Eating back exercise calories

Using MFP calculations: Yes, that is how the site is set up. You NET your caloric goal, ex 1200 calories.
Using TDEE method: No, exercise is already accounted for.

I swear, this is like the song that doesn't end. It just goes on and on, my friends...

^While I appreciate you answering the question and being helpful (which you totally are), some of us are new and so its not the same song for us. It's a totally new song and we're just learning the lyrics.

I wish there was a "like" button!! Thanks guys your comments have helped me! (Totally agree about the song being new & learning the lyrics!!)

Personally, I do not eat my exercise calories back. I work so hard burning them off, why the hell would I go through that for nothing!!!

That's just me... others view it differently!

Exercising for nothing?

Many people start exercising while on a diet to MAINTAIN muscle mass. MFP as DESIGNED gives you a calorie deficit BEFORE exercise .... so when you exercise you make the calorie deficit larger. Too large a deficit promotes muscle loss.

Using a MFP as designed and NOT eating exercise calories back .....PROMOTES muscle loss ..... so YES, you are exercising for nothing.

its really simple as already stated if you set your own daily calories to your TDEE -% do not eat your calories back they have already been included. If you use the daily calories that MFP sets up then you need to eat back your calories. You should only have a certain amount of deficit that MFP calculates weither its 500 or 1000.

Yes, it should go up (If your goal was 1400, it should now be 1999). Have you added the workout on the "exercise" tab, under "cardiovascular exercise"? You should have a new total on your "food" tab, and underneath it should say how much of the total was calories from exercise.

The only way to lose weight is to maintain a calorie deficit. It takes 3500 calories burned to lose a pound. So depending on your size and amount you need to lose, you'll need to maintain a sizable calorie deficit each day (at least 1000) which MFP does for you in your daily food goal. But MFP only wants you to lose 2lbs per week max. And that's fine for most people, but as with anything, goals are not one size fits all. While a pound a day loss is too much for smaller people, if you are really obese (100lbs + to lose like me) you can realistically lose a pound a day without worry so long as you meet your minimum nutritional intake.

My doctor setup my goals for me so they are specific to myself (should note my natural daily burn of calories - just existing - is less than average due to health issues and being wheelchair bound so my daily intake is lower than some people)

1200-1400 calories per day of food intake and maintain at least 1000 calorie deficit with my body's normal daily burn and add up to 2500 (3500 total) calories burned via exercise per day.

He told me unless my exercise-created deficit was more than 3500 calories, to not bother eating them back. And if I did eat any back it should be only veggies/fruits and whole foods (almonds were his number one choice) as not all calories are created equal. You can't just eat a couple chocolate bars lol. Since I have never once burnt more than 2500 calories in one day via exercise, i Haven't needed to eat them back.

Now, my plan was tailored to my needs, so yours could be different. I would recommend having a chat with a dietician/trainer or doctor about your case specifically to safely determine how many pounds per day you are able to lose.

I'm back to confusion now!!

I've just done a workout burnt 599 calories, I haven't had anything to eat yet so shouldn't my calorie goal for today have gone up by 599 calories if you're supposed to eat them back!?!?

WHOOPS the exercise didn't register! Confusion over!!!

Cos I'm so close to my goal I'm on 1200 cals a day and this only gives me a deficit of about 400 cals, which is 2800 per week. I usually exercise about 3 times a week and burn about 300cals each time, putting my weekly deficit at 2800+900=3700cals. This is about the amount necessary to lose 1lb a week so I don't eat my exercise calories back. If I were to start exercising significantly more I know that I would need to eat more to sustain the exercise. I'm also eating more protein than MFP allows to try to prevent any muscle loss.

I eat back each and every glorious exercise calorie! I eat at a deficit to lose weight. Exercise - for me - is a lifelong commitment to maintain my health. I'm not exercising to lose weight. I am exercising to strengthen my heart and maintain my muscles.

Exercise is not something I stop doing when I get to my goal weight because I was only doing it to lose weight...

^^^^This, approach this as a diet and you'll be back where you started in no time, approach it as a lifestyle change and be the person you deserve to be!!

I do agree with this. The reward should be being healthy, not happily eating back everything you worked off.

Cos I'm so close to my goal I'm on 1200 cals a day and this only gives me a deficit of about 400 cals, which is 2800 per week. I usually exercise about 3 times a week and burn about 300cals each time, putting my weekly deficit at 2800+900=3700cals. This is about the amount necessary to lose 1lb a week so I don't eat my exercise calories back. If I were to start exercising significantly more I know that I would need to eat more to sustain the exercise. I'm also eating more protein than MFP allows to try to prevent any muscle loss.

Eating more protein to try to prevent muscle loss ...... but consistantly eating below your BMR ......is not going to work (I wish it were that easy) .... sorry.

Why is 1 pound a week such a "magic number" for you? Slow it down to 1/2 pound a week..... people with less than 10 pounds to lose SHOULD have a weight loss goal of 1/2 pound a week for a reason. With less weight to lose you have musch less "wiggle room" nutritionally.