"Eating Back" Calories

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2Relentless
2Relentless Posts: 2
in Health and Weight Loss
I'll be starting my journey on Tuesday (September 4th). As "practice", I've logged all the food I'll be eating that day, along with the workout that I have scheduled. My food diary tells me that I have earned x-amount of calories from exercise.

My question is: do I have to eat those extra calories? What will happen if I don't?

Thanks in advance!

Replies

  • itsuki
    itsuki Posts: 520 Member
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    If you don't, you run the risk of not eating enough.

    For example:

    I ran an hour today for 609 calories.

    If I eat 1200 calories, and don't eat back my exercise, I would net less than 600, not good!

    You don't have to eat all your calories, though, just enough that your NET is a healthy amount for you.
  • Jbearbarnes
    Jbearbarnes Posts: 34 Member
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    It is recommended to replace the calories used while exercising.

    Exercise can boost metabolism, so more calories are used even after exercising.
    More muscle means the body uses more energy even at rest.

    If I don't replace at least some of the calories, I find myself getting too hungry, which leads to unhealthy binges of quick, easy (unhealthy!) foods.
  • 2Relentless
    2Relentless Posts: 2
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    Thanks for your replies! I don't think I'll eat back the full amount...I just can't even imagine losing weight eating that much! But I'll add a snack to help. :-)

    Thanks again!
  • jesz124
    jesz124 Posts: 1,004 Member
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    If you continue to not eat them back you will probably be posting a thread in a few months about hitting a plateau.
  • ang3h
    ang3h Posts: 185 Member
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    I don't really trust counting calories burned to be accurate.. technically counting calories eaten isn't completely exact either but I think it's really easy to overestimate calories burned, so I don't eat all of them back. Usually I don't eat them back at all but sometimes I'll eat like half. I log them but I doubt I am burning 100 calories on a 30 minute walk with my dogs like MFP says!
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    Thanks for your replies! I don't think I'll eat back the full amount...I just can't even imagine losing weight eating that much! But I'll add a snack to help. :-)

    Thanks again!

    MFP is DESIGNED with the calorie deficit built in BEFORE exercise. When you exercise you increase the deficit even more. When the deficit is too big ... your will lose fat AND muscle.

    How accurate are "your calories burned" numbers? Some calculations (averages at times) can be as much as double. A heart rate monitor is the most accurate. You might start by eating 1/2 back ..... then see if how you feel. It's not hunger .... but fatigue. If you are fatigued, you need to eat more.
  • ScorpionReaver
    ScorpionReaver Posts: 56
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    Thank you for this topic. I was just asking something similar to this :)

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