Eating back your calories rant.

Poorgirls_Diet

After being disappointed with the last two months of hardly losing any weight/gaining weight I now know where the problem lies. A few months ago I put up a topic with regards to eating calories back, do you/don't you etc. I give reasons why it didn't seem to make sense working out and then having to eat them all back and although some of you were more than helpful and said they don't eat them back, there were others who were downright rude and nasty about it and throw in some rather sarcastic answers along with their views.

Before I start I eat around 1550 calories a day before exercise. Some days I would burn over 1000calories a day doing Tae bo.

So sticking to the advice that I received about eating back calories I decided to do that and for the past two months hardly any change was received par a 1/2 pound here or there.

So today I hired a personal trainer. He made me wear this heart monitor thing as well and off we went to work out. I did 35mins on Elliptical Trainer and the monitor read 520 calories. He told me that I didn't need to eat my calories back as weighing over 300lbs I should have enough fat restore in my body however he did add if I was hungry to eat half but he preferred me not to.

Out of a matter of interest I checked on here how many calories would I have burned and it came back with a figure of 730 calories for the same amount of time. 210 calories is allot to be out and explains how I haven't been able to lose any weight when I have been eating extra calories over and above. I guess that is why I am so angry that I was given sarcastic advice on here with regards to my eating habits and eating back my calories, fad diets and that if I didn't eat them back I was starving myself to death so all along adhering to their so called advice I have been sitting on the fence wondering why the heck was I not losing any weight?!

Now I seem to be questioned with regards to the burn I did today whether it is correct or not as it seems rather high. I don't need to prove anything to anyone on here, my results will speak for themselves next week, god willing.

In future I think if you want to give instructive advice please make sure you know what you are talking about before belittling someone's efforts. No doubt there will be a back lash from the same 'rude' people again on this thread but I am past caring what you think!

So to anyone else that has the same amount of weight to lose like me please do not eat all your calories back that is suggested on here otherwise you will either gain weight or won't lose it. Instead get yourself a heart rate monitor thing and go by that.

Anyways rant over and out!

Eat2Live2Run

I almost always eat the majority of my exercise calories back, my way of thinking is that this is my lifestyle now and I don't want to live feeling deprived. Eating back my exercise calories allows me to feel comfortably satisfied and not deprived. My focus now is still on losing, but not the urgency to lose as fast as possible like it used to be. I started off weighing 260 pounds and have lost 115, so my focus has changed some over that time. I say, do what works for you and what is something you can maintain and live with as a lifestyle. I find that if I "deprive" myself I end up with a major binge-fest eventually. So eating back my calories on a day to day basis works for me and keeps me from binging. To each his own.

Plates559

I eat some of them back, usually in the form of protein, I don't focus on my weight all that much, just how fit/healthy I am

tmauck4472

I do NOT eat mine back. I will burn on some days over 1000 (according to MFP) and I only eat around 800 or 900 a day. Phoooy on eating them back. I'm here to lose not exercise so I can eat more. I do want to get a HRM and may just get it for Christmas. But if I'm hungry I'm going to eat no matter where I'm at with my calorie count.

JesterMFP

I can't comment on the previous thread, and if people were being rude to you, that was uncalled for. However, the advice to eat back exercise calories is simply based on how MFP is designed to work. If people choose to ignore that and increase their calorie deficit beyond what is suggested, that's up to them. If people don't trust MFP's exercise burn calculations and choose to only eat a portion of them back - that's up to them, and probably quite sensible. It's not correct to state that everyone who eats their exercise calories back will not lose weight. I ate all mine back even when I was relying on the MFP database, and it worked out ok for me. Each to their own, but a lot of the time, when people are saying to eat them back - it's just because that's how MFP works. Sometimes (certainly not always) when people recommend not eating them back, it's because they don't understand how it works.

It must have been a very frustrating couple of months though, and I'm glad that you've found something that works for you. I hope you start to get the results you're looking for.

drgndancer

There's a lot of factors involved in whether or not you eat back your calories.

1) How heavy are you? Heavier people can more safely eat less than people closer to their goals.
2) What are your fitness goals? People training for events like Tough Mudders, triathlons, half or full marathons, etc should usually eat most of their exercise calories back, so their body can fuel itself. They need to understand that they may not lose weight as quickly, but their primary goal is whatever they're training for.
3) What are your MFP goals set for? If you're already at a very large deficit (you've set it up to lose two pounds a week), it's less safe to increase your deficit still further. If you're set to more sane levels, (1/2-1 pound a week loss), you can get away with skipping exercise calories more often.
4) How intense is your exercise? When I run 8 or 9 miles, I need to eat some of that back. I've created a huge additional deficit for that day. If I run three miles, I can probably worry about it less.
5) How accurate do you feel your calorie measurements are? wiggle room is nice if you're less confident about them.

For most people, most of the time, eating back calories is a personal choice that probably won't make much difference other than slightly slower/faster weight loss, but there are many situations where it's better to eat them.

Edit to add:

I do NOT eat mine back. I will burn on some days over 1000 (according to MFP) and I only eat around 800 or 900 a day. Phoooy on eating them back. I'm here to lose not exercise so I can eat more. I do want to get a HRM and may just get it for Christmas. But if I'm hungry I'm going to eat no matter where I'm at with my calorie count.

That is NOT healthy. You're starving yourself.

mcrowe1016

Did anyone tell you to eat more calories than you were burning off? Because that is what you were doing. HRM's are highly promoted on here, and people always say how inaccurate calorie burned estimators are. Very little research would have told you all this.

You probably shouldn't take anything on this site as 100% truth.

However, congrats on getting a hrm and trainer. Those are great steps to getting healthy. I will advise you to take everything the trainer says with a grain of salt - cross reference everything with your doctor and the internet. Those three combined resources should be enough for you to find the best route for you.

WendyTerry420

We all need to do what works for us personally and the rest be damned!

blushingmama

There's conflicting advice all over these boards. And a lot of people with a lot of time on their hands to give sarcastic advice.

You have to take time to learn your body. You need a caloric deficit in order to lose weight. Some folks can exercise calories away. I cannot. Therefore, I don't go much over my 1400 calories a day. If I ate the calories I just burned from my 5 mile run, I'd gain weight.

JoanneRuddock

l am with you l don't see the point in exercising if you are just going eat them back again, l usually eat just under 1200 calories because you don't how accurate this site is and tend to burn around 500 cals a day in exercise. l have lost 14lb in 10 weeks so l must be doing something right.:happy:

SJCon

Don't be to hard on the people that misinformed you, they were probably talking from their perspective. There are a lot of erroneous beliefs out there like never eating below your BMR, can't eat below 1200 cals, Must eat back your exercise calories etc. Bottom line is that they are all "Normal" or general or even Gender statements and do not always apply. The same holds for calorie estimates for activity. Some are close for some people and some are way off because of the differences in individuals. The same holds true for food, a chicken sandwich is not always the same calories. As a previous person posted you can use a HRM to get closer or you can just assume a 60-80% number on the estimate. It is not just MFP that has these problems but elsewhere as well they all make assumptions based on Height, Age, Weightand gender but NOT lean mass since most people don't know it. As you approach the "normal" lean mass than the numbers will get more accurate.
Just remember that anything you read here needs to be translated to your facts not a Norm that is not a real person.

samblanken

MFP overestimates the burn from exercise.

kimad

I agree.

I have never ate mine back, sometimes I use them as a buffer. Every dietician I work with urges strong caution before eating them back as well. But at the end of the day if I have met my calorie goal but I am hungry I EAT... usually an apple or something. I won't deprive myself, but I won't be silly either.

Good job girl, keep it up.
Friend me if you like.

secretlobster

Being over 300lbs, your weight loss is going to be different from many, if not most, people here. People with 100+lbs to lose are often advised by professionals to go on a diet that would be harmful to others. I'm glad you got a personal trainer to help you, but if you're angry that you got advice tailored to the majority, I'm not sure what else to say.

Most responses you receive here are some form of "well what *I* do is..."

There are very few professionals in these forums. Aside from those few, what you're getting is anecdotal evidence from a group of individuals. Some of whom actually understand how to cite and interpret research.

sarah2954

Number one rule: Don't listen to people on forums.

alpine1994

I feel ya! It seems like when I first signed up here everyone was really supportive. It seems to have shifted at some point and you get half supportive, half downright mean. I really don't get it, and I understand that it must have been really frustrating.

I ate my exercise calories back for 5 weeks and didn't lose anything at all. I was so done and just wanted to give up. Instead I tried not eating my exercise calories back and I started losing again. I know that MFP already creates a deficit, blah blah blah, but it just didn't work for me personally. I think your trainer gave you great advice and I wish you all the best!

ETA: I DO eat them back (some or all) if I'm still hungry. I NEVER go to bed starving. Just wanted to add that I can still do that every now and then and lose consistently.

wolfchild59

MFP overestimates the burn from exercise.

This. Incredibly oftentimes.

When I first started working out I didn't have an HRM and I just went entirely by either MFP or the machine readouts (usually averaging them if they were too far apart). And I'm so incredibly grateful that I hadn't actually ever been to the website or to this board at that point (I'd downloaded the app and only ever used that) and seen that I was supposed to eat back exercise calories.

When I finally got an HRM my burn from those workouts were hundreds of calories less than what MFP or the machines were saying. Usually about 300 on the elliptical and around 400 for the stationary bike.

So I would never recommend eating back exercise calories fully unless they are being measured with an HRM, and even then, I tend to only recommend (and eat back myself) a max of 80% of them to allow for margin of error in both the HRM and natural food variances since both are really just calculated estimates.

It is also true that the larger you are the easier it is to keep a large deficit and continue to lose, but you also want to make sure that you are paying attention to your body and fueling it adequately for the workouts you are doing. So while you don't always have to eat back the calories, it never hurts to occasionally eat a fair portion of them back, just to keep your energy levels up and keep you moving.

Mykaelous

I think it depends on what you are doing. If you are trying to loose weight as in your case and mine. I believe eating a well ballanced high protien meal afterwards is generally good. Your body can only metabolise fat so fast so assisting it by eating a small meal can reduce how much muscle is broken down for energy. For example I estimate that I burn about 1000 calories a day from my 2 hr jog. Afterwards I will eat a protien smoothie about 240 calories, and if im really hungry have some fruits or vegetables for fiber brining the total calories consumed post work out to 300. I was 272 lbs and now im at 184(trying to get to 170). I currently eat about 1000 calories a day not including my post workout shake(thats about 1000 calories below my rec. daily intake). Now eating back calories is a good idea if you are trying to primarily gain muscle mass. My friend weights 180(hes taller than me by an inch) but is very muscular and his fat is around 8%. He definitly eats his calories back and then some. He doesn't closely follow it however. If he burned 600 calories doing cardio hes not going to say to himself (I need to eat at least 600 calories) but he will go out and grab a burger that is easily a 1000 calorie intake.

XXXMinnieXXX

I eat 1500 and don't eat exercise calories back. I started at 301 and have been advised this is very safe until you get close to goal I'm now into the 220s. For me to keep losing I have to keep my carbs to 100-130 also. I have also started calorie cycling with a 1500ccalories per day average. I'd say right now you'll be ok with MFPs guidelines. If your hungry eat a little more. Lots of protein, fiber and water will keep you full there's a time for eating more but at over 300lbs it's not that time for a while. Also at your current weight that burns probably pretty accurate! Good luck! X

Edited to add.. add strength training to your workouts to keep lean muscle mass :-)

kimberliiw

Any time you get advice on here it's going to be what has worked for that individual. And as you have learned we are all very different. I don't have an HRM but intuitively knew that the calorie burnt calculations determined by MFP were too high. I eat up to my calorie setting and rarely eat my exercise calories.

I'm glad you discovered the problem and am sure the weight will start dropping off now.

Mykaelous

MFP overestimates the burn from exercise.

This. Incredibly oftentimes.

When I first started working out I didn't have an HRM and I just went entirely by either MFP or the machine readouts (usually averaging them if they were too far apart). And I'm so incredibly grateful that I hadn't actually ever been to the website or to this board at that point (I'd downloaded the app and only ever used that) and seen that I was supposed to eat back exercise calories.

When I finally got an HRM my burn from those workouts were hundreds of calories less than what MFP or the machines were saying. Usually about 300 on the elliptical and around 400 for the stationary bike.

So I would never recommend eating back exercise calories fully unless they are being measured with an HRM, and even then, I tend to only recommend (and eat back myself) a max of 80% of them to allow for margin of error in both the HRM and natural food variances since both are really just calculated estimates.

It is also true that the larger you are the easier it is to keep a large deficit and continue to lose, but you also want to make sure that you are paying attention to your body and fueling it adequately for the workouts you are doing. So while you don't always have to eat back the calories, it never hurts to occasionally eat a fair portion of them back, just to keep your energy levels up and keep you moving.

Im not sure what HRM you are using but in general even they are an estimation because from what I have read in fitness articles the measurements are normally computed using data gathered from University studies. These studies are conducted within the sports department on individuals who's muscle to fat ratio is far greater than the average joe. What this means is that they will burn far more calories than you while maintaining the same HR. So if I were to run at a rate of 6 mph my HR would be at about 155, while a trained athlete might only be at 135. That same athlete's heart might be at 155 while runing at a rate of 8mph. So even though I am only running at a 6mph pace the average HRM will think I am running at a 8.0 MPH pace.

Not sure if the above is very clear, so I am sorry if it is not. The only way to verify your calorie burn is by having your VO2 Max tested.

jlapey

I guess it's different depending on where you start and where you are in your journey. I can understand your trainer's thoughts on YOU not eating YOUR calories back. (and they are tricky little suckers to track, aren't they?) I need to lose 40 pounds, my trainer (yesterday) told me to eat more on days I exercise. He did not say I had to eat all my calories back, just more than on days I don't exercise. Good for you getting a trainer and figuring what is right for you. That is what EVERY one should do. I wish you all the best in your journey and look forward to hearing about your successes.

mitch16

We all need to do what works for us personally and the rest be damned!

This.

Personally I don't eat (all of) mine back--I use them as a buffer between overestimation of calories burned and underestimation of calories eaten (not intentional, but it happens).

It seems to be working just fine for ME.

Good luck in the coming weeks!

Maryaly40

I work for UPMC and one of our employee perks are health coaches for various issues, quitting smoking, losing weight, stress mgmt....you get the idea. Well, last fall, I got myself a health coach for weight loss. Our health coaches are also employed by UPMC and are certified nutritionalists (or whatever you call it). Anywho, she based my caloric intake on 1200-1400 calories and when I asked her about eating back exercise calories she said "we don't support that here and I would advise you not to" That was all I needed to hear. :happy:

MFPBONNIE

I'm happy for you that you found something to work for you. When first joined I ate mine back and gained 7 pounds. Stopped eating them back and lost but maintaining now, no lose no gain. I feel for you with the rude remarks, I have been there. Most of the rudeness I encountered had nothing to do with breaking any rules, etc, but how I choose to exercise and count my calorie burn, whether I use my shift key, which is on MY computer, something stupid to be rude about. So do your thing and have losts of success and be happy. Personally I fear posting something on here cause a lot of people just are not nice, but most of them are very very nice and a pleasure to read from and deal with.

dexter4564

No matter how many calories I burn (which is generally 500-700 per day) I never eat the calories back. And every day I stick to around 1400 calorie intake. So I'm on around 700-900 net calories per day which is producing great results.

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

I completely did not understand your post. What was the point about "seeing how much you would have burned?" I think I missed that.

kluvit

I think most people share what works for them but may not work for everyone. There seems to be a lot of variability in what works for different people with different circumstances, but the good news is that you've found what works for you. While some are sarcastic and write snippy remarks, I think most of us are just here to share our journey and let others know what worked for us personally. Most of us are not experts, so please take our remarks/advice and use what works/leave what doesn't.

For me, when I stopped losing and even started to gain a little, raising my calories and eating exercise calories actually kicked up my weight loss.

BeingAwesome247

I don't "eat back" my calories

Figured out what I should be eating to lose weight and stick with that. I also stoppped logging a calorie burn for my exercises.

The forums....meh.... they give ideas but I'd talk to a professional over this place

DonniesGirl69

I eat when I'm hungry....I don't eat when I'm not hungry.

And I run every day (ish)

That worked for me

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

I don't "eat back" my calories

Figured out what I should be eating to lose weight and stick with that. I also stoppped logging a calorie burn for my exercises.

The forums....meh.... they give ideas but I'd talk to a professional over this place

Depends on the professional. Lots of "professionals" are idiots. Just sayin.