Eating back exercise calories...makes no sense to me...

I used to eat them back because the heavier you are the easier it is to create that deficit to lose a pound or two a week.

Now I don't because every damn calorie matters.

But some days I do eat them back because I get fatigued or cranky or depressed and that tells me I need more calories that day. Or that I didn't eat enough the day before. But usually I can tell because I get in a really bad mood when it's time to bump them up for a day.

However I'm completely sedentary except for 200 or so calories of exercise. I don't work I don't chase small children I don't haul *kitten* across campus with a backpack full of books. People who are more active are already creating a pretty big deficit on the basic 1200 calories. Some are even creating too large a deficit without exercise.

Also I'm older with a long history of crash dieting. And I'm racing to beat the Spring allergies that are going to completely destroy my work out routine and probably bring my weight loss to a screeching halt.

So do I think eating exercise calories back is a good idea for most people? Yes. Eating some back at least. Although you can't trust a heart rate monitor worth a damn so leaving some wiggle room of uneaten exercise calories is not a bad idea either if you find yourself stalling out.

At the very least though don't let yourself get all sad and mean and fatigued. Those can be signs your deficit is too big. Also if you are prone to binge that is a really fast way to set you up for one.

Oops...just saw the responses to the OP's question! Great info! Thank you!

Hey! x

This is my second time round with MFP. Last time I lost 20lbs... but unfortunately fell completely off the wagon and put all the weight back on again. Both last time and this time (this time will be for good!) I was confused by the whole idea of eating back my exercise calories and I never have.

I know this is a very talked about subject and I know there are many discussions regarding it but I still have questions. I am 5’3” and weigh 149 currently, with a calorie intake of 1200kcal a day, I would eventually like to be around 120lbs. It seems illogical to me to work hard exercising then to eat it all back again...?? Surely, what was the point in exercising?

Although, I understand we need to avoid getting our bodies into starvation mode etc... Help! Do you eat back your calories? How much weight have you lost by doing so?

I would love to eat back my calories, but I am scared to at the thought of not losing any weight! I am aiming for 2lbs a week, I do Turbofire every morning and also walk my dog in the evenings.

Let me know your thoughts...

Then why aren't you reading those discussions? They are no different than your question.

I eat them back, at least most of them, and still have lost pounds (even though I'm actually not looking to lose more). If I can eat all the foods I enjoy and never feel hungry, tired, or cranky, why wouldn't I? I love food!

I know it seems counter-intuitive, but eating back exercise calories must be based on pretty sound principles because you can earn extra food points in Weight Watchers through exercise, and WW is widely recognized as a very sound program for losing weight.

I can't help eating extra when I exercise because it makes me crazy-hungry! Plus I appreciate being able to off-set eating too much by exercising; it makes for a good end-of-day balance.

ITs just the way the site is set up. it sounds funny but its ultimately good nutrition.

Eating back the exercise calories keeps you at a steady defecit, and this is helpful to lose fat and hopefully avoid losing muscle.

quite frankly if all you want to do is lose fat, then you just have to eat at a defecit. exercise will help a lot but wont be necessary if your nutrition is correct. exercise is necessary to shape your body though, and its got to be propperly feed for this to happen (not really saying your going to be able to build muscle but you can condition it while losing fat).

I do a lot of beachbody programs. They always come with a nutrition guide with a calculation that tells you how many calories to eat. I highly recommend you just go by that and customize your cals to that number. But then you must stick to the exercise scheduel (calculation is usually based on how many days you plan to exercise). Thats what i do.

But ethier way your going to be 'eating back' your exercise calories. You don't need to do it, but if holding onto lean body mass is important, your better off doing it and being patient.

The reason you need to eat them back is because after you exercise you're body isn't getting 1200 calories. MFP has calculated your calorie goal with a built in deficit. So if you don't do any exercise and eat your 1200 you will lose weight. You're body needs fuel to be active. You eat your 1200 calories and then exercise and burn off 200-300 or more then your body is actually only getting 1000, 900 etc. Being an active adult eating under 1200 calories isn't very healthy. The longer you deprive your body of the fuel it needs the more likely you are to stall your weight loss. If you don't eat back your calories then your body will hold onto the calories it does get just to keep you alive.

My doctor told me not to, but I need to lose a lot. Maybe when I am in maintenance I will eat them back.

For me if I eat my exercise cals I don't lose at all, often gain; if I don't eat them I lose a little; if I hammer the exercise and don't eat my exercise cals I lose more and if I do that and don't eat 200 cals under my limit I lose even more.

The science behind the calories intake set is fine but everyone has a different metabolism, amount of muscle and associated burn rate so my advice is to experiment and see what works best. Try eating your exercise cals for a few weeks and see what you lose (I would go under - in my experience the calculations are generous!) - if you don't then eat fewer of the exercise cals and so on ...

In short. Yes.

Why? becasue myfitnesspal sets up your calorie intake BUT doesn't count exercise you do. If tracking exercise becomes a hassle just figure out your TDEE.

Here's a few sites
http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html
http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

I don't eat my exercise calories. Even if I do get more hungry after my work-outs, those snacks are already planned into my day. My trainer has never advised me to eat more when I work out so I can't recommend what's best for someone else. I am looking into going to see a nutritionist though to find out what is best for me. I've lost 40 pounds without eating exercise calories, but that's just me.

My doctor (nutritionist) told me not to eat all of my exercise cals back. A lot of people on here tell u to but i think i will trust a doctor than someone that just reads up on something. If u really want to know how to do ur weight loss i would make a doctors appointment with a nutritionist if ur confused every one is different so i think that would be the best thing for u to do:)

Does you doctor know you are using MFP...does he know how MFP works...does he know that a deficit is built into the caloric goal? When a doctor, trainer, or nutritionist tells you not to eat back exercise calories it usually is because they assume you are eating a maintenance level of calories and using exercise to create the deficit. MFP creates the deficit in your diet...you don't even have to exercise to lose weight with the MFP method.

Nobody is different...caloric deficit = weight loss. It can either be built into a diet or created through exercise. When it's built into the diet and you exercise but don't eat back exercise calories you create massive deficits that can be dangerous and extremely unhealthy. Learn how to use this friggin' tool...it's really pretty damned simple.

Now....



with this nonsense.

Hi there! I'm new here and have been using this site for the last 3 weeks. Have only lost about 4 lbs and I'm not all that happy with my small loss. This issue confuses me as well. I don't get the reasoning behind eating back the exercise calories either. I'm also not a huge water fan. Never have been. Would like to know why water is so important when losing weight. Looking forward to responses from the knowledgeable people on here. Thanks.

4 pounds is 3 weeks is fast probably too fast unless you are very obese. Don't speed it up, slow it down.

I followed the "in place ofa road map 2.0" forum and customized my calorie allowance so i don't have to log exercises and deal with eating back my exercise calories. I know i can eat up to 2240 calories to maintain, or under that to lose.

So second time round you know what all the discussions are so I won't labour the point. To answer your question:
Q - Do you eat back your calories? How much weight have you lost by doing so?
A - Yes I eat them all back, I lost 18lbs and got to goal weight.

Frankly you did it wrong the first time round and you are doing it wrong again!
"I am aiming for 2lbs a week" - Don't aim for 2lbs a week, very good chance that is why you lost then gained again.

" I am scared to at the thought of not losing any weight!" You know your NET deficit will make you lose weight but you are scared of not losing weight? That doesn't make any sense.