Eating you calories burned: do or do not?

I was wondering this myself. Bump.

Bump to check later; I had the same question.

You can eat the calories back. MFP already has your deficit worked in.

However, the calories determined is usually somewhat high. So, most of us will eat back a percentage of the calories, like half of 3/4 of them.

So, if you run and MFP says your ran burned 100 calories, eat back 50. That way you are fueling the body for the activities as well as accounting for the inaccuracy of determining exactly how many you've burned.

On MFP, the "net calories" you entered already includes a specified weight-loss goal at an activity level correlated with your job, so you can eat back exercise calories to get your net.

Some people, however, just set their activity levels higher for a week to incorporate the exercise they do, and do not eat back the exercise calories.

You can go about it two ways. Because I have a desk job and my exercise is not always consistent, I like eating back the calories because on days when I burn more, I eat more, and on days when I burn less, I eat less.

I don't eat mine back for the most part, if I'm hungry I'll eat some of them back, if I'm not hungry I don't eat them back. You should do what's working for you so far.

I'm sure this topic has been discussed, but I couldn't find a feed on it.

I just spoke with a nutritionist (luckily a free one since my job pays for it), and she swears by MFP, but doesn't believe in the net calories you gain from doing cardiovascular exercise.

A different nutritionist told me, in the past ,to fuel the calories I burn, just like MFP shows on your food diary.

My wife and I are estatic when we get extra calories to eat during the day and it motivates us to work out more.

I am on both sides, how does everyone else do with this or believe what is right?

Thanks,
~Steele

I plateaued at one point because I wasn't eating enough. The body does not dig that at all. You've got to eat.

I'm sure it depends on the goals you have. If it's simply to "burn fat" and do cardio, I'm sure that not eating them back is fine for a while to burn more calories.

My goal is more complicated: overall health and strength, and to achieve that I do mostly swimming and weight lifting and rowing, with very little other cardio. So I do try to eat close to my calories, although if I am not hungry and feel satisfied, I try not to eat.

Dont eat them unless you net under 1200. People on this site say eat them because MFP has a setting to grant you cals if you work out but nowhere else says you have too including my doctor and health and nutrition lady that does my bod pod. If you eat 1500 and work off 500 then eat 200...that is if you are sure you worked off 500. But whats best is, your body will tell you what works for you by loosing weight. If you are loosing then keep it up, if not, stop eating your cals back.

As another member said, the calorie allocation already allows for a calorie deficit to meet your goals. If you are burning more calories by doing more exercise (probably more than what you set in your weekly goal), you are entitled to those extra calories!

Having said that, I only eat more if I'm truly hungry and need more fuel for my body because I worked out harder that day. If I don't, I don't eat more, and that will take me to my goal faster. But if I need to eat to fuel up, I do! I find that usually on the days I work out extra, I do need to eat more than the other days but I still usually have a calorie deficit at the end of the day. Win-win!

Depends how you set it up. It is easier for some people to average their TDEE and create a deficient off that and others like MFPs net calorie method. I do both. I eat no less than 1600 and no more than 2100. 1600 on days of no exercise and a little more on days of exercise. I think that MFP does overestimate the calories you burn during exercise, but many people have been successful eating back their exercise calories. Pick something and then see how it goes is my suggestion.

I didn't eat back my calories. I hit minor plateaus from time to time but nothing more than a week or so without a drop. If you are trying to build muscle though you may need to. I really just wanted to drop weight. If you are honest about how hard you are working out it doesn't hurt to eat them back but if you think you will be tempted to say you burned 1200 calories washing your car just so you can go out and have pizza then it is probably not the right thing for you.

It has been MY EXPERIENCE that eating them back worked best for me. I found that I seemed to start burning the fat from areas that I wanted it away from when I started eating back my calories, but I also was only eating 1200 per day as well, so I was pretty much starving myself. After I upped my calories with some low glycemic foods like quinoa and sweet potatoes, and eating back my exercise calories, I not only achieved my goal, I continued to lose 6 more lbs before I found the right amount of calories per day that I should eat for maintenance.

I dont usually eat them back because I gain weight if I go over a certain calorie range. I do however have one meal a week where I am aware of what I am eating, but it is a 'cheat meal'. It is finally working for me after almost 2 years of trying to lose weight. The eat more thing does not work for me. If it works for you then do it. Doesnt matter what anybody else says, everyone is different. :drinker:

You can eat the calories back. MFP already has your deficit worked in.

However, the calories determined is usually somewhat high. So, most of us will eat back a percentage of the calories, like half of 3/4 of them.

So, if you run and MFP says your ran burned 100 calories, eat back 50. That way you are fueling the body for the activities as well as accounting for the inaccuracy of determining exactly how many you've burned.

This feels like good advise to me. I have found that over the last 2-3 weeks I have tended to run net calories for the week of below 1000; this actually appears to have slowed my weightloss.

If you look at my diary, you will see that I can still eat 2000+ calories a day, on some days, but due to the high number of calories I am burning through swimming, I am netting low and I have come to the conclusion that this is actually damaging my weightloss.

Like you said, they give you some more flexibility it what you can eat. Enjoy it! Don't worry about eating them all back, but I'd recommend eating at least half of them. Someone else suggested about 3/4, and that sounds like a good target to me. See how it works for you. Some people over estimate (or MFP does for them) the calories they burn or the calories they eat. So play around with it a bit and see what works. Also, keep in mind what you set as your activity level. If you were already considering your exercise when you set that level, don't "double count" by including them as both part of your activity level and your exercise.
Good luck!