Eating back calorie advice needed

This. Exercise is never a waste--it makes you stronger and fitter, and helps preserve or even increase lean muscle tissue, which increases your metabolism. Eating too little has the opposite effect: you'll lose muscle and slow your metabolism. Trust to the calorie deficit you set MFP for, and you can eat your exercise calories back and lose weight at exactly the same rate as if you ate your base calories and didn't exercise. Faster, probably, thanks to the effect exercise has on your metabolism.

Oh, sorry, yeah I know exercise is not a waste for other things. I was talking in terms of the weight loss.

Basically what I am hearing people say is exercise is NOT for weight loss though it has other benefits? Is that what people seem to agree on?

I am by no means an expert, but one thing I can tell you. Well, multiple things really, and things others have already said. You just have to decide if you want to hear the correct information, or only hear what you want to hear:

MFP sets you at a caloric deficit that reflects your goals to lose weight. If you are at sedentary, and then you exercise it is anticipated that you eat back your workout calories. So if you eat 1200 net, and work off 300, then you should eat those 300 back to get back to your 1200 net amount.

You should check out http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12 and learn a little something about BMR (what your body needs to function at its basic level) and TDEE (your max cal expenditure for the day) and then see how startling it can be to understand that eating back your calories, eating a good net calorie amount both equal weight loss.

I would like to think that you want to lose weight, and keep it off - which means sustainability. Your body might take you hitting less than 1200 net for a while, but it won't appreciate it in the long run and really there is no need to. Take it from someone who is currently working on that program and have lost 14 lbs since upping my calorie intake. I always eat back my workout calories. Why wouldn't you? It's food..

I am not a "live to eat" person, but I sure do enjoy the process of eating food and you can eat well, eat your calories, and not gorge or binge or pig out, or fall into the old ruts that got you into the position you find yourself.

Bottom line:
Eat back your cals, never let your daily intake fall below what MFP has you set as a net amount, it's nonsensical. Exercise = more food you can eat and it will NOT hurt your weight loss. Good luck. :drinker:

you're supposed to eat back your exercise calories Problem solved. Nothing to feel bad about!

If you eat back your exercise calories then you don't lose that weight. The whole reason I'm exercising is to lose weight! So I don't want to go waste all that time spent working out.

It's more a mental issue, of I see I'm allowed this much and therefore I feel the need to use it up.

when you set up your goals, it automatically factors in your calorie deficit. SO, when you workout you need to eat back those cals to ensure you are fueling properly. There is a difference between losing weight and losing body fat. If you don't eat enough, you will not lose fat, but lean body mass (muscle). You will surely gain that "weight" back because not eating enough is gonna backfire. Guess what..that weight is all fat. So, not only have you lost muscle, but you've replaced it with fat.

unless you want to be limited to like 600 cals a day when you get older. If you're okay with that, then by all means, starve your body all you want.

You need to be NETTING your calorie allowance. So if you're allowed 1650 cals a day, if you workout, make sure you are netting AT LEAST 1650 cals.

Eating them back doesn't work for everyone. I know a lot of people on here preach eating them back, but it does not work for me. I have been steadily loosing since Jan 6th (16 lbs down) by not eating them or barely dipping in to the exercise calories. SO, I am going to do what is working for me.

Editing to add: If I get to a point to what I am doing stops working, I would consider some extra calories and changing my exercise routine. But for now, I am doing what works.

Exactly how I feel. I log the exercise but I just don't eat back the calories. I like logging not only to see how much I did, but to have a buffer cushion in my calorie count so that I don't stress if I have an extra 100 or so calories in the day. It's like a bank account. i like to have a little to play with, but i don't just use it all. I just try to keep close to the protein goal.

I agree with not using the exercise amounts on MFP. I use the elliptical all the time. I am 187 lbs. 48 years old. MFP states that I burn almost double the calories that my Elliptical (which is set with my info) states. I checked today using my bodybugg and the difference between my elliptical amount and the bodybugg was <60 calories, yet MFP was >120 calories more. Getting a HRM is the best way to actually see what is being burned . As far as the extra calories, MFP is set up with a calorie amount that will get you to lose weight based on the information put in; eating the extra calories are there because when most people work out your body requires more calories to function properly. Eat them if you are hungry or feel that you are weakened in any way.

Yeah, this is how I want to be. Based on all the responses I don't think I really explained my problem well.

I have a very hard time with self-control. The diet itself has been very difficult for me. However, I have committed to putting everything in my mouth in the tracker, and I really don't want to see that red number there. So I can limit myself to my daily amount (difficult but not impossible). But when I add in the exercise, now I have xxx calories extra that are there. SO I eat them.

I guess my question really is 1) how do I improve my self control and/or 2) is there another way to log the exercise that doesn't show the calories. Because if I am really hungry I want to know how much I get to eat back if I want.

Change your mindset. You didn't get overweight by eating a normal healthy diet. You ate too many calories (whatever those calories were comprised of) and/or exercised too little.

Don't think of it as a 'diet'. Think of it as changing your way of eating -- for life. Eat the way a person your goal weight would eat to maintain, and make healthy nutritious choices most of the time. You can still have the junk if you want -- just not a whole lot of it. You want to feed your body the nutrients it needs, AND you can still allow for the cravings you want in moderation.

Food will be so much better at that point, because food isn't evil. It's tasty!

Have a healthy low calorie snack ready ann waiting before you work out. That way if you are hungry you know exactly what to eat instead of grabbing the nearest thing like chips etc. That's what I do and it's helped me stay on track. keep an apple, avocado, banana etc handy with your water:)

My #1 rule is to eat when I am hungry. Some days that requires me to eat back a lot of the calories burned and others not so much. I find that the more fruit and veggies I eat, the less hungry I am throughout the day and ultimately less calories I eat. =] Do what ever works for you!

This ^ I love fruits and vegetables.

do NOTeat back calories you burned while excersing. you're just hurting yourself and ruin your workout.

There are many different attitudes on MFP regarding exercise calories, but you really have to figure out what works best for YOU! Personally, I always log exercise but usually don't eat back much if any of them unless I'm actually hungry. I'd also be careful with using the calorie expenditure listed on your elliptical because those usually overestimate by quite a bit. Your best bet would be to invest in a heart rate monitor to determine how much you're actually burning during your workouts.

could not agree more

My dietitian told me I was NOT to eat those calories back!!:blushing:

If you're going with MFP's set up then yes you are SUPPOSED to eat your calories back. One of my friends actually emailed them and asked, because there is so much debate here.

They already put you at a deficit to lose when you set it up, so even if you eat back all your calories (which you should) you'll still be losing....that 0.5lbs, 1lb, or 2lbs you chose when setting it up based on the deficit that was set by them based on what you told them about how fast you want to lose as well as the stats you gave them.

Your body needs a certain amount of fuel (just like a car) to just LIVE -- heartbeat, digest, breathe, etc. When you sit up, that takes more energy and therefore requires more fuel. Even more for walking. And even MORE for strenuous exercise.

Fuel your body so it can do what it needs. You wouldn't expect your car to function without fuel.

i usually go with how i feel. if i'm real hungry i'll usually eat the calories back but if i'm not i don't. I just make sure to eat every 3 hrs to keep my metabolism up.