Will I lose weight if I eat my exercise calories?

Sunlight2013
Sunlight2013 Posts: 53
in Health and Weight Loss
I was wondering if I will still lose weight if I eat my exercise calories as long as mfp says I'm under my calorie goal for the day? My goal is 1200 and mfp adds the calories i burn from exercise and I was wondering if I consistently exercised and then ate the calories it says I burned without going over that number.....will i still lose the last 6 lbs i have to go?
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Replies

  • fierceatforty
    fierceatforty Posts: 12 Member
    I have the same question!! Can't wait to hear the answer. Anyone?...
  • Faye_Anderson
    Faye_Anderson Posts: 1,495 Member
    Yes, definitely eat back exercise calories. And while you have only 6lbs to lose change your settings to "lose 0.5lb per week" 1200 is too low
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  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
    If you are following the MFP way then yes. MFP already sets up a deficit, which it calculates for you. And MFP does not take into account your exercise level, only your day to day life style. So if for example, if you are eating 1200 calories a day...work out 600...then you are only intaking 600. That is why it tells you to eat more. You should be netting 1200 a day at least.
  • DorisInTheDena
    DorisInTheDena Posts: 151 Member
    Absolutely! If you burn more then you need more. I don't eat back all of them, but at least half. Mind you, I exercise a lot.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Yes, definitely eat back exercise calories. And while you have only 6lbs to lose change your settings to "lose 0.5lb per week" 1200 is too low

    This!
  • witchy_wife
    witchy_wife Posts: 792 Member
    Yep, as someone else explained, MFP already calculates a defecit for you to lose weight. In my experience MFP can over estimate the calories burned for some things so I tend to eat about 70% of the calories back. But if very hungry I have had 100% of the exercise calories and still lost weight.
  • akaMrsmojo
    akaMrsmojo Posts: 762 Member
    Yes, in fact I think you lose more.
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
    It has worked pretty good for me so far.... I would suggest investing in a heart rate monitor (one with a chest strap) to get a better idea of your calorie burns. I wear a Polar FT60 and eat back 85% of my calories burned leaving 15% for error.... Best of Luck...
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    If you've only got 6 pounds to go you probably need a higher calorie goal anyway. Do you have MFP set to lose .5 lbs/week?

    I lost all of my weight eating back my exercise calories, so I vote yes.
  • alifer
    alifer Posts: 387 Member
    If you are measuring everything correctly and you stay under your goal then, yes you should lose. If you only have 6 lbs to go, you should change goal to 1/2 lb per week.
  • billie_2013
    billie_2013 Posts: 17 Member
    Definitly yes!

    I started 10 days ago and lost 4 pounds and counting! Eating back almost every burned calories (except the days I exercise a lot, when I do 95 min exercise, it's hard to eat it all!)
  • stephdeeable
    stephdeeable Posts: 1,407 Member
    Some days the only reason I do exercise is to eat more.
  • LokiOfAsgard
    LokiOfAsgard Posts: 378 Member
    Yes.
    If anything, you'll lose weight FASTER!

    Especially if you're netting under 1,200
  • Deanna_garnermommy
    Deanna_garnermommy Posts: 118 Member
    I am one of the "I don't" eat them back. I have tried and i just start gaining. Everyone is different. I have to be in 600 calorie deficit to lose weight.. sucks to me be!
  • JamieG8991
    JamieG8991 Posts: 1,203 Member
    Some days the only reason I do exercise is to eat more.
    Me too!! :smile:
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    Yes, definitely eat back exercise calories. And while you have only 6lbs to lose change your settings to "lose 0.5lb per week" 1200 is too low

    Agreed.
  • uwharriegold
    uwharriegold Posts: 39 Member
    Doesn't work for me, either! In fact, I think you'll lose, but lose slower .. and who wants slow? I eat my exercise calories only on special occasions.
  • kg4ulu
    kg4ulu Posts: 39 Member
    It works. Some days I eat most of them, especially on a day I know I'm eating out and trying to capture all the calories I know I'll be eating. Other days I eat only a couple hundred or just half. I also burn 700+ calories daily (6 days a week) calculated by my Polar FT4. I try not to eat the same amount of calories to keep my body guessing.

    I've lost 110 lbs (mostly on WW) and I've always eaten some of the calories or more back. WW says it's ok too. If it doesn't work for you try something else. It doesn't hurt to give it a whirl.
  • drhall1970
    drhall1970 Posts: 27
    I have wondered about this question all week!! Thank You all for your answers. I will start eating some of my exercise calories. Yay!! :)
  • jesz124
    jesz124 Posts: 1,004 Member
    I always ate back my exercise calories when I was on 1200 a day. I don't think I could of survived living on 1200 daily if I didn't eat exercise cals!!
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  • bazzerwidd
    bazzerwidd Posts: 5 Member
    I find it difficult to eat back my exercise calories so have found this post very interesting, might need to adjust a few things
  • FattieBabs
    FattieBabs Posts: 542 Member
    Yes I do and it is working for me. The only time I don't is if I have a dinner party or occasion coming up where I want to get into deficit for a few days to make up for eating more on the occasion day. As long as the cal deficits average out to lose 1 pound a week I am happy. I would find it very hard to stick to 1200. I tried but I was very grouchy and suffered from hair loss!!
  • marand94608
    marand94608 Posts: 67 Member
    I started here 7 weeks ago and have lost 11 pounds already following the MFP way. My settings are for sedentary and to lose 1 lb/wk, so I'm extremely pleased with the results so far. I decided I would follow this formula and see how it works before I make any adjustments a la the road map & TDEE. My base daily calories are 1420 but I exercise at least 400-500 cals per day so I'm eating 1800-1900 daily. I would NOT be a happy camper if I didn't eat the exercise calories back!
  • collectingblues
    collectingblues Posts: 2,541 Member
    Doesn't work for me, either! In fact, I think you'll lose, but lose slower .. and who wants slow? I eat my exercise calories only on special occasions.

    If it stays off, slow is better than fast!

    The things in life that are worth having are worth waiting for and having patience for. I'd rather lose weight slowly -- my goal is set at . pounds a week -- and have it stay off, than be tied to "OMG NO I CAN'T EAT THAT" for the rest of my life.
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,333 Member
    I also have been eating mine back and losing just a little and for the past few weeks not really losing at all. I'm starting to wonder. I think it works for some lucky ones out there..but for me? I don't think so. I want it to work..but it isn't. For me, the jury is out on this one. I think it is individual..and funny how people think what works for them is the only certain one way. not true.
  • S_Arr_Uh
    S_Arr_Uh Posts: 77 Member
    For the first few weeks, I tried to avoid a high NET because that's what my dysfunctional brain told me to do and I was miserable about a week into it! but I started eating properly plus most of my exercise calories (I try to leave an average of 200 calories left over each day to make room for error) and I felt better & I'm still successfully losing at least 1lb a week.
    So I think you should aim to eat at least 50% of your calories, preferably more. Closer to your daily goal in NET calories, the better :)

    I exercised away 1050 calories today, I've eaten 1167 already and I've still got 1630 calories left to my daily goal. Happy times.
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
    I have nothing to add here just wanted to see my ticker!
  • megsmom2
    megsmom2 Posts: 2,362 Member
    Yes! That's how MFP is designed to work! Read the FAQs, and there are several threads explaining this set up.

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