earned calories with exercise, should I eat those extra?
89Madeline
Posts: 205 Member
Just wondering since I want to do weightloss in a healthy way: I just filled in excersie results in myfitnesspal for the first time (360 calories burned). Now it says in my food diary that I earned 360 extra calories and my total to spend went up with 360. This means it is wise to eat 360 calories extra this day? Or is that not really necessary? I want to make sure I eat enough!
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Replies
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Personally, I never eat my exercise calories back but you will find tons of people on here that tell you to do so. For me, things work without me eating them.0
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It's honestly up to you... I've heard people say both. I say not, unless if you're really hungry. No point in stuffing yourself!0
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thanks so much for the quick reply
When I did WW, they would give you 'active points' you were free to spend but you didn't have to. But since myfitnesspal counts them straight up to what you have left to spend for that day, I started wondering
thanks! Would love to hear more people on this though 0 -
Simple answer..... yes...
I know alot of people dont, but why starve yourself... when i work out intensely i am ravernous after, so might aswell enjoy what i've earnt and still loose, also by 'fueling' your workouts, rather than stuffing afterwards (i.e using up some of your proposed 'burn' beforehand you will perform better...
Personally i lost over 90lbs (overall) and ate all my exersize calories... Never did me any harm.. and i think it helped!0 -
If you are netting too few calories, eat them back!! For example, if your "net" calories after working out are below say 1200, eat more! You need to fuel your body to lose weight the healthy way. If you are only netting like 600 calories, you are starving yourself.
Hope this makes sense!0 -
I will definitely not starve myself, that would never happen to me lol. Good tip to eat something extra beforehand! Great results btw!!0
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I never eat my exercise calories back either unless I am training for a big run..then it is hard not to because I am buring so many calories. If I burn a lot of calories on a Saturday, then it is nice to have the option to use if we go out to dinner...then I have not wreck my whole day of dieting.0
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I would argue that you should just because if you eat too few calories (like the message tells you at the bottom of your food diary) you begin to starve yourself and slowdown your metabolism. If you eat them back just do it with fruit or veggies. Coming under on your calories feels like a hollow victory if you go over in fat or carbs. If you eat them back, be smart! :-)0
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ONLY if you are hungry! :drinker:0
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I rarely eat my exercise calories back. On occasion, like holidays or weddings when it is hard to control the food that is prepared and offered I will and I won't feel guilty about it.0
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No, it's not up to you. PEOPLE, FOR GOD'S SAKE... STOP SAYING THAT.
If you have to ask the question, then you don't understand the issue well enough to make the decision for yourself.
When you setup your goal/profile... if you included exercise into the formula to calculate your daily calorie goal (which MFP doesn't do by default, but most TDEE calculators DO include), then you don't need to log exercise or eat back those calories. If you didn't include exercise in the calculations, then yes, you should be logging exercise cals and eating them back.0 -
I eat back my exercise calories, i am new to exercising so it's a good motivation. I have
lost 19 lbs since January this year so for me it is working out fine. Your choice though x0 -
No, it's not up to you. PEOPLE, FOR GOD'S SAKE... STOP SAYING THAT.
If you have to ask the question, then you don't understand the issue well enough to make the decision for yourself.
When you setup your goal/profile... if you included exercise into the formula to calculate your daily calorie goal (which MFP doesn't do by default, but most TDEE calculators DO include), then you don't need to log exercise or eat back those calories. If you didn't include exercise in the calculations, then yes, you should be logging exercise cals and eating them back.
Exactly right. I keep mine set without any activity (sedentary) and earn extra calories through my workouts and activity. Keeps me focused on being active. I tend not to eat back all my calories but I do eat 80% of them if I am hungry.0 -
Yes. The way this site is set up, you're supposed to eat them.0
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No, it's not up to you. PEOPLE, FOR GOD'S SAKE... STOP SAYING THAT.
If you have to ask the question, then you don't understand the issue well enough to make the decision for yourself.
When you setup your goal/profile... if you included exercise into the formula to calculate your daily calorie goal (which MFP doesn't do by default, but most TDEE calculators DO include), then you don't need to log exercise or eat back those calories. If you didn't include exercise in the calculations, then yes, you should be logging exercise cals and eating them back.
Yes!!!!!! Eat them! And for those of you who say you aren't hungry, eat and your metabolism will start working again. No one is full eating 1200 or less. Don't' "listen to your body" either. If we knew how to "listen to our bodies", we wouldn't be here to begin with. Just eat them.0 -
I would say it depends on your results. If you eat them and you are still losing weight and getting closer to your goal it is fine. I am not eating mine as when I do, my weight loss usually stops.0
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No, it's not up to you. PEOPLE, FOR GOD'S SAKE... STOP SAYING THAT.
If you have to ask the question, then you don't understand the issue well enough to make the decision for yourself.
When you setup your goal/profile... if you included exercise into the formula to calculate your daily calorie goal (which MFP doesn't do by default, but most TDEE calculators DO include), then you don't need to log exercise or eat back those calories. If you didn't include exercise in the calculations, then yes, you should be logging exercise cals and eating them back.
This!! ^^^^
Eat them back, that's how the site is designed. The ones you earn taste the best.0 -
I would say it depends on your results. If you eat them and you are still losing weight and getting closer to your goal it is fine. I am not eating mine as when I do, my weight loss usually stops.
That's probably an issue with your calculations and/or estimates, not with the approach of eating back cals.0 -
MFP is designed in a way that you're supposed to eat them back. I used to never eat my exercise calories back but I plateaued a lot. I tried eating back half and it works great for me. I do it kind of on a weekly basis though. Monday-Thursday I won't eat any back, but Friday-Sunday I'll eat them all back. Some weeks I'm just really hungry and I eat them all back every day. I like having the flexibility without derailing my progress.0
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I eat some back but never all of them!!0
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If you are netting too few calories, eat them back!! For example, if your "net" calories after working out are below say 1200, eat more! You need to fuel your body to lose weight the healthy way. If you are only netting like 600 calories, you are starving yourself.
Hope this makes sense!
^^^ this....didn't realize this and was wondering why I wasn't dropping any weight. I was only netting 600 or lower cals a day. But at the end of the day, do what works for you...some people do, some people don't :-)0 -
I always find that if i don't eat some of them back, i get ravenously hungry either that day or the next day and risk binging and ruining all my hard work. You should base it on how your body reacts, but if you eat back some of the calories, especially in lean protein, you are helping your body recover and build lean muscle.0
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No, it's not up to you. PEOPLE, FOR GOD'S SAKE... STOP SAYING THAT.
If you have to ask the question, then you don't understand the issue well enough to make the decision for yourself.
When you setup your goal/profile... if you included exercise into the formula to calculate your daily calorie goal (which MFP doesn't do by default, but most TDEE calculators DO include), then you don't need to log exercise or eat back those calories. If you didn't include exercise in the calculations, then yes, you should be logging exercise cals and eating them back.
THIS.
Plus, there are some days that if I didn't eat back my calories, I'd literally net negative calories :-(0 -
i eat half back as mfp tends to be over generous with the calories it says you burn0
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No, it's not up to you. PEOPLE, FOR GOD'S SAKE... STOP SAYING THAT.
If you have to ask the question, then you don't understand the issue well enough to make the decision for yourself.
When you setup your goal/profile... if you included exercise into the formula to calculate your daily calorie goal (which MFP doesn't do by default, but most TDEE calculators DO include), then you don't need to log exercise or eat back those calories. If you didn't include exercise in the calculations, then yes, you should be logging exercise cals and eating them back.
^^^This0 -
Eat them back, that is how the site is set up to work.0
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Thank you so much jdaley!
I had a feeling I was eating too many calories and I couldn't figure out why I was following my calorie count and exercising and not losing weight. I was getting very frustrated! Now I have gone back in and changed my exercise goal to zero so that I will know I can eat the calories I burn!! Thanks for breaking it down to those of us who are new here!!0 -
I would eat them. It adds the calories so you net what your original goal is. You don't have to eat all of them, but half or most is usually what's best.0
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Yes eat back some or most of your exercise calories. I eat back most of mine and have shed around 38lbs since joining MFP with a total loss of about 53-58lbs. Not sure since I did not weigh myself right at the start. It has been painless to do. I'm not on a diet so never worry about what I eat as I eat smaller portions, make better choices and will never have to worry about what is going to happen when I move over to maintenance. I don't binge but I do have the occasional day when I eat above my allowance. But this is always offset by the days of being under.0
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Ok, thanks so much for all the great replies, clears up how myfitnesspal reasons
one more question though, currently my profile is set to 'sedentary' and 2x 30 minute work out per week as a goal. I just did my 60 minutes and filled those in. Are you saying that I shouldn't because that's my goal and is already calculated in my intake?
Or are you saying that it's good that I fill them in since I am 'sedentary and my calorie calculation is based on that?
Thanks for all the replies again!0
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