do you eat back calories burned?

Betty925
Betty925 Posts: 5 Member
edited December 20 in Health and Weight Loss
Is there anyone on here who eats back your calories as suggested and has lost a significant amount of weight? I find it hard to believe that I could lose weight eating that much. Any thoughts out there?
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Replies

  • wftiger
    wftiger Posts: 1,283 Member
    No, I never have. On my day I walk and do the gym I "might" eat an extra 100-200 calories but I never eat back the 600+ I burn those days. It has worked great for me.
  • Darlingir
    Darlingir Posts: 437
    never...but if I go slightly over i don't freak

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  • Devlyn_P
    Devlyn_P Posts: 294 Member
    I don't and I consistently lose 1-2lbs a week. Why I don't eat them back? Because I calculated this into my TDEE already and daily macros.
  • Venturin
    Venturin Posts: 244 Member
    I don't. I don't believe that eating my exercise calories is going to result in weight loss. It just feels like I am ruining my progress.

    For me, MFP says I should eat 1700 calories per day. That's a good allowance, I can be satisfied with that. Today I hiked 4 hours and *I* (not MFP which seems to over-calculate) figure I burned 1100 calories. I am not going to eat anywhere near the 2800 calories that eating back would dictate. I don't need that. I'd have to stuff myself to eat that many calories.

    How can I possibly lose weight if I force myself to over-eat??

    -V-
  • irisheyez718
    irisheyez718 Posts: 677 Member
    Yes, I eat my calories burned. You can take a look at my diary--most days I eat around 2000 calories, including my exercise calories.
  • LittleLightShine
    LittleLightShine Posts: 123 Member
    I tried for a month and it didn't work. Sometimes I might eat 100-200 over and it doesn't seem to have an effect. But I do think everyone is different and clearly from what some people say it works for them.
  • jacque1129
    jacque1129 Posts: 113 Member
    i've never done it. i'll occasionally eat over my daily allowance but i've never eaten every calorie back. i couldn't imagine doing that, some days i'd have to eat all day, nonstop!
  • chandra38
    chandra38 Posts: 110 Member
    I don't eat them back, BUT, I also don't use the BMR number that MFP provided. They suggested 1200 calories for me. That's too low! I figured out my TDEE and BMR on another site (I can't remember which one, but it was recommended by a few different people), and it set my goal at 1730 - much more reasonable for me!
  • Kerri_is_so_very
    Kerri_is_so_very Posts: 999 Member
    I try to, but some times I burn over 1000+ cals in one day and that isn't always easy to try throw back if you weren't planning on burning that much. I'd say most days though I'm not that far from eating all allowed. I have found it works great for me. I typically eat between 1800-2200 cals/day and I've lost about 35 lbs in 4 months.
  • fragilegift
    fragilegift Posts: 347 Member
    I did to start with and lost about 12 kilos. Then that stopped being effective, so I stopped, and went back to losing weight. If' I am hungry I eat, but try not to go over the daily allowance, with the exercise cals added on.
  • trelm249
    trelm249 Posts: 777 Member
    Yes. I do.

    For me, if I don't, I am tired and in a few days I just flat hurt. My joints hurt. I get irritable and basically become a *kitten* to be around.

    So clearly I need them for the recovery process. The exercise is awesome for my overall fitness. Blood sugar management, cholesterol management, cardio health, strength and lean tissue development, anxiety management and many other benefits. Eating back the exercise calories lets me keep doing that.
  • kstep88
    kstep88 Posts: 403 Member
    I tried eating them ALL back for like two months. I logged exercise with my HRM, and food was based on my food scale. I gained weight.
    Now, I just make sure that I eat 1200 on a regular day and maybe 1500 max on an exercise day. I guess I eat more if I am hungry, and less if I am not. I don't eat them because of a pre-set rule, I do it when my body feels it needs the calories.

    :) Results vary by individual. :)
  • whitm2103
    whitm2103 Posts: 41
    I dont. Alot of people on this site say you have to but I have tried both ways and this way seems to work for me
  • faithstephenson
    faithstephenson Posts: 280 Member
    I did until about 2 weeks ago. I lost 100 pounds eating them back. The only reason I 'stopped' is that I started a bodyweight workout program. Strength training is hard to track calories, and is supposed to increase your calories burn, even when not exercising, so I instead increased my activity level to account for the increase that way. So technically, I'm not tracking my exercising and eating them, but I am eating more than my BMR because I am burning more than if I wasn't exercising.
  • brun73
    brun73 Posts: 40 Member
    I don't eat them all back, maybe about 150-250 of the 300-500 I burn.
  • kcoftx
    kcoftx Posts: 765 Member
    I do but not always on the same day. I calorie zig zag.
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
    307 lbs. lost and I eat mine back... Got to fuel my body for my workouts...... Best of Luck.....
  • quie618
    quie618 Posts: 102 Member
    I have been for the past few days, but only if exercise brings me below my BMR. I don't typically eat back all of the calories I've burned through exercise. I just started this so I can't report on whether it has been effective yet. Stay tuned!
  • michellematteson
    michellematteson Posts: 134
    Short answer: yes and no.

    Long answer: I have MFP set to lose a half a pound each week. Right now that is 1790 calories per day, and I eat up to that each day. I generally do about 200-300 calories burned through exercise each day. I see those calories as making my weight loss go faster so I don't eat them back. So in essence, if I loose a half a pound each week, I'm on goal, if it's a full pound lost, then the hard work with exercise is worth it.

    Now, over time I have found that if I burn more, like 400+ calories in a day, I drop below my BMR and I'm flipping starving the next day. It makes it harder to stay on my goal. Last week I actually lost 1.8 pounds by not eating my exercise calories like I normally do, but I was very hungry and tired for most of the week. So the faster weight loss comes with a the chance of overeating and being miserable. I rather stick with staying above my BMR and be happy.
  • juliebmomof3
    juliebmomof3 Posts: 115 Member
    I have started to eat back some of them just because I was feeling so tired all the time, and my weight loss slowed down a little. It has definitely helped my energy levels.
  • mztrackfield010407
    mztrackfield010407 Posts: 10 Member
    I did until about 2 weeks ago. I lost 100 pounds eating them back. The only reason I 'stopped' is that I started a bodyweight workout program. Strength training is hard to track calories, and is supposed to increase your calories burn, even when not exercising, so I instead increased my activity level to account for the increase that way. So technically, I'm not tracking my exercising and eating them, but I am eating more than my BMR because I am burning more than if I wasn't exercising.
    WOW 120lbs lost!!! Congrats!!!
  • sinman22807
    sinman22807 Posts: 66 Member
    I usually dont. I am allowed 1540 calories a day. I usually burn 400 to 600 a day. I may go over by a few of my 1540 but never eat all the calories back.. I couldnt do that. its too much food for me lol
  • jeleda913
    jeleda913 Posts: 16
    Occassionally I will if I want a special treat, but typically I don't. I don't find that I need or crave any extra calories, even with working out. But I would say that if you really feel hungry, this is your body's way of telling you something. :-)
  • blacklaceroses
    blacklaceroses Posts: 48 Member
    never felt the need to.................
  • linusr
    linusr Posts: 38 Member
    I usually eat most of them back, and I've been losing weight steadily since I started in April or May.
  • Tiff050709
    Tiff050709 Posts: 497 Member
    I'm glad you asked that because I was wondering the same thing! I have never eaten the extra calories they suggest. I was hoping that wouldn't be a bad thing.
  • kvossandrews
    kvossandrews Posts: 210 Member
    I tried but it has not worked at all.

    the last 2 weeks I have not and I have seen the scales move down.

    I guess it depends if you feel you need them.

    If I go over by 100-200 I dont stress.

    This game is a hard one to play and we all play it so differently and get different results.

    Good luck its not easy but its worth it. Go with being HEALTHY NOT SKINNY
  • StinkyWinkies
    StinkyWinkies Posts: 603 Member
    It will depend on how many I've burned. Also, as others wrote, I don't use MFP's numbers...for my daily intake. I set my exercise level to 'sedentary' that way, any exercise I do get, I can track and make an informed decision on whether or not I wish to 'eat back' those burned calories.

    Today, for instance, I was on my feet moving around the better part of 11 hours, will I eat all those calories back? No, but I did eat some, I needed the fuel.
  • KimFriesen64
    KimFriesen64 Posts: 14
    When I first started with MFP I did. I gained weight. Now I try not to but don't kick myself if I go over. 90 percent rule...eat well 90 percent of the time and whatever you want 10 percent of the time. Since I started this philosophy in 2 weeks I have lost 7 pounds!
  • tania2287
    tania2287 Posts: 236 Member
    I don't eat back the cals l burn. If l go over l don't care because l burn around a extra 2400 cals a day and l could not eat 3600 cals a day.I have been losing weight at around 1-2 lbs per week so l am very happy with it so far.
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