Why exercise if you're just going to eat the calories back?

sarah5893

Okay so i understand that exercising improves your general health and fitness and that it is important to do it.
BUT talking in terms of weightloss, what is the point in working out for an hour say, burning 500 calories if you're then just going to eat the 500 calories back? like myfitnesspal suggests
i tend to eat about the same on workout days because i feel like otherwise working out is pointless (again, in terms of weight loss)

thanks!

SenseiCole

I do the same, I hardly eat more than 1/2.

I do it coz this come for a quote "We can reverse years of damage to our bodies by deciding to raise our standards for ourselves, then living differently. Old wounds heal, injuries repair, and the whole system improves with just a few changes in what we put into our bodies and how we move them."


and


"If you did have a million-dollar racehorse, would you let him stay up half the night drinking coffee and booze, smoking cigarettes and eating junk food?" "Would you treat a 10-dollar dog or a 5-dollar cat that way? What about your billion-dollar body?"

dimsumkitty

MFP designs your fitness goals so you don't need to exercise to lose weight. So to go according to your plan you should eat calories back.

Reasons for actually exercising include wanting to lose fat rather than muscle (since muscle burns more calories), wanting better health (as you said), and wanting to look toned rather than skinny-fat after losing weight.

Edited to add: All of these benefits are still gained if you eat back your calories and stick with your original plan.

Not eating back your calories also risks accidentally having too big a calorie deficit.

Railr0aderTony

IMO, weightloss is best at a slow and constant rate. This being said, if you figure in your exercise and get your TDEE and then do a -20% from that, then no do not add back your exercise calories, but if you do it with the MFP settings then it is designed to eat back your exercise calories to keep you eatting above your BMR, if you want more information and knowledge about such things read this.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/943139-weight-loss-cheat-sheet-ipoarm

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/937712-in-place-of-a-road-map-ver-3-0

peachfigs

Working out builds muscle. Muscles need more calories to stay in their new condition, therefore you burn more calories even when you are not exercising. It's a win win situation.

xampx

Eating at a deficit alone, you will lose weight in the form of fat and muscle.

Exercising, especially strength training, will help keep hold of that muscle, plus if you exercise, you can eat more, you will feel better, the weight will come off quicker and you will be stronger for it.

If you exercise and dont eat your calories back, your body will eventually realise its not getting enough energy and will start clinging on to the fat making it harder to lose.

corsayre8

Because most peoe aren't happy with the amount of deprivation needed to maintain a 1200 calorie per day diet?

I always wonder why people have such a hard time grasping these when it is really no different that Weight Watchers Activity Points?

PrimalGirl

Finally, someone who sees things my way! I have NO IDEA why you're supposed to eat your exercise calories back - surely that just means you have effectively done nothing for your body except make it sweat?

I never eat mine back, which is why I eat usually 1500 calories a day and net out at around 1000. People tell me it's bad, but I eat at least six portions of fruit and veg every day, healthy amounts of fat and protein, so why should "the numbers" be wrong? I take multivitamins as well, but people tell me I'm low on nutrition, when obviously I'm not.

And besides, I can't eat any more than I do because I eat to satiation every meal. I'm not going to force food into myself just so some arbitrary website is happy.

PrimalGirl

SGSmallman

I set my goals myself rather than following MFP as they had me eating at way too low for my liking that wasn't A practical for a normal life and B not safe for my TDEE.

Give this forum post a read and set the goals yourself. I eat about 1850 calories a day on non workout days and about 2200-2400 on workout days My goal is to lose body fat not weight by dropping my body fat% and gaining lean muscle.

To speed your metabolism up work hard and eat at a deficit to your TDEE the link below will help you. or send me a message if you need advice.

since following this for a month I've lost a stone in weight but my lean mass has gone up body fat and inches have flown off. that is the overal goal i want to be fit not skinny

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/937709-in-place-of-a-road-map-ver-3-0

amy1612

Okay so i understand that exercising improves your general health and fitness and that it is important to do it.
BUT talking in terms of weightloss, what is the point in working out for an hour say, burning 500 calories if you're then just going to eat the 500 calories back? like myfitnesspal suggests
i tend to eat about the same on workout days because i feel like otherwise working out is pointless (again, in terms of weight loss)

thanks!

Say youre eating 1200 calories a day, and you exercise and burn 500, you are only 700 calories a day. If you eat them back you're netting 1200, which is still set at a deficit to what you need to eat to maintain a steady weight. Does that make sense?

Marigenous

Since MFP already builds in a calorie deficit and you need a certain amount of calories just to function, you should eat back at least some of your exercise calories so that you're getting a net of at east 1200 calories per day.
Personally, I use my exercise calories to allow myself to eat the things I want without increasing my net calories. For instance, on days I don't exercise I aim for around 1260 calories. Unfortunately though, that isn't enough calories to always keep me full and doesn't allow a lot of wiggle room to allow for calorie-rich favourite foods like frozen yogurt, spinach dip, or fancy coffees. So, if I want to indulge and have a 400 calorie iced caffè mocha, instead of sacrificing 400 calories of nutritional food, I can just burn 400 calories through exercise.

KarenJanine

Because I want to preserve my muscle mass and only lose fat.

Because I do not want to suppress my metabolism by working my body hard but not fuelling it well.

Because eating low cal long term makes my body rebel and makes binges more likely to occur.

Because this is a lifestyle change and I want a sustainable plan that I can keep up for the rest of my life.

Because I want to preserve bone density and cardiovascular health as I age.

pcastagner

This really depends on the question "how much".


How much body fat you have to burn
How much exercise you do and how intense
How much weight you are trying to lose per week


If you wind up running a huge calorie deficit because you aren't eating exercise calories, that's not going to be a good way to reach your goal of being and looking fit. Extreme calorie deficits lead to muscle loss, which means your scale moves but you are lowering the number at which you will look fit. So you lost weight but didn't get closer to your goal.

Your body doesn't care about MFP, or whether it's an exercise calorie or a regular calorie. It does care about the famines experienced by your ancestors, and tries to keep enough fat around to survive unless you can convince it that muscle is a better idea.

neandermagnon

MFP already has a calorie deficit programmed in, so if you eat the right number of calories and do no exercise, you lose weight

if you exercise and don't eat back your exercise calories, you can end up with a deficit that is too big, which can lead to all kinds of problems including: excessive hunger, binge eating, feeling tired all the time, feeling grumpy all the time, loss of lean muscle mass, loss of bone density, and if you keep it up for a long time, your metabolism can slow leading to your weight loss stalling.

The healthiest way to lose weight is slowly and steadily. Exercise helps to prevent loss of bone density and lean muscle mass, which can happen if you're sedentary even if your deficit is not extreme. Exercise has many, many other health benefits, although if you are not eating enough to support the amount of exercise you're doing, that can make your health worse, not better.

Also, change your focus from weight loss to fat loss... the human body can't burn that much fat in a week... big losses in scale weight are mostly not fat, they're mainly water and could be loss of lean muscle or bone density. And change your view of exercise... exercise is to keep your bones and muscles strong, and you need to eat enough to support the exercise, for it to work. The deficit you need for slow and steady fat loss is already built in to your MFP calorie target, so you will still lose weight while eating back exercise calories.

SGSmallman

Because I want to preserve my muscle mass and only lose fat.

Because I do not want to suppress my metabolism by working my body hard but not fuelling it well.

Because eating low cal long term makes my body rebel and makes binges more likely to occur.

Because this is a lifestyle change and I want a sustainable plan that I can keep up for the rest of my life.

Because I want to preserve bone density and cardiovascular health as I age.

YES YES YES YES YES!

We are changing a lifestyle of bad habits into something sustainable and not short term! make changes to fix your life rather than to fix your weight. a happy and healthy life will give you a happy and healthy weight

Rgtjax85

It depends on your goals. I want to maintain my weight and I do intense workouts. I burn as much as 1000 calories an hour in my workouts. I need the carbs, protein and healthy fat that come with those high numbers. Someone trying to gain weight may need to eat over their numbers. Someone trying to lose will need to eat under their numbers but all people need the proper nutrients in order to perform.

Xiaolongbao

1. I like exercise.
2. I like eating.
3. I want to look good naked and toned is so much more attractive than skinny but flabby.
4. I like to make other people feel inferior by slipping in to conversation how I ran 10k before work this morning.
5. It's an excuse to buy cool work out clothes.

haroon_awan

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/937709-in-place-of-a-road-map-ver-3-0

Read this!

mikeschratz

Because I want to preserve my muscle mass and only lose fat.

Because I do not want to suppress my metabolism by working my body hard but not fuelling it well.

Because eating low cal long term makes my body rebel and makes binges more likely to occur.

Because this is a lifestyle change and I want a sustainable plan that I can keep up for the rest of my life.

Because I want to preserve bone density and cardiovascular health as I age.

This ^^^^

NotThePest

Exercise is MORE THAN loosing weight. It is about keeping the body function at optimum levels and without physical exertion, you can't achieve that.

jdhoward_101

I exercise because it means i can eat more and still stay on a calorie deficit. Simple.

brevislux

So that you don't lose too much muscle mass.

BerryH

Because I'd eat my own arm off after a tough workout if I didn't, or I wouldn't have the energy to get myself off the sofa for my next workout.

sarahf3092

I enjoy exercise and want to lose weight.......

Problem I notice with some people on here is they seem to log massive calorie burns for some exercises when they probably don't actually burn as much (like posting 900 calories when i know its probably half that at 450)......if you did that then ate your calories back you would need to watch.

LivingtheLeanDream

bump for reading later

ilovedeadlifts

because exercise (lifting weights) makes my body look better.

its not just about under-eating to lose weight.

Frood42

Why? I love to cycle, I cycle to work (20 to 30 miles a day) and I cycle at the weekend (40 to 80 miles).

I aim for at least 180 miles a week, and I couldn't do that without fuelling my body, I would eventually just hit a wall.

Now that the weather has started to turn nice here in the UK I can extend my distance and start doing more than 200 miles a week, I couldn't do that and some of the hills around here without fuelling my body!

I don't go slow either, I push hard uphill and hard downhill, the uphills are worth it when you can do 30-33 mph on the downhill :happy: .

41nphat

Its not calorie for calorie. Food intake is differnt than exercise burned calories. Depending on what type of food you replace the burned calories will make the difference in your progress. Keep movin' on :-)

mikeyrp

Lets flip that on its head - if you're not going to do anything useful with that fuel, what's the point in eating?

RllyGudTweetr

MFP already has a calorie deficit programmed in, so if you eat the right number of calories and do no exercise, you lose weight

if you exercise and don't eat back your exercise calories, you can end up with a deficit that is too big, which can lead to all kinds of problems including: excessive hunger, binge eating, feeling tired all the time, feeling grumpy all the time, loss of lean muscle mass, loss of bone density, and if you keep it up for a long time, your metabolism can slow leading to your weight loss stalling.

The healthiest way to lose weight is slowly and steadily. Exercise helps to prevent loss of bone density and lean muscle mass, which can happen if you're sedentary even if your deficit is not extreme. Exercise has many, many other health benefits, although if you are not eating enough to support the amount of exercise you're doing, that can make your health worse, not better.

Also, change your focus from weight loss to fat loss... the human body can't burn that much fat in a week... big losses in scale weight are mostly not fat, they're mainly water and could be loss of lean muscle or bone density. And change your view of exercise... exercise is to keep your bones and muscles strong, and you need to eat enough to support the exercise, for it to work. The deficit you need for slow and steady fat loss is already built in to your MFP calorie target, so you will still lose weight while eating back exercise calories.

All of this.

Food is fuel. Do you put the same amount of fuel in your car knowing that you're going across town as you would for a trip across country? Yes, your body has fat reserves of some level from which it can draw, but it doesn't draw exclusively from there, and in the absence of enough food for fuel, it will pull from muscles also. I hope muscle loss isn't part of your fitness goal.

mazdauk

1. I like exercise.
2. I like eating.
3. I want to look good naked and toned is so much more attractive than skinny but flabby.
4. I like to make other people feel inferior by slipping in to conversation how I ran 10k before work this morning.
5. It's an excuse to buy cool work out clothes.

Yes! Except I'd put eating (and drinking) top and swap 10K for workout (Shhhh! I don't tell people it was 20 mins, its still a glass of wine's worth!)

You will see the benefits because the exercise will burn off the fat and build the muscle. And you will till be eating less than you need to maintain weight because of the built-in deficit in MFP

Or switch to the TDEE as mentioned earlier and eat more but don't take account of exercise.