Eating burned calories?

Are you really supposed to eat the calories you have burned off through exercise? I thought in order to lose weight you are supposed to create a calorie deficit? Doesn't eating burned calories go against this?

Replies

  • caubel
    caubel Posts: 9 Member
    I agree with you! I rarely dip into my burned calories. I think it is against the point of exercising in the first place.
  • lolly2721
    lolly2721 Posts: 56 Member
    Personally, I only eat my burn calories if I am really hungry and need a little something to tide me over. Otherwise I just leave them alone.
  • timd50
    timd50 Posts: 19 Member
    You don't have to eat back burned calories. Many people exercise to get a few extra calories for dinner or snacks or what have you. Eating back calories make the diet seem less restrictive. I don't believe in eating back because you never know for sure how much you actually burned.
  • I was also confused by this! I thought that was the point of the exercise.
  • TriThreat
    TriThreat Posts: 313
    I always try to maintain an extra 200 calories. if I burn 400, I don't mind eating back some of them, as long as I have the extra 200 at the end of the day :smile:
  • Spartan_Maker
    Spartan_Maker Posts: 683 Member
    Yes, you have to eat your burned calories if you are trying to reach your stated goal. If you don't eat them back, then you're trying to exceed your stated goal.

    For instance, when MFP tells you to eat 1,200 calories to lose 1 lb. per week, that's "net" calories. Therefore, if you burn 300 calories during an hour of exercise, you'd have to eat 1,500 calories to net 1,200 (1500 - 300 = 1,200). If you don't eat those calories back, then your net is 1,200 - 300 = 900. This means that you're no longer trying to lose 1 lb. a week, but more than your stated goal.
  • PayneAS
    PayneAS Posts: 669 Member
    http://shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com/

    The deficit is already figured into your calorie goal.
  • Mels707
    Mels707 Posts: 101
    Will your (scale) weight loss be slower if you eat them back? Yes. But you will retain more lean body mass and look better, even at heavier (scale) weights.

    Some people also find they don't see the maximum benefits of their workout if the body is not fueled properly. The comment about overestimating burn is a good one. For that reason, calculate your TDEE and subtract 20%. Eat that everyday regardless of exercise. That way your deficit is built in.
  • gpstrucker
    gpstrucker Posts: 930 Member
    This gets asked almost daily. The net calorie goal MFP sets up for you based upon your profile already has the calorie deficit built in. The way MFP is supposed to work is by net calories. Not eating back exercise calories increases the deficit already built in.

    Some people use MFP as intended and eat back all or at least some of those calories, other people don't. I do and it has been working for me. Everyone has to do what works for them, just make sure you are eating enough to fuel your body and be healthy.
  • kuger4119
    kuger4119 Posts: 213 Member
    Are you really supposed to eat the calories you have burned off through exercise? I thought in order to lose weight you are supposed to create a calorie deficit? Doesn't eating burned calories go against this?

    It's the invincible horse again! There are dozens of threads about this. Technically, the way this site is set up, you are supposed to eat back your exercise calories because this site focuses on the "net" calories. Because of the fact that different people are in different physical conditions, your actual calories burned from exercise may be hard to gauge and some people struggle to lose weight.

    The elliptical is the king when it comes to this problem. People will log that they burned 700 calories on the elliptical when the reality is they probably burned half that. Combine that with cheating and going 100 calories over in a day and you find out that you only lose one pound a month instead of a week.

    I've always included my exercise calories and I'm down 24 pounds in 25 weeks. If not for a few bad weeks where I was out of town and ate really poorly, and a few indiscretions at the dining table, I would undoubtedly be well over a pound per week rather than right at it.
  • PayneAS
    PayneAS Posts: 669 Member
    This gets asked almost daily.

    Heck, it got asked an hour ago and still a new thread was posted.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/686416-eat-calories-you-burn
  • Get_Me_Fit1
    Get_Me_Fit1 Posts: 194
    This gets asked almost daily.

    Heck, it got asked an hour ago and still a new thread was posted.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/686416-eat-calories-you-burn

    Its just confusing :s
  • bermequeen
    bermequeen Posts: 57 Member
    I do not like to eat what I have burned. I love to eat a little less than what is expected of me