Anyone else feel guilty for eating back burnt calories?

geekyjock76

i'm at 1200 calories and I almost always eat back my calories because i'm usually starving after a work out (i work out after work, before dinnertime). if i'm not hungry, i dont eat them back. But my theory is my body wouldn't tell me its hungry if it didn't actually need the fuel.

Your hunger signaling is impaired while assuming an energy deficit. In fact, when eating at true maintenance, leptin levels decrease during a deficit within 24 hours. Thus, listening to hunger cues to determine how much to eat during a deficit is unwise and will result in you falsely feeling full by eating less and less over time. Just look up what happens to leptin concentration levels during chronic calorie restriction on scholarly endocrine journals.

MoreBean13

I don't eat back all my burnt calories. Some days I burn 1,000 calories and I go to the gym at night - so I would have to sit down for a hoagie at 10:00 pm to get those calories in. I do not feel I can eat those calories ahead, just in case I don't make it to my workout.

Some days I burn less so I eat closer to my goal but I am always under. However... I am stuck in my weight loss so maybe I do need to eat more. I check that I am getting all the nutrients I should and TRY to stay away from unhealthy food even if I have the calorie allowance left to indulge a lttle.

You can roll over the calories and have them within a few days- it would allow you to have a dinner out with friends on non-training days or whatever. Try balancing your calories over a week rather than daily. It feels good to splurge.

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

like said earlier..seek help

This!

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

i'm at 1200 calories and I almost always eat back my calories because i'm usually starving after a work out (i work out after work, before dinnertime). if i'm not hungry, i dont eat them back. But my theory is my body wouldn't tell me its hungry if it didn't actually need the fuel.

Your hunger signaling is impaired while assuming an energy deficit. In fact, when eating at true maintenance, leptin levels decrease during a deficit within 24 hours. Thus, listening to hunger cues to determine how much to eat during a deficit is unwise and will result in you falsely feeling full by eating less and less over time. Just look up what happens to leptin concentration levels during chronic calorie restriction on scholarly endocrine journals.

Yeah, don't listen to your body. Listen to strangers on the internet! In fact, you should probably consult with geekyjock76 every day about how much you should eat so you don't get it wrong.

LOL Yes, Ginger. I bet you educate yourself using "scholarly journals."

Indeed I do. Also textbooks.

Then wise one, please lecture us all on what happens with serum leptin concentration levels during chronic calorie restriction and its effects on metabolism and energy expenditure.

I didn't say the topic of the journals or textbooks I educate myself with was serum leptin blah blah blah blah.

So why exactly did you attempt to undermine his attempt to inform the OP about something you know nothing about. If I were you I'd pull out a notebook and take notes.

geekyjock76

I'll take that as a no, then.

Sarauk2sf

i'm at 1200 calories and I almost always eat back my calories because i'm usually starving after a work out (i work out after work, before dinnertime). if i'm not hungry, i dont eat them back. But my theory is my body wouldn't tell me its hungry if it didn't actually need the fuel.

Your hunger signaling is impaired while assuming an energy deficit. In fact, when eating at true maintenance, leptin levels decrease during a deficit within 24 hours. Thus, listening to hunger cues to determine how much to eat during a deficit is unwise and will result in you falsely feeling full by eating less and less over time. Just look up what happens to leptin concentration levels during chronic calorie restriction on scholarly endocrine journals.

Yeah, don't listen to your body. Listen to strangers on the internet! In fact, you should probably consult with geekyjock76 every day about how much you should eat so you don't get it wrong.

If I listened to my body after severely under eating due to an illness, I would have been eating about 300 calorie a day for months when I was already at a BF% under 20%. I lost a lot of LBM during that time which I am currently trying to get to a position where I can regain it - listening to my body would have been an absolutely terrible thing to do. As geeky mentioned, hormones get out of whack when at a calorie deficit. The amount they get out of whack depends on the individual and how large and how long the deficit is.

ETA: I actually think you make a good suggestion that geeky should be listened to - good idea.

Midnigh

I dont know why I am so hard on myself but I feel horrible for eating back the calories I have burnt. Today I burnt 700 cals from a 6 mile run and I ate the suggested 1600 calories for the day but MFP wants me to eat the 700 back. As soon as I go over my original goal of 1600 I feel horrible. Any opinions?

For my back story, I was 225 lbs and stuck to a 1000 cal a day diet and lifted daily. I lost 60 lbs or so in 4 months then started running long distance. I am training for my second marathon and am currently 148 lbs. I started eating more and not tracking calories when I first started running and still was losing weight but I am now trying to get to 6 % body fat so I joined this site in an attempt to track my calories again. I dont have a problem dieting, I just feel horrible for eating more than the recommended calories for a pound a week, even when i burn calories from running.

Thank you for your responses.

I don't feel guilty but I feel like working out then eating the burned calories = pointless workout. I'm trying to create a deficit so I can lose weight. Also, is 6% body fat healthy? Seems very low to me.

mmapags

In fact, you should probably consult with geekyjock76 every day about how much you should eat so you don't get it wrong.
[/quote]


ETA: I actually think you make a good suggestion that geeky should be listened to - good idea.
[/quote]

Very good advice!! I agree.

ETA: fouled up the quotes!

brittuhnay

UGH yes. But I've read that with this site's calculator, you're supposed to? So I have been. I've still noticed progress regardless, so I guess it's good to eat them back.

runs4zen

Guilty? HECK NO! If I didn't eat them back, I wouldn't have the energy to exercise and I'd look pretty skeleton-like. Give me my food!!!

playitagainsam

No guilt felt here. Only because I learned that when I don't eat back at least most of my calories, I feel weak, light-headed and somewhat sick. When I eat back my calories, I feel great and I haven't gained any weight back yet.

edwinamac

Have been eating SOME of my burnt calories back, for the past couple of days...I am at a standstill with my weight loss, want to see if eating back some of my burnt calories will help me to start losing again. I walk everyday, usually burn between 500 and 600 calories, I feel OVERFULL, if I try and eat more than 200 of those calories back..My daily goal is 1270, so I'm upping it to 1400, so I'm eating 200 - 300 of my burnt calories back.....Just HOPEFULLY, IT WORKS!!!!

thecrazyrunner

No, I don't feel guilty just for the fact that I have already cut so many calories from what I was at when I first started. I don't know what your BMR is, but if you are eating only 1600 calories and then burning 500-600 of that...you will be digging into your muscle mass for energy. You won't hit your 6%.

To maintain your 148 lb frame, at least for an average height person - you're looking at 2400+ calories needed.

I would eat them back if you are wanting to cut the percentage down.

Sounds like you've done well - keep it up!

IronPlayground

When I'm alone in my room, sometimes I stare at the wall...

...and in the back of my mind I hear my conscience call..

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

I dont know why I am so hard on myself but I feel horrible for eating back the calories I have burnt. Today I burnt 700 cals from a 6 mile run and I ate the suggested 1600 calories for the day but MFP wants me to eat the 700 back. As soon as I go over my original goal of 1600 I feel horrible. Any opinions?

For my back story, I was 225 lbs and stuck to a 1000 cal a day diet and lifted daily. I lost 60 lbs or so in 4 months then started running long distance. I am training for my second marathon and am currently 148 lbs. I started eating more and not tracking calories when I first started running and still was losing weight but I am now trying to get to 6 % body fat so I joined this site in an attempt to track my calories again. I dont have a problem dieting, I just feel horrible for eating more than the recommended calories for a pound a week, even when i burn calories from running.

Thank you for your responses.

I don't feel guilty but I feel like working out then eating the burned calories = pointless workout. I'm trying to create a deficit so I can lose weight. Also, is 6% body fat healthy? Seems very low to me.

Well, it sounds like you don't quite understand the purpose of working out. I guess you could see it as a means of burning calories and only that but many of us work out to build muscle, to sculpt a sexy physique, and to feel good. The benefits fon't all boil down to calories burned.

iqnas

I do if I'm hungry. I don't if I'm not. Simple.

elprincipito

nop i never did eat them back. Always went by my tdee

AliciaStinger

I lost the first 30 pounds just by watching what I was eating...then I plateaued/maintained for two years. In the last few months I started gaining, so in the three-ish years I've been working on my weight, I only began working out regularly in the last month. Right now, because I REALLY WANT TO LOSE THIS WEIGHT, I have felt kind of bad about eating back my exercise calories -- but not too much, and here's why:

1. MFP has me at 1200 calories a day. You're supposed to net at least 1200 a day, so I really should eat my exercise calories back. This probably doesn't apply to you...try my other reasons.

2. A lot of the people on here who eat back some or all of their exercise calories seem to have the same rate of success as those who don't, and I'd be happier eating the calories back. Besides, I've heard that eating more (within reason, of course) helps boost your metabolism -- BUT, some on here will disagree. There are conflicting theories on here for EVERY aspect of losing weight. Some people "eat more to weigh less" and some people will tell you that you can only lose weight on a "calorie deficit" so...you almost can't win asking people on the boards.

3. Speaking of a calorie deficit, MFP already has me at an almost 500-calorie-a-day deficit. In other words, if I eat back all of my calories, I'll still be at a 500 calorie deficit for the day. This kind of explains how people in my second reason succeed.

4. Lastly, I just worked my butt off and I'm hungry. The longer I put off eating something, the more likely I am to want more and choose poorly. My body is asking me for what it needs to recover from my workout (or, at least, that's what the Internet tells me... a carb + a protein = muscle recovery and energy), and to replace the energy I used working out. As a compromise, when I'm eating back exercise calories, I eat yogurt, or apples and cheese/apples and peanut butter, or something healthy; if I want to eat unhealthy (like if I know my family is going to order pizza for dinner), I fit it into my regular calories. I can't be bothered to feel guilty for eating an apple.

Sarauk2sf

]I'm not here to add anything productive; I'm here to entertain myself. It's a message board. Who takes it seriously?

That's pretty obvious. Also, the people who are trying to get advice take it pretty seriously. I am glad you can entertain yourself at the expense of others.

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

nop i never did eat them back. Always went by my tdee

This is still eating them back--the calculations are different but it's taking calories burned into account when you determine your calorie target.