Eating back exercise calories

DairByNature

ok, well i tried eating back most of my callories & i put more weight ON, :embarassed:

Joehenny

You are supposed to be eating them back because of MFP methodology. As someone else stated in this thread, the way MFP calculates calories (which is way different than using other methods) is that your base calories are at bare bones levels. Yes, you are still at a caloric deficit and will lose weight if you bed ridden all day. You then "earn" extra calories when you exercise so you are supposed to eat them back. Other methods, such as using your TDEE, give you a certain amount of calories which is more per day than MFP, but those calories already take into account your exercise level, among other things. So you don't eat automatically eat them back. You do have to calculate your TDEE more often than MFP so you know if you should be consuming more or less calories per day or week when your weight changes or your exercise level changes. There's an EXCELLENT thread on here http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/750920-spreadsheet-for-bmr-tdee-deficit-macro-calcs-hrm-zones which includes a link to a download of an excel spreadsheet which explains all of this in great detail and also guides you through how to calculate your TDEE among other important numbers. It also explains that TDEE calculators and other numbers can/will vary. This masterpiece of which obviously took a lot of thought and time to do,and which I appreciate so very much, also gives you various choices of methods on the tabs and explains each method, PLUS it gives you a way to "tweak" MFP so that MFP will integrate nicely with whatever method you choose.IT answered so many of my questions, the "eating back cals" here was my number one question and concern and I never got a response to it. I guess the old hands here are tired of explaining it to the newbies.

One thing to note....ever play with your MFP settings? It's kind of a joke. You can say you want to lose 2 lbs per week, 1 lb or .5 or maintain, and it still gives you the exact same calculations. Never 2 lbs. Ever. Same as choosing Sedentary or Highly Active. Same. Iy doesn't matter at all so I am not sure what the point of even asking is. Now I understand why many of the most experienced members here and practically all the Personal Trainers and the Lifters say that 1200 cal sustained per day is unhealthy and also why they all seem to use TDEE.

Anyway, check out that thread if you are interested in this kind of thing. It's a fantastic tool, even if not well received by some.

Take care! .

Yes I noticed that too!!!

That's why I base my TDEE off the averages of 2-3 different caloric need calculators using like 3 different formulas. I use bmi-calculate then plug the numbers in here.

WaterBunnie

if your trying to lose weight. you are trying to get rid of calories not put them on. so dont eat back calories...

This doesn't work for those of us who could burn far more calories during exercise than we are given to eat some days. If you're already on a 2lb deficit you're going to really struggle to stay healthy long term doing this.

carolynbergen1

Here's the real question at hand. How TRULY accurate are you logging your calories burned. It's such a dynamic and involved process people eff it up all the time.

I agree 100%. Personally I always underestimate my exercise calories and overestimate what I eat by a little so i will have some wiggle room. One thing I've seen and don't do is when people log things such as doing light housework or cooking dinner. As a beginner at this I admit my ignorance here but are we supposed to be counting those things? I've always assumed that the only calories we were supposed to log were at least somewhat strenuous activities, at least the ones that get your heart pumping and breaking a sweat, whether it be from running, dancing,. step aerobics, biking, etc...or even yard work, gardening, etc...Another thing I wondered about....I can go on our treadmill for 30 minutes which is a Smooth with a heart rate monitor if we choose to use it, generally don't. But I'll burn just over 220 and I do a brisk walk or a race walk" or I will take the dog for a one hour moderate pace walk on a walking/bike trail here and will burn under 300..but then I'll see someone will list that they burned like 600 calories from playing Wii fitness for 30 minutes. That seems so far out of whack from my walking on a 10% incline at 3.6 mph and burn my pitiful 300 calories. I figure one of us is wrong here, but who?

Warchortle

I think people rely on calculators too much. It's something you can figure yourself out fairly accurately on your own just after a few weeks.

I know about 1800-1900 is my maintenance + cheat meals and not including gym exercises. I didn't need a calculator to tell me because I plateau around mid 1800s.

Warchortle

Here's the real question at hand. How TRULY accurate are you logging your calories burned. It's such a dynamic and involved process people eff it up all the time.

I agree 100%. Personally I always underestimate my exercise calories and overestimate what I eat by a little so i will have some wiggle room. One thing I've seen and don't do is when people log things such as doing light housework or cooking dinner. As a beginner at this I admit my ignorance here but are we supposed to be counting those things? I've always assumed that the only calories we were supposed to log were at least somewhat strenuous activities, at least the ones that get your heart pumping and breaking a sweat, whether it be from running, dancing,. step aerobics, biking, etc...or even yard work, gardening, etc...Another thing I wondered about....I can go on our treadmill for 30 minutes which is a Smooth with a heart rate monitor if we choose to use it, generally don't. But I'll burn just over 220 and I do a brisk walk or a race walk" or I will take the dog for a one hour moderate pace walk on a walking/bike trail here and will burn under 300..but then I'll see someone will list that they burned like 600 calories from playing Wii fitness for 30 minutes. That seems so far out of whack from my walking on a 10% incline at 3.6 mph and burn my pitiful 300 calories. I figure one of us is wrong here, but who?

things like house work should already be calculated under a TDEE adjusted to your BMR if people log it as exercise they're double counting it. They still eat responsibly, but they've technically gone over their allowance and wonder why they don't lose weight.

It's a concept of homeostasis. The body struggles to keep everything regulated. Normal activities the body has already adjusted to even if it is strenuous. I used to work overnights and being on my feet all night lifting heavy boxes isn't exercise, but I guarantee my TDEE is going to either be lightly active/moderate and not sedentary.

ladyraven68

There's probably been heaps of posts about this topic before but anyway, I'm wanting to know whether it's best to eat back your exercise calories each day, if it helps you lose weight faster (and keep it off) to eat them back or not to eat them?

Also, if it's best to eat them back, then is it ok if you don't do it every day?

Have a look here - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf

Gabesbabes

There's probably been heaps of posts about this topic before but anyway, I'm wanting to know whether it's best to eat back your exercise calories each day, if it helps you lose weight faster (and keep it off) to eat them back or not to eat them?

Also, if it's best to eat them back, then is it ok if you don't do it every day?

This.... :bigsmile:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

Thanks to everyone who's shared their thoughts on this. I found the above link really useful and easy to understand. It makes sense that if you don't eat back your exercise calories after a while your body will go into survival mode as you are not taking in as much energy as you are exerting. In saying that I think I will eat back my exercise calories but not all of them, just enough to alow myself a treat if necessary or so I'm not hungry, but not so much that I'm forcing myself to eat food just because I have calories left for the day.

ryanwood935

A few things to think about when eating back calories. Not eating back calories may leave you feeling overly hungry over time. If you are constantly hungry, you are more likely to kick your healthy habits and tear into some junk food to satisfy your cravings. One of the greatest things about working out is the extra calories you are given throughout the day! Eating them back in a healthy way sets you up for healthy habits after you reach your goal weight. You may have very reasonable self control, and this is a non-issue.

The further from a healthy weight you are, the more energy you have stored in your body. The closer you get to a proper body weight, the more eating at a huge deficit is going to hurt you, since there is less fat stores to burn. If you are more concerned about the weight loss in general than you are with your appearance, eating less is OK. You should probably take a multivitamin at the least if you are eating less than your body needs.

If you chose not to eat back calories, make sure you aren't cutting the calories from your protein selections. While eating on a severe deficit, you are going to likely lose more lean body mass than you would otherwise. You don't want to accelerate that by skipping your proteins. If you do. you may lose the weight, but you won't look any less flabby, since your muscle is all gone!

If you aren't eating your calories back, you should still spread your meals throughout the day. E.g. get some food in you in the hours leading up to your workout, and some more in the hour or two following your workout. If you work out at 8pm, your body doesn't have fuel to recovery if you ate at dinner at 4pm. No fuel readily available means some of the muscle you've been trying to build (to make you look better/more lean) is going to get eaten up to fuel recovery.

The too long; don't read? There is nothing making you eat those calories back. Will you thank yourself for eating them in the long run? Probably.

Joehenny

I think people rely on calculators too much. It's something you can figure yourself out fairly accurately on your own just after a few weeks.

I know about 1800-1900 is my maintenance + cheat meals and not including gym exercises. I didn't need a calculator to tell me because I plateau around mid 1800s.

Yes they are just base assumptions based off empirical evidence, each persons set metabolic rate is their own. Some people just have faster metabs than others, and some people have more needs than other based off their lifestyle. This is something that one must really tinker around with to get. I know some guys who are about 200 who can gain weight fine on 2700 kcals, while I know others at like 180 who need almost 3500kcals just to maintain! lol

bluebear_74

I just posted this in another thread but personally I think if you have a low net calorie and you're hungry, eat. I don't like this whole "starvation mode" thing when it comes to eating back your exercise. Sure if you're very low because you haven't eaten much (unless you ate veggies all day which are really low in calories) you're most likely starving yourself. However isn't the whole point of working out to burn some more calories? Why would you want to eat it back? Why exercise in the first place (though you do build muscle which makes your metabolism faster, not sure how much though).

I think it sends a bit of the wrong message to be eating (when you're NOT hungry) to get calories up. Isn't this how many people got here in the first place? By over eating (well I know I did). I can understand giving yourself a treat when you have low net calorie at the end of the day, just not eating for the sake of eating.

theseus82

I think different people will tell you different answers. I typically don't enter in my workouts for the full amount of calories. MFP exercise values in the database tend to be inflated in my opinion.

As a former WeightWatcher, I use MFP exercise calories in a manner similar to WW: I count about 1/2 of my exercise calories to my daily calorie goal. When I was a WW member, one earned 1 point for 100 calories of exercise, but 100 calories consumed was typically 2 points. Thus, WW essentially only gave you half of your exercise calories to "eat back".

Others have other approaches, but this is mine. I do think that the exercise values in the DB here are inflated, so keep that in mind.

Regardless, you need to eat at least 1,200 calories a day. But in my view, if you get moderate exercise, you do not need to eat back all of the calories, so long as you are getting well above the 1,200 limit. Generally though, it's better to lose weight slowly than to do a "crash" diet. The slower the loss--and the healthier the habits to achieve those losses--then the more likely you are to cement those good habits into lifestyle changes.

We all want quick results, but we're all in this for the long haul. Stick to a program that is tolerable, and exercise that is most enjoyable. I am not a proponent of the "no pain no gain" or the "Biggest Loser/Let's abuse each other to guilt ourselves into working out" approaches. . .

laurendisley

I think it all comes down to trial and error and what works best for everyone individually. I started eating my exercise calories back and ended up gaining weight! This is because I thought ohhh great I've got 500-600 calories left in my net today so I can have some extra greek yoghurt and fruit, plus some snack a jacks as extras and then maybe some soy an linseed bread toasted for supper, although I'd make healthyish choices to eat my extra calories back, the problem was I didn't actually need them, I wasn't hungry, I just used it as an excuse to eat more calories back! This is why I gained weight over the following month which really disheartened me as I exercise 5-6 days a week and eat a healthy diet. I only have another stone to lose to be at my goal weight and I feel as though eating back my exercise calories for the sake of it and because we're told to do so didnt help me even maintain my weight - granted my weekend treats didnt help but these were ok before i started eating exercise calories back, I was still able to have weekend treats and lose weight. This might not be the case for others but I find sticking to your calorie allowance helps with weight loss a lot more, and yes if after a big workout I'm still hungry because I feel my body needs replenishing more then I will eat a bit extra! But definitely won't eat them back just because I can. All in all.... if your hungry then eat, if not then don't, simples

khall86790

If you are following MFP's guidelines for calories per day, then you need to eat back your exercise calories. If you can't do it then try to eat back at least half.
If you are following the TDEE method, then you don't eat them back.

rogerbosch

I just posted this in another thread but personally I think if you have a low net calorie and you're hungry, eat. I don't like this whole "starvation mode" thing when it comes to eating back your exercise. Sure if you're very low because you haven't eaten much (unless you ate veggies all day which are really low in calories) you're most likely starving yourself. However isn't the whole point of working out to burn some more calories? Why would you want to eat it back? Why exercise in the first place (though you do build muscle which makes your metabolism faster, not sure how much though).

I think it sends a bit of the wrong message to be eating (when you're NOT hungry) to get calories up. Isn't this how many people got here in the first place? By over eating (well I know I did). I can understand giving yourself a treat when you have low net calorie at the end of the day, just not eating for the sake of eating.

This sounds reasonable, BUT…

llkilgore

One thing to note....ever play with your MFP settings? It's kind of a joke. You can say you want to lose 2 lbs per week, 1 lb or .5 or maintain, and it still gives you the exact same calculations. Never 2 lbs. Ever. Same as choosing Sedentary or Highly Active. Same. Iy doesn't matter at all so I am not sure what the point of even asking is.

MFP defaults to 1200 calories only if you don't weigh enough for the actual calculated value to be higher than that at the current settings. If you don't really need to lose any weight then it's not going to make a lot of difference how you set things up. But it can and will give you a 1000 calories/day deficit for 2 pounds/week if you're big enough.