Burning Calories - But not eating them back!

dakotababy

Hey everyone...so i have read on the forum many times about eating back exercise calories. I have been using a new form of exercise lately, and I have been burning about 500-700 calories a day from it. I have noticed that I have not really had much of an appetite and I have not been able to eat back these calories. Is this important or no?

Mads1997

Hey everyone...so i have read on the forum many times about eating back exercise calories. I have been using a new form of exercise lately, and I have been burning about 500-700 calories a day from it. I have noticed that I have not really had much of an appetite and I have not been able to eat back these calories. Is this important or no?

It depends on what method you are following to get your daily calories. If you are following MFP calories then yes you are suppose to be eating them back. MFP has already created a deficit in your allotted calories. If you then exercise and don't eat them back then the deficit you are creating may actually stop you losing weight.

Lets say MFP gave you 1400 cals now lets say you burn 600 in exercise that leaves you with a nett of 800 calories for the day. You can't get proper nutrients from that amount of food.

JacksMom12

Depends what your goals are, and how you want to look at goal. With a deficit that big, you may be sacrificing lots of LBM.

dakotababy

I am set at 1400 a day, and I eat fairly healthy - I am pretty much eating the same as I was while doing low-cardio exercises. I am now doing high-cardio...but the meals are about the same. I do not physically feel hungry at all and I feel like i have to force myself to eat.

diliveslife

I think its fine. It all washes. Any day I workout I NEVER eat all those calories back but do eat some. Some days I burn 1500 cals and my reg intake is 1200, so eating 2700 calories is ridiculous and impossible unless I binged or? I have always done this and never seen it have adverse effects. That being said, the days I don't excersize I can almost guarantee I will be over because 1200 is just not enough for me most days (which is why I workout most days for extra).

mdepko

I never eat them back since I am still working on losing. There's days where I burn 1400-1600 cals, since I want to lose why eat them back? And like you, I'm not usually hungry. Do what feels right for you.

freelancejouster

Definitely eat more throughout the day or go back to lower intensity workouts. You're not getting enough nutrition at this current intake.

freelancejouster

I never eat them back since I am still working on losing. There's days where I burn 1400-1600 cals, since I want to lose why eat them back? And like you, I'm not usually hungry. Do what feels right for you.

There's harm in this. As a result your body is literally running on empty. It's just a step higher than not having eaten those calories at all. I don't care if you eat those calories back in chocolate, steak, or celery, you're starving your body if you're not.

The only time not eating back calories is beneficial is when following a TDEE-Percentage program or other program in which you're already accounting for those calories burned in your intake. And even then it's still important to be netting over your BMR.

snooj

I don't understand the concept behind eating back calories to be honest. I know my maintenance with exercise, and eat a bit less than that. I feel like trying to figure out how many to eat back is overcomplicated. You'd have to know what your maintenance is without the exercise, which there really isn't any well to tell while you're working out, and then know exactly what you're burning and all these calculators and monitors are off.

jaz050465

I don't understand the concept behind eating back calories to be honest. I know my maintenance with exercise, and eat a bit less than that. I feel like trying to figure out how many to eat back is overcomplicated. You'd have to know what your maintenance is without the exercise, which there really isn't any well to tell while you're working out, and then know exactly what you're burning and all these calculators and monitors are off.

A lot is trial and error. But if you are losing, you need to make sure its not muscle you are losing. Ther are so manynvariables such as how much you have to lose.

It's easy to eat back these calories if you include healthy high calorie food such as avocados, nuts and peanut butter.

jaz050465

I don't understand the concept behind eating back calories to be honest. I know my maintenance with exercise, and eat a bit less than that. I feel like trying to figure out how many to eat back is overcomplicated. You'd have to know what your maintenance is without the exercise, which there really isn't any well to tell while you're working out, and then know exactly what you're burning and all these calculators and monitors are off.

If you are eating based on 'with exercise figures' then you ARE eating back exercise calories. You are just doing your calculations in a different way. MFP sets your calorie target by asking for your activity level WITHOUT exercise which is why you should then eat them back. You are confusing two different systems.

snooj

If you are eating based on 'with exercise figures' then you ARE eating back exercise calories. You are just doing your calculations in a different way. MFP sets your calorie target by asking for your activity level WITHOUT exercise which is why you should then eat them back. You are confusing two different systems.

That'd explain my confusion, thanks! It's only on MFP that I've seen people talking about eating back calories. I don't use MFP's calorie suggestion because it was really low, and this also explains why it's low. It doesn't take working out into consideration.