Should you eat back the calories you burn through exercise?

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KBrownieee
KBrownieee Posts: 13
in Health and Weight Loss
Such as today, I burned 400 calories through exercising. Should I eat an extra 400 calories or just continue with my regular 1200 calorie goal for the day? Also, will I lose weight faster if I don't eat the calories back?

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  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    Yes. Eat them. You're supposed to. It's how the site is designed to work.

    If you don't eat them, it increases your calorie deficit. On paper, that would make it seems as though you might lose faster. In reality, it means you have a greater likelihood of losing lean mass instead of fat, as well as risking fatigue and burnout.

    You don't have much weight to lose. Be sure you have your weekly goal set to one pound a week. You don't have enough excess fat to lose 2 pounds a week. That's pretty much for those with more than 75 pounds to lose.
  • juliebmomof3
    juliebmomof3 Posts: 115 Member
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    I am at a 1200 calorie goal and I eat my calories back. I would not be able to function if I didn't. I actually kind of base my workouts on what I want to eat that day. Like if I know I will go way over, I work really hard at the gym to burn of the calories to put me back at 1200 or a little below. I have had really good success with it.
  • Railr0aderTony
    Railr0aderTony Posts: 6,803 Member
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    Read this, it will explain how this whole thing works and gives you great info to make your own choices.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
  • ladyraven68
    ladyraven68 Posts: 2,003 Member
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    Such as today, I burned 400 calories through exercising. Should I eat an extra 400 calories or just continue with my regular 1200 calorie goal for the day? Also, will I lose weight faster if I don't eat the calories back?

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf
  • Craigamears
    Craigamears Posts: 65 Member
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    I agree with the previous poster. Eat them back or else you will gain the weight back quickly. You may lose weight a little quicker but you will make changes to your metabolism that will make you system much more efficient in storing fat, which an 18 year old woman doesn't want to do. You want to keep you metabolism burning normally just with a little less fuel (calories). You may want to add protein to your food tracker. You want to be sure you are eating adequate levels.
  • ashfuse
    ashfuse Posts: 224 Member
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    Yes, eat them ALL back.
  • jaireed
    jaireed Posts: 333 Member
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    I do if I'm hungry, but I don't force feed myself if I'm not.
  • Guamybear
    Guamybear Posts: 1,061 Member
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    you may stall with your weight loss if you don't eat at half to all of them back.. I say this from experience.

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