Why You Shouldn’t Eat Back Exercise Calories

nadinab

I found this article very interesting. I normally eat back calories but after reading this http://ifitwasnteasy.tumblr.com/post/21174832957/why-you-shouldnt-eat-back-exercise-calories and comparing it to the past weightloss, I tend to agree with most points. How about you? What works for you?

xxbookwormbabexx

Interesting! I don't usually eat back my exercise calories simply because I would be too full haha.

ixap

please note that the author says:

My general level of exercise is already reflected in my choice of an activity level multiplier, so if I ate back my exercise calories I would be eating them twice!

so this author IS "eating back" her calories - she's just calculating the average number of exercise calories burned per day and adding them to her calorie goal rather than calculating the specific number burned on each separate day

you can do this on MFP by bumping up your activity level or manually changing your calorie goal settings.

Azdak

If anyone cares, these are some of my thoughts on the subject:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Azdak/view/why-i-don-t-count-exercise-calories-114873

snowfox1

bump

zaph0d

a) this is a blog post on someone's tumblr, not an article

b) they are describing a tdee-based approach to calorie deficits which is a perfectly good approach (and in fact the one i follow)

But comparing this to MFP is sort of apples and oranges. The MFP calorie target is not TDEE; it's an estimate of daily activity sans exercise; therefore when following the MFP calorie target, one SHOULD eat back the exercise calories.

So, pick one - Eat a flat TDEE sans deficit; or Eat the MFP target + exercise calories. You don't mix and match both.

If you go by the MFP number and don't "eat back exercise calories", then you're doing it wrong.

LisaLouisiana

I eat a VERY healthy high protein, high fiber diet and I do not eat my exercise calories back.

joehempel

If you go by the MFP number and don't "eat back exercise calories", then you're doing it wrong.

And yet I still lose weight...how am I wrong?

HeatherPH

a) this is a blog post on someone's tumblr, not an article

b) they are describing a tdee-based approach to calorie deficits which is a perfectly good approach (and in fact the one i follow)

But comparing this to MFP is sort of apples and oranges. The MFP calorie target is not TDEE; it's an estimate of daily activity sans exercise; therefore when following the MFP calorie target, one SHOULD eat back the exercise calories.

So, pick one - Eat a flat TDEE sans deficit; or Eat the MFP target + exercise calories. You don't mix and match both.

If you go by the MFP number and don't "eat back exercise calories", then you're doing it wrong.

Well, according to this dude (who's a registered dietician and PT), you're wrong:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/755899-registered-dietitian-in-tx-here-to-answer-questions

Tony specifically recommends that people go by their MFP limits AND not each back their exercise calories (individual cases permitting).

zaph0d

If you go by the MFP number and don't "eat back exercise calories", then you're doing it wrong.

And yet I still lose weight...how am I wrong?

Oh you'll still lose weight. You're just obfuscating your calorie deficit. This may lead to stalling, poor performance, muscle loss. Or you might just lose weight faster. Roll the dice baby.

zaph0d

a) this is a blog post on someone's tumblr, not an article

b) they are describing a tdee-based approach to calorie deficits which is a perfectly good approach (and in fact the one i follow)

But comparing this to MFP is sort of apples and oranges. The MFP calorie target is not TDEE; it's an estimate of daily activity sans exercise; therefore when following the MFP calorie target, one SHOULD eat back the exercise calories.

So, pick one - Eat a flat TDEE sans deficit; or Eat the MFP target + exercise calories. You don't mix and match both.

If you go by the MFP number and don't "eat back exercise calories", then you're doing it wrong.

Well, according to this dude (who's a registered dietician and PT), you're wrong:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/755899-registered-dietitian-in-tx-here-to-answer-questions

Tony specifically recommends that people go by their MFP limits AND not each back their exercise calories (individual cases permitting).

LOL. Yes, it's clear that Tony knows better how MFP works than MFP's developers and staff. :laugh:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/help/faq/3-how-does-myfitnesspal-work

RmYWarrioR

Well, Everyone is different. I eat back a portion of my workout calories to keep my body from eating itself. I want to lose FAT not MUSCLE. I find for me eating healthy and eating relatively healthy snacks with a few bad food choices tossed in here and there, I am maintaining around 185 pounds +/- 3 depending on the day of the week and how I am exercising. You can read all the articles you want but, until you experiment and find out the formula which works best for you .............................. one can never truly know what is right and wrong.

Mads1997

Unfortunately some people just don't get how MFP works. Follow MFP and eat your cals back or follow some other method and don't eat your exercise cals back. Whatever works for you is ok.

MikesterAZ

please note that the author says:

My general level of exercise is already reflected in my choice of an activity level multiplier, so if I ate back my exercise calories I would be eating them twice!

so this author IS "eating back" her calories - she's just calculating the average number of exercise calories burned per day and adding them to her calorie goal rather than calculating the specific number burned on each separate day

you can do this on MFP by bumping up your activity level or manually changing your calorie goal settings.

Very astute, and accurate!!

MikesterAZ

I don't think of it as "eating them back" I just go by what it says and stay above zero. I found a balance between exercise and food to where I don't feel hungry or deprived and it's working out to healthy weight loss so what else can you ask for? I mean if you want a stringent, structured plan you are going to need a trainer anyway. This site is basically amateurs helping amateurs with the occasionally bonus of having some pro's join in the fun. But they are also here for social networking-style encouragement, none of us are here to be health nazis (at least I hope not!!) so chill out and have fun with it. This isn't a diet boot camp it's a fitness website.

AbsoluteNG

a) this is a blog post on someone's tumblr, not an article

b) they are describing a tdee-based approach to calorie deficits which is a perfectly good approach (and in fact the one i follow)

But comparing this to MFP is sort of apples and oranges. The MFP calorie target is not TDEE; it's an estimate of daily activity sans exercise; therefore when following the MFP calorie target, one SHOULD eat back the exercise calories.

So, pick one - Eat a flat TDEE sans deficit; or Eat the MFP target + exercise calories. You don't mix and match both.

If you go by the MFP number and don't "eat back exercise calories", then you're doing it wrong.

Well, according to this dude (who's a registered dietician and PT), you're wrong:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/755899-registered-dietitian-in-tx-here-to-answer-questions

Tony specifically recommends that people go by their MFP limits AND not each back their exercise calories (individual cases permitting).

LOL. Yes, it's clear that Tony knows better how MFP works than MFP's developers and staff. :laugh:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/help/faq/3-how-does-myfitnesspal-work

Tony is a registered dietitian. Does the MFP staff have any doctors or Dietitians on their staff other then the computer programmers that made the app for my smartphone?

krae84

please note that the author says:

My general level of exercise is already reflected in my choice of an activity level multiplier, so if I ate back my exercise calories I would be eating them twice!

so this author IS "eating back" her calories - she's just calculating the average number of exercise calories burned per day and adding them to her calorie goal rather than calculating the specific number burned on each separate day

you can do this on MFP by bumping up your activity level or manually changing your calorie goal settings.

I agree. I eat 1600 calories regarless of whether i exercise or not. if i know for sure that i cannot exercise i will hold back to 1500. i had been eating back all of my exercise calories in the past and lost for a while but soon my metabolism slowed down and i stopped losing all together. I think u need to decide what your basing your calorie intake on to determine whether to eat them back. I figured my 1600 cal based on the IN PLACE OF A ROAD MAP article. It's made a huge difference for me for the better.

ihateroses

Oh come on...its simple math!!!

If you ate 1200 (most people get this as a recommendation) , and burned 200 with exercise, you are only working with 1000 measly calories to get you through the day.

1000 calories a day is not healthy...for anyone...(and don't you dig on the internet to prove me wrong with a 1%-er case!)

birdieaz

a) this is a blog post on someone's tumblr, not an article

b) they are describing a tdee-based approach to calorie deficits which is a perfectly good approach (and in fact the one i follow)

But comparing this to MFP is sort of apples and oranges. The MFP calorie target is not TDEE; it's an estimate of daily activity sans exercise; therefore when following the MFP calorie target, one SHOULD eat back the exercise calories.

So, pick one - Eat a flat TDEE sans deficit; or Eat the MFP target + exercise calories. You don't mix and match both.

If you go by the MFP number and don't "eat back exercise calories", then you're doing it wrong.

Well, according to this dude (who's a registered dietician and PT), you're wrong:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/755899-registered-dietitian-in-tx-here-to-answer-questions

Tony specifically recommends that people go by their MFP limits AND not each back their exercise calories (individual cases permitting).

LOL. Yes, it's clear that Tony knows better how MFP works than MFP's developers and staff. :laugh:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/help/faq/3-how-does-myfitnesspal-work

Tony is a registered dietitian. Does the MFP staff have any doctors or Dietitians on their staff other then the computer programmers that made the app for my smartphone?

I will never understand why people on this board cling so desperately to ultra low calories..no wonder 90% will gain all the weight back. It's unsustainable...yeah yeah I know...special snowflake and all that jazz....

Pimpmonkey

I don't think of it as "eating them back" I just go by what it says and stay above zero. I found a balance between exercise and food to where I don't feel hungry or deprived and it's working out to healthy weight loss so what else can you ask for? I mean if you want a stringent, structured plan you are going to need a trainer anyway. This site is basically amateurs helping amateurs with the occasionally bonus of having some pro's join in the fun. But they are also here for social networking-style encouragement, none of us are here to be health nazis (at least I hope not!!) so chill out and have fun with it. This isn't a diet boot camp it's a fitness website.

THIS^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

AbsoluteNG

a) this is a blog post on someone's tumblr, not an article

b) they are describing a tdee-based approach to calorie deficits which is a perfectly good approach (and in fact the one i follow)

But comparing this to MFP is sort of apples and oranges. The MFP calorie target is not TDEE; it's an estimate of daily activity sans exercise; therefore when following the MFP calorie target, one SHOULD eat back the exercise calories.

So, pick one - Eat a flat TDEE sans deficit; or Eat the MFP target + exercise calories. You don't mix and match both.

If you go by the MFP number and don't "eat back exercise calories", then you're doing it wrong.

Well, according to this dude (who's a registered dietician and PT), you're wrong:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/755899-registered-dietitian-in-tx-here-to-answer-questions

Tony specifically recommends that people go by their MFP limits AND not each back their exercise calories (individual cases permitting).

LOL. Yes, it's clear that Tony knows better how MFP works than MFP's developers and staff. :laugh:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/help/faq/3-how-does-myfitnesspal-work

Tony is a registered dietitian. Does the MFP staff have any doctors or Dietitians on their staff other then the computer programmers that made the app for my smartphone?

I will never understand why people on this board cling so desperately to ultra low calories..no wonder 90% will gain all the weight back. It's unsustainable...yeah yeah I know...special snowflake and all that jazz....

This topic has nothing to do with VLCD. It's about eating back exercise calories... L2R