Exercise Calories - do you eat them?

2

Replies

  • mamasmaltz3
    mamasmaltz3 Posts: 1,111 Member
    I usually eat most of them back, they are freaking delicious! And then I have more energy to workout the next day.



    ^^^^^ This for me too.
  • renitawalker9
    renitawalker9 Posts: 108
    MFP originally set me at 1200 calories net. I went with that because how would I know that was bad? Read a few posts and calculated my BMR (1214) and TDEE (1884 for moderately active). So now I understand eating 1200 calories is barely enough for survival and my body will start sacrificing muscle if I stay there long enough. My first week doing that I lost 4lbs and was not happy. My goal is to lose fat but maintain muscle... 4lbs was 3% of my weight (healthy is .5-1% per week) and most likely I ate up some lean muscle that week. My TDEE-20% is 1507 calories and TDEE-10% is 1700. I have MFP set to 1400 calorie net and I tend to burn 200-300 calories per workout 5x per week (according to MFP) so I'm eating most of those calories back to stay between1500-1700 calories each day total. Today 1576. Right in the middle where I want to be.
  • dsoprana
    dsoprana Posts: 4 Member
    If you burn 900 of the 1200 calories you're allowed, then you've only had 300 calories. At the end of the day, you're supposed to have retained 1200 calories so your body can adequately perform its normal bodily functions. So if you've burned 900 of your 1200, then you need to put that 900 back. That's a lot to be missing. I don't have that problem; my problem is staying within the 1280 I'm allowed, because if exceed my calorie count I may or may not work out. :laugh:

    This website helps me gauge myself so I know what I have left, and so that i don't feel guilty if I didn't work out but did stay within my calorie allotment. I do walk, mind you, but sometimes the eat/exercise balance race gets a little hectic...
  • GlorianEversea
    GlorianEversea Posts: 22
    In the early going this seems to be such a critical question. I absolutely believe that the science of calorie eat back is sound. But full eat back is probably only needed for those who are doing serious weightolifting. For me, I seem to get the healthy weight loss when I eat back about half the calories.

    I am a bit skeptical of the idea that you wouldn't eat back any of the exercise calories after days of vigorous work outs. I guess I would need someone to explain scientifically why that would work and be healthy and safe. When I was doing that at the beginning, I actually felt depleted and hungry. It was miserable....and then to find out that it wasn't even necessary!
  • meggonkgonk
    meggonkgonk Posts: 2,066 Member
    Yeah, I'd say your plateau is likely caused by not eating enough on a regular basis. I would slowly work your way up to eating close to goal maintenance + exercise calories and then drop your calorie goal to an MFP recommended deficit (so up to about 1600 calories + exercise, then drop to maybe 1300+exercise). I know it seems counter intuitive and you will gain a bit initially, but your metabolism needs to come out of emergency mode where it's trying to save anything it can in case food gets any scarcer.
  • kassiebby1124
    kassiebby1124 Posts: 927 Member
    I eat mine back some times and sometimes I don't. Like yesterday. I wanted to eat ice cream and my training session for work required me to work out so when I got home, I ate some.
  • kayla7jackson
    kayla7jackson Posts: 72
    Personally, before reading anyone else's response I will tell you that when I first started I ate my exercise calories, I thought if I was working them off what is the hurt in eating them. Of course I still got results at first because even eating my workout calories I was still eating less than what I was before I started MFP. I lost about 20 pounds and then stopped. The scale wouldnt budge and I didnt know what I was doing wrong. I started either not logging my exercise or if I did I just wouldnt eat them and let me tell you, I felt 100% better and I started losing again.

    If you feel compelled to eat those calories maybe give yourself one day to eat your exercise calories.
  • Druidor
    Druidor Posts: 29 Member
    I have a fairly low calorie target of 1450 but will do cycling at lunch time which will burn around 400-600 calories, I try to use them up as on occasion when I have been under I have felt run down the next day due to no energy.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,430 MFP Moderator
    Nopeeeeeeeeeeeeeee i never will whats the point in exersizing if you just eat your calories back if your eating really low calories like 1000 to 1200 it may be fine, but even then its tricky, If your eating like 1500 -1600 u should deff not eat them backk!1

    Don't say never. I can't tell you how many people think this and then when they get to their weight goal and realize that they don't have the body they want, their minds changed.


    OP, if you want a lean and tight body, you have to fuel your muscles to sustain themselves. Otherwise you will just lose a lot of muscle and be flabby. Also, with very little to lose, you should be aiming for 1/2 lb per week. Additionally, if you are regularly exercising, why don't you include your exercise in your lifestyle factor. If you workout 5-6 days a week, make your account moderate. Then you don't have to chase exercise calories. I will say, the majority of the women on this board that I have helped, are successfully losing at 1700-2100 calories and many of them stopped seeing success quickly at 1200-1500. I will leave you the below thread that expands on why you should eat back exercise calories. Besides, if you are going to follow a program, you might as well actually follow it based on it's design and MFP has you eat back exercise calories.



    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/729141-exercise-calories-to-eat-or-not-to-eat-results?hl=exercise+calories+psulemon&page=1#posts-10742097
  • tndejong
    tndejong Posts: 463
    i dont rely on the exercise calories mfp calculates. i have my calories set at 1800 as it is. i eat when im hungry or i dont. but even when im really hungry, 1800 is hard to go over unless im having treats. i still lose with 1800 and exercise almost everyday.
  • stamfordjules
    stamfordjules Posts: 26 Member
    My lifestyle is set to sedentary (I sit in front of a computer 8 hours a day!), for a 1lb a week loss I need to eat 1270 calories - I call this my basic. But, because I'm set at sedentary, for every bit of additional activity I need more energy intake! I track my exercise calories and eat them all back, anything else I do (housework, school run walk) I don't worry about tracking.
  • 21Jenny21
    21Jenny21 Posts: 53
    I did, and got to goal weight, now I'm doing TDEE because it makes more sense.

    What is this TDEE?
  • bunbunzee44
    bunbunzee44 Posts: 592 Member
    Yup I try to eat it more or less. just bigger portions or some shakes on the days I exercise more.
  • Annieapple12
    Annieapple12 Posts: 122 Member
    I do mostly but I don't force myself to eat every single one if I am not hungry.
  • agggie550
    agggie550 Posts: 281 Member
    I Eat 3000+ calories a day so that I can net somewere between 1400-1700, its awesome. The only thing I find a little difficult is making sure that i am eating 3000+ healthy, clean, benefical calories, and not just filling the calorie void with junk.
  • lanmagmega
    lanmagmega Posts: 5 Member
    I would agree,
    Please feel free to comment on my Mathematics :)

    We have 3 stages and related calories counts:
    1. Only regular activity, and you already setup MFP in order to lose weight ( let’s say 1200 cals)
    2. Fitness activity (it is body stress) let’s say you burnout 1200 cal
    3. Most important stage body recovery (muscles, heart, bones, etc) need good calories as well : protein, carbs, minerals, etc . How much, it will depend on activity type and the tense – and will last between hours to 18 hours ( lets arbitrary say additional 500 cals)

    Summ: we ate 1200 – 1200 (exercise) -500 (recovery) = -500
    *Without recovery I can’t improve fitness and as result can’t burn more calories and fat.
    So you end the day with (minus)– 500 calories, sound good. IT IS BAD!!!!
    We don’t eat for fun we eat because we need to sustain our lives.
    In case that you have calories deficiency your body eventually will be in stress and as result you may lose weight but it will be only temporary result since when you will start eat your body will be warehouse for energy in the fat form. Since In next stage body have enough food and energy however because of the previous stress in order to be prepared to next ( DIET- deficiency ) he will store fat as a part of self reservation process.
    I tried on my personal experience and it is how it works for me.

    I’m tried different combination and as for me I take about ~80% of daily MFP calories + what I burn during exercise.
    PS: My apology I’m not native English speaker. If some thing wasn’t clear please feel free to be in contact with me.
    “The slow way is a faster one”
  • caseybedingfield
    caseybedingfield Posts: 5 Member
    TDEE .. total daily energy expenditure
  • JoshuaL86
    JoshuaL86 Posts: 403 Member
    I think as long as you are eating your 1200 cal/day, then you have the choice of eating your excercise calories or leaving them in order to lose weight faster. Sometimes you can even save them up for the weekend. As long as you are burning more than you are eating you will lose weight.

    No, No, No...just no...

    2yu3sw37748.gif

    fast, faster, quickly, etc should never be used in the same sentence as the words weight & loss...

    *facepalm*, ignore this advice, pleeeeeaaaasssseee.
  • 2013sk
    2013sk Posts: 1,318 Member
    Sometimes I do, and sometimes I dont

    All depends if my little stomach is making noises or not....If not.....Nah!!!!
  • caseybedingfield
    caseybedingfield Posts: 5 Member
    I've been eating more calories than I have in months on this program. some of it junk and I'm losing weight, gaining muscle, etc. I wasn't eating enough, barely hitting BMR. Thought I was doing the healthy thing. Obviously not. My diet, profile is public. Was supposed to lose about 3 pounds by now.. close to 5. I might have to eat more because I'm surpassing the plan goals. I only want to lose 0.5 a week-to maintain.
  • JeSuisPrest
    JeSuisPrest Posts: 2,005 Member
    Eat above your BMR and below your TDEE. If you don't know what that means, do your homework. Google is your friend
  • meyes2201
    meyes2201 Posts: 21
    I like to save them all up and then drink 25 beers on Saturday...That's not bad right?
  • AlexhaGadol
    AlexhaGadol Posts: 1
    I 2nd that!
  • JoshuaL86
    JoshuaL86 Posts: 403 Member
    Hi, no I wouldn't eat all of them! Because to me I worked out hard for no reason!

    Bad logic. MFP sets you at a deficit to lose weight without working out. MFP does not trust you to work out, this is why they recommend you eat back your exercise calories. If you are set to consume 1200 calories to lose two pounds a week, and you burn 500 calories in a workout, and you eat back those 500 calories, then you net 1200, and you're still at a deficit to lose two pounds a week. So, in this case, your hard work out wasn't in vain because you actually get to eat MORE and still lose at a healthy rate and not risk damaging your body.

    Edit: I always ate 80-100% of my exercise calories back, and I've lost 115 pounds since joining MFP. Now I have my exercise figured into my daily caloric intake, this way I am eating the same amount of calories everyday, which, in my opinion, is better if you are disciplined enough to work out when you should.
  • LondonEliza
    LondonEliza Posts: 456 Member
    Here is why you must eat -

    Your brain
    Your lungs
    Your heart
    Your liver
    Your kidneys
    Your pancreas
    Your veins
    Your skin
    Your immune system
    Your speech
    Your hearing
    Your wanting to change the channels on the tv
    Your not being able to find the controller
    Your crossing the floor to try to figure out how to do it from the screen
    Your accusing your wife/husband/partner of hiding the controls
    Your walking on the remote in bare feet
    Your loud cursing
    Your eventually changing the channels on the tv
    Anything else I left out

    ..... this all takes fuel to run. Like a car engine needs petrol, diesel or electricity when it is in motion, 'uman beans (us) need a minimum amount of calories to function. Except we need it all the time, not just when we are hopping around the front room in agony cos we stepped on the sharp edged remote with our little tootsies.

    If you exercise, you use up your cals that your body needs to keep the engine running so you have to eat those to keep you in peak condition. So eating your engine ticking over level + your exercise cals burned keeps your body in tip-top condition and makes you fitter too. WIN.

    I currently eat about 2000+ cals a day and lose 2lbs a week.
    My ticking over level is 1280 and I exercise another 700-1000 cals on top of that which I enjoy every mouthful of eating back.

    You need to work around with the figures and find out what works for you.

    Some have to eat more protein to keep them fuller for longer.
    Some have to eat more carbs as they already have very active lives outside of exercising to lose the weight.
    Some have to take a serious look at their sodium levels

    Personally, during my TOM, I take my weightloss goal down to 1/1.5lbs per week because I get so hungry. Works for me and I keep on losing.

    Read the motivation stories in the motivation forum for the 'how I did it' accounts. They tell a consistent story of eating back your exercise cals.

    This is a great post on how (and why) to work out your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12)

    This is a great calculator to help you workout what you should be eating:
    http://www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc/
  • ackeebee
    ackeebee Posts: 1,042 Member
    I always eat at least some of my exercise calories. It all depends on how much calories I burn. My daily intake in set at 1460 and on average I eat about 1700 - 1900 cals a day. Some days I burn just enough to eat it all while other days when I have a very big burn I will leave some. I look forward to eating my exercise cals as I work darn hard for them. In my opinion it is my reward for all the hard work.

    The one day a week that I don't exercise I always go over my calories but it all balances out over the course of the week.
  • julesxo
    julesxo Posts: 422 Member
    Some days I do some days I don't.
  • julesxo
    julesxo Posts: 422 Member
    I like to save them all up and then drink 25 beers on Saturday...That's not bad right?

    LOL
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    i do not eat exercise calories back ...I have my MFP settings on TDEE - 25% right now ...which already factors in the fact that I work out 5 days a week. ...
  • SamanthaClarexo
    SamanthaClarexo Posts: 353 Member
    Yes I eat them. I never used to, because I was in mind set of "Why the hell would I eat them back?! Doesn't it defeat the object..?"

    But now I understand that even if I eat all of my cals back I will still lose the weight because I'm in my deficit still.

    I usually have my protein shake and a plate of chicken when I'm done x

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