Do you eat back the calories earned from exercise?

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  • carriej82
    carriej82 Posts: 123 Member
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    I never (ok I shouldn't say never but RARELY... and I mean RARELY) eat all the exercise calories. I try to stick to the 1500 on MFP, but I often will eat back 100-200 of the workout calories.
  • ddky
    ddky Posts: 381 Member
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    I was talking to a Registered Dietitian and I asked her this question. She said that if you are hungry, then you should listen to your body and eat them back. If you aren't hungry, then don't. Makes sense that we should listen to what our body is trying to tell us.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    When I was using the MFP method I did eat them back, yes.

    Now I've switched to the TDEE method which gives me a higher calorie goal and then I don't enter your exercise separately.

    Either way though the goal is not to create a deficit that is so large as to be counterproductive.
  • luvmydog2
    luvmydog2 Posts: 243 Member
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    Interesting .... I was told not to eat mine back , from dietician ...as it was negative thinking .
    Maybe its because ... i am low salt ..low sugar... lowcholsterol ... :wink:
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    Interesting .... I was told not to eat mine back , from dietician ...as it was negative thinking .
    Maybe its because ... i am low salt ..low sugar... lowcholsterol ... :wink:

    I do think it can get a little negative if you get into a cycle of exercising to atone for eating more.

    But generally with the MFP method if you don't eat them back you create a deficit that's too large, so I just think of it as fueling my workouts.

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html

    It becomes a problem when people set their goal at 1200 and then don't eat back any exercise calories. 1200 is meant to be for a sedentary person, it's the lowest the calories will go. If you work out you need more.

    ETA: I don't mean that you shouldn't listen to your dietician, just for the record. I just mean this is why we tell people to use the site the way it was designed. If you're seeing a medical professional then presumably you're being monitored.
  • bajoyba
    bajoyba Posts: 1,153 Member
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    If you're consulting and being monitored by a medical professional, then cool.
    If you're blindly creating large deficits without having a good understanding of what your body's actual caloric needs are, then use the website as it was designed and eat back at least some of your exercise calories.
    Or use the TDEE method.
  • divaindy
    divaindy Posts: 108 Member
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    I have been doing TDEE your exercise is figured in I try and eat my allotted calories sometimes I am under,And I usually exercise a lot.
  • songbirdtree
    songbirdtree Posts: 79
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    I try not to - just because I know I tend to underestimate portion sizes when tracking food, and I think the calories burned is inflated for the exercises on here.
  • melindasuefritz
    melindasuefritz Posts: 3,509 Member
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    some- yes
  • Naener
    Naener Posts: 167 Member
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    Calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate to see how much you
    Should be eating on work out days... For me, I'm at 1360 on rest days but allowed 1744 on work out days... It's helped a lot
  • Gidzmo
    Gidzmo Posts: 904 Member
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    Do you eat the calories earned from exercise???

    I don't even know what the term 'eat back the calories' means.
  • missmegan831
    missmegan831 Posts: 824 Member
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    No. I eat when I am hungry. Period. Works for me
  • herblackwings39
    herblackwings39 Posts: 3,930 Member
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    Yep, and I generally just stick with the MFP database estimates. Since all estimates are likely to be off I decided to just go with this one. If I start to gain for no real reason I'll reassess.
  • fryfat
    fryfat Posts: 36 Member
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    I was gaining weight based while sticking to the MFP estimates. I'm much more conservative now.
  • bill323
    bill323 Posts: 100
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    I don't exercise often but when I do I generally do so because I am going to be eating a lot.

    i.e. This weekend I burned 2600 calories by cycling 27 miles. I did this because I knew I was going to have a high calorie weekend. Sometimes Ill hit the treadmill in the evening if I felt like having a snack during the day.

    The best bet is to try different things and see what works best for you.
  • luvmydog2
    luvmydog2 Posts: 243 Member
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    Interesting .... I was told not to eat mine back , from dietician ...as it was negative thinking .
    Maybe its because ... i am low salt ..low sugar... lowcholsterol ... :wink:

    I do think it can get a little negative if you get into a cycle of exercising to atone for eating more.

    But generally with the MFP method if you don't eat them back you create a deficit that's too large, so I just think of it as fueling my workouts.

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html

    It becomes a problem when people set their goal at 1200 and then don't eat back any exercise calories. 1200 is meant to be for a sedentary person, it's the lowest the calories will go. If you work out you need more.

    ETA: I don't mean that you shouldn't listen to your dietician, just for the record. I just mean this is why we tell people to use the site the way it was designed. If you're seeing a medical professional then presumably you're being monitored.
  • Aitm20
    Aitm20 Posts: 92 Member
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    Definitely do! I would starve if I didn't :)
  • luvmydog2
    luvmydog2 Posts: 243 Member
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    Yes i am being watched closely ... have two knee replacements coming up ...:wink:
  • joeysfacts
    joeysfacts Posts: 83 Member
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    nope
  • dmarien
    dmarien Posts: 58
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    Can you save your exercise calories for all in one day or is it best to eat them the same day you burn them. I have found I am not any more hungry than usual but some days I would like a few drinks with friends?

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