Do I or don't I eat back exercise calories?

Medilia
Medilia Posts: 230 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am starting to get confused about this one.

Do I need to eat them back or not?
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Replies

  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,554 Member
    Did you use mfp to calculate your calorie goal?
    If so, yes, you should eat more on days when you exercise.

    If you used another system to calculate your calories, then probably not.
  • scottbrown78
    scottbrown78 Posts: 142 Member
    Some days I do, some days I don't. It seems I lose more when I don't.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,386 MFP Moderator
    Www.doieatmyexercisecalories.com


    Yes, you should eat at least 50% of them.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/729141-exercise-calories-to-eat-or-not-to-eat-results?hl=to+eat+or+not+to+eat
  • Medilia
    Medilia Posts: 230 Member
    Yeah I only use MFP to calculate.

    But if I am eating back what I burn how do I lose weight?
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,386 MFP Moderator
    Yeah I only use MFP to calculate.

    But if I am eating back what I burn how do I lose weight?

    The deficit is already built in unless you set the account to maintain.

    Diet is weight loss... exercise is fitness.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,386 MFP Moderator
    Read this.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/765953-tdee-mfp-deficit
  • sohmui
    sohmui Posts: 108 Member
    I've been on MFP for a couple of weeks now and have never eaten them back. Must admit, though, I am a bit worried about it. I am losing just under 2 lbs a week. Is there anyone else who has never - or seldom - eaten them back? Are you still alive? :smile:
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,386 MFP Moderator
    I've been on MFP for a couple of weeks now and have never eaten them back. Must admit, though, I am a bit worried about it. I am losing just under 2 lbs a week. Is there anyone else who has never - or seldom - eaten them back? Are you still alive? :smile:
    plenty of people dont but you will increase muscle loss doing it this way and slow down your metabolism as your body will catabolize your lbm.
  • sapphireswi
    sapphireswi Posts: 583 Member
    I eat up the deficit calories. . .
    Rather I exercise when I eat more than my calorie limit to make up . . .
    But right now Im doin just light aerobics . . . and burn about 200 calories a day
  • sohmui
    sohmui Posts: 108 Member
    Thanks psulemon. I have been exercising in an attempt to save muscles. Oh, well, I see that perhaps I should at least eat some of them back. I am just impatient to lose weight and feel that if I eat them back, losing will take longer.
  • Medilia
    Medilia Posts: 230 Member
    Still a bit confused.

    So does that mean I don't have to make up my net goal?
  • Giraffe33991
    Giraffe33991 Posts: 434 Member
    If you are hungry EAT, if you are not DONT! Listen to your body, its smarter than the website.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,386 MFP Moderator
    Still a bit confused.

    So does that mean I don't have to make up my net goal?

    I would say yes but mfp can over estimate the exercise calories. This is why i suggest eating 50% of them. If you get a hrm, then eat at least 80% of them.
  • vanneto
    vanneto Posts: 7
    Losing will take as long as MFP tells you. If you set your goals to 2 lbs / week and MFP tells you to eat 1200 calories per day, you eat them.

    If you exercised and lost 500 calories you eat 1700 calories. You will still lose 2 lbs per week. If you don't eat them back you risk losing too much weight too fast. Your body will adjust, slow down your metabolism and then you're at risk at gaining instead of losing. Its not the same for everyone, but its the norm.

    Don't eat if your body tells you to eat. If you were a gluttonous hog for 10 years, your body will never tell you to stop eating and some people eat themselves to death this way.
  • ColonCh
    ColonCh Posts: 7 Member
    I always eat my calories from Exercise back. I hear that if you don't then your body goes into starvation mode and stores fat. I have been losing about a pound a week eating my exercise calories back. If I want to cheat on food, I exercise to make up the calories. It works for me.
  • Medilia
    Medilia Posts: 230 Member
    HRM?

    This is so confusing for me lol.
  • LisaWilson2012
    LisaWilson2012 Posts: 118 Member
    I eat them back when I'm hungry but don't bother if I'm not. I usually lose more on the weeks that I dont eat them back but saying that I do lose every week albeit only half a pound some weeks.
  • chrishgt4
    chrishgt4 Posts: 1,222 Member
    The fat loss comes from a calorie deficit.

    So you, in the course of the day, use say 2000 calories. If you then eat 1500 per day you will be under by 500 cals per day.

    So then if you work out you might use 3000 cals that day. You would then be 1500 cals under.

    That is just the same as if, on a 2000 cal day, you ate 500 cals.

    There is a reason why you can't just stop eating and lose weight, there's a whole body mechanics that would mess up so basically, exercise doesn't speed up your weight loss, it just keeps you healthy while you do it and, if you are lifting weights, will help preserve your lean body mass, because you are aiming for fat loss, not weight loss after all. Weight loss is indiscriminate. Fat is specifically what you are aiming to lose. Exercise can also be used as a tool for those who struggle to only eat their calorie goal and want to eat more. Do some exercise and you can eat some more.

    To repeat though, it is not a tool to lose weight faster in most circumstances.
  • vanneto
    vanneto Posts: 7
    Wow, perfect answer by Chris. If you're still confused after that than nobody can help you.
  • beaunandez
    beaunandez Posts: 1 Member
    I wouldn't. You'll lose weight faster if you don't. In my opinion, it's like rewarding exercise with more food.

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