Really confused about eating back calories

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  • sandradev1
    sandradev1 Posts: 786 Member
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    Exercise will burn calories yes, but your body needs the calories in the first place in order for it to perform that exercise. If you read the stickies on the forum, you will see that MFP is set up to give you a calorie goal that DOES NOT include your exercise. When you do exercise and log it, it will add those burned calories to your total calorie goal for the day. The idea is that you now eat your amended calorie goal for the day...........why would it do it otherwise!!!!!!

    MFP has very cleverly and kindly already calculated the amount of deficit of calories needed to lose the amount of weight that you input you wanted to lose. If you do not follow the programme correctly - i.e. eat back your calories burned exercising, then you are creating an even bigger deficit which is not healthy for your body.

    Edited to add: Calorie deficit = weight loss
    Exercise = fitness
  • teawithmilkplease
    teawithmilkplease Posts: 17 Member
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    I really appreciate all of the advice and helpful information everyone. Thank you.
  • SkinnyForMinnie
    SkinnyForMinnie Posts: 68 Member
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    Bump. Great advice, thanks!
  • NormInv
    NormInv Posts: 3,301 Member
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    My thought is, you calculate your TDEE using no activity. Then you create a 10-20% deficit to lose weight. If you dont exercise, you will lose weight using this strategy.

    But exercise has other benefits such as cardiovascular and joint benefits, in addition to making you look good and 'lean'.

    So if you add exercise to this equation, you will reap the benefits of exercise but now your calorie deficit will be 30% if you dont eat those calories back. Thats a huge calorie reduction, which would make this a short term lifestyle. So you should stick with your original 20% deficit and eat back the exercise calories.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    Exercise, in addition to making you healthier and look better and all that other great stuff, makes you able to (from my point of view) eat like a normal person. :laugh:

    It creates the grand illusion that this comes easily to me and I'm one of those people who can eat whatever she wants and never gain weight. :tongue:

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