Eating back exercise calories

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Replies

  • kaervaak
    kaervaak Posts: 274 Member
    Around a 20% deficit from TDEE

    That puts me at 1056 calories a day. If I go over that, I start gaining weight.

    There's no way your TDEE is only 1320 calories. You'd have to be like 4 feet tall...
    My BMR is almost 2000 calories and that's just what I'd burn if I laid in bed all day.
  • zaph0d
    zaph0d Posts: 1,172 Member
    Around a 20% deficit from TDEE

    That puts me at 1056 calories a day. If I go over that, I start gaining weight.

    There's no way your TDEE is only 1320 calories. You'd have to be like 4 feet tall...
    My BMR is almost 2000 calories and that's just what I'd burn if I laid in bed all day.

    Agreed. You calculated your TDEE wrong. Try this http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html
  • ggcat
    ggcat Posts: 313 Member
    I eat 20% below my TDEE, I take the difference between my BMR and my 20% deficit and only eat back what I burn over that number...

    For Example:

    TDEE = 2000
    20% off of TDEE = 1600
    BMR = 1300
    1600-1300 = 300

    If I burn 500 calories at gym I eat 200 of them back. So 1600 on non-workout days and 1800 if I burn 500.

    :happy:

    Edit- I also have my activity set to Moderate (I work out 5-6 days a week)
  • KrazyAsianNic
    KrazyAsianNic Posts: 1,227 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/713460--eating-back-exercise-calories-simple-breakdown?hl=simple+breakdown

    I use to be confused eating things back, but this makes sense to me and is what I follow ever since I read it.
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
    also, something to think about is what you're eating to replace your calories. Yes, because i burned 800 calories between cardio & weight lifting it doesn't mean i am justified in eating pizza. sure, every once in a while is okay... but 800 calories of pizza is NOT the same as 800 calories of grilled chicken breast, leafy greens, etc.

    Actually 800 calories is 800 calories because you choose to eat clean doesn't they are not exactly the same caloriewise.

    They are the same calorie-wise, but the content of the calories is still important (maybe not to weight loss per se, so I see your point, but for overall health the content is important).

    If I've just worked out, my body needs protein and healthy fats and nutrients to improve the muscles I've just worked on, and nutrients to replenish my body's reserves. A grilled chicken breast and leafy greens gives me protein, healthy fats, iron, calcium, potassium, and a lot of other things that three slices of Papa John's simply won't give me.

    Not that I don't eat pizza, so I'm not one to judge! But the content of the calories is still important - even if I ignore that rule all too often myself. (grin)
  • janlee_001
    janlee_001 Posts: 309 Member
    I don't eat back my exercise cals personally.
    Found the equation to figure out your basic calorie needs, subtracted 500 and have my set goal.
    Lot of ppl do this actually.

    MFP over complicates things in a lot of ways I think

    Where do I find the equation?
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    I eat them back!! I try to net between 1400-1600 a day.
  • MissyMissy18
    MissyMissy18 Posts: 315 Member
    I found I was starving on rest days and not able to eat all my calories (including exercise) on workout days. So I upped my "goal" to level it out a bit, but not a lot. Now, I eat back some of my exercise calories and try to stay at goal on rest days. I'm still kind of hungry on those days, though - so I think I need to tweak it more.

    I have the same problem!! And I've tried doing the same thing! I dunno yet if it's working.. it's only been a few weeks.
  • zaph0d
    zaph0d Posts: 1,172 Member
    I don't eat back my exercise cals personally.
    Found the equation to figure out your basic calorie needs, subtracted 500 and have my set goal.
    Lot of ppl do this actually.

    MFP over complicates things in a lot of ways I think

    Where do I find the equation?

    here's one http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    If you're having trouble eating enough on exercise days, then don't worry about eating back calories, and maybe eat a little more on rest days.

    This is what I do personally because working out kills my appetite. Dunno why. IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE MOLECULES
  • fun74hu
    fun74hu Posts: 5
    I started MFP a little over a week ago, but I have been exercising on a regular basis for over a year and a half. Lost 30 lbs then plateued hence the change in tactic.

    Based on the link you gave my TDEE is 2961-20%=592.2=2368.8
    MFP keeps me at 1200 cal/day... I walk (run-keeper) and swim 45-50 a day and do boot camp 3 times a week.
    (and my job is not sedentary)

    Can you please give me an idea how that translates so I can loose the next 30?
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    I started MFP a little over a week ago, but I have been exercising on a regular basis for over a year and a half. Lost 30 lbs then plateued hence the change in tactic.

    Based on the link you gave my TDEE is 2961-20%=592.2=2368.8
    MFP keeps me at 1200 cal/day... I walk (run-keeper) and swim 45-50 a day and do boot camp 3 times a week.
    (and my job is not sedentary)

    Can you please give me an idea how that translates so I can loose the next 30?

    How long have you been doing that amount of activity?
  • Goal_Driven
    Goal_Driven Posts: 371 Member
    I really try not to eat my burned calories back, but still try to meet my calorie goal. I found in the past that when I was eating them back, I would gain or stall. But definitely just learn your body and figure out what helps you lose :) good luck
  • fun74hu
    fun74hu Posts: 5
    I have walked about 2-3 miles per day for over a year and boot camp since june with the exception of one week when I dislocated a disc and was bed bound...

    started swimming instead of bootcamp to get back on track... 3 weeks and returned to bootcamp last week
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    I have walked about 2-3 miles per day for over a year and boot camp since june with the exception of one week when I dislocated a disc and was bed bound...

    started swimming instead of bootcamp to get back on track... 3 weeks and returned to bootcamp last week

    Ok - So your body isn't long-acclimated to a high amount of cardiovascular activity. Swimming for almost an hour? That burns a crapload of calories. Is it necessary to eat 2300 calories every day? Probably not, but if you're regularly that active, I would strive for at least 1800 consistently. The exercise is really the variable here, so it may help you (for experimentation's sake) to keep calories consistent.
  • fun74hu
    fun74hu Posts: 5
    Thx... I keep the calories with exercise under 1200 (eat about 2/3's of exercise back- min550-800/1000 cal/day)...hoping that in a few months I will see a couple of dress sizes gone.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    Thx... I keep the calories with exercise under 1200 (eat about 2/3's of exercise back- min550-800/1000 cal/day)...hoping that in a few months I will see a couple of dress sizes gone.

    This is a very unhealthy approach. You should aim for no less than 1200 net (1200 plus what you burn from exercise)
  • fun74hu
    fun74hu Posts: 5
    Thx Eric... what I meant is I keep my calories at 1200 + about 2/3 of the calories I burn any given day. So I am close to what you are saying. I began a pretty strong regiment 5 weeks ago so I burn anywhere from 600-1000/day. If I eat all that back, I will not loose anything. The first week (just started week 3 on MFP) I lost 3 lbs then nothing for the second and now 2. My body is weird especially as I am not 100% healthy. I really am loving the exercise though so I am hoping to just concentrate on not overeating and continuing with what I am doing and not worry about how fast the weight goes off. I am 38, and have been active but overweight all my life. I am ok with shedding the pounds slowly as long as it goes by the time I turn 40. Wanna be a hot cougar ;O)
    THANK YOU!
  • paulperryman
    paulperryman Posts: 839 Member
    Thx Eric... what I meant is I keep my calories at 1200 + about 2/3 of the calories I burn any given day. So I am close to what you are saying. I began a pretty strong regiment 5 weeks ago so I burn anywhere from 600-1000/day. If I eat all that back, I will not loose anything. The first week (just started week 3 on MFP) I lost 3 lbs then nothing for the second and now 2. My body is weird especially as I am not 100% healthy. I really am loving the exercise though so I am hoping to just concentrate on not overeating and continuing with what I am doing and not worry about how fast the weight goes off. I am 38, and have been active but overweight all my life. I am ok with shedding the pounds slowly as long as it goes by the time I turn 40. Wanna be a hot cougar ;O)
    THANK YOU!

    ROWRRR.... I turned 40 last weekend :) and i burn about 1000 an hour at the gym according to my Heart Rate Monitor (but im very overweight). My problem would be i burn so much at the gym and have become addicted to going i would need to almost eat another full meal every day just to keep it around 50-75% of exercise burnt + the highish MBR and TDEE to start with. Guess i'll have to cut back to only 5 days a week at the gym :( til i lose weight and the metabolism slows down if i'm guessing that correctly. Now eating around 1500 - 1900 calories a day for the first week and training 6 out of the 7 days and twice on 3 of those cause i was bored and had the luxury of being on leave from work this week, i'm over double my weekly exercise goal. Lost 3Kg's and feel great far more energy, better stamina and muscles were only screaming in agony for 2 days sure but was it fat or muscle now i don't know. Tape measure doesn't report anything major missing, ofcourse the most noticeable bit is the last fat that will move and thats the stomach and chest area which is where the majorty of my 40% fat is.

    The MFP gives you a deficit to start with based on what you want to achieve and that takes into account your probable BMR + a basic equation of TDEE - 10-20%. so if you had a het/deficit of zero you'd already be losing weight you don't need to drop below that recommendation. Now i get the exercise bit, If you don't eat back some of your exercise nutrients lost you are depriving your body of what it needs to repair and build up muscles etc, and will in fact do the opposite. Which in turn will lead to less fat weight loss, and less muscle mass which weighs more then fat. Less Lean Muscle mass will show as less weight so you'll be like WooHoo, but it's not all fat you lost.

    Lastly i would think it's not only the calories you want back as much as the Proteins/Fats/Carbs that contain the calories? Cause obviously a person in say my weight range (108Kg's) has plenty of "fat" calories on hand without even eating anything.

    For instance you could replenish with all carbs or all proteins and you'd be getting calories as a result but then you wouldn't have replenished the other 2 aswell which the body needs to function. Is this correct? If not forget me for being stupid
  • melissanorth35
    melissanorth35 Posts: 33 Member
    Weight loss is about the marathon not the Sprint. You will gain it all back if your approach is not sustainable. I'm a daily runner. On days I run I eat more. Food is fuel. I eat until I'm almost full. Maybe that means I eat back all my calories maybe that means I eat back half. Some days I'm more hungry than others, but I listen to my body.

    Weight loss is about learning to have a healthy relationships with food, and if you can do that your body will follow.

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