Eating back exercise calories? Yes or no

timetogetskinny515

I'm just curious to see what has worked for other people. I've heard that you are supposed to eat back your exercise calories and then I've heard that you aren't necessarily supposed to eat them back.

TrishLG

I say no. You exercise so you can keep the metabolism up and lose weight.
While exercise is suppose to get your head to a place where you only eat what you need,
it just does not work that way for me.
If I eat more, I gain weight, exercise or no.
Just track everything and see what works for you.

ladyraven68

If you are following MFP's calorie setup, then yes.

MFP doesn't take into account exercise when setting calorie goals, and deficts.

So, you and I could be the same weight, height, job etc, and MFP would give us both the same calorie goal for 1lb a week loss, by deducting 500 from our estimated daily calorie burn excluding exercise.

Now, If I just went home every night and sat in front of the TV, and you did your 1000 calories of swimming, our daily energy output would be very different, and you wouldl be expending 1000 calories than me.

to still get the same 500 calorie defict for 1lb per week you would need to eat 1000 calories more than me.

This will also help - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf

If you exercise a lot, and create a large defict it could actually be detrimental

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html

deksgrl

It depends on how you have your settings.

If you use MFP's recommended settings, then your exercise was not included in those goals, when you exercise you are supposed to eat them back (some people do not eat them all back because MFP tends to overestimate calorie burns). MFP sets your goal low, assuming there will be no exercise, then when you do exercise you need more fuel.

If you set up your own goals and included exercise in your calorie goals, then you would not eat them back.

Mokey41

I may be a special snowflake but I eat at 200 over my BMR most of the time. I'm maintaining my weight now (2 years) and I never eat back exercise. My weight stays the same regardless. I notice a difference in my muscles but not in my weight. If I eat back exercise I gain. I think you have to find out what works for you and go with it.

ILOVEFWANKWIN

I will say no. I recently got a BodyMedia fit and while they are not 100% accurate with the calorie burn per day. I've learned that at the sedentry level MFP thinks I burn 2200 a day just sitting still, but its not true. I burn more like 1900 with out exercise. I eat 1500 calories. If I were to eat back my exercise calories I wouldn't lose much weight if any. At my current size, I'm not willing to take the risk.

CoderGal

<- yes

Also suggest checking out the link ladyraven posted.

CoderGal

The default action of this site was designed for you to log your calories and eat them back. If you want to eat less then a weight loss site who notoriously eats less then what they should be, then go ahead, but there are alternatives that many times will get people over the humps faster, without nearly as much deprivation.

I will say no. I recently got a BodyMedia fit and while they are not 100% accurate with the calorie burn per day. I've learned that at the sedentry level MFP thinks I burn 2200 a day just sitting still, but its not true. I burn more like 1900 with out exercise. I eat 1500 calories. If I were to eat back my exercise calories I wouldn't lose much weight if any. At my current size, I'm not willing to take the risk.

Doesn't BodyMedia fit depend on a stepper? If you're not using it to move around then wouldn't the accuracy in the math be skewed since that's what it's based on?

I may be a special snowflake but I eat at 200 over my BMR most of the time. I'm maintaining my weight now (2 years) and I never eat back exercise. My weight stays the same regardless. I notice a difference in my muscles but not in my weight. If I eat back exercise I gain. I think you have to find out what works for you and go with it.

Unless you do this over a long term there may be many reasons this is happening to you. I initially thought the same way and then I read a little.

I say no. You exercise so you can keep the metabolism up and lose weight.
While exercise is suppose to get your head to a place where you only eat what you need,
it just does not work that way for me.
If I eat more, I gain weight, exercise or no.
Just track everything and see what works for you.

No, you should exercise to keep healthy. You should also eat for the same reason. And exercise is not 'suppose to get your head' in any kind of place that makes it so you mouth will only let you eat what you need as far as I know lol!?. And like I said before, I use to be in the situation where I gained if I ate any more, for many reasons, because I wasn't being healthy if you ask me. Now I eat more, stuck to it, lost weight, a year later the weight where I want it to be, unlike many of those on my friends list that ate lower, problem solved.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

If you're using MFP's settings, then yes. Caveat-- make sure your calorie burn estimates are as close as possible. Some find that MFP overestimates.