Do you eat your exercise calories back?

Sarah47201
Sarah47201 Posts: 18 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So I have a calorie goal of at least 1200 per day...on the days I exercise I have not been eating them back in so my NET calories end up sometimes being low. Today my net calories are at 500 because I did an hour at the gym. My friend says I need to eat more but I already eat 3 meals a day plus a snack at night and I am not hungry.

Are my net calories supposed to be 1200 minimum or as long as I get 1200 from food per day I can ignore the gym credit?

Replies

  • kmhenry84
    kmhenry84 Posts: 96 Member
    You'll get both answers, and some people eat back part :-)

    Ask your doc what's best for you. Mine said not to, and that's been working for me =D
  • kini324
    kini324 Posts: 239 Member
    Yes, I eat mine back. The base net is already set at a deficit to lose one lb per week. If I don't eat back my calories, my metabolism slows down and holds onto the fat. I do intense work outs too so I need the calories to fuel the fire. I don't eat more, I just eat higher quantity (but quality) calories.
  • mrykyldy2
    mrykyldy2 Posts: 96 Member
    Some people do, some people don't. A lot of people that are on here eat their exercise alories back because they can't lose weight if they don't. Other people stay under or right at their original calorie goal and do not eat any of their exercise calories back cause they gain weight if they do. I will eat a very small portion of my exercise calories back and I lose .5 to 1 lb when I am consistant. It is something that you will have to play with on your own to see if you can eat them back or not.
  • AmandaTWaH
    AmandaTWaH Posts: 181 Member
    I always eat back my calories unless it was a low calorie burn. If I'm going on a walk, I won't eat those, but if I'm on the elliptical for an hour, I'll eat those back. The way MFP works is that your net calories already has a deficit built in.
  • amnsetie
    amnsetie Posts: 666 Member
    I eat mine back, got to fuel the engine
    actually I eat 50-75% back cos I'm only set at a 250cal deficit
  • Frozen300
    Frozen300 Posts: 223 Member
    Nope, but if I feel that I'm too hungry, too often, then I'll eat an extra 300 cal meal to even me out. If I can go without the meal then I will. It's a daily thing.

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