WHY DO PEOPLE EAT BACK THEIR EXERCISE CALS?!

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  • Cherryblosm3
    Cherryblosm3 Posts: 106 Member
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    I eat most of mine back because I love food. Nom nom nom.
  • larosita57
    larosita57 Posts: 60 Member
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    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
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    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
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  • jennaworksout
    jennaworksout Posts: 1,739 Member
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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/