Will I lose weight if I eat my exercise calories?

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  • jesz124
    jesz124 Posts: 1,004 Member
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    I always ate back my exercise calories when I was on 1200 a day. I don't think I could of survived living on 1200 daily if I didn't eat exercise cals!!
  • bazzerwidd
    bazzerwidd Posts: 5 Member
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    I find it difficult to eat back my exercise calories so have found this post very interesting, might need to adjust a few things
  • FattieBabs
    FattieBabs Posts: 542 Member
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    Yes I do and it is working for me. The only time I don't is if I have a dinner party or occasion coming up where I want to get into deficit for a few days to make up for eating more on the occasion day. As long as the cal deficits average out to lose 1 pound a week I am happy. I would find it very hard to stick to 1200. I tried but I was very grouchy and suffered from hair loss!!
  • marand94608
    marand94608 Posts: 67 Member
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    I started here 7 weeks ago and have lost 11 pounds already following the MFP way. My settings are for sedentary and to lose 1 lb/wk, so I'm extremely pleased with the results so far. I decided I would follow this formula and see how it works before I make any adjustments a la the road map & TDEE. My base daily calories are 1420 but I exercise at least 400-500 cals per day so I'm eating 1800-1900 daily. I would NOT be a happy camper if I didn't eat the exercise calories back!
  • collectingblues
    collectingblues Posts: 2,541 Member
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    Doesn't work for me, either! In fact, I think you'll lose, but lose slower .. and who wants slow? I eat my exercise calories only on special occasions.

    If it stays off, slow is better than fast!

    The things in life that are worth having are worth waiting for and having patience for. I'd rather lose weight slowly -- my goal is set at . pounds a week -- and have it stay off, than be tied to "OMG NO I CAN'T EAT THAT" for the rest of my life.
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,306 Member
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    I also have been eating mine back and losing just a little and for the past few weeks not really losing at all. I'm starting to wonder. I think it works for some lucky ones out there..but for me? I don't think so. I want it to work..but it isn't. For me, the jury is out on this one. I think it is individual..and funny how people think what works for them is the only certain one way. not true.
  • S_Arr_Uh
    S_Arr_Uh Posts: 77 Member
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    For the first few weeks, I tried to avoid a high NET because that's what my dysfunctional brain told me to do and I was miserable about a week into it! but I started eating properly plus most of my exercise calories (I try to leave an average of 200 calories left over each day to make room for error) and I felt better & I'm still successfully losing at least 1lb a week.
    So I think you should aim to eat at least 50% of your calories, preferably more. Closer to your daily goal in NET calories, the better :)

    I exercised away 1050 calories today, I've eaten 1167 already and I've still got 1630 calories left to my daily goal. Happy times.
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
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    I have nothing to add here just wanted to see my ticker!
  • megsmom2
    megsmom2 Posts: 2,362 Member
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    Yes! That's how MFP is designed to work! Read the FAQs, and there are several threads explaining this set up.
  • megsmom2
    megsmom2 Posts: 2,362 Member
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    I have nothing to add here just wanted to see my ticker!

    And a great ticker it is too!
  • krhn
    krhn Posts: 781 Member
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    Definitely!!! That's assuming your diet is a caloric deficit - some MFP members don't bother eating back the calories burnt because it allows them to reach their goal weight quicker however, by doing so, you are forfeiting the chance of losing muscle as well as fat!
  • Pepper2185
    Pepper2185 Posts: 994 Member
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    Yes, definitely eat back exercise calories. And while you have only 6lbs to lose change your settings to "lose 0.5lb per week" 1200 is too low

    Yep.
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
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    Doesn't work for me, either! In fact, I think you'll lose, but lose slower .. and who wants slow? I eat my exercise calories only on special occasions.

    May not be your cup of tea but losing slow in the long term is the best way for keeping the weight of permanently. And there is nothing wrong with slow it all adds up over time... Look at my ticker.... nothing wrong with my weight lose over the lost 43 months and I guarantee it is permanent....
  • 0408boys
    0408boys Posts: 72 Member
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    This seems to be how my body works also.
  • sally_jeffswife
    sally_jeffswife Posts: 766 Member
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    I usually eat some of them back not all of them usually but I eat a little of them bk just to keep going
  • NickiLee52
    NickiLee52 Posts: 15
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    Hi Ed... at first when I saw 311 lbs lost I thought that had to be a mistake... WOW! Congratulations to you - you are an inspiration! I am so excited for you and know you must be so very proud!
  • Tammy22274
    Tammy22274 Posts: 23 Member
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    I personal myself do not eat back any of my calories and this was something that I ran by my Specialist that deals with Weight loss and medical condition with in the Endocrine system. I was adviced if I wanted to loss weight that it is not recommended to eat back my exercise calories. I was on WW's almost 2 years ago and they told me that in order to loss weight that you have to burn the calories you eat, so for example if you eat 1300 calories then you have to burn 1330 calories in order to loss weight. I just never bothered to eat back calories at this point because it has worked for me not to. Everyone's body is different so it is a hard questions to answer I believe. As for the TDEE thing that everyone does on here, I haven't a clue how to really do it even after I checked out the thread where it gave detail for detail on how to lol.. Maybe I should just give the information to someone else to do it for me and see what they come up with lol.

    As you see from my ticker I have lost 16 lbs. and I started this on Jan. 21st, 2013, so it is just shy of 30 days and 16lbs lost already!!!!
    Not eating them is working for me but again it depends on the persons body and everyone's is different, so you have to try both ways and see what one works for you!!!

    Good Luck!!
  • akaMrsmojo
    akaMrsmojo Posts: 762 Member
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    I personal myself do not eat back any of my calories and this was something that I ran by my Specialist that deals with Weight loss and medical condition with in the Endocrine system. I was adviced if I wanted to loss weight that it is not recommended to eat back my exercise calories. I was on WW's almost 2 years ago and they told me that in order to loss weight that you have to burn the calories you eat, so for example if you eat 1300 calories then you have to burn 1330 calories in order to loss weight. I just never bothered to eat back calories at this point because it has worked for me not to. Everyone's body is different so it is a hard questions to answer I believe. As for the TDEE thing that everyone does on here, I haven't a clue how to really do it even after I checked out the thread where it gave detail for detail on how to lol.. Maybe I should just give the information to someone else to do it for me and see what they come up with lol.

    As you see from my ticker I have lost 16 lbs. and I started this on Jan. 21st, 2013, so it is just shy of 30 days and 16lbs lost already!!!!
    Not eating them is working for me but again it depends on the persons body and everyone's is different, so you have to try both ways and see what one works for you!!!

    Good Luck!!

    Here is the deal, did you told your nutritionist person that MFP creates the deficit for you. That WW is dangerous and I never heard of them saying any such thing. In fact, it is my understanding you can eat more if you exercise, similar to MFP.

    Your body needs fuel. You may have lost 16 pounds, but is that fat, water or muscle. My friend did the same thing, I ate mine back. We lost at the exact same rate. At the end, she gained back 30 easily. I need to eat, I like to eat.

    Believe me stick the MFP guidelines, it is set up for your success.
  • RonandDi
    RonandDi Posts: 120 Member
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    I'm one of the ones that won't see results if I eat back all the calories burnt by exercise. Might be a number of different reasons, but none the less, it doesn't work for me.

    My suggestion would be to try eating all the recomended calories, if you don't see results, cut back a little. Don't expect results overnight, or even a few days, but if you constantly eat the recomended calories for a couple weeks with no results, why would you think 2 more weeks will be any different. Not everyone is the same....

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