Eating back calories

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chrispmeeks
chrispmeeks Posts: 14
in Food and Nutrition
I fulfill my food diary and eat the amount I am supposed to for example 1660 calories, I then go ride the bike and burn 370 calories.

Am i supposed to eat back the 370 to put me at the 1660 or do i embrace the deficit?

Replies

  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
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    I usually embrace the deficit unless I'm either really truly starving or I do it everyday for days and days creating a huge extra deficit that needs to be made up.

    That said, 1660 calories is an awfully low amount for a man to be consuming to start with so I'd say eat them.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    I fulfill my food diary and eat the amount I am supposed to for example 1660 calories, I then go ride the bike and burn 370 calories.

    Am i supposed to eat back the 370 to put me at the 1660 or do i embrace the deficit?

    Depends. If you figured exercise in when you calculated your daily calorie goal (as most TDEE calculators do), then no you don't need to eat them back. If you didn't account for them when calculatring your daily goal (this is how most BMR calculators work, and how most people use MFP), then yes you should be eating them back.

    There is also the common sense approach... eating 1660 cals, then burning 370 puts you down around 1300 cals daily, which is too low for most people on a long term basis. Short term is fine, but long term you'll likely see negative side effects.
  • chrispmeeks
    chrispmeeks Posts: 14
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    I used the calculator on here to burn 1.5 lbs a day, with a sedentary lifestyle (desk job) with a goal of working out 3x a week for 45 minutes and it told me 1660 calories. I am also doing 20-40 pushups a day (i know not much)

    I also use a preworkout drink (C4 by cellucor)
  • derek2680
    derek2680 Posts: 48 Member
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    You programmed it to loss 1.5 lbs a day? I am assuming you mean per week.......
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    Yes, you should be eating them back.
  • JenniferMary_9169
    JenniferMary_9169 Posts: 164
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12


    I recommend checking out this thread. He really lays out the whole math behind determining what you should be eating for calories.
  • mumtoonegirl
    mumtoonegirl Posts: 586 Member
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    I don't eat them all back, example today I am at 1500 calories, I am balanced in all my levels, have all my post workout proteins and I will be well under considering my workout today. I could never consume 2000 calories and eat clean and gluten free....
  • JanaCanada
    JanaCanada Posts: 917 Member
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    You have to do what's right for you, and sometimes that means experimenting.

    I followed the "roadmap" but gained weight eating back exercise calories, then plateaued for a month. When I went back to what I was doing when I first joined MFP (NOT eating back exercise calories), I started losing again.

    I believe the "roadmap" advice works for some people.....just not for me. Do what works. If you're hungry, eat some of your exercise calories. If not, save them.

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