Eating back exercise calories

I don't eat anything back. I burn between 2,000 and 3,000 calories a day from exercise so eating that back and doing it cleanly would be a nightmare.

Everyone is different so experiment to find out what works for you.

Right next to your calorie number is the word GOAL. Last I checked, a goal was something to be achieved.

There are two primary methods for calorie counting for weight control...the NEAT method (Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) and the TDEE method (Total Daily Energy Expenditure.

MFP uses the NEAT method...with the NEAT method, exercise is extra activity above and beyond your normal day to day...thus your calorie goal is increased when you log exercise...otherwise that activity would be unaccounted for. The NEAT method does not require any exercise whatsoever to lose weight...MFP gives you a calorie goal as per the NEAT method with a weight loss deficit built in...when you exercise and burn calories you are making that deficit bigger, which is unnecessary and can be counter productive as too large a deficit will ultimately lead to a metabolic stall.

TDEE method assumes all activity, including exercise. Given that exercise is accounted for using the TDEE method, you would not eat back exercise calories.

I did the MFP method for a long time and ate back my exercise calories...my personal rule was 50% minimum and up to 75% to account for estimation error. I did this and lost one pound per week on average, just as I set out to do when I set my goals. I use the TDEE method now because I am in a consistent workout routine and it's just easy to plan around a specific number everyday rather than having to find food to eat.

Pretty much it's up to you. This is how I look at it:

*example*

Say a person needed to eat 2000 calories a day to maintain their current weight and they want to lose weight.

Maintain: 2000
MFP Goal: 1500

So said person joins MFP and gets a calorie goal of 1500. This person know has a 500 calorie a day or 3500 calorie a week deficit. So exercise or not said person should lose weight as is.

Maintain: 2000
MFP Goal: 1500
Exercise burns: 500
Net: 1000

So said person decides to workout and burns say 500 calories. If they don't eat their exercise calories back, then they've created an even larger deficit. So now said person is has a 1000 calorie a day deficit (providing they work out everyday). Sounds great. Larger deficit, you lose weight faster. But on the down side this can have side effects. For this person in particular the net calories have become really low and can cause things such as:

-fatigue
-slower metabolism (over time...a year or more eating like this)
**for me specifically, if I don't eat enough I get tired and headaches the next day**

So in turn if said person eats back their exercise calories, they still have the same deficit they had before working out. Which will still result in weight loss.

Now if said person was eating at a number that had their particular exercise factored in (pretty much a scheduled workout plan that never changes), then they wouldn't want to eat their exercise calories back.

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All that being said, I only eat a portion of mine back. This is because I don't have a food scale and I want to leave room for errors.

As long as you are meeting your nutrionial requirements (i.e. protein, vitamins, carbs, good fats.) you should be fine not eating them back unless you want and/or need to so you aren't exhausted or susceptible to getting sick.