Bonus Calories for Cardio???

ucandanz01

Ok so my goal is aggressive but has been working ok for over a week now. But I am baffled that doing exercise allows a lot more calories???? For example I am doing Cardio daily and have bumped it up gradually to burn almost 700 calories an hour. But I don't want to undo that hard work by eating an additional 700 calories a day - will I go into starvation mode by having a low net calorie count each day?

What is the lowest calorie count without going into starvation mode?

cailinlowe

go by gross calories, not net. it makes no sense to eat back those calories you just burned.. its basically just a wash at that point

athenaheim

I dont eat my calories burned back. I have heard so many different things that you will and some say you wont. I am curious to hear what others say.

autumnpath

I don't eat my exercise calories either. It's really confusing to me. I too am curious what others will say.

MarshaMole

bump

jdaley90

MFP already builds in a calorie deficit when you set it up. Say MFP tell you to eat 1500 cals a day with and gives you a 500 cal deficit and then you are burning another 700 thats a 1200 calorie deficit. Eat your exercise cals back because otherwise it's not healthy or safe. Your body will go into starvation mode. What you really should go by are BMR and TDEE and then follow that.

alw141

I think this is totally a personal decision. If I don't eat back at least some of my calories, my weight loss stalls. You have to find what works for you and go from there.

stu236

I tried this theory out and did 6 weeks NOT eating them back and then 6 weeks eating them back, I stuck to it religiously and gained
back everything I lost originally, so it doesn't work for me.

However, as we are all different it might work for some and not others.

I think the important thing is to find what works for yourself and stick with that.

kumanekochan

MFP already builds in a calorie deficit when you set it up. Say MFP tell you to eat 1500 cals a day with and gives you a 500 cal deficit and then you are burning another 700 thats a 1200 calorie deficit. Eat your exercise cals back because otherwise it's not healthy or safe. Your body will go into starvation mode. What you really should go by are BMR and TDEE and then follow that.

^ This is exactly right.

sayrahlyn

The amount they give you works in a deficit already, so if you ate that amount, you would lose weight. The calories you burn are just extra. I like to stay under my goal, but to me part of the fun of being active is that I get to enjoy treats that I otherwise couldn't "afford." I would say play with it and eat back some of the calories if you are hungry or have something you want. If that doesn't work for you, then don't keep doing it. Although, depending on what your recommended intake is, do be careful that you aren't depriving yourself of nutrition.

AmyS1975

I'm no expert but I rarely eat back my exercise calories and if I do it's usually on weekends or if I have a meal out. I am definitely not starving or hungry. Good luck reaching your goals ... 27 lb to lose here.

serialzombie

I always aim to eat back half my calories.

(usually chocolate, which I only eat when I've already worked it off in advance)

xTenaciousJx

I go by my BMR and TDEE and eat 15-20% below and don't eat my exercise calories back.

check this out:

http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

:flowerforyou:

mrsknash

I eat my calories back otherwise I find that I am hungry due to burning up more energy and not refueling my body. My weightloss stalls if I don't eat my calories back.

Just a word of warning - you need to be pretty certain how much your workout burns otherwise you might inadvertently end up eating more than you burnt off.

auddii

MFP already builds in a calorie deficit when you set it up. Say MFP tell you to eat 1500 cals a day with and gives you a 500 cal deficit and then you are burning another 700 thats a 1200 calorie deficit.

This. A lot of people throw around "starvation mode", but after a week, you've done no damage to your body. It won't be sustainable though. Eat back your calories, but keep in mind most estimates (and even some HRM) can be wrong since they are just estimates and working off of an equation that may not apply the same to everyone. A lot of people tend to eat back 60-80% of their exercise calories. Others eat back 100%. If you're going off an MFP calculator or what the machine says you've burned, I'd go with less than all but more than half of your calories to eat back.

mumofmakm

I'm working out with a trainer and asked him about this too. He said not to eat ALL of the ones allotted to me by MFP. It's got my daily target at 1800 on a regular day and well over 2000 on a workout day. He has set my target at around 1200-1300 on non-workout days and 1800 for workout days. He too said that if you're not eating enough when training hard then your body will just hold on to everything. You have to keep the fire fueled. Also remember to eat every 2-3.5 hours throughout the day!
I also use a HR monitor so I get more accurate readings of calories burned. Maybe something to think about doing if you're not already.

fizzletto

Eat back your exercise calories, people!!

The goal that MFP sets up for you, ALREADY HAS a calorie deficit built into the goal.

If it tells you you're allowed 700 more calories, that means that if you eat 700 more, you will STILL BE AT A CALORIE DEFICIT and will still lose weight.

Come on, it's not that hard to understand!! I lost 35 pounds already by eating my exercise calories back every single day.

BohemianCoast

MFP's calorie counts can be quite high for some exercise, and if you're doing the same thing all the time it might over-estimate your burn. Nevertheless, if you're doing a lot of exercise, say 700 a day, and accurately logging every bite you eat, you'll start to lose weight at the top end of what's safe. If you're losing more than 2lb a week regularly, it would make sense to eat back some of your calories. Or if you're feeling really hungry; this isn't about deprivation.

I try to eat back about half my exercise calories; sometimes I eat fewer; sometimes I eat *every single one of them*. And more.

brunetteavoxgirl

I eat back some of my calories, because the weeks I haven't, I don't lose, but i can't eat them all back, because sometimes that's wayyyy tooo much food for me to eat in a day.

indyamyp

I generally eat back some of my calories but not all. The reason for this is that I don't trust the calorie burning that MFP gives for different cardio workouts. I've read that these estimates are often high, so if you eat back all the calories it says you've "earned", you are actually going over your daily allotment.

Just my two cents. I agree, you just have to find what works for you

eyeshuh

As others have pointed out, MFP *already* has a calorie deficit set for you. That is why it tells you to eat back your exercise calories so that you don't under eat. When you eat back your exercise calories, you are doing your TDEE minus the deficit you need to lose. When you don't eat them back you are more than likely under eating and will hit a stall sooner than later.

You shouldn't think of it as "canceling out" your exercise. You should think of the extra calories as the fuel you need for the exercise you're doing. Don't exercise to create an insane deficit and then feel like you're "canceling" something out. Exercise because you want to be fit and feel good, and then fuel that so you CAN be fit and feel good.

AlsDonkBoxSquat

I tried this theory out and did 6 weeks NOT eating them back and then 6 weeks eating them back, I stuck to it religiously and gained
back everything I lost originally, so it doesn't work for me. However, as we are all different it might work for some and not others.

I think the important thing is to find what works for yourself and stick with that.

1 - MFP builds in a deficit to begin with, but if you really just want to have a set singular goal to reach every day go here:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/717565-in-place-of-a-road-map
Look around and find the TDEE and BMR calculators (they really have made it easy to figure out on the spreadsheet). Otherwise get yourself a HRM if you don't already have one.

2 - by under fueling your body can sap your energy making you lethargic. This means that with you can't meet your maximum potential when doing just about anything, especially exercise.

3 - Changing your diet and exercise program or goals for 1 week as an evaluation method doesn't really prove anything. Anything you change requires your body to make adjustments and regulate. It takes 4 - 6 weeks to prove out a change in caloric goals. The goal isn't to figure out what works right now, the goal is to find maximum efficency over the long term.

omma_to_3

As others have pointed out, MFP *already* has a calorie deficit set for you. That is why it tells you to eat back your exercise calories so that you don't under eat. When you eat back your exercise calories, you are doing your TDEE minus the deficit you need to lose. When you don't eat them back you are more than likely under eating and will hit a stall sooner than later.

You shouldn't think of it as "canceling out" your exercise. You should think of the extra calories as the fuel you need for the exercise you're doing. Don't exercise to create an insane deficit and then feel like you're "canceling" something out. Exercise because you want to be fit and feel good, and then fuel that so you CAN be fit and feel good.

*clapping loudly*

Goal_Line

Go by how you feel. If you feel good and have energy don't eat them back. - Listen to your body.

If you'r hungry - eat....just make sure you eat something good (lean protean, veggies or fruit).

I didn't eat them back and didn't experience starvation mode - beware of blanket statements about starvation mode.

ucandanz01

Thanks for all the feedback - the link provided me a lot of info:

http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

Cheers!
Lee

Riemersma4

I have been losing, on average, about 1.5 lbs per week. I have my goal set for 1. I eat ALL of my exercise calories back as my goals have already 'built in' the calorie deficit.

You MUST 'feed the beast' if you want to lose weight and change your fitness.

Work out hard (weight training and cardio)
Make sure that you get enough quality fuel.

It is easy to starve your body. It does NOT like that and will shut down/slow down and frustrate your progress.

EAT BACK ALL OF YOUR EXERCISE CALORIES. If you want to lose more and faster, adjust your goals and let MFP calculate.

BTW, no one in the fitness industry recommends more than 2 lbs per week for any duration.

Good luck!

XDiet_SlayerX

I would not eat them back if I were you for weight loss. You will get better results that way.

Mama_Jag

Bonus calories taste better. True story.

stu236

I tried this theory out and did 6 weeks NOT eating them back and then 6 weeks eating them back, I stuck to it religiously and gained
back everything I lost originally, so it doesn't work for me. However, as we are all different it might work for some and not others.

I think the important thing is to find what works for yourself and stick with that.

1 - MFP builds in a deficit to begin with, but if you really just want to have a set singular goal to reach every day go here:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/717565-in-place-of-a-road-map
Look around and find the TDEE and BMR calculators (they really have made it easy to figure out on the spreadsheet). Otherwise get yourself a HRM if you don't already have one.

2 - by under fueling your body can sap your energy making you lethargic. This means that with you can't meet your maximum potential when doing just about anything, especially exercise.

3 - Changing your diet and exercise program or goals for 1 week as an evaluation method doesn't really prove anything. Anything you change requires your body to make adjustments and regulate. It takes 4 - 6 weeks to prove out a change in caloric goals. The goal isn't to figure out what works right now, the goal is to find maximum efficency over the long term.

As I said, I tried both ways over a 6week period each and it doesn't work for me. I do have a long term plan and that is to lose the excess weight I am carrying in a healthy way for me. However, when I was eating the exercise calories back I constantly felt like I had over-eaten and was eating for the sake of it which is what got me here in the first place. I'm not for one minute saying what is right or wrong as I have no right or qualifications to make that assumption but I do feel qualified to know what works for me.

As I stated earlier, we are all different and what works for one doesn't always work for another. We all have to find our own individual ways of acheiving our goals.

cubbies77

What works for me is to eat some of them back. If my net calories are under my BMR (1500), I eat enough to get back over that. If I end up over 1500, then I don't eat any back unless I feel hungry (not craving food, actually hungry).

I always look at my weekly calories, and I've found that if I have a couple days where I'm low, they're balanced out by days where I eat a bit more (usually the day after weights; I'm always SO hungry that day). That's another reason I don't eat all of them back every single time; I like to keep them in the bank for a higher-calorie day. As long as I'm at or above 1500 but below 1900, I'm golden. My average calories at the end of the week tend to be right on the 1820 mark.

krickeyuu

I approached this a little bit differently. I started out by calculaing maintenance TDEE for my GOAL weight, sedentary (I have a desk job and don't do a lot during the week other than planned exercise) which for me is about 1500 calories. My BMR is somewhere between 1190 and 1310 (depends on site). I just make sure that my "net" calories for the day are under 1500 but over 1300 most days. To do that, I have to eat back most of my exercise calories. Not eating back calories might work short term if you have a lot of weight to lose, but when you only have 20 lbs to lose, it puts you at too great a deficit. I have lost 21 lbs and dropped from a size 12 to a size 6.