So confused.

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Lynzigzagzay
Lynzigzagzay Posts: 75 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
First off, I apologise, I know this topic has been posted numerous times, but I just cannot get my head around it, despite reading the previous topics on it.

Do I eat back my exercise calories or not?

My BMR is around the 1600 mark, ( 1582 according to MFP, and around 1600- 1630 on other websites.)
I'm 5'6, 177lb, 22y/o.

I am only lightly active most days (maybe about 30 minutes worth of walking) But yes, I am trying to up the exercise.

I'm currently eating around 1400 calories a day. If I burned off 200 through exercise, but then ate them back, although there would still be a 200 calorie deficit, surely it would be pointless doing exercise at all (assuming the main focus on exercising was burning calories, not on other things like toning, strengthening etc.)

Anyway, if anyone could help me that would be great, like I said I've tried reading the previous topics but nothing is making much sense, but it could be that I've just read so much that my brain is now mush.

Thanks in advance if anyone helps. :)
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Replies

  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    Based on those numbers... yes, you MOST CERTAINLY ABSOLUTELY SHOULD be eating back exercise cals.

    If your BMR is 1600ish (which is reasonable), you should be eating more than 1600 cals as a baseline caloric intake.
  • LoraleiDean
    LoraleiDean Posts: 100
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    In short: Yes, eat back your calories.
    The calories that the website has given you has already calculated in a deficit so that you will lose weight - whatever amount per week that you chose when you set up all your information.
    The main purpose of exercising is to increase your health, and to help your body adjust to the changes that your body is going through as you lose weight (i.e. help the skin to shrink back down), so it is a good idea to not give this up.
    They really should go hand-in-hand if your purpose is to make a lifestyle change to keep the excess weight off in the future.
    I'm sure you will have your "ah-ha" moment in the near future, when everything suddenly makes sense, so just keep eating the good stuff and good luck on your journey!
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
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    Short answer: Yes, eat them back. No, exercise is not pointless.
  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,831 Member
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    I use TDEE-20% with my activity level set to sedentary because that's a pretty accurate description of my life. I generally do not eat back the exercise calories but figure the days I exercise help balance the days I do late night, off-diary snacking. So far, it's working. And beyond that, the exercise helps me feel better physically and mentally so would not just be doing it for the calories. Doing it more for mood enhancement and to relieve back pain through building some core strength.
  • welcznd
    welcznd Posts: 1
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    You brought up a good question because I DO NOT eat back my calories because I want to lose weight. I thought that if I am maintaining then I can do that. Am I wrong? I'm still losing. But here's the thing..................I'm a gastric bypass patient and my caloric intake limit is 1,100 a day. I had the bypass three years ago, so my weight loss has stopped. I now have to work at it to get the rest off. If I'm doing wrong please tell me.
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
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    I use TDEE-20% with my activity level set to sedentary because that's a pretty accurate description of my life. I generally do not eat back the exercise calories but figure the days I exercise help balance the days I do late night, off-diary snacking. So far, it's working. And beyond that, the exercise helps me feel better physically and mentally so would not just be doing it for the calories. Doing it more for mood enhancement and to relieve back pain through building some core strength.

    You're not supposed to eat yours back. With TDEE calculation, it already takes your exercise into account.

    OP only has BMR to go off of, not TDEE.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    I use TDEE-20% with my activity level set to sedentary because that's a pretty accurate description of my life. I generally do not eat back the exercise calories but figure the days I exercise help balance the days I do late night, off-diary snacking. So far, it's working. And beyond that, the exercise helps me feel better physically and mentally so would not just be doing it for the calories. Doing it more for mood enhancement and to relieve back pain through building some core strength.

    Just as an FYI... TDEE can't be sedentary. TDEE, by definition, must include exercise, running errands, housework, chasing kids around, etc. It's called TOTAL daily energy expenditure for a reason.

    I get what you're saying, and that's fine... but if/when you talk about it, saying you're eating at TDEE - 20% isn't actually correct - you're eating at BMR + NEAT - 20%.
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
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    You brought up a good question because I DO NOT eat back my calories because I want to lose weight. I thought that if I am maintaining then I can do that. Am I wrong? I'm still losing. But here's the thing..................I'm a gastric bypass patient and my caloric intake limit is 1,100 a day. I had the bypass three years ago, so my weight loss has stopped. I now have to work at it to get the rest off. If I'm doing wrong please tell me.

    Yes, you're doing it wrong. Except maybe not. I have no clue about gastric bypass patients, since you're limited to a really low number of cals after the procedure.

    If you were just a regular person (I mean, no surgery done), then you'd eat back your exercise calories because when MFP gives you a calorie goal, it ALREADY includes a deficit for weight loss. When you exercise, you further increase that deficit to a possibly unhealthy level.
  • maecrocker
    maecrocker Posts: 56
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    I was very confused about what my intake should be for quite some time. I couldn't figure out what anyone was talking about until I read this (which is a bit long but very worth the time it takes to read it, reread it, do it, and understand it:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
  • lcvaughn520
    lcvaughn520 Posts: 219 Member
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    Your BMR is the number of calories your body would just to function properly. Like if you laid in bed all day, your body would still need calories just to perform its internal functions. So you need to eat above your BMR. What you need to eat less than is your TDEE.

    I feel like you're mixing up your methods, though. If you want to use the MFP method, then you eat the number of calories that MPF has set for you PLUS any calories you burn through exercise. If you use the TDEE method, you will not eat back your exercise calories.

    I'm 5'9", 168, 27 y/o, exercise 3-4 times per week and I aim for around 1800 calories per day. I have been losing consistently doing this, so I definitely think you should eat more than 1400!
  • mwilke
    mwilke Posts: 378 Member
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    I look at it this way... if I exercise, I need to eat more calories to fuel my body, so I eat back pretty much all of them. Hope that makes it a little easier.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    You brought up a good question because I DO NOT eat back my calories because I want to lose weight. I thought that if I am maintaining then I can do that. Am I wrong? I'm still losing. But here's the thing..................I'm a gastric bypass patient and my caloric intake limit is 1,100 a day. I had the bypass three years ago, so my weight loss has stopped. I now have to work at it to get the rest off. If I'm doing wrong please tell me.

    Yes, you're doing it wrong. Except maybe not. I have no clue about gastric bypass patients, since you're limited to a really low number of cals after the procedure.

    If you were just a regular person (I mean, no surgery done), then you'd eat back your exercise calories because when MFP gives you a calorie goal, it ALREADY includes a deficit for weight loss. When you exercise, you further increase that deficit to a possibly unhealthy level.

    Lol... I thought the same thing.

    "Yes, you're doing it wrong. OK, wait... I have no idea. Gastric bypass may change things completely. Then again, it may not."


    But ultimately, you have to fuel your body correctly. It needs the cals. I have a hard time believing you are actually limited by calories rather than volume of food. If that's the case, then calorie dense foods can increase cals without increasing volume.

    But I'm really talking out of my butt at this point.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    I would honestly like to know why people think the website adds them if you're not supposed to eat them?

    Yes, eat them. Assuming that you've set your profile up accurately and you're using accurate estimates of your calorie burn, of course.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    I would honestly like to know why people think the website adds them if you're not supposed to eat them?

    Yes, eat them. Assuming that you've set your profile up accurately and you're using accurate estimates of your calorie burn, of course.

    Don't you know... people realize they need help with their diet and being healthy, so they come to a website like MFP for guidance. The website makes recommendations, but then the people realize they are actually smarter than the website and can do whatever they want.
  • wanttolose40lbs
    wanttolose40lbs Posts: 239 Member
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    I exercise 6 days a week, anywhere from 30-75 minutes, I set my TDEE as lightly active. My BMR is 1420, my TDEE is 2206 -20%, and my caloric intake is 1765 calories a day. I eat that every day no matter what my activity level was for the day
  • 36jessica
    36jessica Posts: 319 Member
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    Thanks for posting, because I'm just as confused. What happens if eating back the calories is too difficult? Let me explain: When I began MFP, I would eat back all/almost all the calories because I had a wide variety of food to choose from. About three weeks ago, I was ordered -- by my doctor -- to eliminate ALL grains, sugars, flour...basically, any carbohydrates not coming from vegetables, legumes, nuts, cheese etc... It's really hard to eat bak calories when I have to take into account total carbohydrate intake which can only come from specific sources and my workouts which average 900/1000 calories 5-6 times a week. Not even on my worst day could I eat 2000 calories of chicken and broccoli (for example). This week I've cut down on the workouts so I could eat the calories, but I really don't like this solution. I'd much prefer to workout to the max if time permits. Any suggestions?
  • Lynzigzagzay
    Lynzigzagzay Posts: 75 Member
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    Thanks everyone for your help! I feel like it's going to be a lot easier for me to lose weight and stay motivated now that I have a clear idea of what to do/what not to do. I was unsure before so sort of going between methods and just generally not having a proper understanding.


    I would honestly like to know why people think the website adds them if you're not supposed to eat them?
    In short, I was reading conflicting information from various sources and just getting everything muddled in my head. I know now what to do though, as I have some clarity, it's good to have a definitive answer at last.

    Thanks everyone, you've all been very helpful! :)
  • chriswhudson
    chriswhudson Posts: 39
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    The whole purpose is to create a deficit and eating back your calories keeps you at maintenance or the max loss MFP will allow. I eat the most dense nutrient foods possible with high protein and I do not eat back my calories, I use exercise to create a larger deficit to loose more weight. I have lost 45lbs in six months with 5lbs of muscle added.

    If your BMR IS 1600 plus 250 calories from exercise= 1850 calories burned for the day x 7days= 12,950 cal burned for a week.
    12,950 weekly burned
    - 3,500 amount required calorie burned in order to loose 1lb
    =9.450 this is what you should eat in total over a week period =9,450/7days= 1350 cals a day you should consume of high protein nutrient dense food, which will keep you full, provide nutrition to your body and help keep your Leptin levels in check. :smile:
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    The whole purpose is to create a deficit and eating back your calories keeps you at maintenance or the max loss MFP will allow. I eat the most dense nutrient foods possible with high protein and I do not eat back my calories, I use exercise to create a larger deficit to loose more weight. I have lost 45lbs in six months with 5lbs of muscle added.

    If your BMR IS 1600 plus 250 calories from exercise= 1850 calories burned for the day x 7days= 12,950 cal burned for a week.
    12,950 weekly burned
    - 3,500 amount required calorie burned in order to loose 1lb
    =9.450 this is what you should eat in total over a week period =9,450/7days= 1350 cals a day you should consume of high protein nutrient dense food, which will keep you full, provide nutrition to your body and help keep your Leptin levels in check. :smile:

    This method doesn't take into the NEAT calories your body expends.

    MFP allows a maximum weight loss of two pounds for a reason, and even that is high for many people.
  • USMCnetty90
    USMCnetty90 Posts: 277 Member
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    Thank you so much for asking this question I was also very confused on the subject....

    All the responses have been very helpful!

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