Do you eat back the calories earned from exercise?

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Replies

  • carriej82
    carriej82 Posts: 123 Member
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    some- yes
  • Naener
    Naener Posts: 167 Member
    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: 906 Member
    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
    No. I eat when I am hungry. Period. Works for me
  • herblackwings39
    herblackwings39 Posts: 3,930 Member
    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
    I was gaining weight based while sticking to the MFP estimates. I'm much more conservative now.
  • bill323
    bill323 Posts: 100
    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
    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
    Definitely do! I would starve if I didn't :)
  • luvmydog2
    luvmydog2 Posts: 243 Member
    Yes i am being watched closely ... have two knee replacements coming up ...:wink:
  • joeysfacts
    joeysfacts Posts: 83 Member
    nope
  • dmarien
    dmarien Posts: 58
    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?
  • raeganjayne15
    raeganjayne15 Posts: 55
    I only eat them back if Im hungry.
  • JudieJudes
    JudieJudes Posts: 174 Member
    Bumpity Bump - Interesting read.
  • trudijoy
    trudijoy Posts: 1,685 Member
    I don't. My workouts go from 150 to 1500 and I don't like the variable. I just eat at TDEE - 20%
  • Arwaxx
    Arwaxx Posts: 113 Member
    no. i eat 1600 calories whether i work out or not
  • ashleymm625
    ashleymm625 Posts: 86
    i wasn't....but now i am considering trying to eat them back, or atleast a good portion
  • WalkingMermaid_
    WalkingMermaid_ Posts: 205 Member
    I do, to be honest my main motivation to workout is so that I can eat more, lol.
  • ferocityturbine
    ferocityturbine Posts: 110 Member
    Well I certainly exercise off my eating calories!

    Like most on here, I eat back some. If I've gone substantially over my allowance I'll definitely do a longer/harder workout than usual to balance my net calories for the day.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    Do you eat the calories earned from exercise???

    I don't even know what the term 'eat back the calories' means.

    Since MFP has already figured your calorie goal to have a deficit if you're trying to lose weight, if you exercise and burn off a bunch more calories you make your deficit larger. A large deficit is generally fine for someone who is obese, but for someone who is closer to goal it can result in muscle loss and general stress on the body.

    So if you enter your exercise and it's 300 calories, and your goal is 1800, then MFP will add the 300 to your goal. So now you're meant to eat 2100. Otherwise you eat 1800 and then burn off 300 and you only get 1500 net.
  • Athena53
    Athena53 Posts: 717 Member
    Yes, but it's working for me so I'm fine with it. I exercise partly so I can enjoy a little more good food.

    Last weekend, according to my HRM, I burned up 828 calories in a sprint triathlon. The last part (a 5K) I started thinking about what I'd eat for breakfast and remembered a can of vegetarian chili sitting in a closet at home. I loaded it with pasta and thoroughly enjoyed it. Then I took a nap. Wish I could do the same next weekend.
  • JCES10
    JCES10 Posts: 37 Member
    Maybe not all of them but yeah ! I tried both ways and both had worked (weight loss) for me but I feel better when I eat them back.

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