Eating back workout calories

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  • mjhedgehog
    mjhedgehog Posts: 249 Member
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    My goal is 1230 calories per day to lose 2 pounds. I just set it at 1600 and run about 100 miles per month.


    haha I was really tired and I read that as "run about 100 miles per hour" and I was like WHAT?! then I realized it said month. :laugh:
  • mscolleen2003
    mscolleen2003 Posts: 126 Member
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    Most likely the reason your workouts are hell is because you are not eating enough. I know when someone on here first said that to me I was like "are you kidding me", turns out he was right. Since I started balancing my proteins, fats and carbs and getting plently to eat, my weight is steadily falling and I love my workouts.
  • bsharrah
    bsharrah Posts: 129 Member
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    I was asking the same thing I have been doing everything but not sure if eatting back the calories is a good thing I've been doing this since Aug 19th and it tells me that I should be down 10 pounds and it has been way longer the 5 weeks yet nothing has happen not even a pound .. I'm getting real upset. What I'm I doing wrong?

    Eating back your calories for the day is a good way to ruin your weight loss goals. No paper or diet has ever stressed eating back your exercise calories. If someone has a paper that says otherwise then i would glady be openminded enough to read it. It's a MyFitnessPal myth.

    Then why don't you use a different site? It works for so many of us that it's now too well tested to just be a myth. I've lost 59lbs since March doing this and eating back every calorie (although not always on the day it was burned) and feel much stronger for it rather than weaker as has been in the past.

    WeightWatchers also give extra points for exercise so it's not just this site.

    So now the "eat your calories back" crowd is deciding who should or should not use this site? Get off you freaking high horse. It has not been tested in any way. It supposedly works for some, not others, as this thread alone shows. IMO, the same people who preach eating calories back are the same ones who believe their HRM's, FitBits, and other gadgets accurately tell you what your workout calories are, and that tells me all I need to know.
  • SairahRose
    SairahRose Posts: 412 Member
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    There's no right or wrong way of doing it, because the whole point of this site, and others like it, is to ensure that people are fit and healthy.
    The way I see it is, if you're full, don't eat back the exercise cals... there's no point in stuffing yourself.
    If you lose, great.. if you don't - try upping the cals a little until it works.
    If you're still hungry after workouts, then you can eat back the calories (ensuring you're within the macro limits) until you've had enough. And the same principle works the other way round too.

    Eating between BMR and TDEE works for so many people, but for some it doesn't work and they need to eat a restricted diet.
    It's not rocket science, it's just a personal choice.

    Good luck to everyone whichever way you choose to lose weight :D
  • Zangpakto
    Zangpakto Posts: 336 Member
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    There's no right or wrong way of doing it, because the whole point of this site, and others like it, is to ensure that people are fit and healthy.
    The way I see it is, if you're full, don't eat back the exercise cals... there's no point in stuffing yourself.
    If you lose, great.. if you don't - try upping the cals a little until it works.
    If you're still hungry after workouts, then you can eat back the calories (ensuring you're within the macro limits) until you've had enough. And the same principle works the other way round too.

    Eating between BMR and TDEE works for so many people, but for some it doesn't work and they need to eat a restricted diet.
    It's not rocket science, it's just a personal choice.

    Good luck to everyone whichever way you choose to lose weight :D

    Thank you, people like you are what love to see on this site :D

    I have taken the technical route, and love it and it helps with my ultra races. I have researched so much that when people try and be silly and ignore science and say is only opinions, it is irritating...

    However, you got it exactly right, it doesn't matter, it what works at the end of the day and makes YOU happy :)

    As long as there is a deficiency you will lose weight, it is that simple. How you do it, should be fun and up to each person :D
  • LivingInPuglia
    LivingInPuglia Posts: 122 Member
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    I do .... and I work to keep within my target of 1200. It means I can eat normally (more or less), much the same as my OH (smaller portions) and enjoy our days out!
  • Baloostika
    Baloostika Posts: 203 Member
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    Yeh! Am supposed to eat 1650 too each day but it amount to like 2200 most days in addition to my exercise calories. Pls I need ur advise since it looks like we are on the same level though am still loosing, am @ 218 and 5"8 tall. Do I eat the entire calories pr stick to my 1650. What did u do?
  • ScottsCompassRose
    ScottsCompassRose Posts: 14
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    I would say, in my case, ABSOLUTELY NOT! I do often bring this to mention to some of the people that "see" me as inspiration in my gym, to NOT do so! =)
  • bellarox13
    bellarox13 Posts: 95 Member
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    No I don't.
  • Flixie00
    Flixie00 Posts: 1,195 Member
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    I have a sedantary job and work out about 2 hours a day on average. I eat back all calories burnt through strength training and 75% through gym cardio (I don't trust the estimates). I cannot use a HRM due to blood pressure meds, so I have to guess my burn. I am within 7 lbs of my goal weight, and hit my goal size months ago (hurrah for strength training). I tend to eat between 2,200 - 2,500 calories a day. On my rest day, I stick to my base calorie level of 1,640 (I am in no hurry to lose those few extra pounds, so my target is set at 0.5 lb loss per week).

    Eating back your calories makes sense to me, and I am happy with my results. Everyone is different though, and you need to find what works for you, there is no right or wrong.
  • jesz124
    jesz124 Posts: 1,004 Member
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    My my, there are so many know it all opinion's on this thread....why give us an example of marathon running and the calories you consume and expend when the majority of people here are not interested in running a marathon. No one will take your advice when you put it across in such a patronising, 'I'm far superior in my knowledge to you' way. How about posting constructive advice rather than ramming your opinion down our throats. If people want to eat 5000 cals they burn off and they lose from it let them, if they choose not to and can still lose and be healthy thats cool too. Just because you do it a different way doesn't make your way the only way.
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
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    Is a myth really. Nutrition is what your body needs NOT calories. Quite funny how people seem to not understand that.

    Here is a question, do you know what a calorie actually represents? If not look it up. The concept is cool however it doesn't translate over to a human body quite the same...
    Your body doesn't need calories? :noway:
  • VeggieloverLilly
    VeggieloverLilly Posts: 21
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    i usually only eat some of them back. MFP's calculations of exercises are a little exaggerated. I'm never quite sure how much I really burned (and my HRM broke a couple weeks ago) so I find that if I stick to around 1500 cals a day I'm still in a deficit but I don't feel deprived or want to binge.
  • ebonypixie
    ebonypixie Posts: 61 Member
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    Everyones different. I think it depends what goals you set yourself to begin with.
    If you are the type of person looking to just lose as much weight as quickly as possible and can handle low amounts of calories without cracking up - then you would be more likely to not eat back exercise calories.
    However, if you are a person who is more interested in slow losses in order to build or maintain muscle and lose ONLY fat in the process then you will be more inclined to eat back a portion, if not all of your exercise calories.
    I am more inclined to dip into exercise calories because it keeps me sane and makes me feel satisfied and like I can eat a 'normal' person amount. Plus some days exercise is like a chore and I need the small reward of an extra few pieces of fruit or a larger dinner that day ;)

    Everyones different, do what your body tells you to. The secret is to not NET too low or too high. In the middle will do between your BMR and TDEE :)
    x
  • ebonypixie
    ebonypixie Posts: 61 Member
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    Is a myth really. Nutrition is what your body needs NOT calories. Quite funny how people seem to not understand that.

    Here is a question, do you know what a calorie actually represents? If not look it up. The concept is cool however it doesn't translate over to a human body quite the same...

    Also like I said in previous reply, I can burn up to 3000 calories a day on training runs. According to most people with TDEE and all this rubbish, I would need to eat close to 5000 calories on training days! Not realistic AT ALL!

    Dude the only reason MFP makes us eat exercise calories back is that we've already got a deficit built in. You don't eat back a small percentage of what you burn you're just turning that deficit into a gaping hole so your body is running on basically nothing. If you're hitting your goal calories a day, great, but if you're under your goal then exercise on top of that you're going to be in trouble and end up losing weight in a bad way.

    Please stop this, "Look at my horse, my horse is amazing" pretentious BS.

    Everyone has different opinions, what works for some people doesn't always work for others.

    Sure, then eat crap and make your calorie goals for all I care. As if you train hard the only way your going to is by eating junk really.

    By eating healthy foods, your not going to come close to 4500 calories without a struggle. And even if you did, no point as your body does not have the genetic capacity to absorb massive amounts of nutrients in one go. Hence why dieticians recommend a few smaller meals broken up.

    But hey, medical biology is stupid and incorrect and even though blood is tracked along with hormones and markers it is wrong. Only opinions matter on MFP right? That essentially what your saying.

    My point is that while we do differ in some aspects, the human body and it's capacities to absorb is still a human body. We can change how our bodies use fats proteins and carbs etc, however their absorption rate isn't going to differ.

    If you want to argue about something, read up on human anatomy... it is really interesting. MFP is full of bs opinions with no medical science behind them, that is a fact not opinion. That is why you say what works for one person wont work for another, because there is no science behind your methodology hence the varying results.

    People get so arsey on this. Go channel your energy into your training dude. It was a nice simple topic asked to deduce what everyones stance and opinion was on eating back exercise calories. Its fairly simple - do what your body tells you to. Burning 3000 calories a day isnt your 'everyday' I am presuming so Im sure you could help your body out preparing and repairing on the day before and after your big burn training days. Most people do that. It would in my opinion too be very hard to eat 5000 calories but realistically most people would probably aim to hit 3000 that day and maybe fit in 500-700 more the day before (prep) and 500-700 the day after (repair).
    That way you are getting stronger and faster. No need for junk either, plenty of healthy fats like adding olive oil to meals, nutritious seeds and nuts for snacks and some extra milk/cheese/even a protein shake would probably hit it with ease.

    Im not saying this really for you, coz you appear to know everything about everything but it might be informative to others. :)
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    I was asking the same thing I have been doing everything but not sure if eatting back the calories is a good thing I've been doing this since Aug 19th and it tells me that I should be down 10 pounds and it has been way longer the 5 weeks yet nothing has happen not even a pound .. I'm getting real upset. What I'm I doing wrong?

    I had this problem and it turned out that my counts were not accurate. I was overestimating the number of calories burned and underestimating calories eaten, so it was coming out to maintenance.
  • dragonfly_em
    dragonfly_em Posts: 122 Member
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    i think it depends how you set your target calories... for me if i go with 1200/day (set for my age and sedentary lifestyle to lose 2lbs/wk) then i treat it as daily net calorie goal so do 'eat back' my calories. But am looking to change this and setting my daily goal as about 1600 cals/day - based on active lifestyle coz i do a fair bit of exercise and average about 400cals/day in exercise, but without eating back calories. the maths work out the same and for me over the course of the week it ends up with about the same net calories. I'm looking at this approach to even out my eating and try to eat 1600 cals/day rather than a lot one day, and little the next, and my exercise schedule is such that i burn a lot on somedays (so my net calories is stupidly low on those days coz i can't eat back everything) and others do a lot less. I figure by eating steadily my energy levels will be on an even keel. I also log calories in and out and weight loss in a spreadsheet (just taking the daily totals from here) so i can calibrate my calories to my weight loss and use the recommendations here as a guideline.
  • EatClenTrenHard
    EatClenTrenHard Posts: 339 Member
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    Yes I eat carbs+protein before workout, and I eat fat and protein mostly during day.

    If I eat what MFP suggests me 1400, and go to the gym, then pump iron, and then go do cardio.. then.. well then i fail, because no power to run, very tired. All muscles are in pain. With 2k its all different deal and at least i can enjoy it more.
  • Drizap
    Drizap Posts: 34 Member
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    I do!
    Most people have their MFP calorie allowance set to a level that will lose them weight. If you eat back the exercise calories, you are still at that level that will make the weight come off.
    If you do not eat them back, you might start to feel weak and lose the motivation to exercise.
  • ClementineGeorg
    ClementineGeorg Posts: 505 Member
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    I eat back my workout calories sometimes, but mostly not all... I leave 100-200 calories of those. Or I do not eat them at all. In some days I actually use workout so I can eat more. :D
    It depends...

    This did not set me back, I am still on track doing this. For me, being able to eat more in some day if I exercise is one of the things that keep on sane and on this diet. It helped to not binge and not have cheat days.

    But this works for me, everybody is different.

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