Eating back calories

Makes no sense to me unless it's a really strenuous workout that has burned a huge amount like a 10K run or a 3 hour bike ride. Estimating exercise if a guessing game at best so eating those back seems a very precarious situation to me.

This may be a dumb question, but I'm curious why would I want to eat back calories burned during exercise? If I'm going to exercise for weight loss then just eat all of those calories back, why even bother exercising?

Make me aware

MFP as designed gives you a calorie deficit BEFORE exercise. So when you add exercise you increase the calorie deficit. When the calorie deficit is too large you will have MUSCLE and fat loss.

For me ..... I want to lose fat ...... losing fat (only) reduces my body fat % .... losing muscle just moves the "number" on the scale. I'm not interested in the "scale" .... I'm interested in healthy.

Why exercise? ...... many, many reasons. Health & fitness top that list ..... not weight loss. You will lose more muscle when you don't exercise while on a diet

WARNING ...... MFP and many machines give exagerated calorie burns. Many people use a heart rate monitor (to be more accurate) or just eat back a percentage of calories (to be conservative).

I am glad I am not the only person who thought eating back ALL your calories was a good idea! I usually try to eat back just a portion of them.

See here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf

Because you're not exercising to lose weight, you're eating less to lose weight. Think of exercise as just an added bonus that 1) gives you EXTRA calories, and 2) gets you healthier and makes you look leaner.

The calorie counter has already given you less than you usual have to eat. You need to eat that much to stay healthy and lose weight the right way. If you exercise, you're taking away more than what is healthy, so you need to replenish it. If you're not going to eat those calories back, then you need to adjust your activity level accordingly so you get more calories one way or the other to make up for the added exercise.

This is a hot topic and everyone has their own opinion. For me... I eat back my calories... to a point. For example: to maintain my current weight, MFP puts me at 1900 cals/day. To lose 1 lb/week, MFP set my goal at 1500 cals/day. If I do a 45-60 minute TurboFire workout I burn approx 500 cals. 1500 cals/day when doing an hour of hardcore exercise is just not enough for me. I emphasize the FOR ME. For others it may be okay. I have had better results when I work out hard and eat clean and eat back most of my calories. Good luck to you!

Let's say your goal is to eat 1,500 calories per day. This is less than you are used to in order to maintain your weight (2,000 calories, for example).

Also, let's say you burned 400 calories from exercise.

This means you actually ate 1,100 calories that day. You will need 400 more calories to equal your goal of 1,500.

Otherwise, you are eating 1,100 when you are used to 2,000 calories. Going to 1,500 calories is already different for you, so 1,100 calories is making you starve.

Let's say your goal is to eat 1,500 calories per day. This is less than you are used to in order to maintain your weight (2,000 calories, for example).

Also, let's say you burned 400 calories from exercise.

This means you actually ate 1,100 calories that day. You will need 400 more calories to equal your goal of 1,500.

Otherwise, you are eating 1,100 when you are used to 2,000 calories. Going to 1,500 calories is already different for you, so 1,100 calories is making you starve.

I agree.

I guess my question boiled down to if I exercise for weight loss and then eat back those calories, why even exercise.

You don't need to exercise to lose weight. Most people exercise to burn more cals, to either a) put them in a caloric deficit so they'll lose weight, or b) allow them to eat more while still being in a caloric deficit to lose weight.

Never mind all the other health benefits that come from exercise.

This is a long debated heated topic in here! Do what works for your body. Some people actually lose by eating more. Myself, I only gain when I eat those calories back so I never did and I lost 112 lbs in less than a year. Find what works for you and pay no attention to anyone else's logic, lol. Some people in here fiercely defend HAVING to eat those calories at all costs or you will go into starvation mode. I never did. Find what works for you! Hope this helps.

"I agree.

I guess my question boiled down to if I exercise for weight loss and then eat back those calories, why even exercise."

OK, if this is really the question -- here is the answer from my standpoint.

1. My MFP setting is at 1500 calories on a non-workout day. That's not a lot. On a non-workout day, I eat right up to it.
If I burn 500 extra calories in a workout, I'm likely to eat back 300 or 400 (at least during the week; I do eat more on the weekend), so I actually have a slightly bigger deficit on those days. And I am a lot happier besides

2. Using this system has me working out a lot more -- 6-7 days a week vs 3-5 previously.

3. Working out will help you retain muscle, thus maximizing the percentage of fat lost. Which I assume is what everyone wants.

4. Working out greatly reduces my stress, and thus my stress eating.

5. Working out makes me feel like a healthier person, and it reinforces good choices in the kitchen.

6. Working out is going to make maintenance a hell of a lot easier once I get there.

"I agree.

I guess my question boiled down to if I exercise for weight loss and then eat back those calories, why even exercise."

OK, if this is really the question -- here is the answer from my standpoint.

1. My MFP setting is at 1500 calories on a non-workout day. That's not a lot. On a non-workout day, I eat right up to it.
If I burn 500 extra calories in a workout, I'm likely to eat back 300 or 400 (at least during the week; I do eat more on the weekend), so I actually have a slightly bigger deficit on those days. And I am a lot happier besides

2. Using this system has me working out a lot more -- 6-7 days a week vs 3-5 previously.

3. Working out will help you retain muscle, thus maximizing the percentage of fat lost. Which I assume is what everyone wants.

4. Working out greatly reduces my stress, and thus my stress eating.

5. Working out makes me feel like a healthier person, and it reinforces good choices in the kitchen.

6. Working out is going to make maintenance a hell of a lot easier once I get there.

Love this!

Let's say your goal is to eat 1,500 calories per day. This is less than you are used to in order to maintain your weight (2,000 calories, for example).

Also, let's say you burned 400 calories from exercise.

This means you actually ate 1,100 calories that day. You will need 400 more calories to equal your goal of 1,500.

Otherwise, you are eating 1,100 when you are used to 2,000 calories. Going to 1,500 calories is already different for you, so 1,100 calories is making you starve.

I agree.

I guess my question boiled down to if I exercise for weight loss and then eat back those calories, why even exercise.

In my opinion and from what I have seen in the past with my own experience, exercising makes your body look better while you are losing and by trying to keep the lean body mass you have, it prevents you from being skinny fat due to the loss of muscle on a diet alone regime. Can you lose weight without exercise? sure! A defecit is all you need but it may boil down to how you create that defecit that will determine body composition.

Let's say your goal is to eat 1,500 calories per day. This is less than you are used to in order to maintain your weight (2,000 calories, for example).

Also, let's say you burned 400 calories from exercise.

This means you actually ate 1,100 calories that day. You will need 400 more calories to equal your goal of 1,500.

Otherwise, you are eating 1,100 when you are used to 2,000 calories. Going to 1,500 calories is already different for you, so 1,100 calories is making you starve.

I agree.

I guess my question boiled down to if I exercise for weight loss and then eat back those calories, why even exercise.

Ummm...fitness...lots of health benefits associated with being a fit individual.