Eat back the calories burned?

dbrooks82
dbrooks82 Posts: 46 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I started out in the beginning adding to my food intake on days that i exercise, thinking i needed to be sure to fill the total net.caloriea for.the day. Since then i have stopped and just try to hit the my original amount. Seems to me that if i eat them all back then i defeat the point of burninf them in the first place. Am i looking at this correctly?

Replies

  • trelm249
    trelm249 Posts: 777 Member
    The right answer is maybe.

    Some do fine not eating them back depending on their activity and how well their body recovers from the stress on the body caused by exercise.

    Others need the additional calories to fuel the recovery process and typically a good chunk of the differential is protein for muscle recovery.

    Factors that fuel this include sleep, age, type of activity, frequency of activity, what your body prefers for fuel, etc.

    I lift 3 days a week, do cardio 2 other days and have found I need the additional calories otherwise my joints start hurting, I stay tired and I am not as strong.

    The only way to find what is best for you is try both and track what happens. For instance, don't eat them back for 12 weeks and make notes about your performance, sleep, well being, etc. Follow that with 12 weeks of eating them back and do the same.
  • wibutterflymagic
    wibutterflymagic Posts: 788 Member
    Well, I've seen different ideas on this but for me it's simple. My basic calorie intact for just doing what I normally do in a day is about 1800/day. In order to lose weight I'm at about 1300(1lb/wk). So, right there is already a 500 calorie deficit which will make me lose weight without exercising. If I exercise and burn off a couple hundred calories then that brings my daily deficit to 700 or more which would increase my weight lose to much more then 1lb/week. I personally don't want to drop weight that fast because I want this to be something I can sustain in the long haul so I eat back some of my exercise calories. I am not on a diet, I've changed my eating habit lifestyle. If someone has set their goals to where they are only eating 1200calories before exercise and then doesn't eat their exercise calories back, then they are consuming less then 1000/day and I personally do not think that is healthy to do. If you're hungry, your body is saying it needs more fuel. So in my opinion eat back some of your exercise calories.
  • dbrooks82
    dbrooks82 Posts: 46 Member
    I am definately not hungry, i actually feel like i am over eating when i eat back what i burned. But then i also wonder if thats just cuz my body isnt used to it. Most of my teenage/adult life if i wasnt hungry i didnt eat...thus causing me to eat a lot less than i should. I found out when starting to use MFP i was in fact far below 1200 and getting there everyday was a struggle. Now i can comfortably maintain about 1200 by adding a snack or 2 in spots i normally would not eat. I still dont fully understand the calorie defecit stuff...fitness and nutrition were not ever concerns in my family, so i am learning as i go.
  • JustPeachy044
    JustPeachy044 Posts: 770 Member
    Yup. You will get a variety of answers to this question. In the end, as already stated, it depends. Go with what works for you...if you stall out on weight loss or find yourself tired, lethargic, losing lots of hair, etc. then make a change, probably adding more calories. I personally plan a daily deficit then eat back some or all of my exercise calories, depending on the amount I burn, my energy level, and what is happening in my life. This creates a sort of natural, "calorie cycling" for me--keeps my net calorie intake varied from day to day.
  • KatieSChaisemom
    KatieSChaisemom Posts: 79 Member
    I do not eat back my calories but that is my personal choice. I also find it completely satisying to eat 1200 or less calories. I just can;t manage to stuff myself past that point.
  • mgobluetx12
    mgobluetx12 Posts: 1,326 Member
    Lots of posts about this on the message boards. Do a search and you'll see all kind of different responses. You just have to do what works for you. You're already at a deficit, so eat half to make up some, but not all.


    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
    I think the correct response is it depends on if you are using MFP's goals or if you calculated your own TDEE. If you use MFP's suggested calories, you should eat them back since MFP is designed that way (hence it adding calories when you put in exercise). If you used your TDEE, then do not eat them back because the TDEE method already factors in your exercise.
  • dbrooks82
    dbrooks82 Posts: 46 Member
    Lots of posts about this on the message boards. Do a search and you'll see all kind of different responses. You just have to do what works for you. You're already at a deficit, so eat half to make up some, but not all.


    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

    Thanks for the link. Although i am still quite confused it does make a little more sense now. Not sure i will ever be able to eat them all back but i will prob make more of an effort :)
  • dmhorton80
    dmhorton80 Posts: 21
    Yea I am confused on this topic as well.
  • rfsatar
    rfsatar Posts: 599 Member
    I think the correct response is it depends on if you are using MFP's goals or if you calculated your own TDEE. If you use MFP's suggested calories, you should eat them back since MFP is designed that way (hence it adding calories when you put in exercise). If you used your TDEE, then do not eat them back because the TDEE method already factors in your exercise.

    100% this.
  • kimosabe1
    kimosabe1 Posts: 2,467 Member
    Exercise calories u can use at your discretion. When i exercise i will throw in that cheeseburger i wanted and then stop. If i don't exercise though, i don't really eat as free.
  • sandradev1
    sandradev1 Posts: 786 Member
    Well, I've seen different ideas on this but for me it's simple. My basic calorie intact for just doing what I normally do in a day is about 1800/day. In order to lose weight I'm at about 1300(1lb/wk). So, right there is already a 500 calorie deficit which will make me lose weight without exercising. If I exercise and burn off a couple hundred calories then that brings my daily deficit to 700 or more which would increase my weight lose to much more then 1lb/week. I personally don't want to drop weight that fast because I want this to be something I can sustain in the long haul so I eat back some of my exercise calories. I am not on a diet, I've changed my eating habit lifestyle. If someone has set their goals to where they are only eating 1200calories before exercise and then doesn't eat their exercise calories back, then they are consuming less then 1000/day and I personally do not think that is healthy to do. If you're hungry, your body is saying it needs more fuel. So in my opinion eat back some of your exercise calories.


    This ^^^^ well put :smile:
  • Dexy_
    Dexy_ Posts: 593 Member
    If you're hungry, eat.
  • sandradev1
    sandradev1 Posts: 786 Member
    Lots of posts about this on the message boards. Do a search and you'll see all kind of different responses. You just have to do what works for you. You're already at a deficit, so eat half to make up some, but not all.


    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

    Thanks for the link. Although i am still quite confused it does make a little more sense now. Not sure i will ever be able to eat them all back but i will prob make more of an effort

    You ate a certain amount of food when you put the weight on, just exchange for healthy choices and also exchange your snacks for healthy choices too....its not that difficult for your body :smile:

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