Earning calories with exercise: to eat or not to eat...?

As others have said MFP sets you up with your vital stats and your job/daily routine activity. So anything you do during your work day should be accounted for, but your exercise activity is not so it should be eaten back.

I think what some people are missing is that although the information you get here on MFP is helpful, the process of weight loss is not etched in stone & can differ based on the many factors that go into the numbers. Remember that the estimates you get for your daily calorie target are just that, estimates. Through trial and error I found what works best for me, and that is not eating my earned exercise calories. But by all means, do what works for you!

Thanks ")

I had some typo's in there (like if you wanted to lose 2lbs a month -- I meant a week).

A note on walking in the evenings: You CAN and some argue SHOULD walk right after your evening meal.

I know this seems contrary to what most often say but research has shown that a slower walk 2.5-3.5mph) after a meal, that is right after a meal, will help with digestion, help absorb the new calories and speed up your metabolism at a time when it most often is slowing down.

I prefer to walk immediately following my dinner but with the summer approaching it can get pretty warm here (normally it would be in the 100's already but this year it's been a cool spring and it's been in the 70's and 80's) so when the heat rises I push my evening walks to when the sun is about to drop below the horizon or just after. It's usually cooler at this time yet still light enough to not need flashlights

But that's off topic!

One more thing to consider when eating back calories is the balance of what you are eating. If your intake is increased by increasing protein and you've just included more physical activity in your life then it is very likely that you will gain more muscle or arrest the loss of muscle. This may cause frustration because you might think your weight loss plan isn't working. Give it time! Truth is, muscle weighs more then fat and while you are losing fat you might be adding muscle -- in which case it's actually possible to GAIN a little weight or not drop weight during periods where you are exercising a lot and eating more protein...but in the end lean muscle mass burns more calories and you will begin to lose the fat (hence the advice to check inches not pounds all the time).

Case in point: on 6/3 my weight dropped to 234.6lbs. I was very happy! I was really starting to push myself and riding 13 miles at lunch 2 or 3 days a week so I increased my protein intake by adding 1 or 2 30gram protein bars to my snacks and making sure I drank 2 or 3 protein shakes (27ea) a day also. I pushed my protein up by as much as 141 grams on some days! Today I weighed in at 235.4 and while I have been fluctuating between 234 and 235 I noticed that I lost another inch on my stomach and 1/2" on my waist. This is the result of increased lean muscle mass (hence the increased weight) and the cardio burning off the fat. I fully expect my weight to drop again soon but I'm not going to stress over it because I know that weight doesn't drop in a linear easy to calculate pattern. Instead it seems to drop and then stall and then drop some more and then stall and so on.

So be prepared to see your weight sort of 'stair step' down as you continue to monitor your foods, maintain an accurate (as can be) log, stick to your goals and include cardio and/or weight training.

Good luck!

It depends. If your intake already takes into account your activity and the exercise is not above and beyond, then no. If you use the sedentary intake, then you should eat some back at least, since you do need to fuel your activity. It's not an exact science as there are gonna be overestimates and underestimates both ways, but I think eating some back is pretty safe.

The only thing that motivates me to exercise some days is wanting more food. I eat mine back.

I eat mine back. It's important to keep your NET calories at or above your BMR.

Why is this, if I may ask?

Your BMR (basal metabolic rate) .... are the calories required if you were in a coma. Your heart, lungs, kidneys, etc. are using calories all day long.

Eating very low calorie is very taxing on the body. When you are eating very few calories maintaining existing muscle mass is secondary to the basic bodily functions above. There is "healthy" weight loss that spares muscle tissue .... and fast weight loss.

In order to lose weight, aren't you supposed to have a calorie deficit? I am also confused on this issue. Sometimes I end up eating (or drinking) them back and sometimes I don't. :frown:

I don't always eat all of them, but I eat some and if I'm hungry or want a treat I can eat them all. I'm not one of the people that love working out, so for me it's a motivator.

In order to lose weight, aren't you supposed to have a calorie deficit? I am also confused on this issue. Sometimes I end up eating (or drinking) them back and sometimes I don't. :frown:

Yes of course but eating back calories you burned does not negate the deficit.

If your BMR times activity level gives you 2000 calories per day and you reduce that to 1500 per day (a 500 cal deficit) then you should be able to lose about 1lb per week. This is what you do when you set your goals, you tell MFP to tell you how much to eat.

So now you're eating 500 less per day and go out and walk for 3 miles and burn 300 calories....if you don't eat them back your deficit would be 800 -- the same as if you only ate 1200 calories and didn't exercise.

If you are already down to 1200 a day -- which is VERY LOW -- and exercise for an hour and burn 500 calories that would be like eating 700 and not exercising....you would be starving.

Eating back what you burn just brings you UP to your deficit goal.

I was just thinking about this.. being able to eat my exercise calories back makes doing this bearable...or easy. . For me, it is diet survival to eat them back. I'll see how it goes.

Yup probably for most of us.

I used to eat 2800 calories per day on average....today I try to eat half that!!! Yikes! Talk about a fight. But each time I go out and ride 13 miles or walk 4 I know I get more calories so I eat some or all of them back -- my daily deficit is 1000 calories so if I burn 600 and eat 600 more then normal I'm still doing fine and I'm full

i like your thinking! i'm going to try it. thanks!

i do not eat the calories i earn. i only eat the normal daily intake and this speeds up my fatloss

Speeds up your muscle loss as well......................


MFP as DESIGNED expects you to eat your calories back. The calorie deficit is built in BEFORE exercise. When you exercise you increase the deficit...... too large a deficit speeds up weight loss ..... fat PLUS muscle = weight.

Also (look up VLCD)..... when your deficit is large you are prone to plateaus also.

Just be careful not to eat too many calories back .... machnes & MFP are "guesstimates" .... one of the key factors is exertion level.... no way MFP or machines can know that.

^^^^^^^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^ Great explanation!! I am living proof.... plateaus here its aweful

plateaus happen anyway. Fact is the human body isn't going to lose perfectly the way we want it to every week. Sure some do see mechanically accurate losses but most don't. Drop 5 one week and stabilize for two then drop 5 more and drop 3 and then gain one and sit there for a week or two before losing 4 a week 3 in a row! lol

That's been my experience for the last 45 pounds I've lost!