Eat your exercise cals?

Options
2»

Replies

  • misskariw
    misskariw Posts: 171 Member
    Options
    I eat back a pretty good amount of mine. I take a water fitness class in the mornings and usually add on at least 15 minutes of lap swimming, more if we have more available time or if I wake up and can get to the pool before my class starts. If I don't eat back at least some of the exercise calories, I'm hungry to the point of irritability. I also eat about every two hours. Good luck!
  • llkilgore
    llkilgore Posts: 1,169 Member
    Options
    A member here took a poll a while back and found that the people who ate their exercise calories or <20% under TDEE lost less lean body mass than those who didn't eat back their exercise calories.

    I always ate back most if not all of my exercise calories because, as a reforming couch potato in my late 50s, I knew I didn't have any lean body mass to spare. It worked out well for me. I lost 58 pounds without ever stalling out, which put me at 12 pounds below my original "realistic" goal weight and 2 pounds below my "fantasy" goal weight. And I've successfully maintained for over a year. One advantage of eating back your exercise calories, other than keeping your metabolic rate relatively high, is that the larger calorie budget makes it easier to condition yourself to the way you'll need to eat for the rest of your life to keep the weight off. You don't learn much of anything from starving yourself.
  • davert123
    davert123 Posts: 1,568 Member
    Options
    I eat them back if I can. Its better in the long run and makes the process fun instead of a chore

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
  • AbdullaAlmoawdah
    AbdullaAlmoawdah Posts: 11
    Options
    I think you can eat them back by healthy food not fast food and other snacks.
  • BelindaDuvessa
    BelindaDuvessa Posts: 1,014 Member
    Options
    I usually eat half of them back. Not because I don't want to, but like another poster said, the estimated calorie burns on here can sometimes be way off. If had a heart rate monitor, I would probably eat more of them back. While HRM isn't 100% accurate either, it's still more accurate that alot of what's on here.
  • nadiarrxo
    nadiarrxo Posts: 4 Member
    Options
    i like to do exercise and have the calories there just in case. sometimes i do eat them (particularly if i go out for a meal) and sometimes i don't need too. i just eat what i want, in moderation, if i dip into them then i do. if i don't i don't :)
  • BeautyFromPain
    BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
    Options
    I do TDEE - 20%.
    Exercise accounted for in my tdee, so yep I sure do! :)
  • mrandmrswiggs
    mrandmrswiggs Posts: 3
    Options
    Its important to eat them in order to lose only your recommended weight loss. If you don't you may lose weight quicker, but run the risk of gaining it again quickly
  • Heather_Rider
    Heather_Rider Posts: 1,159 Member
    Options
    Here is my answer...


    most of us got here eating when we weren hungry....

    So why eat your calories back.. IF YOU ARENT HUNGRY.

    Why shove food into your throat, just because you can?

    If you are hungry, eat.

    If you arent, dont.

    Its really THAT simple.
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
    Options

    If you are hungry, eat.

    If you arent, dont.

    Its really THAT simple.

    actually, it is not that simple. To cut weight I had to learn how to deal with hunger on occasions. If I ate whenever I was hungry, I wouldn't have lost weight.
  • Ella_Bee
    Ella_Bee Posts: 42
    Options
    straight up answer...

    Unless drinking them back with vodka every once in a while counts..

    then no, because I am never hungry enough to eat them back.

    Some people do, some people don't. Personal choice :happy:

    Do what you feel your body is telling you, if you're hungry, eat.

    I agree with you on this. I'm never hungry enough to eat them back.
  • BeautyFromPain
    BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
    Options

    If you are hungry, eat.

    If you arent, dont.

    Its really THAT simple.

    actually, it is not that simple. To cut weight I had to learn how to deal with hunger on occasions. If I ate whenever I was hungry, I wouldn't have lost weight.

    And whilst I plateaued I was really NOT hungry in the sense of the manner for 6 months cos my metabolism was just that slow but then now I am doing TDEE-20% I am ALWAYS hungry!
  • david081
    david081 Posts: 489 Member
    Options
    A great subject. I found that NOT eating any of them back didn't work for me, and am currently tinkering with the percentage exercise calories that I eat back. I was in the habit of burning way over 1000 cals a day, and have reduced this so I can eat back 50% of what I use up in exercise. This % may go up or down depending on the outcome over the next few weeks. My experience of creating a BIG calorie deficit led to a plateau, possibly water retention...
  • trophywife24
    trophywife24 Posts: 1,472 Member
    Options
    No, I do not log my exercise or eat my exercise calories. I'm a litte under my intitial goal now and want to loose a few more. Once I do that, I will ((((((very slowly))))) work my way up in calories which will include eating some/most exercise cals.
  • running_shoe
    running_shoe Posts: 180 Member
    Options
    I eat most or all of them. I find if I don't eat my exercise calories, I lose weight too quickly for my comfort and I am weak and hungry. I want my weight loss to be slow and nonstressful for my body. I have lost 11 pounds in 9 weeks, and this is perfect for me.

Categories