should you really eat ALL your calories from excercise back?

trudijoy
trudijoy Posts: 1,685 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm newish to this, and since reading the message boards have realised that the recommended course of action seems to be to eat back the calories you burn. I don't often eat all my calories anyway but i've been trying to push it up closer to the mark lately following advice from here... the issue is that when I work out etc and create another deficit that often leaves me in a position like right now, where it's 9pm and i have 1000 calories 'spare'after burning 800 ish calories today.

So what is the consensus? Try my damndest to eat them back, or let this be an under day and eat higher calorie food tomorrow?

Thanks :)
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Replies

  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    why not eat them earlier in the day?

    and yep if you're doing this the MFP way where you are using their calculated calorie goals, then you should eat back your calories, especially if you set your activity level as sedentary
  • trudijoy
    trudijoy Posts: 1,685 Member
    why not eat them earlier in the day?

    i don't like breakfast (but do eat something) and I have lunch - usually on the run though, and a salad, cheese and crackers, fruit, yoghurt etc = lunch. I don't eat a lot anyway, but am a night owl type and have always been a grazer through the day. i dn't want to eat too much heavier food during the day, it doesn't suit my work or lifestyle :)
  • melindenmark
    melindenmark Posts: 279 Member
    I eat them if im hungry, if you are not hungry dont force yourself to eat them. Listen to your body and you will know what to do :D
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    why not eat them earlier in the day?

    i don't like breakfast (but do eat something) and I have lunch - usually on the run though, and a salad, cheese and crackers, fruit, yoghurt etc = lunch. I don't eat a lot anyway, but am a night owl type and have always been a grazer through the day. i dn't want to eat too much heavier food during the day, it doesn't suit my work or lifestyle :)

    ok .. but my point was you dont have to wait until after you've completed your workout to eat those calories. if you know you're going to work out later then eat a bit more before the workout so you dont have to eat them all back close to bedtime.

    but since you're a night owl anyway i dont understand what the issue is? :huh:
  • trudijoy
    trudijoy Posts: 1,685 Member
    why not eat them earlier in the day?

    i don't like breakfast (but do eat something) and I have lunch - usually on the run though, and a salad, cheese and crackers, fruit, yoghurt etc = lunch. I don't eat a lot anyway, but am a night owl type and have always been a grazer through the day. i dn't want to eat too much heavier food during the day, it doesn't suit my work or lifestyle :)

    ok .. but my point was you dont have to wait until after you've completed your workout to eat those calories. if you know you're going to work out later then eat a bit more before the workout so you dont have to eat them all back close to bedtime.

    but since you're a night owl anyway i dont understand what the issue is? :huh:

    back in official routine from next week so i might be able to engineer it better because my workouts will all be late afternoon so i can plan higher calorie dinners on gym days I guess... the issue is that its a ****eload of food to be having at night and doesn't feel right.... i'm content during the day, ie not hungry, but only made myself start eating lunch about 6 months ago after getting out of the habit so perhaps i'm simply in the habit of eating morning and night and need to retrain.
  • graceangelina
    graceangelina Posts: 11
    I have the same exact problem. I wasn't aware that i would be setting myself back if i had a big deficit. really? Even if you eat high quality foods w. low caloric intake, work out consistently, drink water, and not starve. I thought if you can balance all that and do the whole calorie in vs. calorie out method you'd see results. Am i doing this wrong?

    (ex: MFP goal: 1200 calories daily, I can satisfy my day w. 1,000 easily (im always full), burn 400 exercise = deficit -600)
    this is not good?
  • WineMaiden
    WineMaiden Posts: 27
    I am really at a loss with this as well. I have my cals set at 1480, and if I exercise and burn off 400, is 1080 enough or do I eat some of those cals back??? There seems to be so much debate about this. :(
  • Lyzz6363
    Lyzz6363 Posts: 49 Member
    I was told by my Doctor/Nutritionist not to. I was told to only eat maybe half.
  • trudijoy
    trudijoy Posts: 1,685 Member
    I was told by my Doctor/Nutritionist not to. I was told to only eat maybe half.

    half of what you burn? i could live with that a lot easier.
  • ROBinALASKA
    ROBinALASKA Posts: 5
    Thanks for this post Ive been wondering too. I always seem to end up with 546ish net calories by the end of the day with 1380ish burned and 1700 left.
  • trudijoy
    trudijoy Posts: 1,685 Member
    Thanks for this post Ive been wondering too. I always seem to end up with 546ish net calories by the end of the day with 1380ish burned and 1700 left.

    yup... i'm pushiing it to get through my regular calories anyway, let alone the workout ones. Maybe I simply need to drop my fear
    of higher cal food.
  • Lyzz6363
    Lyzz6363 Posts: 49 Member
    Yes half of what you burn, about 100 calories extra if you burn 200-300 calories. If you only burn 100-150 calories I just eat them so about 100 extra if you workout. :happy: I seen some people get away with eating all of them but it does not work for me at all. I can only eat about a extra 100-150 when I work out, or I won't loose. Hope this helps :happy:
  • trudijoy
    trudijoy Posts: 1,685 Member
    Yes half of what you burn, about 100 calories extra if you burn 200-300 calories. If you only burn 100-150 calories I just eat them so about 100 extra if you workout. :happy: I seen some people get away with eating all of them but it does not work for me at all. I can only eat about a extra 100-150 when I work out, or I won't loose. Hope this helps :happy:

    Thanks! i used to do 1000 calorie burnoffs but my current lifestyle can't sustain that so it's more like 350-500 ish. Today was bloody 880. That's so much to eat back but if i only have to eat back half of it i can just add cheese, nuts, avo etc to things and be ok i think.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    "half of what you burn". so arbitrary. why not .67123 of what you burn?
  • trudijoy
    trudijoy Posts: 1,685 Member
    "half of what you burn". so arbitrary. why not .67123 of what you burn?

    thanks. that contributed greatly to the discussion :p
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    Try this
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

    Or this
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
  • trudijoy
    trudijoy Posts: 1,685 Member
    Try this
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

    Or this
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    cheers :)
  • Lyzz6363
    Lyzz6363 Posts: 49 Member
    I eat them if im hungry, if you are not hungry dont force yourself to eat them. Listen to your body and you will know what to do :D

    Exactly. That's why I said about half works for me, other people are different.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Theoretically it should be 100%, but I usually suggest eating 50 - 75% of your calories back to account for inaccuracies in the numbers and to take account of your BMR plus NEAT (non exercise calories burnt) already included in the base.
  • ShannonECTD
    ShannonECTD Posts: 203 Member
    Figure out your TDEE and subtract up to 20% that will give you how many calories you should be consuming based on your activity level. There will be no more "should i eat my exercise calories back" thoughts once you figure that out... you'll just play around with that number till you find what works for you.
  • Lyzz6363
    Lyzz6363 Posts: 49 Member
    Yes half of what you burn, about 100 calories extra if you burn 200-300 calories. If you only burn 100-150 calories I just eat them so about 100 extra if you workout. :happy: I seen some people get away with eating all of them but it does not work for me at all. I can only eat about a extra 100-150 when I work out, or I won't loose. Hope this helps :happy:

    Thanks! i used to do 1000 calorie burnoffs but my current lifestyle can't sustain that so it's more like 350-500 ish. Today was bloody 880. That's so much to eat back but if i only have to eat back half of it i can just add cheese, nuts, avo etc to things and be ok i think.

    Yes I have noticed 300-500 range if what most people on my friends list here burn and most eat about half or maybe nothing. You can go by however you feel works best. :wink: I have tried the calculation crap on here, it never seems right or works for me lol happy:
  • brit_ks_89
    brit_ks_89 Posts: 433 Member
    for example my calorie limit is 1360 , but if i exercise i burn off like 600 calories , raising my calorie limit to 2000+, i eat about 1700 -1800 calories a day (if i exercise) i eat half of what i burn or 2/3rd - depending on how i feel . YES, eat your burn calories back. if i dont exercise i just eat 1250-1360 calories that day.
  • trudijoy
    trudijoy Posts: 1,685 Member
    Figure out your TDEE and subtract up to 20% that will give you how many calories you should be consuming based on your activity level. There will be no more "should i eat my exercise calories back" thoughts once you figure that out... you'll just play around with that number till you find what works for you.

    whats a TDEE?
  • MsBurnItUp
    MsBurnItUp Posts: 10
    exercise a lot, so to have the energy to hit the gym the following day I eat a couple hundred more depending on how hard of a workout I had. I lost -13kg in 3 months by NOT eating all of the calories. So even if people say ur metabolism slows down, I'd beg to diiffer. If ur trying to build muscle, it might be the case. But not if ur in it to loose fat. At least not from my experience.
    Good luck! :)
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Figure out your TDEE and subtract up to 20% that will give you how many calories you should be consuming based on your activity level. There will be no more "should i eat my exercise calories back" thoughts once you figure that out... you'll just play around with that number till you find what works for you.

    whats a TDEE?

    Total Daily Energy Expenditure - basically your maintenance or what you burn in a day.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    Figure out your TDEE and subtract up to 20% that will give you how many calories you should be consuming based on your activity level. There will be no more "should i eat my exercise calories back" thoughts once you figure that out... you'll just play around with that number till you find what works for you.

    whats a TDEE?

    Busted for not reading the referenced links! :tongue:
  • ShannonECTD
    ShannonECTD Posts: 203 Member
    Figure out your TDEE and subtract up to 20% that will give you how many calories you should be consuming based on your activity level. There will be no more "should i eat my exercise calories back" thoughts once you figure that out... you'll just play around with that number till you find what works for you.

    whats a TDEE?

    Busted for not reading the referenced links! :tongue:


    :laugh:
  • trudijoy
    trudijoy Posts: 1,685 Member
    Figure out your TDEE and subtract up to 20% that will give you how many calories you should be consuming based on your activity level. There will be no more "should i eat my exercise calories back" thoughts once you figure that out... you'll just play around with that number till you find what works for you.

    whats a TDEE?

    Busted for not reading the referenced links! :tongue:

    i actually tried to load one and it crashed my internet. might have been a coincidence, but hey....
  • flutterbye811
    flutterbye811 Posts: 86 Member
    I have the same exact problem. I wasn't aware that i would be setting myself back if i had a big deficit. really? Even if you eat high quality foods w. low caloric intake, work out consistently, drink water, and not starve. I thought if you can balance all that and do the whole calorie in vs. calorie out method you'd see results. Am i doing this wrong?

    (ex: MFP goal: 1200 calories daily, I can satisfy my day w. 1,000 easily (im always full), burn 400 exercise = deficit -600)
    this is not good?

    1000 calories is way too low to be eating on a regular basis. In my opinion, and seemingly the opinion of most of the things I've read, 1200 is even too low. Read the article links posted by other members on this page, it'll give you a better sense of where you should be and other message boards will give you good ways to supplement the other calories. :)
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Figure out your TDEE and subtract up to 20% that will give you how many calories you should be consuming based on your activity level. There will be no more "should i eat my exercise calories back" thoughts once you figure that out... you'll just play around with that number till you find what works for you.

    whats a TDEE?

    Busted for not reading the referenced links! :tongue:

    i actually tried to load one and it crashed my internet. might have been a coincidence, but hey....

    Weird - both worked fine for me when I just clicked them

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