Do you eat your workout calories?

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I was just wondering do you eat the calories that you get when you exercise? To loose weight I think you need not eat but I might be wrong..So many diets and so many plans have now clogged my brain!
Please let me know

Replies

  • sdomski1
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    Sometimes, but not always... I have heard conflicting answers as well:)
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    In a nutshell, yes, you are supposed to eat them back. MFP is set up so that your daily calorie goal is already at a deficit, and you would lose weight eating that amount even if you didn't exercise. When you log your workout, the site gives you those burned calories to eat - if you don't, then you are creating an even bigger deficit, which in the long run will slow weight loss, leave you with less energy, and could potentially screw up your metabolism.

    So yeah, eat them back, especially if you're set at the MFP standard of 1200 a day.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    When starting any diet plan and using any diet tool, you need to read up on how it works. If you do the MFP method and are honest with your inputs then yes, you would eat them back as MFP builds the deficit into your diet. Per the MFP method you do not need to workout at all to lose weight...the deficit is in your diet so you want to net to that goal if exercise is outside of your setup parameters.