Clarity on the Eating back exercise calories controversy

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  • NewChristina
    NewChristina Posts: 250 Member
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    I think the confusion is because some people lack math skills. I was a little confused about it because I've never heard the phrase "eating back your exercise" before. But once I learned my BMR and TDEE and did the math, it made perfect sense.

    agreed
  • grubb1019
    grubb1019 Posts: 371 Member
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    I think this topic should not even be allowed any more. If people don't get it by now they never will. New members can see it in old topics.
  • petiteLady89
    petiteLady89 Posts: 198 Member
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    I've tried eating 1200 calories and not eating back my exercise calories and I just feel very low on energy. So most days I do eat them back, but I've also raised my calorie intake several times. Once to 1300 since that is my BMR and this time to 1500. I won't always hit 1500 and some days I'll eat a bit more and some days I'll be fine with 1200-1300 calories. I'm just trying to do what my body tells me to do. If I'm hungry, I'll eat. If I'm not hungry, I won't. Either way, I am still losing weight (very slowly) and working on getting stronger and toned through five days of exercise.

    I don't have much to lose, though. Maybe 5lbs. So right now I am just trying to eat the way I should be eating at my goal weight. When I was losing 45lbs after each pregnancy it was much easier to create a deficit since I could eat more. I don't think the 1200 calories is for everyone. Especially someone who is over weight and taller. I am petite. 4'10 108lbs. So obviously my nutrition needs will be different from someone who is taller and weighs more.

    I'm slowly working up to eating at my TDEE. I believe it's 1700-1900 calories, but I won't know for sure until I go see a nutritionist.
  • Anna800
    Anna800 Posts: 637 Member
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    I have no understanding on all the calorie intake deficit malarkey but i know i have consistently lost 2lb a week my exercising and not eating back. I may somedays go slightly over my normal allowance by 50-100 calories but my exercise generally adds 700 or more per day.

    I looked at your diary and it says your daily goal after exercise is 3000 calories! I'm saying this in all politeness, but again it boils down to math.
  • OhKelsey1
    OhKelsey1 Posts: 139
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    I think people develop an unhealthy relationship with food/exercise/calories. There's a dangerous thought that all food is bad and all calories will make you get fat or not lose weight--therefore people think as little food/calories as possible is the way to reach their goals. BUT your body needs fuel and nourishment, so they're really only hurting themselves if they don't net at least 1200.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,401 MFP Moderator
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    On a side note, when i ate 1800 i couldnt get below 18% body fat.. when i ate 2600-2800 i cut down to 12% bf (current). And i havent changed the workout.
  • minkakross
    minkakross Posts: 687 Member
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    it's a hot bed because of people who think their way is the only way. I have done just fine without eating back my exercise calories and have tried eating them back only to gain or stall out. I know of other people who have shared that experience. I also know of people who swear they never lost a pound until they started eating their exercise calories back or stalled until they started eating more. I don't see it as a controversy so long as both sides of the isle can accept that we don't all have to take the same road to success.
  • mamasmaltz3
    mamasmaltz3 Posts: 1,111 Member
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    I'm new here but I've seen thread after thread regarding this and would like to understand why its such a hotbed topic.

    I'm working off some assumptions here because I don't use MFP to track my food because its not flexible enough for me. But if I'm getting the gist of it MFP creates a caloric deficit based on goals set by the user (it seems to be 1200 for a lot of folks). This deficit is to lose weight though diet excluding physical activity. MFP then recommends you eat back you exercise calories because they've already set in your deficit via foods.

    This seems logical to me. Is there confusion because MFP doesn't not explain the rationale behind this system? Again assuming, but if someone is eating 1200 and they are burning 400 calories a day they would only have 800 calories readily available to function on.


    This is an extreme example, but this type of behavior in competitions circles, mostly amongst women, seems to have lead to a rash of women dealing with extreme exhaustion, hair loss, depression, hormonal imbalances, huge rebounds (weight gain), cycles of binging, and metabolic damage. From what I understand stored fat is the last thing your body wants to access and simple carbohydrates is the first, so if your stressing it via physical demands and not meeting its need nutritionally your cortisol (stress hormone) levels will increase and cause your body hold tight to fat storage and even try to store more (because it thinks there is some sort of trouble coming and get into survival mode), but also start eating into the muscle.







    kiachu,, you look like you know how to minimize body fat and build muscle. What would happen to your muscle on a net calorie intake of 800?

    depends on how much you have to lose. if you have 200+ lbs to go you should be okay (maybe lack of energy though) but the less you have to lose the closer to your maintenance you should be eating or the % muscle vs. fat loss will increase as your fat stores decrease.






    I was specifically asking kiachu that question because obviously based on her pics she could not maintain her muscle on only 800 calories. Her body would have to cannibalize her muscle.
  • liss125
    liss125 Posts: 77
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    I think most people understand it. They are just creating a bigger deficit for a faster weight loss. Personally, I eat back almost all of my calories and still lose close to 3 pounds a week. This has always been standard for me as I have had to lose weight several times due to pregnancies, injuries and, frankly, just being lazy :) I don't log my exercise by MFP data, though. I think their estimates are way too high. I think if people are logging 850 calories for an hour of exercise, that may be why they are hesitant to eat all of those calories back.
  • lavieboheme1229
    lavieboheme1229 Posts: 448 Member
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    Oye! This drives me nuts.

    You exercise? EAT IT BACK! Simple. The end.

    The confusion comes in when someone logs dusting for 20 minutes as "Cleaning, light moderate effort" for 30 minutes, and it says they burn 200 calories. They eat the 200 calories and then say "But, I thought I was supposed to eat my calories back!" Yeah, if you had actually burned 200 calories, you would be golden. But you probably burned 60-100. If you had been running up and down the stairs, and vacuuming, and moving things, and making beds, and logged it for the right amount of time, you would be spot on.

    MFP CAN overestimate your calories burned, which is why people use Heart Rate Monitors (commonly referred to as HRM). I personally don't have one. I eat my exercise calories. I'm honest with the intensity of the intensity of my workouts. I lose weight like it's going out of style.

    FUEL YOUR BODY PEOPLE!
  • nataliesouth
    nataliesouth Posts: 6 Member
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    Hi, I'm under a doctors care and this is what I've learned thus far. You have to eat a min. of 1200 calories or your body will go into
    starvation mode and the next time you eat, it may store the fat instead of burning it. But at the same time I can't eat more than 1500 calories. For instance if I eat the 1500 calories then I probably will only lose 1/2 - 1 lb a week. The less you eat is better but
    you do have to eat in order to lose. I know that sounds strange.

    Okay about working out and burning off calories. I do track mine because you won't believe how fast the calories do add up so with this it has taught me to eat healthier. Now if you exercise first thing in the morning then you will burn off calories and fat from
    the day before. If you eat first and then workout then you burn calories and carbs that you have just eaten so you do have to make
    them up to reach 1200. I eat 6 small meals everyday and just about every 3 hours I put something in my mouth. Even doing this
    is hard to get 1200 calories in cause I feel like I'm eating all the time but I can tell you that I've lost 7 lbs in 2 weeks and I know I've lost inches cause my shirts are fitting looser on me. I'll measure in about 2 more weeks, I'm trying to measure only once a month.

    I hope I touched some of your question. It is still a learning process for me but getting easier. I know you don't track anything on mfp but give it a try, you'll see how calories add up and whether you need to eat more or less. Don't forget to cound any sweetened drink as well. I cut out sodas about a year or so ago but it was hard to cut out sweet tea. I'm like, don't take that from me. Well, now I'm happy to say I drink mostly water and I do drink sweet tea maybe once a day and sometimes less than that. Other times I drink half and half. I just don't won't to drink my calories. I would rather eat more.
  • Dahamac
    Dahamac Posts: 213 Member
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    I burn about 1,800 calories a day by bicycling into work. Yes, I treat the commute as more of a training ride.

    If I did not eat back the majority of my calories by carefully balancing my good carbs, lean protein, and healthy fats then I'd crash and burn. By that I mean that I would likely go into hypoglycemic shock (bonk) either at work or while riding back home.

    One word of warning, MFP does overestimate calories burned due to the general nature. I hit a plateau using MFP's calories and eating them all back. This was due in part to overestimation of calories burned and my body becoming more efficient at burning the calories, a reducing in BMR due to reduced weight, and simply the fact that one's body resists losing its stored energy.
    So as part of the ongoing stragety to break the plateau, I invested in a Heart Rate Monitor and now that I am getting a more accurate estimate of calories burned the plateau is breaking.

    I am now beginning to get close to my initial goal weight and will soon start focusing more on body composition (body fat %) rather than just weight. I desire to lose body fat and not lean muscle.
  • Julzanne72
    Julzanne72 Posts: 467 Member
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    My thoughts are this: I'm not going to eat when I am not hungry. I think the signals from my body are a lot more accurate than what people on MFP message boards tell me.

    Also, I feel that MFP way overestimates calories burned through exercise. I usually eat back maybe 100-200 of my exercise calories, but that's it.

    MFP does overestimate, that's why you should invest in and use a HRM when working out, so you can get an accurate calorie burn.
  • postrockandcats
    postrockandcats Posts: 1,145 Member
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    I think the confusion is because some people lack math skills. I was a little confused about it because I've never heard the phrase "eating back your exercise" before. But once I learned my BMR and TDEE and did the math, it made perfect sense.

    I don't know about math skills, but once I figured out TDEE, I understood what was going on and I've been eating back appropriately. I also use a FitBit.
  • lavieboheme1229
    lavieboheme1229 Posts: 448 Member
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    I think this topic should not even be allowed any more. If people don't get it by now they never will. New members can see it in old topics.

    amen.
  • lavieboheme1229
    lavieboheme1229 Posts: 448 Member
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    Hi, I'm under a doctors care and this is what I've learned thus far. You have to eat a min. of 1200 calories or your body will go into
    starvation mode and the next time you eat, it may store the fat instead of burning it. But at the same time I can't eat more than 1500 calories. For instance if I eat the 1500 calories then I probably will only lose 1/2 - 1 lb a week. The less you eat is better but
    you do have to eat in order to lose. I know that sounds strange.

    oye. I think you need a new doctor. Or at least a second opinion.
  • liss125
    liss125 Posts: 77
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    I have no understanding on all the calorie intake deficit malarkey but i know i have consistently lost 2lb a week my exercising and not eating back. I may somedays go slightly over my normal allowance by 50-100 calories but my exercise generally adds 700 or more per day.

    I looked at your diary and it says your daily goal after exercise is 3000 calories! I'm saying this in all politeness, but again it boils down to math.

    Yeah. I suspect you are overestimating how many calories you are burning through exercise. If you are using MFP data for exercise, it tends to be too generous.
  • liss125
    liss125 Posts: 77
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    Oye! This drives me nuts.

    You exercise? EAT IT BACK! Simple. The end.

    The confusion comes in when someone logs dusting for 20 minutes as "Cleaning, light moderate effort" for 30 minutes, and it says they burn 200 calories. They eat the 200 calories and then say "But, I thought I was supposed to eat my calories back!" Yeah, if you had actually burned 200 calories, you would be golden. But you probably burned 60-100. If you had been running up and down the stairs, and vacuuming, and moving things, and making beds, and logged it for the right amount of time, you would be spot on.

    MFP CAN overestimate your calories burned, which is why people use Heart Rate Monitors (commonly referred to as HRM). I personally don't have one. I eat my exercise calories. I'm honest with the intensity of the intensity of my workouts. I lose weight like it's going out of style.

    FUEL YOUR BODY PEOPLE!

    Well said :)
  • runzalot81
    runzalot81 Posts: 782 Member
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    Information overload!!! Help me out, Friends! I started at 140 lbs and want to lose about 10- but retain and refine muscle. I'm already very active. MFP put me at 1200 calories a day and I really think it's too low. I was down to 137 in less than a week. I weigh in again tomorrow and I think I will be down at least another pound. Sounds great but I really want to fuel my muscles. I'm also training for a half marathon. I also need to fit into my teacher clothes lol I'm really thinking about increasing my net calorie (I'm already overeating 1200 many days anyway) goals. What do you think? 1400 or 1600?

    Please, friend me and help me figure it out :)
  • astraldream
    astraldream Posts: 39 Member
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    I have no understanding on all the calorie intake deficit malarkey but i know i have consistently lost 2lb a week my exercising and not eating back. I may somedays go slightly over my normal allowance by 50-100 calories but my exercise generally adds 700 or more per day.

    I looked at your diary and it says your daily goal after exercise is 3000 calories! I'm saying this in all politeness, but again it boils down to math.

    But that explains nothing. If i am eating my normal amount not eating back all my calories yet still losing 2lb a week how is that bad? Plus if i was to eat all that i would be ill. No i am not good at working it out but lets be truthful, is my way workinhg? yes. nuff said

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