Do you eat back your calories exercised?

SideSteel

Please see here:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf

BamaBreezeNSaltAire

Yep, every last one of them....30 lbs less later and 1700 at minimum daily. Eat up folks, it's good for you! Oh and look at what Side Steel posted.

laurenmanderson1

I just made sure that I was at a net of 1200 at the end of the day. I always ate back my workout calories and I lost weight very quickly.

2013sk

Sometimes I do.........Sometimes I don't........Depends how hungry I feel

Working out does make me really hungry......especially about 3 or 4 hours later

Isn't 1200 calories a little low......God I would be starving all day. I'm on over 1700 now. 5 ft 9.... Around 134lbs

2013sk

Yep, every last one of them....30 lbs less later and 1700 at minimum daily. Eat up folks, it's good for you! Oh and look at what Side Steel posted.

Way to go!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love the attitude!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OnMyWay2Me2

How do you burn 2000 calories a day exercising? Please give me tips on how to incorporate more exercise into my day. I walk on my morning break, afternoon break and at lunch.

imchicbad

no...because I'm not a dog, I don't treat myself with food

Angeloftheshore

I usually eat them back, especially when I am feeling tired or weak. Have to fuel the body and if I am already eating at a deficit I can eat them back. I usually leave a couple hundred cals I don't eat back just to cover any errors in calculating the calories in my foods. I am in no hurry to lose, I want a permanent livable solution.

RllyGudTweetr

I just eat a straight 1800 cals I dont eat back any exercise calories. I am less then 35 pounds from goal so that has me losing just over a pound per week on average

I'm glad this works for you. To me, this would seem like insisting $10 worth of gas is enough for the car every three days, regardless of how far you're driving.

keola64

On average I burn over 1000 calories + when I workout, so being that I've been staying between 6-10 % bf I need to replenish my calories or I will lose muscle mass due to the lack of fat, so being that my goal is to gain lean mass I have to be very aware of eating properly, its hard sometimes because that means I have to consume up to 5000 calories some days and close to 3000 on rest days, bit it depends on a the goals people have if weight loss is the goal then depending on how high of a heartrate zone you are in while burning calories you may not want to eat back your calories... Oh a big part of it is watching your macros ,which also varies per different fitness goals.

da_bears10089

i eat around TDEE -20% so around 1800-ish. That takes my exercise into account and i don't log my workouts anymore. My fitbit will occasionally tweak my numbers, but i still try to stick with the 1800

HotrodsGirl0107

When I was losing yes I ate back my exercise calories. My goal from the begining was to MAINTAIN as much LBM as possible. I have lost this weight one time before by eating 800 to 900 calories net a day and it put me in the hospital. I ended up gaining every bit back while I was trying to reverse the metabolic damage I had caused. I am now living with permanent health issues caused by my stupidity. Yes I starved myself and yes I was stupid. People can be delusional if they want but if you don't give your body what it needs you are only hurting yourself.

I lost weight the right way this time and have maintained my loss at 2400 calories a day (tdee). It will take many many more years to rebuild the muscle I lost while eating so little.

Mfp already creates a deficit based on your activity level (this is without exercise). When you exercise you are creating a larger deficit but your ORIGINAL DEFICIT IS STILL IN TACT. I don't know why this is so hard to grasp. Fuel your body and take care of it you don't do yourself any favors by under eating!

atheen

I have a friend who just met her weight loss goal after trying for about 7 months. She looks great, but I think she stays in that 1200 range. She told me she tries not to eat back her calories.

What have you done to be successful? I don't want to starve myself, and having a boyfriend and eating 1200 calories a day when we're constantly going to restaurants seems almost impossible for me.


The three things I do: If I go to a restaurant I take half of the food back home with me in a box for later meals. Everyone does it and no one thinks it's odd. Secondly, I allow myself to have some of my exercise calories like your friend does, but I try not to take more than 1/4 of them. If I don't do that, I end up hungry and my metabolism assumes I'm "starving" and slows down my weight loss. I also drink a glass of water first when I feel hungry or munchy; if I'm still hungry, I eat something from my snack list. I've added 3 snacks a day drawn from my daily calories so that I don't have to overeat my goal. Like you, also, I try not to go beyond 1300 calories when I'm being "bad."

JewelsinBigD

After doing this for a year I had to start eating my exercise calories- but I set my goal to lose 2 pounds per week and then eat back my exercise calories - it seems to work out though it is not fast. But then again fast doesn't matter- its not like anything changes when you reach goal!

da_bears10089

I just eat a straight 1800 cals I dont eat back any exercise calories. I am less then 35 pounds from goal so that has me losing just over a pound per week on average

I'm glad this works for you. To me, this would seem like insisting $10 worth of gas is enough for the car every three days, regardless of how far you're driving.

the body doesn't work on a clock like we do. I might workout a little harder on one day, then a little lighter on the next day so it balances itself out. Now on days like yesterday where i was clearing snow for hours, i'm not concerned if i go over my normal calorie goal.

andrewjuu

"Do you eat back your calories exercised?"

No, I did that for many years (and then some) and it didn't work out too well. So now I eat the same number of calories every day & I don't compensate by eating more when I workout. Maybe if I were closer to my target weight I would but for now, no. Cheers!

wizwitch

Thanks for posting this link. It really helped me understand it!!

beyondjupiter

I personally think if you are trying to lose weight and not maintain, eating back your exercise calories is a little counterproductive.

With that being said, if you are generally physically active and burning a lot of calories, 1200 wouldn't be enough daily, IMO.

Jen

RllyGudTweetr

I just eat a straight 1800 cals I dont eat back any exercise calories. I am less then 35 pounds from goal so that has me losing just over a pound per week on average

I'm glad this works for you. To me, this would seem like insisting $10 worth of gas is enough for the car every three days, regardless of how far you're driving.

the body doesn't work on a clock like we do. I might workout a little harder on one day, then a little lighter on the next day so it balances itself out. Now on days like yesterday where i was clearing snow for hours, i'm not concerned if i go over my normal calorie goal.

If you're eating at TDEE - 20%, you're already accounting for your exercise calories. I'm not sure why you chose my post to argue against the notion of doing so.

Apyl32

I do not eat back my calories. I've also learned how to make meals filling with vegs to keep my calories down. I am always under on calories so if I do happen to want a snack I can.