Eat back Cals?

jennywilliams1232
jennywilliams1232 Posts: 8 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm sort of new to this, but the question I have is this. Should I be eating back some or all of the calories that I burn during exercise? I am meeting my goals during the week and all that I'm doing on the weekend is extra. I find on Mondays & Tuesdays I am extremely hungry. Not clear that I am balancing this correctly. The weight loss has been good.

Thanks:)

Replies

  • rob1976
    rob1976 Posts: 1,328 Member
    Please do a forum search prior to asking questions, especially those that have been asked and answered ad infinitum. This question is one of the most asked questions on MFP.

    The answer is: it's subjective. It is highly recommended to eat back at least some of your exercise calories as MFP is designed to set you at a calorie deficit. Increasing that calorie deficit could have detrimental impact on your weight loss...or may cause you to gain.

    Human bodies are not cookie-cutter organisms. Something that works for me may not work for you. The best method is to try different tactics to discover what your body responds to.
  • ZyheeMoongazer
    ZyheeMoongazer Posts: 343 Member
    This question is asked about once a day. Please use the search feature to review the other posts for your MANY MANY MANY answers to this question.
  • liftingbro
    liftingbro Posts: 2,029 Member
    I recommend eating back no more than half of your exercise calories. There are just too many ways to inaccurately log calories burned in exercise to eat all of them back. HRMs and other devices are notriously inaccurate at calculating calories and then there is also a lot of variables in the equation.
  • ChelleBalady
    ChelleBalady Posts: 204
    Yes, but keep in mind mfp does over calculate calories burned. This being said I eat part of mine back. There are many discussions on here
  • spinedocmfp
    spinedocmfp Posts: 109 Member
    Your exercise goals for the week are not reflected in your calories allotted for a day. They are for your reference only. If you put 1 minutes of exercise or 2000, you calories given by MFP are the same. What changes your calories are your stats and activity level, and your logged exercise. If you take your exercise into account with your activity level, you would not eat them back. If your activity level is based on daily activity, and you log your exercise after, MFP will give you more calories to eat back to maintain the pre-set deficit. Hope that was clear as mud. :)
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    you know what, OP, i was confused about this as well when I first got here. Yes, eat the exercise calories back. Yes, the MFP setup is confusing at first, because they ask you about your exercise goals up front but then do not include them into your daily calories. And yes, the search feature is a good idea in theory, but honestly it doesn't work very well here and when you DO use search and revive an ancient thread we will bust your balls about that.

    Eat the cals back. It's the default setup. And it works.
  • tryinghard71
    tryinghard71 Posts: 593
    OP - Don't feel bad about asking a question that has been asked before. There is no rules on MFP saying you can't.

    I don't know why it bothers people so bad on the forums. If they see a question that has been asked they can just skip it and go on with their day. People who don't mind will help you and answer your question.

    You will get many opinions on this subject. You will have to figure out what works for you.

    What I do - Sometimes I eat them back and sometimes I don't. It depends if I am hungry or not. Example, If I have eaten 1600 calories for the day after logging a big workout and MFP is telling me I still have 200 left to eat. If I am hungry I will eat that 200. If I am not hungry I won't. Some days I use my banked calories for the week to let me have an over day on the weekend. Just as long as I am still in calorie goal for the week. Good Luck! Hope you find out what works for you.
  • molina76853
    molina76853 Posts: 143
    Some days i eat mine back and some days I don't.
  • jennywilliams1232
    jennywilliams1232 Posts: 8 Member
    Thanks for all the input. I did in fact search this topic before posting. Some of what I found just didn't make a whole lot since. Sitting here at work just trying to balance it all. I do log as I go both food and exercise. Under the food tab cals burn from exercise get added to my daily totals. It does some what imply made that I should eat some or all of them. I have not for the most part and think that it's why I am losing. Just feel almost like a food addict on Mondays & Tuesdays after load of exercise on weekend. Will take more time tonight to really pay attention to replies. Thanks again for info and support.

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