I tried eating back my exercise cals and it's bs!

I AGREE, Lets say you burn 300 calories in an hour by MFP standards ( they over estimate) so you eat them back? Um what??

Your body may have already burned 100 of those ALONE naturally and the 300 is really 200...so you have just OVER ATE by 200 calories, congrats:)

My doctor laughed at me when I said "I'm eating back my exercise calories,and my trainer said it was the quote "dumbest thing I've ever heard"

You need a new Dr and a new trainer. Sorry but they don't know what they are saying. Everyone is different and if you're eating at maintenance you may not need to eat them back. If you're eating at a severe deficit you need to eat them back.

I AGREE, Lets say you burn 300 calories in an hour by MFP standards ( they over estimate) so you eat them back? Um what??

Your body may have already burned 100 of those ALONE naturally and the 300 is really 200...so you have just OVER ATE by 200 calories, congrats:)

My doctor laughed at me when I said "I'm eating back my exercise calories,and my trainer said it was the quote "dumbest thing I've ever heard"

You need a new Dr and a new trainer. Sorry but they don't know what they are saying. Everyone is different and if you're eating at maintenance you may not need to eat them back. If you're eating at a severe deficit you need to eat them back.

I'm curious what college you received your PhD from. Did you study nothing other than nutrition or did you toss a few other classes in there just for funsies?

What's your point?

That has never made sense to me. The whole point of exercise is the burn calories so why would anyone eat them back on purpose?

to properly fuel your body so that you preserve muscle instead of losing it.

Erm did everyone notice the post on page 1 pointing out that this entire thread is BS?

The OP's diary suggests that for the past 2 weeks at least, she's not gone over 1300 cals. Most days she's hovering around 1100 - 1200. She eats minimal veg, and a lot of processed food.

I don't think the reason it 'didn't work' is a huge mystery, really....

I call troll, follderoll.

^^^ this .... loads of processed food, carbs and LOW protein .... it's not a mystery why it does not work for you!!!!

I agree. If the minimum is 1200, I aim for 1200. If I exercise, I make sure to get extra protein, and if necessary I eat only half of my exercise calories. The exercise calorie calculator is a bit high I believe.

I don't understand why you are supposed to eat back calories! The entire point is to burn 3500 calories to lose a pound. I am an avid Jillian Michaels follower and I have never heard her say "Work out and then make sure to eat back the calories" . Actually, on one of her recent podcasts, she discussed the fact that when you work out, you should not just go and eat back the calories. I completely agree.

I wear a body media link and consistently burn 3000 per day. This is what I burn including my exercise. I do not eat 3000 calories per day. I eat 1200. I lose weight.

People can disagree, but the truth is, the only person that matters is YOU. If it works for you, then continue. The whole point is to see success!! I know I am!!

So you have a calorie deficit of 1800 calories per day? Of course you would lose weight. That's 12,600 calories a week. Just watch yourself. You'll lose weight but may have serious rebounding issues when you reach your goal weight and decide to eat at maintenance.

Is the goal weight loss or is the goal weight loss and maintaining that loss and being healthy. I guess those are the questions missing from the equation. I can eat 1200 calories a day when my BMR is over 1300 calories and I would lose weight like gangbusters, but I would lose bone density, muscle tissue, fluid, my metabolism will be begin to adapt and slow to a crawl, and my hormones would get unbalanced, and then I would have to deal with rebounding and my metabolism immediately trying to store fat with ANY food I intake in order to survive my self inflicted sense famine. Its a creeping storm.

Again, MFP ADDS THE DEFICIT FOR YOU WITH THE ASSUMPTION YOU ARE NOT EXERCISING! Not sure why people are so unclear about this. Your deficit is there!

But apparently this has been beaten to death. But I'm new here and my mind is being blown. Here's is some helpful reading. There is a reason why Kirstie Alley is overweight..again.

http://www.burnthefat.com/metabolic_damage.html

http://180degreehealth.com/2010/11/metabolic-damage

i dont normally eat back my exercise cals but when and if i do i feel its my binge night..n feel horrible bout it until i wake the next morning.

So for several weeks I tried to switch it up by increasing my cals and eating back my exercise cals. Absolutely DID NOT work! I am no back to sticking at 1200 cals whether I work out or not and almost immediately noticed the scale going down! I knew eating more to lose weight sounded too good to be true. Here's what works: eat less, move more. Period.

it's been the same for me, too.
I could be wrong, but I think the other way, "eat back calories" is maybe more geared for ppl who are lifting weights, body builders, atheletes, etc, who have primary goal of adding muscle, bulking up, gaining strength, etc.

This is kinda true, but it's also just for people who want to "preserve" muscle mass as much as possible while losing fat. If you work out a lot and eat low calories, you are at risk for losing significant amounts of lean body mass. It's different for everyone, but most people lose some muscle when they lose weight.

The bigger the calorie deficit, the more you risk your body eating muscle instead of fat. If the ONLY goal is "weight" loss, with no regard for lean body mass, then low calorie diets are perfect. I think everyone should eat what they want, but just know that there are consequences for all of our actions.

Sedentary people, morbidly obese individuals, or those who have had gastric surgery are some of the groups that are usually okay on lower-calorie diets, but even these people should be under the care of a doctor or nutritionist to make sure they're getting adequate nutrition. :flowerforyou:

The only way it works is by doing SERIOUS exercise. if you jog on a treadmill or lift 5lb weights for 30 minutes aday it wont. i burn nearly 2000 calories a day. i either eat more or starve. beginner workouts =/= eat back calories.

:laugh: :laugh:

Actually, it only works when your numbers are correct.

I think its flawed to rely on people to meticulously log in their exercise themselves instead of using a general activity modifier and applying that.

1200 cal a day seems to work for me. When I eat the extra cal on exercise days I too gain weight. So yes I am sticking to the 1200 a day and taking things one day at a time.

May I suggest you educate yourself. Eating 1000 calories and burning 600 during exercise is not going to help you in any way. That's a net of 400 calories. How are you supposed to fuel yourself properly on 400 calories over 24 hrs. You need food to survive. I so sorry to be blunt but I'm worried about your health. Keep this pattern up and I shudder to think of what could happen to you.

DO this.
1.Find your maintenance caloric level.
2. deduct your weekly deficit and divide that by 7 (3500 cal = 1 lb)
3. Exercise and eat that to maintain the weight loss you calculated above or don't eat for additional loss. But
never, go below 50% or your maintenance or 1200 net calories unless you are under a Dr. Supervision.

And then stand on your head and wiggle your toes
Hold your breath for 77 seconds
Put your left foot in
Take your right foot out
Dance the hokey pokey 'Cause that really is what it's about

And then realize that all this crap is based on 100 year old mathematical formulas that started life as a hypothesis. 1200 is not some magic, all powerful number. People lose weight on less and on more. People can lose weight eating ding dongs and pizza. If you're losing weight, happy with the result and remaining healthy, go you. If you have doubts as to your health, see a doctor, have blood tests and what not, they'll tell you if there is something you need to worry about.

So for several weeks I tried to switch it up by increasing my cals and eating back my exercise cals. Absolutely DID NOT work! I am no back to sticking at 1200 cals whether I work out or not and almost immediately noticed the scale going down! I knew eating more to lose weight sounded too good to be true. Here's what works: eat less, move more. Period.

Except that it works for a LOT of people, myself included. I don't know why it didn't for you specifically, but if you found something that does that keeps you healthy, then good for you.

THIS!
When will people learn that their route to fitness has to be THEIR route to fitness? Sure, try different things, and see what works for you. But just because it doesn't work for you, does not mean that it's BS for everyone.
Good luck on your path to health and wholeness!

May I suggest you educate yourself. Eating 1000 calories and burning 600 during exercise is not going to help you in any way. That's a net of 400 calories. How are you supposed to fuel yourself properly on 400 calories over 24 hrs. You need food to survive. I so sorry to be blunt but I'm worried about your health. Keep this pattern up and I shudder to think of what could happen to you.

DO this.
1.Find your maintenance caloric level.
2. deduct your weekly deficit and divide that by 7 (3500 cal = 1 lb)
3. Exercise and eat that to maintain the weight loss you calculated above or don't eat for additional loss. But
never, go below 50% or your maintenance or 1200 net calories unless you are under a Dr. Supervision.

And then stand on your head and wiggle your toes
Hold your breath for 77 seconds
Put your left foot in
Take your right foot out
Dance the hokey pokey 'Cause that really is what it's about

And then realize that all this crap is based on 100 year old mathematical formulas that started life as a hypothesis. 1200 is not some magic, all powerful number. People lose weight on less and on more. People can lose weight eating ding dongs and pizza. If you're losing weight, happy with the result and remaining healthy, go you. If you have doubts as to your health, see a doctor, have blood tests and what not, they'll tell you if there is something you need to worry about.

WOW my friend...you are sadly mistaken if you think you can eat ding dongs and remain healthy. Losing weight is a calories in vs. calories out...that's a given. 3500 +/- = 1lb and that's a given. You can eat ding dongs and lose weight but the healty part will not be there. There is a HUGE difference is losing weight and being healthy.

May I suggest you educate yourself. Eating 1000 calories and burning 600 during exercise is not going to help you in any way. That's a net of 400 calories. How are you supposed to fuel yourself properly on 400 calories over 24 hrs. You need food to survive. I so sorry to be blunt but I'm worried about your health. Keep this pattern up and I shudder to think of what could happen to you.

DO this.
1.Find your maintenance caloric level.
2. deduct your weekly deficit and divide that by 7 (3500 cal = 1 lb)
3. Exercise and eat that to maintain the weight loss you calculated above or don't eat for additional loss. But
never, go below 50% or your maintenance or 1200 net calories unless you are under a Dr. Supervision.

And then stand on your head and wiggle your toes
Hold your breath for 77 seconds
Put your left foot in
Take your right foot out
Dance the hokey pokey 'Cause that really is what it's about

And then realize that all this crap is based on 100 year old mathematical formulas that started life as a hypothesis. 1200 is not some magic, all powerful number. People lose weight on less and on more. People can lose weight eating ding dongs and pizza. If you're losing weight, happy with the result and remaining healthy, go you. If you have doubts as to your health, see a doctor, have blood tests and what not, they'll tell you if there is something you need to worry about.

WOW my friend...you are sadly mistaken if you think you can eat ding dongs and remain healthy. Losing weight is a calories in vs. calories out...that's a given. 3500 +/- = 1lb and that's a given. You can eat ding dongs and lose weight but the healty part will not be there. There is a HUGE difference is losing weight and being healthy.

*chortle* "ding dongs". Makes me think of John Bobbitt, not sure I really want to know what a ding dong is and pretty sure I don't want one in my mouth

So for several weeks I tried to switch it up by increasing my cals and eating back my exercise cals. Absolutely DID NOT work! I am no back to sticking at 1200 cals whether I work out or not and almost immediately noticed the scale going down! I knew eating more to lose weight sounded too good to be true. Here's what works: eat less, move more. Period.

Well of course that works, you're starving yourself. If you're eating 600-900 a day NET because you're not eating yoru cals back, you're eating about what people who had gastric bypass eat for the first year. So DUH, of course you're going to lose. The difference is you're not doing something you can sustain.

I still don't understand why this concept is so hard for people to get! I totally agree with this poster I just quoted!