Eating back calories
Options
DirtyTrickster
Posts: 202 Member
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
Make me aware
0
Replies
-
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.0
-
I did this all the time during my first attempt on a similar website now I am very careful to not to eat back calories I burn0
-
Exactly. But if you were to log any exercise in MFP, it will increase your calories intake for that day.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.0 -
I think its quite silly to eat back calories that I've burned off. I do not eat them back, regardless of my exercise. I typically use the elliptical for 45-90 minutes a day (with 10 pound ankle weights), or run 8-12 miles a day. I simply coordinate my meals around my exercise, as to not get too dizzy or physically uncomfortable. If you feel outrageously hunger, your body is telling you need food, thusly you should eat. If you feel satisfied, though, there is no need to indulge in more food.
Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Weight Loss Tools0 -
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).0 -
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
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've noticed this.
1500kcal to play a round of golf...in a cart!
500 kcal for pulling weeds.
Anyway, thanks for the response.0 -
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.0
-
I'm with TeaBea. I try to only eat about half of my exercise calories ... and make sure I always exercise on a day I'm going to a restaurant -- for any meal, because I know I will probably eat my entire budget
0 -
-
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.
Basically this.
If you use MFP (or any other NEAT/BMR calorie calculator), then you should be logging exercise cals and eating them back.
If you use a TDEE calculator for your daily calorie goal, then you don't need to.
More info here for anyone who cares...
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/383956-exercise-calories-explained
and
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf0 -
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.0 -
Thanks for the links.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.
Basically this.
If you use MFP (or any other NEAT/BMR calorie calculator), then you should be logging exercise cals and eating them back.
If you use a TDEE calculator for your daily calorie goal, then you don't need to.
More info here for anyone who cares...
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/383956-exercise-calories-explained
and
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf0 -
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!0
-
I prefer to eat the same amount everyday rather than possibly one day eating 1000cals more than the day before.
The idea will be to encourage exercise so people so "if i do 30mins jogging i can have more food".
Having no kind of eating back would lead to too big a deficit which can lead to further problems.0 -
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.0 -
I prefer to eat the same amount everyday rather than possibly one day eating 1000cals more than the day before.
The idea will be to encourage exercise so people so "if i do 30mins jogging i can have more food".
Having no kind of eating back would lead to too big a deficit which can lead to further problems.
I usually don't eat back unless I lift heavy. If I play a round of golf, or work in my yard I don't eat back. *usually*0 -
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.0 -
If you are using MFP, the deficit is built in already. It's already 500 or 750 or 1000 calories less than maintenance. So if you burn another 500 calories and don't eat it back, then its 1000, or 1250, or 1500 deficit -- which is probably too much. At a deficit that deep, you are much more likely to lose lean body mass.
I use this system because it's more finely calibrated than just picking "lightly active" or "moderately active" and then staying with one number. It's more responsive to your actual activity level day to day.0 -
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.0 -
Just find the cals that work for you. All the cals online will only ever give a guideline. If you're losing more than 2 lbs a week eat more, if youre only losing 1lb every 2 weeks, eat less.0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.8K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.8K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 395 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.3K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 960 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions