Skip to content
  • Register
    • We are pleased to announce that as of March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor has been introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!

    Eating left over calories

    Posts: 36 Member
    edited January 9 in Health and Weight Loss
    Hi all

    This question has probably been posted a number of times, but i'm just a bit unsure what to do in the situation where i have left over calories.

    At the moment my allocated calories each day is 1630, which will lose me approx 2lbs per week.

    If I eat all of my 1630 calories, and then do exercise which burns, say, 300 calories, should I then be eating more to make that up?

    I'd obviously be happy to lose more than 2lbs a week if that was the result, but worrying that I won't be eating enough.

    I do a mix of cardio and strength training, so happy to gain muscle too.

    Any thoughts/experiences on this would be appreciated, thanks!

    Welcome!

    It looks like you're new here. Sign in or register to get started.
    Sign In
    Register

    Replies

    • Posts: 1,264 Member
      Most people will eat back half of the exercise calories, as often exercise calories are over estimated. B/c you're a male on quite a low calorie goal I would probably eat at least half back.
    • Posts: 1,061 Member
      I rarely eat all my burned calories, I am just full.. I agree with eating at least a portion.
    • Posts: 36 Member
      Cheers for that - obviously wanting to avoid eating too few calories, and inhibiting muscle growth and/or fat loss
    • Posts: 1,061 Member
      I guess I could always use those extra calories for a candy bar or an extra treat..
    • Posts: 36 Member
      I guess I could always use those extra calories for a candy bar or an extra treat..

      Thats true - certainly important not to completely cut out the things you love, otherwise you'll struggle to keep it going.
    • Posts: 1,873 Member
      I usually eat them all back. At the deficit you are aiming for, you would almost certainly be fine eating them all.

      Also, I know it isn't what you asked, but are you sure that 2 lbs a week is a reasonable goal for you? After I saw your profile pic, I looked at your profile, and you are only trying to lose 16 kg. At that amount, you might be better off (healthier, get better-looking results, feel less hungry) trying for 1 lb a week. Do you know your BMR and TDEE?

      Everything you need to know about everything every is here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
    • Posts: 37 Member
      I'd go with Bacon.

      I'm working on a formula to make my HRM report calories burned directly in rashers of bacon, instead of those other silly numbers.

      You know, cut out the middle man.
    • Posts: 18,343 Member
      Unless you're very small you're already pushing a pretty huge caloric deficit, which is counterproductive to maintaining lean body mass. Deepening the deficit certainly isn't going to do you any good in that regard.

      In addition to the "roadmap" thread bathsheba linked to, here's another very good thread about setting your calories and macros:

      http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets
    • Posts: 8,646 Member
      A spoonful or two or five is one of my fave ways of making sure to get my calories in should I need to take in more. ;)

      To answer your question, if you're using MFP's system set up, then yes you're supposed to eat your exercise calories.
    • Posts: 1,103 Member
      I listen to my body. If I am starving after a workout and I've eaten my daily cals already, then I'll eat my workout cals, too. Other days I don't seem to need to eat as much, so I just don't. It seems silly to eat when you're legitimately not hungry.
    • Posts: 8,980 Member
      Some people eat back half. Some eat 3/4. Personally I think the best results come from eating back 0.647815 of them. Any more than that and I gain. Any less and I plateau.
    • Posts: 117 Member
      A spoonful or two or five is one of my fave ways of making sure to get my calories in should I need to take in more. ;)

      To answer your question, if you're using MFP's system set up, then yes you're supposed to eat your exercise calories.

      Yep, this one's on the money. :happy:
    • Posts: 15 Member
      I'd go with Bacon.

      I'm working on a formula to make my HRM report calories burned directly in rashers of bacon, instead of those other silly numbers.

      You know, cut out the middle man.

      GOLD! I'd back that.
    • Posts: 36 Member
      I usually eat them all back. At the deficit you are aiming for, you would almost certainly be fine eating them all.

      Also, I know it isn't what you asked, but are you sure that 2 lbs a week is a reasonable goal for you? After I saw your profile pic, I looked at your profile, and you are only trying to lose 16 kg. At that amount, you might be better off (healthier, get better-looking results, feel less hungry) trying for 1 lb a week. Do you know your BMR and TDEE?

      Everything you need to know about everything every is here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

      Thanks for the info - I'll have a look at that thread you posted.

      No I'm not sure what my BMR and TDEE are - i've basically just put the info into MFP at 2lbs a week and then it's given me total of 1630. To be honest I haven't really struggled to keep within that, and have gon quite under that at times when i've done a solid workout. I guess it might be better to change my goal to 1lb per week. Perhaps i'll see how i go for 4 weeks, and then adjust after that.
    • Posts: 994 Member
      I eat mine. Yum yum!
    • Posts: 18,343 Member
      I listen to my body. If I am starving after a workout and I've eaten my daily cals already, then I'll eat my workout cals, too. Other days I don't seem to need to eat as much, so I just don't. It seems silly to eat when you're legitimately not hungry.
      Your goals are completely different than the OP's. He's not going for weighing 100 lbs. and having a thigh gap. He wants to retain lean muscle. Depriving your body of nutrients may work when you just want to be as skinny as possible and don't care about body composition, but when you're trying to maintain muscle it's highly counterproductive.
    • Posts: 36 Member
      show previous quotes
      Your goals are completely different than the OP's. He's not going for weighing 100 lbs. and having a thigh gap. He wants to retain lean muscle. Depriving your body of nutrients may work when you just want to be as skinny as possible and don't care about body composition, but when you're trying to maintain muscle it's highly counterproductive.

      Cheers for that info.
    This discussion has been closed.

    Welcome!

    It looks like you're new here. Sign in or register to get started.
    Sign In
    Register

    Quick Links

    Categories