Should I be eating back calories burned exercising?

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miacwhite
miacwhite Posts: 9 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
It feels so wrong to eat them back after burning them off. Is this the right thing to be doing?
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Replies

  • amywach5
    amywach5 Posts: 1
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    I have been stressing and wondering the same thing....if it would be more of a benefit to not eat the calories from exercise back. Can't wait for a good answer!
  • ttcfightingfat
    ttcfightingfat Posts: 15
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    I think it depends how many you're burning off. If you don't eat them back then you'll lose weight a lot quicker. If you were burning off a lot more than you're eating then you'd probably need to eat some back.

    I don't eat them, though. I look at it as whatever I've burned off can cancel out something I've eaten that day.

    :)
  • bonnieh81
    bonnieh81 Posts: 2
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    No not if your trying to lose weight! The point is to burn calories so why would you then put those calories back in your body after working hard to burn them off. I dont really agree with the way mfp adds calories burned from exercise to your daily allowance. Defeats the purpose when your trying to lose weight
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    See here:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    No not if your trying to lose weight! The point is to burn calories so why would you then put those calories back in your body after working hard to burn them off. I dont really agree with the way mfp adds calories burned from exercise to your daily allowance. Defeats the purpose when your trying to lose weight

    You need to read this link because you may not understand how MFP calculates intake recommendations and consequently your above advice is very bad for people who use MFPs defaults. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf

    If you are using an external estimator for TDEE then you should not eat them back, but this distinction is important. Saying "do not eat them back" is context dependent.
  • dogo187
    dogo187 Posts: 376
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    I eat most of mine back...my results speak for themselves...
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
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    No not if your trying to lose weight! The point is to burn calories so why would you then put those calories back in your body after working hard to burn them off. I dont really agree with the way mfp adds calories burned from exercise to your daily allowance. Defeats the purpose when your trying to lose weight

    Um I am going to have to disagree..... If you are using the TDEE-20% method (then do not eat them back) but if you are using the MFP method your deficit has already been created and at that point the objective shift to fueling your body for the workouts you are demanding of it... Weightloss is strictly based off your caloric intake and really does not need exercise as a subset to attain. Exercise on the other hand is another component to over all health and well being, Body composition, etc.... I have been a firm believer (using the MFP approach of course) in eating back my exercise calories and have lost a few pounds in the process.. Best of Luck OP........
  • bonnieh81
    bonnieh81 Posts: 2
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    Hmm thanks for that! It does make sense what you have said but ive also heard other advice to the contrary ????
    Now im not sure what to think?
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
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    Hmm thanks for that! It does make sense what you have said but ive also heard other advice to the contrary ????
    Now im not sure what to think?

    Not trying to toot my own horn but take a look at the ticker of myself and dogo187 as examples when using this method from a purely weight loss perspective.... There is 461 good reasons to alteast consider the possibilities that it might hold some truth.... Best of Luck to you on your journey.....
  • FlyEaglesGuy
    FlyEaglesGuy Posts: 436 Member
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    NOM NOM NOM !!!

    I always eat back some of my exercise calories. If not, the next day I feel like I can eat a horse !!!
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    Hmm thanks for that! It does make sense what you have said but ive also heard other advice to the contrary ????
    Now im not sure what to think?


    Did you read the link and do you understand it? If not, let me know and I will try to clarify. Basically, if you are using MFP to tell you how much to eat, you are supposed to eat back exercise calories (some/most of them). If you use a TDEE estimation tool for intake you do not eat them back.
  • ttcfightingfat
    ttcfightingfat Posts: 15
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    amazing explanation. it now makes full sense lol!
  • pspetralia
    pspetralia Posts: 963 Member
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    Hmm thanks for that! It does make sense what you have said but ive also heard other advice to the contrary ????
    Now im not sure what to think?

    Sidesteel and Ed are correct. Listen to them!!!!
  • fruitloop2
    fruitloop2 Posts: 437 Member
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    It depends on what method you're using. If you're strickly doing the MFP method then yes, you should because then it brings your NET down to much if you don't. MFP is set up to not include your exercise in your eating. Which means you can eat the MFP reccommendation for food and lose weight without the exercise. When you add in the exercise, you need to eat that back otherwise you are eating below your BMR...usually WAY below and that does not give your body enough fuel to function properly or to it's fullest.

    If you are doing the TDEE - 20% method then you do not eat them back because exercise is already included in that calorie allowance. Eating them back with this method is counter productive.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,871 Member
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    It feels so wrong to eat them back after burning them off. Is this the right thing to be doing?

    Right next to your calorie number on your diary is the word goal. A goal is something to be achieved. You eat back exercise calories using the MFP method (NEAT method) of dieting. Your NEAT (Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) is the calories your body burns throughout the day without any exercise.

    MFP uses your NEAT to calculate your activity level...when you set your goals, your activity level should be set to a level that is appropriate without exercise. When you do this, exercise is extra and therefore MFP bumps your calorie goal up so that you still NET to your GOAL.

    Failure to eat back your exercise calories may result in drastic under eating, particularly if you're at a very large calorie deficit (i.e. 1,200 calories). If your goal is 1,200 calories, you have about 800-1000 calorie deficit from your maintenance level of calories there...that's huge...when you exercise, you make that deficit even bigger which is unnecessary and potentially dangerous. Also, too large a deficit will lead to a metabolic stall...essentially your measly little calorie intake becomes your new maintenance level of calories...then you have to go to work re-booting your metabolism if you ever want to eat normally again...most people put on a few pounds in the re-boot process.
  • miacwhite
    miacwhite Posts: 9 Member
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    Soooooooo, so, so glad I posted this topic! Thank you for explaining to me how MFP calculates calorie usage for weight loss. It makes perfect sense to me! I have just started exercising and am amazed in the difference it make in both my energy level and my disposition. :D I would hate to counteract that by not eating enough calories. I get absolutely CRAZY when I don't eat enough. Myself and my family will be glad I'm eating properly. lol
  • Thyme4change
    Thyme4change Posts: 46 Member
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    Hmm thanks for that! It does make sense what you have said but ive also heard other advice to the contrary ????
    Now im not sure what to think?


    Did you read the link and do you understand it? If not, let me know and I will try to clarify. Basically, if you are using MFP to tell you how much to eat, you are supposed to eat back exercise calories (some/most of them). If you use a TDEE estimation tool for intake you do not eat them back.

    Thanks that really clears up a lot an confirms I am doing the right thing.
  • watfordjc
    watfordjc Posts: 304 Member
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    It takes me 3.5 hours of sleeping to burn off the calories from a Mars bar (no way I'm doing 50 minutes of aqua aerobics, dumb physical activity equivalent labels).

    MFP uses calories burned in 24 hours minus your deficit for your daily calorie goal. Calories burned from exercise are not included because that exercise activity varies each day (unless you are using a average TDEE method that includes exercise and have customised how you use MFP to do it that way).

    Your daily calorie target includes the deficit needed to meet your weekly loss target, additional exercise equals more calories to eat so the daily deficit isn't larger than your goal (250 cal/day = 0.5 lb/week, 200 exercise calories x 3 days not eaten would be 0.67 lb/week; 1,000 cal/day = 2 lb/week, 500 exercise calories x 5 days not eaten would be 2.71 lb/week). In effect, not eating back exercise calories means your deficit is larger than what is needed for the goal you set, and if you set your goal because it was "safe and sustainable" it may no longer be depending on how many calories we're talking about.
  • ellepribro
    ellepribro Posts: 226 Member
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    See here:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf

    This is great - really clarifies things.
  • KirstenTheFamilyCoach
    KirstenTheFamilyCoach Posts: 327 Member
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    MFP has this cool thing called "search"
    ruuyhv.png



    And then, yes, educate yourself with :
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf

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