Why exercise if you eat back the calories?

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peachfigs
peachfigs Posts: 831 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Would someone be willing to explain this?

What impact will exercise have on your weight loss if you eat back the calories burned?
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Replies

  • SexyPrettyMama
    SexyPrettyMama Posts: 76
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    I want to know too. I'll keep my eye on this thread.
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
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    I've always eaten back my exercise calories. I'll tell you why I exercise:
    -for cardiovascular fitness
    -to maintain muscle mass (especially important while I was losing weight)
    -to maintain good bone density
    -to manage my moods and keep me sane (cardio)
    -to learn to do something (running) that I never thought I could do - massive confidence boost
    -because there is a lot of research that indicates that exercise helps ward off all kind of lifestyle-related diseases
    -because it's fun
    -to raise my TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) so that I can eat more. Some people are a bit sniffy about this reason, but having a couple of hundred extra calories a day to consume makes a low calorie diet much more manageable, and enjoyable. I'm not ashamed to say I like to eat.
    -because since I started heavy lifting, my body looks a lot better than it did before, and than it would if I was just doing cardio
    -because it makes me feel strong and able to do physical tasks in every day life (and will hopefully reduce the risk of injury in such tasks)

    There are probably a lot more. The reason I always ate those calories back was because I was following MFP the way it was designed (there are other ways) and to keep my calorie deficit reasonable. I didn't want to lose too much lean mass as I lost weight, and I didn't want to feel tired and lacking in energy. There was a time when my calorie deficit was too large (I always ate back my execise calories but my basic calorie goal was too low) and I felt tired all the time, had dizzy spells and my mood really suffered. I was trying to start running and never had the energy to put the required effort in. That would have been even worse if I hadn't eaten my exercise calories.
  • IronSmasher
    IronSmasher Posts: 3,908 Member
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    Why count calories if you're not going to count calories?
  • KatjaO
    KatjaO Posts: 71
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    Because my calories are based on not exercising and if I exercise I consume more and can thus eat more without affecting my planned speed of weight loss.

    So as an example, if I can eat 1600 calories and lose .5 per week I can do that without any excercise. If I exercise daily, I can either speed up my weightloss by not eating them back or eat more. Of course only to a point. You can't be on a 1200 cal diet and exercise say 500 cals worth a day and be healthy if you not eat those cals back. I am at a point where slow loosing is just fine, so I eat back the calories.

    And obviously exercise has tons of other benefits as PP listed.
  • KellyJoMorris
    KellyJoMorris Posts: 35 Member
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    Hi!

    This is why I exercise and eat back pretty much all the calories.

    Eating my exercise calories means I can have more food!
    Having more food motivates me to exercise for it.
    Exercise calories are the fuel that my body needs to do the exercise and build muscle mass.
    Eating my exercise calories will mean that I lose WEIGHT more slowly.
    But I will be losing pretty much all fat and not muscle mass
    If I do not eat my exercise calories, I will lose WEIGHT faster but it will be part fat and part muscle mass.
    Muscle mass burns calories just by being there, so I want to keep it!
    When I hit my target, I want to be toned and defined, not skinny fat.
    I do celebrate any loss on the scales that I have,
    But overall I pay more attention to body fat percentage and how much my body is shrinking.

    There are lots of different opinions out there, I did some research and some thinking and this is what works for me.

    xx
  • tknight1984
    tknight1984 Posts: 19
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    Exercise doesnt only burn calories, it boosts your metabolism.
  • ladyraven68
    ladyraven68 Posts: 2,003 Member
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    Would someone be willing to explain this?

    What impact will exercise have on your weight loss if you eat back the calories burned?

    Cardio Exercise does not affect your weight loss, it affects your defict, which affects your weight loss.

    But exercise has far greater benefits than just affecting calorie burn.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf
  • str8ngefruit
    str8ngefruit Posts: 7
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    Great post. Gave me something to think about.
  • andreagreen1974
    andreagreen1974 Posts: 64 Member
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    Because if you put your body in too much of a calorie deficit, it will be more difficult to maintain your weight loss.
    I look at it like this. If I eat back the calories I exercise off, I have a NET caloric intake (right now) of 1450 calories per day. If I couldn't workout because of a broken leg or something for a few months, I'd have to drop my caloric intake by about 800-900 calories per day in order to maintain my weight now. that would put me at about 650-550 calories per day. That's well below the norm of 1200 per day. NOBODY should have fewer than 1200 calories per day. And if you're strenght training and building muscle, you require more than that to keep you alive anyway! LOL
  • 73Freckles
    73Freckles Posts: 201 Member
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    Fantastic Topic and I love the responses! I eat back some but not all of my exercise cals and never even thought about it. Thank you all for the great info!!
  • tryclyn
    tryclyn Posts: 2,414 Member
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    Exercise for health and fitness, cut kcals to lose weight.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    Weight loss happens with a calorie deficit. You can't let that deficit become too big or too small.


    Rule #1 is the reason for exercise:
    cardio-gif.gif
  • cmeiron
    cmeiron Posts: 1,599 Member
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    I've always eaten back my exercise calories. I'll tell you why I exercise:
    -for cardiovascular fitness
    -to maintain muscle mass (especially important while I was losing weight)
    -to maintain good bone density
    -to manage my moods and keep me sane (cardio)
    -to learn to do something (running) that I never thought I could do - massive confidence boost
    -because there is a lot of research that indicates that exercise helps ward off all kind of lifestyle-related diseases
    -because it's fun
    -to raise my TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) so that I can eat more. Some people are a bit sniffy about this reason, but having a couple of hundred extra calories a day to consume makes a low calorie diet much more manageable, and enjoyable. I'm not ashamed to say I like to eat.
    -because since I started heavy lifting, my body looks a lot better than it did before, and than it would if I was just doing cardio
    -because it makes me feel strong and able to do physical tasks in every day life (and will hopefully reduce the risk of injury in such tasks)

    There are probably a lot more. The reason I always ate those calories back was because I was following MFP the way it was designed (there are other ways) and to keep my calorie deficit reasonable. I didn't want to lose too much lean mass as I lost weight, and I didn't want to feel tired and lacking in energy. There was a time when my calorie deficit was too large (I always ate back my execise calories but my basic calorie goal was too low) and I felt tired all the time, had dizzy spells and my mood really suffered. I was trying to start running and never had the energy to put the required effort in. That would have been even worse if I hadn't eaten my exercise calories.

    ALL OF THIS.

    Quoted for so much truthiness. :love:
  • freelancejouster
    freelancejouster Posts: 478 Member
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    Your calories are already factored in so that you will lose weight optimally. I exercise to put myself in better shape, eating them back is a treat.
  • traceytwink
    traceytwink Posts: 538 Member
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    I've always eaten back my exercise calories. I'll tell you why I exercise:
    -for cardiovascular fitness
    -to maintain muscle mass (especially important while I was losing weight)
    -to maintain good bone density
    -to manage my moods and keep me sane (cardio)
    -to learn to do something (running) that I never thought I could do - massive confidence boost
    -because there is a lot of research that indicates that exercise helps ward off all kind of lifestyle-related diseases
    -because it's fun
    -to raise my TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) so that I can eat more. Some people are a bit sniffy about this reason, but having a couple of hundred extra calories a day to consume makes a low calorie diet much more manageable, and enjoyable. I'm not ashamed to say I like to eat.
    -because since I started heavy lifting, my body looks a lot better than it did before, and than it would if I was just doing cardio
    -because it makes me feel strong and able to do physical tasks in every day life (and will hopefully reduce the risk of injury in such tasks)

    There are probably a lot more. The reason I always ate those calories back was because I was following MFP the way it was designed (there are other ways) and to keep my calorie deficit reasonable. I didn't want to lose too much lean mass as I lost weight, and I didn't want to feel tired and lacking in energy. There was a time when my calorie deficit was too large (I always ate back my execise calories but my basic calorie goal was too low) and I felt tired all the time, had dizzy spells and my mood really suffered. I was trying to start running and never had the energy to put the required effort in. That would have been even worse if I hadn't eaten my exercise calories.

    Well said I love exercise and food so it's a great combo, I don't eat back all my exercise cals as I would find that very hardbut give it a good try lol, I'm already on 2000 a day so don't really feel the need to eat more but they are there to use if I'm hungry ????
  • Leeann1979
    Leeann1979 Posts: 1,090 Member
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    If you eat, for example, 1500 calories a day, then exercise and burn off 800 of them, you are only netting 700 calories. That is no where near enough food. Your energy will sink, mood will worsen etc and your exercise will most likely suffer. I have lost weight so many times eating 1200 calories, but only netting a couple hundred because I didn't know better. I was crabby all the time cuz I love food. I was starving. Plus, the weight always came back, plus more. You will still be eating at a deficit when you back some or all of your exercise calories.
  • antonia_yes
    antonia_yes Posts: 70 Member
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    Why exercise if you eat back the calories?

    So I can eat more! :D
  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,834 Member
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    Exercise is about fitness and the benefits of a healthier, more efficient body. You need to fuel your body for those workouts.
  • 60x60
    60x60 Posts: 75 Member
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    Exercise/Activity/Good Eating Habits/Sleep/Friends/Meaningful Work/Fun/Family: All part of my formula to do my part to take care of this wonderful life of mine. Frequently things get out of balance or life throws me a curve ball and I have to adjust the formula. Usually upping the exercise or activity level is the first step of rebalancing. I don't so much see exercise and activity as a weight loss tool as I see it as a part of a healthy life impacting my blood pressure, my cholesterol, my bone density, my staminia, my balance, my flexibility, my blood sugar, my mood, my productivity, my appearance (all things that I have had to focus on post-cancer and facing the end of middle-age).
  • petitegreek
    petitegreek Posts: 144 Member
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    My brother asks me this all the time.
    I tell him I can eat back the calories I burn from exercising. He automatically says "so technically you can eat McDonald's after burning 600 calories at the gym." I say "yes, but I don't!!" I try to eat back my calories throughout the day but make sure it's healthier, like fruit and nuts. If that isn't enough, I'll add high calorie healthy additives such as peanut butter or olive oil.

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