Food,Net,Remaining Cals!?To eat or Not to eat back Cals...

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Trishkamama5
Trishkamama5 Posts: 26 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Ok, I'm sure this has been talked about before but I looked through a bit & couldn't find anything. SO.. Wondering if some of you could bring some clarity to this... Are we suppose to be eating back our exercise cals!?

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  • taylor5877
    taylor5877 Posts: 1,792 Member
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    if you have your activity level and calorie count set up properly, then on average yes.

    Doesn't mean you have to eat them back on the same day you did whatever exercise you logged.
  • fitQueenbeast
    fitQueenbeast Posts: 298
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    Technically, we are supposed to. I eat enough back to try to at least meet my net calorie goal of 1,200. Most of the time, I leave a nice little deficit even though it's already worked into the numbers. I change it up so my body doesn't get used to the same thing.

    Erica
  • Trishkamama5
    Trishkamama5 Posts: 26 Member
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    Ok. For some reason in my head it works out as a math problem & eating them back kinda doesn't make sense in the end. Lol
  • lauren3101
    lauren3101 Posts: 1,853 Member
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    You couldn't find anything in the forums about eating back exercise cals? lol

    Yes, you need to eat them back. Believe it or not, you won't lose weight by exercising like crazy and not fueling your body.

    MFP tends to overestimate calories burnt though. I recommend a decent heart rate monitor.
  • _Mimi_
    _Mimi_ Posts: 233
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    MFP has set your calories based on your age, weight, activity level, how much you wish to lose per week. The math is already done for you. I don't eat all the calories back because I assume the food calories are under estimated, and the exercise calories are over-estimated.
  • lauren3101
    lauren3101 Posts: 1,853 Member
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    Ok. For some reason in my head it works out as a math problem & eating them back kinda doesn't make sense in the end. Lol

    I used to feel like that, then I tried to see it as 'earning' extra calories. So, if I want a chocolate bar or a bigger dinner, I do a workout.
  • edge_dragoncaller
    edge_dragoncaller Posts: 826 Member
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    Ok. For some reason in my head it works out as a math problem & eating them back kinda doesn't make sense in the end. Lol

    I used to feel like that, then I tried to see it as 'earning' extra calories. So, if I want a chocolate bar or a bigger dinner, I do a workout.

    That's exactly how I've been looking at it. Workout = Reward in the form of Yum!
  • californiagirl2012
    californiagirl2012 Posts: 2,625 Member
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    You have to do what works for YOU. I don't. I don't believe the burn is nearly what they say it is and I base it on my over 30 years of experience trying to exercise away fat . Here is how it went for me NOT eating back exercise calories -->http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/740340-i-lost-60-lbs-at-age-51-anyone-can-any-workout

    You can't exercise away fat. You must eat less. Not eating back the calories will help you lose weight. Eating back the calories becomes a concern when you get leaner, but not when you have excess fat to lose. The fact is you WILL NOT GO INTO STARVATION mode if you have excess fat and you eat at least a few nutrients every day. Starvation mode is something that happens when you are a female under 12% and a male under 6% body fat.

    So eat back your calories and if you don't lose weight then stop eating them back. Your body is the end game, not the calorie tools.
  • rgrange
    rgrange Posts: 236 Member
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    LOL you couldn't find anything about this topic?
  • FitForLife81
    FitForLife81 Posts: 372 Member
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    Yup have always ate every last exercise calorie!!! I went from 21% + body fat % to now 14.5% body fat!!!!! MFP gives you at 500 calorie deficit without exercise so if you work out and burn another 500 you are creating a 1000 calorie deficit. I didnt lose my weight until I ate enough so for me it was 1500-1700 to lose weight. I maintain at 2200ish!
  • 1toInfinity
    1toInfinity Posts: 69 Member
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    . I just eat when I am hungry. I don't always log my food so sometimes I dont know how many calories I have ate. A few months ago I always logged and I normally ate back a few of them. I tried to make sure my net calories were 1200.
  • BamaBreezeNSaltAire
    BamaBreezeNSaltAire Posts: 966 Member
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    Click on the link and it will take you to several informative articles. Good luck!

    http://shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com
  • KrazyAsianNic
    KrazyAsianNic Posts: 1,227 Member
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    I felt the same way you do until I read this forum post.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/713460--eating-back-exercise-calories-simple-breakdown?hl=simple+eating+back+cals

    Mainly, you need to eat back enough so that you reach at least 1200 cals .
  • lauren3101
    lauren3101 Posts: 1,853 Member
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    Click on the link and it will take you to several informative articles. Good luck!

    http://shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
  • Coffeeholic8
    Coffeeholic8 Posts: 270 Member
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    MFP way over estimates the calorie burn so personally I wouldn't eat them back based on that. I use an HRM and I eat some of them back, to fuel the next days workout for a start, but since starting this I have never eaten them all, and rarely more than half, back. I'm fitter than I've ever been, healthier than I can remember being and have lost weight. I think a lot of it depends on what type of calories you are eating, less from good food is, in my opinion, better than more simply to meet some target from crap such as fast food or processed. Not eating them all back works for me, doesn't leave me hungry and enables me to have the energy to continue to work out but different horses for different courses, you have to find what works for you. I've never since starting this eaten as low as, or close to, 1200 calories
  • eyesontheprize13
    eyesontheprize13 Posts: 30
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    You have to do what works for YOU. I don't. I don't believe the burn is nearly what they say it is and I base it on my over 30 years of experience trying to exercise away fat . Here is how it went for me NOT eating back exercise calories -->http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/740340-i-lost-60-lbs-at-age-51-anyone-can-any-workout

    You can't exercise away fat. You must eat less. Not eating back the calories will help you lose weight. Eating back the calories becomes a concern when you get leaner, but not when you have excess fat to lose. The fact is you WILL NOT GO INTO STARVATION mode if you have excess fat and you eat at least a few nutrients every day. Starvation mode is something that happens when you are a female under 12% and a male under 6% body fat.

    So eat back your calories and if you don't lose weight then stop eating them back. Your body is the end game, not the calorie tools.

    Love this! ^
  • Trishkamama5
    Trishkamama5 Posts: 26 Member
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    Ok yes. Sorry I did a topic search after posting this & found LOTS!! ;) I was aimlessly scrolling through before. But thanks for all the info everyone!

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