Anyone else feel guilty for eating back burnt calories?
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No guilt felt here. Only because I learned that when I don't eat back at least most of my calories, I feel weak, light-headed and somewhat sick. When I eat back my calories, I feel great and I haven't gained any weight back yet.0
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Have been eating SOME of my burnt calories back, for the past couple of days...I am at a standstill with my weight loss, want to see if eating back some of my burnt calories will help me to start losing again. I walk everyday, usually burn between 500 and 600 calories, I feel OVERFULL, if I try and eat more than 200 of those calories back..My daily goal is 1270, so I'm upping it to 1400, so I'm eating 200 - 300 of my burnt calories back.....Just HOPEFULLY, IT WORKS!!!!0
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No, I don't feel guilty just for the fact that I have already cut so many calories from what I was at when I first started. I don't know what your BMR is, but if you are eating only 1600 calories and then burning 500-600 of that...you will be digging into your muscle mass for energy. You won't hit your 6%.
To maintain your 148 lb frame, at least for an average height person - you're looking at 2400+ calories needed.
I would eat them back if you are wanting to cut the percentage down.
Sounds like you've done well - keep it up!0 -
When I'm alone in my room, sometimes I stare at the wall...
...and in the back of my mind I hear my conscience call..0 -
I dont know why I am so hard on myself but I feel horrible for eating back the calories I have burnt. Today I burnt 700 cals from a 6 mile run and I ate the suggested 1600 calories for the day but MFP wants me to eat the 700 back. As soon as I go over my original goal of 1600 I feel horrible. Any opinions?
For my back story, I was 225 lbs and stuck to a 1000 cal a day diet and lifted daily. I lost 60 lbs or so in 4 months then started running long distance. I am training for my second marathon and am currently 148 lbs. I started eating more and not tracking calories when I first started running and still was losing weight but I am now trying to get to 6 % body fat so I joined this site in an attempt to track my calories again. I dont have a problem dieting, I just feel horrible for eating more than the recommended calories for a pound a week, even when i burn calories from running.
Thank you for your responses.
I don't feel guilty but I feel like working out then eating the burned calories = pointless workout. I'm trying to create a deficit so I can lose weight. Also, is 6% body fat healthy? Seems very low to me.
Well, it sounds like you don't quite understand the purpose of working out. I guess you could see it as a means of burning calories and only that but many of us work out to build muscle, to sculpt a sexy physique, and to feel good. The benefits fon't all boil down to calories burned.0 -
I do if I'm hungry. I don't if I'm not. Simple.0
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nop i never did eat them back. Always went by my tdee0
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I lost the first 30 pounds just by watching what I was eating...then I plateaued/maintained for two years. In the last few months I started gaining, so in the three-ish years I've been working on my weight, I only began working out regularly in the last month. Right now, because I REALLY WANT TO LOSE THIS WEIGHT, I have felt kind of bad about eating back my exercise calories -- but not too much, and here's why:
1. MFP has me at 1200 calories a day. You're supposed to net at least 1200 a day, so I really should eat my exercise calories back. This probably doesn't apply to you...try my other reasons.
2. A lot of the people on here who eat back some or all of their exercise calories seem to have the same rate of success as those who don't, and I'd be happier eating the calories back. Besides, I've heard that eating more (within reason, of course) helps boost your metabolism -- BUT, some on here will disagree. There are conflicting theories on here for EVERY aspect of losing weight. Some people "eat more to weigh less" and some people will tell you that you can only lose weight on a "calorie deficit" so...you almost can't win asking people on the boards.
3. Speaking of a calorie deficit, MFP already has me at an almost 500-calorie-a-day deficit. In other words, if I eat back all of my calories, I'll still be at a 500 calorie deficit for the day. This kind of explains how people in my second reason succeed.
4. Lastly, I just worked my butt off and I'm hungry. The longer I put off eating something, the more likely I am to want more and choose poorly. My body is asking me for what it needs to recover from my workout (or, at least, that's what the Internet tells me... a carb + a protein = muscle recovery and energy), and to replace the energy I used working out. As a compromise, when I'm eating back exercise calories, I eat yogurt, or apples and cheese/apples and peanut butter, or something healthy; if I want to eat unhealthy (like if I know my family is going to order pizza for dinner), I fit it into my regular calories. I can't be bothered to feel guilty for eating an apple.0 -
]I'm not here to add anything productive; I'm here to entertain myself. It's a message board. Who takes it seriously?
That's pretty obvious. Also, the people who are trying to get advice take it pretty seriously. I am glad you can entertain yourself at the expense of others.0 -
nop i never did eat them back. Always went by my tdee
This is still eating them back--the calculations are different but it's taking calories burned into account when you determine your calorie target.0 -
I sometimes eat them back, but other times I don't simply because I don't feel Hungry ... It depends on my mood & the weather, but YES I feel guilty afterwards0
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THIS TOPIC HAS BEEN BEATEN TO DEATH AT LEAST 1000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000x
Do what you want.0 -
Its against the mfp guidelines to complain about a topic being posted before. Presumably, this person has never posted this topic before and is trying to understand a confusing topic. Part of the way this community works is that any member can come ask a question, not just those who have read a million threads. What you see as obvious and mundane could be stressful and confusing to a new person.THIS TOPIC HAS BEEN BEATEN TO DEATH AT LEAST 1000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000x
Do what you want.
Since you're making this post with the attitude of a jaded vet with just over a months time, blue head and 12 posts, seems to me your time might be better spent trying to disguise your anono profile than lashing out and getting yourself banned, again.0 -
also ur never gonna get to 6% by running - u need build muscle and eat low carb... trust me... how many marathon runner do u see with a tight six pack? How many bodybuilders?
Actually, I have seen plenty of runners with a tight six pack. Running definitely targets your core muscles.
running is one of my sources of exercise.0 -
Its against the mfp guidelines to complain about a topic being posted before. Presumably, this person has never posted this topic before and is trying to understand a confusing topic. Part of the way this community works is that any member can come ask a question, not just those who have read a million threads. What you see as obvious and mundane could be stressful and confusing to a new person.THIS TOPIC HAS BEEN BEATEN TO DEATH AT LEAST 1000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000x
Do what you want.
Since you're making this post with the attitude of a jaded vet with just over a months time, blue head and 12 posts, seems to me your time might be better spent trying to disguise your anono profile than lashing out and getting yourself banned, again.
THIS!! As MFP has been around for a while and new people join regularly - they won't know to search past topic posts - they're eager for their answers NOW!0 -
I try not to eat them back, but if I'm hungry (like today) I will, and I don't feel bad about it when I do.0
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Guilt is a wasted emotion.
Why feel guilty about something that is pretty much a necessity? Now you don't have to eat back the calories, but if you're doing substantial exercise, you've got to eat more than if you were sedentary. It's about balance. Balance the calories with your activity level.0 -
I really dont mean to be rude... I want to appologize. Not sure if you have read the who thread but apperently running long distance will cause me to lose muscle. So my point was that I am still gaining "strength" regardless of my low calories and marathon training. It then got blown up into this debate on whether or not i am a liar. The 310 lbs was not a point of my strength, only that I have maintained strength thru my marathon training.
with respect to the text in bold above
- often runners are leaner and thinner because the long distance runs burn an insane amount of calories. If you're not used to eating back those calories, you end up at a calorie deficit. If your body isn't getting enough energy from your food intake to support its need for fuel, it looks to fat and muscle mass - basically it will burn whatever it needs to sustain the energy requirements.
- they also look leaner because long distance uses slow twitch muscles which make them longer and ropier. Kind of like a swimmer. Sprinters tend to be bulkier / more 'muscly' because sprinting uses fast twitch muscles which can be bulkier and more defined.
- IF you are not eating enough calories to support the needs your body has to fuel itself during your marathon training, then you WILL lose muscle and body fat.
ALSO...
If you are looking for foods that throw you over the top for calories... try foods like almonds, cashews, cottage cheese, greek yogurt... higher in protein and higher in calories... I can never seem stay within my calorie goals if I aim for my 1g protein intake per lean body mass... and yet, I'm still not gaining weight at 1900 cal consumption per day (plus eating back exercise cals)0 -
I chose not to. It's not a huge challenge for me to not eat them (I struggle no more on workout days to stay within calories than I do on not workout days) and I prefer the higher deficit at the end of the day. I aim for 1300/day, so I try for that whether or not I worked out. I would feel like eating more would be just taking something away from all the work I just did. I understand the logic of it being okay to eat them, but I've been doing good doing it my way so, I'm sticking to it. My workouts aren't ridiculous anyways, simple stuff really. Mainly cardio about 4 times/week for about an hour. My body doesn't feel bad if I don't eat them back so..I don't. I have a pretty decent diet anyways.
When I get to maintenance, I still don't plan on eating them back.0 -
I chose not to. It's not a huge challenge for me to not eat them (I struggle no more on workout days to stay within calories than I do on not workout days) and I prefer the higher deficit at the end of the day. I aim for 1300/day, so I try for that whether or not I worked out. I would feel like eating more would be just taking something away from all the work I just did. I understand the logic of it being okay to eat them, but I've been doing good doing it my way so, I'm sticking to it. My workouts aren't ridiculous anyways, simple stuff really. Mainly cardio about 4 times/week for about an hour. My body doesn't feel bad if I don't eat them back so..I don't. I have a pretty decent diet anyways.
When I get to maintenance, I still don't plan on eating them back.
Well, then how can you call it maintenance then?0 -
Hey you! Don't be so hard on yourself! You're doing great!
I think of those exercise calories as a bank... some days I take a withdrawal (and feel semi-guilty however I'm trying to let that feeling go) and most days I save them up for the BIG WEIGHTLOSS at the end of the week!
Me supah like big fat sugar daddy weighloss on Fridays
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Not at all. Lost my weight from eating back my cals. :drinker:0
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