Do you eat your exercise calories?!?!?!?

Yes, I do when I feel like it (which is most days). MFP has me at a ~400 calorie a day deficit. For a while I was getting so good at eliminating calories from my diet that I started getting so hungry at work that I would not be able to concentrate. I realized at that point that if I'm unhappy or uncomfortable then this won't be a sustainable thing. So if I feel like having a snack I'll walk the treadmill or the stairs until I've worked off that snack.

I need to stay happy while I lose weight, otherwise I won't stick with it. Some days Cheez-its make me happy.

what do you guys mean a deficit is already built in? i thought that the 3500 calories you're supposed to eliminate every week was supposed to come from both a calorie deficit and exercise?

MFP estimates how many calories you'll burn in a "normal" day, based on what you put for your activity level, and then gives you a goal amount of calories to eat which is less than that. For example, I'm sedentary (desk job, and hobbies are almost all computer based) so MFP estimated that I'd burn roughly 1600 calories per day and suggested that I eat 1200 calories. There's the 400 calorie a day deficit.

If I walk on the treadmill for a while and burn 200 more calories than the 1600 that MFP expects then my deficit is now 600 calories, and if I want I can eat back those 200 calories if I want and not feel guilty, because I'm back to the original 400 calorie a day deficit, which by itself should lose me 1 lb a week.

I do. When I ride a bike for instance, I can actually burn about 700 calories. If I'm trying to stick to 1500 calories consumed, and then burn 700, I'm only getting about 800 calories, which is called starvation to me! If I don't eat enough after that kind of exercise, I get sick. Not good. I have lost weight by eating back the calories, as well.

I don't touch my calories I get for working out. Never have and never will. Afraid if I did I would gain plus I am having a hard time eating my normal calories. It's not for me!

NO!!! thats all towards my weight loss...lol

Same ^^^ here. I'm in maintenance now and I still don't eat them, they are way over rated. Of course you burn some but not nearly what any of the HRM's and what not say. If I worked out hard and feel I need bit extra calories at night I eat, I base it on how I feel.

How can you possibly be at maintenance if you're eating at a deficit? It appears that your metabolism is shot and what you once thought was a deficit is in fact now your maintenance. Most likely a result of your chronic under eating.

NO!!! thats all towards my weight loss...lol

Same ^^^ here. I'm in maintenance now and I still don't eat them, they are way over rated. Of course you burn some but not nearly what any of the HRM's and what not say. If I worked out hard and feel I need bit extra calories at night I eat, I base it on how I feel.

How can you possibly be at maintenance if you're eating at a deficit? It appears that your metabolism is shot and what you once thought was a deficit is in fact now your maintenance. Most likely a result of your chronic under eating.

What he said.

:ohwell: Since I snack every 3 hours, there is no need to worry about eating back all those calories.

I don't know what I am doing help me... My calories is 2310 a day. I eat any where from 1200-1500 a day, and I have a personal trainer 3x a week and 3x days I walk with friends 2miles. I take Sunday off. So I burn about 247 calories on the days I walk and I think around 400 on the days I train. I really dont see a huge difference in my weight. Can someone tell me why? What I'm I doing wrong?

uum yes! all of them and sometimes other people's too.

Get away from my exercise calories they are ALL MINE NOM!

I was eating back my exercise calories, and after initial loss of 8 pounds i stopped losing any weight... that continued for months. Now I decided to increase my exercise and eat back only half the calories... did it for less than a week, did not lose any, and boy, am I hungry today!!! I am going to go and eat something salty and proteiny. Proscuito! And a glass of wine!!!!

I do not, until I reach my goal weight.

God bless,
Karen

You should be, otherwise you are really undereating. As several have pointed out, you are already at a deficit, it's built in. If you undereat even more your metabolism is going to slow down and you are going to have issues. I eat back almost all of my calories, you need those to build back the muscle you are damaging when you work out. Keep in mind that more muscle = more fat burned so you don't want to lose muscle mass.

Remember - skinny does not mean fit. You want to be fit, not skinny.

MFP is designed to still have you losing weight....and eating your calories back. For example, I'm on a 1200 calorie/day intake. That's the minimum anyone should be taking in. If I'm working out (not eating any back)...therefore only netting about 800 or less, I'm starving the muscles of the energy they need. So you should definitely eat the calories you are allowed from exercise. You will still lose weight.

I normally do not. I like to have them there for "emergencies" if I go over for the day..lol

Same here. As a rule I try not to and count it as 'bonus' towards weight loss. However, we all have one of 'those' days where we need the extra. lol.

Remember - skinny does not mean fit. You want to be fit, not skinny.

This! Of course you will lose weight.....probably MORE weight by not eating back your calories. But that's not healthy. Don't lose the muscle in the process of losing weight.

Yes, but only a portion, and I have lost 42lbs doing it. And with all the working out, I am actually hungry:)