WHY DO PEOPLE EAT BACK THEIR EXERCISE CALS?!

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Replies

  • rextcat
    rextcat Posts: 1,408 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?
    if your 3" and under sure:laugh:
  • cynthiaj777
    cynthiaj777 Posts: 787 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.

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

    The scariest part about this is his profile says "ISSA Certified Personal Trainer"....... Yikes. :noway:

    As a person who has spent the last few years working in gyms I know some great trainers and I know some crap trainers . . . you can usually tell which one is which within the first conversation.

    How? SO I can spot them!
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 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.
    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/

    Could you post a link to the actual study mentioned. From my reading of this, it is actually saying you will have muscle loss only (no fat loss) at 6% BF. It does not use a reliable BF measurement and does not indicate how much BF% v LBM was lost by the different BF% categories above the 6% category. In other words it does not negate the very well known and completely sound explanation noted in the post above that when people lose weigh they absolutely do lose LBM.
  • cynthiaj777
    cynthiaj777 Posts: 787 Member
    Then don't eat them back, then. I eat most of mine back, and I'm healthy and fit, under 20% body fat (female). My Fitness Pal already creates the weight-loss deficit for you, so if you're in the green, you're in the green.

    Do what you want based on what you read here, but over time your body will learn to adjust to restriction and then you will never be able to eat again, ha ha.

    Right. I eat 2000+ calories a day. I am 18.6% fat.....as a female. Do whatever YOU want.....:yawn:
  • 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)
    I'm 6ft and you weigh more than me? Sorry, but judging by your profile pic I call BS.

    Ill post a pic of the scale just for you :)
  • Stac2004
    Stac2004 Posts: 88 Member
    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.)

    I love this! Thanks!!!!!

    IMG_3265.jpg

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

    five-years-later.jpg

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

    IMG_4850.jpg

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/494091-i-just-don-t-care-anymore
  • ILoveTheBrowns
    ILoveTheBrowns Posts: 661 Member
    If you don`t want to follow MFP then why be here?



    track food intake
  • thoeting
    thoeting Posts: 89 Member
    [/quote]
    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).
    [/quote]

    I will disagree with you. In front of me is my weight loss spreadsheet for the last year. In which, I lost 75.6 pounds of fat and gained 2.8 pounds of muscle.

    Yes, people normally DO lose muscle, but that is because they don't work out and they don't fuel the machine properly. My diary is open, feel free to look. I eat back my exercise, and I lose weight.

    All the proof I need.
  • thoeting
    thoeting Posts: 89 Member
    damn....just damn...
  • OkobojiMomma
    OkobojiMomma Posts: 18
    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?
  • rogerheffington
    rogerheffington Posts: 9
    The man is right. Don't eat unless your hungry. Also, it's OK to go low on food "occasionally". You just don't want to make a habit of it. Long term is bad-occasional good. fact is, everybody is different. The rules that have been set up are "guidelines" that cover the majority of people. Just make sure you're getting your essential vitamins/minerals, stay hydrated, and go for it. After all, there are millions of people in the world that fast on a routine basis and they seem to be fine...
  • kducky22
    kducky22 Posts: 276 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.
    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

    WOW that is a great graph! very educational!
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member


    I will disagree with you. In front of me is my weight loss spreadsheet for the last year. In which, I lost 75.6 pounds of fat and gained 2.8 pounds of muscle.

    Yes, people normally DO lose muscle, but that is because they don't work out and they don't fuel the machine properly. My diary is open, feel free to look. I eat back my exercise, and I lose weight.

    All the proof I need.


    actually it depends more on how you were before you stared losing weight. people who never lifted or worked out can build some muscle. people who have will lose. i was in the latter group (i've always weight lifted since i was a teen) and even though i still followed a strength training program, i lost muscle mass. mainly because the amount I had to begin with my body couldnt support it any longer since i wasnt eating maintenance.
  • EllieNewOrleans
    EllieNewOrleans Posts: 16
    bump
  • randomnennie
    randomnennie Posts: 84 Member
    my two cents :)

    i typically eat about half of my burned calories back.

    lost 24 pounds in four months.

    it's also about the QUALITY of the food. 400 calories in fatty foods is a lot different that 400 calories in veggies or fruit.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    Because the research says that healthy diet and a calorie deficit cause healthy weight loss. Exercise keeps you healthy in lots of ways, MAINTAINS weight loss, and makes you look fantastic and toned. But it ain't gonna make you thin unless you do the calorie deficit.

    1200 (what you said they recommended) - 600 calories is too little to maintain. Research also suggests it will not help you lose faster than eating 1200 because of how your body compensates for excessively low net calories.
  • meli_medina
    meli_medina Posts: 594 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)

    I'm 5'5", 150 pounds... my doctor says anything 130lbs - 155lbs is within a healthy range. Doctors typically go by BMI for weight range. I can assure you that I have a lower BFP now at 150lbs than I did in college at 139lbs, and my BMI was lower then.

    Go by what YOU feel is healthy. Also, do not shoot for 2lbs loss at that weight. At 180lbs, I was eating 1500-1800 calories per day, working out everyday, burning about 200-400 calories, and losing quickly. The problem I ran into was when I got into the 150s, my body freaked out and I've been on a 5lb roller coaster ever since.

    And honestly, a longer, slower loss is healthier. Your body (aka skin) will adjust better and you will find yourself feeling less deprived as time passes.

    And I eat 1800-2000 calories per day... if I exercise, you better bet I am going to eat more, depending on my burn!

    I am not obese, but I get b!tchy when I'm HUNGRY! lol
  • icesk8ermom
    icesk8ermom Posts: 82 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.



    One would think I would weigh nothing and look great right???

    ......Wrong not only did I gain weight (yes I said GAIN) but I lost all.....ALL of my muscle mass in my toned and very strong legs. And it showed on the soccer field. I could hardly kick the ball any more. I used to be able to kick the ball 40+ yards easily. Now I could hardly do 10-15 yards. I began to get injured quite regularly, bad painful injuries too. I didn't realize how bad I was or connect the dots until I went to physical therapy. They did basic strength tests in my legs (resistant tests) to see how much I needed to build and where to set the weights for training etc.

    I was completely embarrassed to say I had played soccer for 35 years!!!

    So yes, by eating below 1200 calories, will not only make you gain weight but make you lose muscle.

    I have slowly begun to drop my weight. Because I am building my muscle mass back I am not seeing a huge drop on the scale; however, in 2 weeks (from the time I measured) I have already seen a 1.5” drop in my thigh and waist measurements.

    The hardest thing for people (myself included) is to recognize the difference between losing weight and looking skinner. Just because you lose weight may not make you look and skinner or better. You need to eat right exercise and lifts some weights to look skinner (or toned). Sometimes as someone posted above you can actually weigh more or the same and look a million times better!

    So yes you need to eat your exercise calories back or you will lose muscle mass and could actually gain weight which defeats the purpose.

    ~Good luck….if you do things right you can achieve a better looking you!
  • GaryRussell123456
    GaryRussell123456 Posts: 87 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)
    I'm 6ft and you weigh more than me? Sorry, but judging by your profile pic I call BS.

    Ill post a pic of the scale just for you :)
    No seriously where are you carrying it? I'm not talking a little more than me, it's 19 lbs.
  • planettea
    planettea Posts: 3
    For people like me who weigh far more. At a 1000 calories a day(2 pounds a week) deficit I still come out to 1570 calories. Thats a safe amount for me, and for others who start off weighing far more.
  • isis2triple0
    isis2triple0 Posts: 106 Member
    THERE IS NO NEED TO SHOUT!!!!???!

    Because MFP already includes a calorie deficit based on you being sedentary.
    Simples.

    That being said, I burn about 500cal a day running and I only eat about half of that back because I'm just not that hungry. But that means I can afford to go over a little on "hungry" days during the week.

    And that's it in a nutshell!!
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    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).
    I will disagree with you. In front of me is my weight loss spreadsheet for the last year. In which, I lost 75.6 pounds of fat and gained 2.8 pounds of muscle.

    Yes, people normally DO lose muscle, but that is because they don't work out and they don't fuel the machine properly. My diary is open, feel free to look. I eat back my exercise, and I lose weight.

    All the proof I need.
    How exactly did you determine those numbers? It's extremely unlikely, but I suppose it could be possible over the course of a year with calorie cycling and/or preservation of newbie gains. More likely, your 2.8 lbs of muscle gain are within the margin of error for your methods of calculating BF% and LBM. Please don't take the information I post as a personal attack- its not personal, it's just information. If your methods are working for you, keep with it! Your weight loss is impressive. But an n=1 example isn't proof that basic physiology is wrong.
  • cynthiaj777
    cynthiaj777 Posts: 787 Member
    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?

    Wow....you net 0 calories? Wow....:noway:

    I would be beating people up if I was getting absolutely no fuel to my body. Not to mention, I'd be sleeping under my desk because I'd have absolutely no energy. Wow. Net 0.
  • mermx
    mermx Posts: 976
    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?
  • girlinnashville
    girlinnashville Posts: 4
    Here's typical weight loss, per my exercise physiology textbook.
    percentweightloss.jpg


    Thank you for posting this chart!
  • dibdobw
    dibdobw Posts: 89 Member
    Surely if you are losing weight with eating back, then thats up to the individual?
  • rogerheffington
    rogerheffington Posts: 9
    No, I see that as being possible. I weigh 184 and there are guys my same height/frame that weigh much less, yet look about the same as me...
  • rogerheffington
    rogerheffington Posts: 9
    Seriously? Awesome. That explains some thing for me...
  • zumbaklutz
    zumbaklutz Posts: 4
    ok - now i understand! now - HOW did you get rid of back fat?? i feel like i have a baby koala clinging to me.
  • devil_in_a_blue_dress
    devil_in_a_blue_dress Posts: 5,214 Member
    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.

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