?
    Same here. :)

    I'm curious to see a poll of whether people eat exercise calories back or not and that person's weight.

    I'd be willing to be more people at or near their goal weight, or those getting their at a solid pace, eat back the calories because they have a better idea of their metabolic needs than people who wonder why they're stalled out netting 500 calories a day.
  • KettleBellHoe
    KettleBellHoe Posts: 161
    .
  • jennaworksout
    jennaworksout Posts: 1,739 Member
    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?


    yes I eat mine back at 118 pounds ...not obese here.....nothing wrong with that, to me 1200 is too little for anyone, if I dont exercise one day, i might go over by 100 or200 at most, I watch carefully....
  • aweigh2go
    aweigh2go Posts: 164 Member
    Think of your body as a car.

    It takes 5 gallons of fuel to drive from point A to point B. This 5 gallons of fuel is the equivalent of your daily calorie goal based on losing 1-2 lbs per week.

    Now once you are at point B, you decide you want to venture on to point C (i.e. you work out). You need additional fuel to make it to point C because the 5 gallons to get from A to B is used up. So you have to add more fuel based on how much further you have to drive (i.e. eat back your exercise calories).
  • letsfindout
    letsfindout Posts: 1
    This was an incredible visual example of everything I was thinking. I'm currently at 145, and the 145 I am at now is far more attractive than the 145 I was at on the way up. Very well done on both the breakdown and the figure, miss!
  • jenluvsushi
    jenluvsushi Posts: 933 Member
    Some of us don't want to lose weight, some people want to get strong...hence MyFITNESSPal and not MyWEIGHTLOSSPal. One of the benefits of exercise for me is that I get to eat more food and I can try and build some muscle.

    LOVE!!!!
  • KettleBellHoe
    KettleBellHoe Posts: 161
    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 don't know what your talking about,when you lose weight you don't lose pure fat or everyone would just not eat and be super lean and muscular. You lose water ,fat and muscle anytime you lose weight-do some research.
  • guppy1697
    guppy1697 Posts: 148 Member
    I don't get it either I do cardio twice a day and don't eat all the calories back.Is that like a Paris Hilton diet minus the cocaine?I'm gonna start eating more ..I guess

    Love the Paris Hilton reference, that crazy cokehead haha
  • APearl17
    APearl17 Posts: 1
    if you're eating under 1200 calories a day, including your exercise calories then your body could go into starvation mode, essentially slowing your metabolism. If you are trying to lose vanity weight -- 10 or fewer pounds generally -- then you want to make sure you don't put your body into starvation mode because you won't lose anything.
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    You look great...just curious - how tall are you?

    Im 5'5, 187 lbs.
    Im supposed to be 140lbs MAX (according to my doctor)


    Going by the info provided:


    BMR 1622
    TDEE 2514

    Perfect weight 132.2lbs

    Eating 2k cals a day will net you 1lb lost per week with 10lbs gone in 10 weeks time.

    Protein and fat 30% each and whammo!
    Fat loss machine!

    PS: if you use this method you dont eat back calories.
    I included them in the variables.

    Cutting cals to 1759 nets 1.51lbs lost per week though the hit on LBM is much greater than at 2k a day.
    1759 cals is not recommended.
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
    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.

    this

    If you believe this you need to go back and do a little research. All weight loss includes the reduction of lean mass along with fat, and the greater the caloric deficit the more lean mass % is included in those pounds loss. You can decrease the % rate at which you lose lean mass through strength training, but strength training along with a conservative deficit is the most efficient way to preserve lean mass, thereby making greater gains with overall bf% increases while still losing weight.
  • ickybella
    ickybella Posts: 1,438 Member
    BECAUSE EXERCISE CALORIES TASTE BETTER THAN NON-EXERCISE CALORIES!!!!1!!1111!1!

    Or maybe it's because, if you eat that sweet little 1200, then go and run for several hours because you ate 1/17th a chocolate chip cookie last Tuesday, you now have an enormous calorie deficit and it just makes sense to eat some of those calories back so that your body at least has enough energy for its normal stuff, you know, like surviving.
  • start121
    start121 Posts: 38 Member
    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.

    I'm not sure about that - I've way more than 6% body fat and because I've not been eating enough protein while training I've been losing muscle mass!

    Also, you have to remember your BMR is based on what your body needs if it was lying in a coma (for examply) and doesn't include the extra energy you use when you are carrying out everyday activities. you are automatically in a deficit if you only eat your BMR and do nothing other than everyday activities.

    But ultimately you have to find a balance that works for you :-)
  • Shange_Gully
    Shange_Gully Posts: 106
    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.
    That's absurd. Everyone on a deficit loses some muscle- the goal is to preserve it as much as possible. It's impossible to lose 100% fat. I think you're confusing losing muscle with starvation (not starvation mode, true starvation).
    Here's typical weight loss, per my exercise physiology textbook.
    percentweightloss.jpg
    Check this
    http://fitnessblackbook.com/main/starvation-mode-why-you-probably-never-need-to-worry-about-it/
  • trybefan
    trybefan Posts: 488 Member
    Because they are hungry/want to/can/lose weight
  • wewon
    wewon Posts: 838 Member
    I don't eat back my exercise calories.

    I set my calories at the maintenance level and everything that I do and eat (or don't eat) let's me see the deficit.
  • Brandicaloriecountess
    Brandicaloriecountess Posts: 2,126 Member
    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?

    Holy wow, you look great, for being obese and all :)
  • angelalf1979
    angelalf1979 Posts: 244 Member
    Because there should already be a calorie deficit with your food intake! Deficit=loss anyway. Don't eat back your calories=BIGGER deficit which could be too low. Eat back your calories or your metabolism could slow down.
  • onikonor
    onikonor Posts: 473 Member
    You look great...just curious - how tall are you?

    Im 5'5, 187 lbs.
    Im supposed to be 140lbs MAX (according to my doctor)

    Sedentary (no exercise) maintenance calories per day ~ 1900X7days = 13,300/week
    Eating 1,200X7=8,400 calories/week
    Deficit -4,900 calories/week = 1.5 lb lost

    If you do exercise as you say for an hour several times a week and burn 10cal /min which is considered HEAVY exercise, I can guarantee you and you will be exhausted and won't have energy. So if you eat back all your exercise calories + 1200 calories per day you will lose 1.5 lb a week. You body will also look a lot better if you exercise and eat properly.

    Hope this helps.
  • slkehl
    slkehl Posts: 3,801 Member
    Well, the deficit is already programmed in to your calorie goal. I'll exercise so I can eat past that. Then I can eat more how I want. Like having a healthy snack at night or whatever. Just helps me feel less deprived.

    I'm still losing weight, and to be honest, it's not worth it to me not to eat back those cals to lose it a little faster. I just feel better when I fuel my body. And I exercise more for endorphins and muscle development than to lose weight anyway.
  • missallenxox
    missallenxox Posts: 175 Member
    Because when I workout, im hurting, and i know my muscles need atleast a little more protein and calories to recovery. But I eat good lean foods, not a bag of chips
  • chrisyoung0422
    chrisyoung0422 Posts: 426 Member
    I forgot to mention how flammable a topic like this can be. With so many people on both sides the mutha funkin' trolls will come out! :explode:
  • ILoveTheBrowns
    ILoveTheBrowns Posts: 661 Member
    i never ate back any excercise calories....everytime i tried it i wouldnt lose


    aaronbefore123.jpg
    aaronafter3.jpg
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    I eat mine back because food is good and it's FUEL for my workouts! And because I don't want to net below my BMR. Not sure if this link has been posted, but I did see that Dan posted in here - but go read his topic: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    Great info - read it, wrap your head around it, and enjoy healthy fat loss without stressing your body or going hungry! :smile: I net around 1800 calories a day and I'm losing the fat and feeling great!

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