Do you eat your excercise calories back?

cwolfman13

What is the TDEE? Thanks

TDEE - Total Daily Energy Expenditure. One way to determine your calorie goal is the TDEE method. You figure out your TDEE (maintenance level of calories) estimate based on a calculator like this:

http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

...and you deduct some percentage from your TDEE...generally 5%, 10%, 15%, or 20% for weight loss. Your TDEE calculation includes all activity, including exercise. Keep in mind that nothing is set in stone...these calculators are designed to give you a starting point, they aren't the be all end all and you'll have to fiddle with your numbers a bit as you go along.

MFP uses your NEAT rather than your TDEE...otherwise known as the NEAT method (Non Exercise Activity Thermogensis). Using the NEAT method, a calculator such as MFP will calculate a calorie goal based on your activity level WITHOUT exercise. This is often an easier approach for people who are not set into a workout routine...who frequently miss workouts...who have calorie burns all over the map because they are inconsistent in their workouts, etc. The NEAT method allows you to log exercise as extra activity, thereby increasing your calorie GOAL (something to be achieved OP).

I used the MFP method for months and now use the TDEE method...it really comes out 6 of 1, half dozen of the other..here's an example for me.

MFP calorie goal for 1 Lb per week loss - 1750 calories
Avg calorie burn per day - 300 calories

Gross calories (1750 + 300) = 2050 (net is still 1750)

TDEE method...

TDEE - 2525

TDEE - 20% = 2020 calories

MFP calorie goal (added exercise) = 2050 (1 Lb per week loss)
TDEE calorie goal (exercise included in formula) = 2020 (1 Lb per week loss)

As you can see...6 of 1. Most people who have issue losing when they eat to their GOAL calories; 1. overestimate burn and underestimate intake...there are no magic, special snow flakes...this is basic science and mathematics. Exceptions would be 1.) medical condition, 2.) medication interference with metabolism, 3.) someone who's crash dieted so often that they've completely jacked their metabolism.

MommaKit79

Everyone's body is different, you'll have to experiment with yours to see if you lose weight better eating back the exercise calories or not. Give it two weeks and see if there's significant improvement, if not then move on.

Who cares about how many pounds you've lost? What about your size: have your measurements stayed the same or are you smaller? You could have lost fat and gained muscle leaving the scale to tell you there's little progress.

^This^ It depends on your individual goals and what works better for you. Some days i eat back my calories and others I dont. But, Lately, I have been eating them back and I havent lost nearly what I was before, when I wasnt eating them back. At least I havent really gained tho. Increaseing protein is a good idea too.

And, totally agree with the measurements. You may be losing the "weight" but, gaining it back with more muscle. Remember, a cubic foot of muscle weights more then a cubic foot of fat. :-) The scale can be SOOOO diceiving...take your mesaurements and see how that adds up. I usually measure every 4 weeks.

GracefulDancer4Christ

I ea the 15% of my tdee cut so I do not eat the exercise calories back.

meeper123

I eat back all i can but i can never eat them all lol

sheep_dog

Yes I do, and you're supposed to - MFP already adjusts your caloric eating to your weight loss plan, and what's safe for you. If you only eat 1200 calories a day, and exercise 300 off , 900 calories a day isn't good. I eat about 1500 calories, exercise 300 off, so that my net is 1200 to safely lose 2 lbs a week. (That's what I did do, last time when I lost 25 lbs in about 2 and a half months).

I know it feels weird like "why even exercise then, why not just eat 1200 and do no exercise?" The answer is exercising isn't just for caloric loss, it helps build your endurance, time you up a bit so your end look is better, and makes you feel better ^.^

Hope that helps!

ldsnowden22

Sometimes i eat them back and sometimes i don't. I think it works out because i forget to log every thing in at times.

quirkyone1

I follow the TDEE - 20% method (though sometimes I eat at maintenance on heavy workout days if necessary). I do not log any of my exercise. Trying to eat back my guesstimated exercise cals and not eating enough on other days has failed miserably for me.

badbradclark

I log 50% of whatever MFP says should be what I burned for calories on any given exercise - then I plan on eating all of that back. However, about 1/2 that ends up being pre-, during-, and post- workout foods (necessary for those 40 mile bike rides). I tried logging and eating back 100% of what MFP said were may calories, but I didn't lose as much as I wanted.

I don't get using a TDEE number that would also includes exercise - unless you did the exact same thing 7 days a week. And that doesn't seem likely. I think it makes more sense to use a TDEE number that does not include exercise and then as you work out allow for more calories to be consumed.

Lauri524

Hi and thanks for your reply. Last year I took off 42 pounds through weight watchers and doing Zumba 3 times a week. A couple of pounds started to creep back which is what drove me here (tired of paying to lose weight!). I'm currently 179 lbs, 5'4". Weight watchers has my goal at 146 so I need to take off about 33 pounds.

Lauri524

Thank you everybody for such an overwhelming response! Now I don't feel so bad about eating them back! @Icehurts, you said it in a nutshell. If I didn't eat them back, I would be consuming 900, possibly 800 calories a day which would be too dangerously low. So I'm going to try the higher protein this week and see what that does. And while we're on the subject, I work out very early in the morning and try to eat breakfast when I get home from the gym (around 9-10am. I do, however, have to eat something before I leave for the gym and I'd love to know what everyone's eating for protein (other than protein shakes as I like to eat better than drink my calories!). Thanks!

Jarice12

what everyone else said pretty much. You are not eating enough to be doing so much. I use my BMR and TDEE, but I use them as a scale. I eat no less than my BMR requires and no more than 20% less than my TDEE. I have increased my calories yet again because I keep being told I'm not eating enough either. So, I have yet to see if this increase is going to help me through this plateau, but I feel healthier, stronger and am never hungry, unlike a month ago when I felt drained and exhausted. Instead of being so focused on eating a certain set number of calories and losing a certain number of pounds, try to eat healthy foods, plenty of fruits and vegetables, and protein, and focus on how you feel. I know it's hard; i'm trying to learn to do this myself. let me know how it goes...

oh and to answer your question if you eat at TDEE or less a percentage of TDEE, you DO NOT need to eat your exercise calories back. If you set your calories at BMR or BMI or whatever, you DO eat back those exercise calories.

Hi all. I've put myself on a 1200 calorie per day regimen. I workout 5-6 days a week which includes 3 days at gym with usually 30 minutes uphill walk on treadmill burning approx. 300 calories then 30 minutes circuit training. The other days I either hike or walk for at least an hour. I've been at this for over about 2 months now and managed to take off a measly 2 pounds. I am wondering if this is because I am eating my calories back after burning them? I figure 1200 is pretty low for me to begin with but everyone keeps telling me I'm not eating enough. I am wondering what the right thing to do is. I've been trying to switch it up by adding more protein and less carbs to my daily intake but in the meantime, I'd love to hear what others are doing.

da_bears10089

Thank you everybody for such an overwhelming response! Now I don't feel so bad about eating them back! @Icehurts, you said it in a nutshell. If I didn't eat them back, I would be consuming 900, possibly 800 calories a day which would be too dangerously low. So I'm going to try the higher protein this week and see what that does. And while we're on the subject, I work out very early in the morning and try to eat breakfast when I get home from the gym (around 9-10am. I do, however, have to eat something before I leave for the gym and I'd love to know what everyone's eating for protein (other than protein shakes as I like to eat better than drink my calories!). Thanks!

peanut butter toast was my go to, but now i have more of a primal lifestyle so i have a banana with a couple TBS of sunbutter.

kluvit

I eat mine back (at least within the week, as I tend to save some for a restaurant meal or dessert on the weekend). At one point, when I got "stuck," I even upped my base calories by setting my goal to 1/2 pound per week weight loss, and I actually went back to losing about a pound a week.

However, when in doubt I logged more calories on the food and fewer calories for the exercise to ensure that my "estimates" in my diary didn't derail me.

Best wishes in getting back to it!

CM9178

Hi all. I've put myself on a 1200 calorie per day regimen. I workout 5-6 days a week which includes 3 days at gym with usually 30 minutes uphill walk on treadmill burning approx. 300 calories then 30 minutes circuit training. The other days I either hike or walk for at least an hour. I've been at this for over about 2 months now and managed to take off a measly 2 pounds. I am wondering if this is because I am eating my calories back after burning them? I figure 1200 is pretty low for me to begin with but everyone keeps telling me I'm not eating enough. I am wondering what the right thing to do is. I've been trying to switch it up by adding more protein and less carbs to my daily intake but in the meantime, I'd love to hear what others are doing.

First of all, where did you get the 1200 calorie number? Out of thin air? Or did MFP actually suggest that amount?
For post people, that isn't nearly enough to lose weight. Your body is basically starving and is holding on to all of the fat. I would pretty much guarantee if you upped your calories, it would start coming off a lot quicker.

Lauri524

Okay, now I'm really confused. To CM9178, MFP gave me 1254 for daily caloric intake so I took it down some. BUT I just went to the site that has the TDEE calculator and I'm blown away by the numbers. BMR 1480, TDEE 2294, Daily Calories 1835 (20%). This seems like an awful lot of calories. I feel at this point if I ate anywhere near 1835 calories per day,. I would slowly start to gain weight. This is so frustrating

CM9178

Okay, now I'm really confused. To CM9178, MFP gave me 1254 for daily caloric intake so I took it down some. BUT I just went to the site that has the TDEE calculator and I'm blown away by the numbers. BMR 1480, TDEE 2294, Daily Calories 1835 (20%). This seems like an awful lot of calories. I feel at this point if I ate anywhere near 1835 calories per day,. I would slowly start to gain weight. This is so frustrating

When you setup your goals in MFP, what did you set your activity level at? And how many pounds per week weight loss did you set it for?
If you set the activity level to sedentary and the weight loss to 1 lb per week - then the calorie number MFP will give you will not include exercise. So for example, if it says you get 1254 calories, then any exercise you do, you should eat back those calories until you net 1254. If you included any type of activity in your MFP calorie goal, then the number they are giving you would include exercise calories and you would not eat any back.
Judging by the low number and the big difference in calories between MFP and whatever calculator you tried, I'm guessing you set it to sedentary but then also set it for more than 1 lb per week weight loss.

I think the best calculator out there is the Scooby Calculators - try this one: http://scoobyworkshop.com/calorie-calculator
The number it gives me is VERY close to the MFP numbers.