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Why do people differentiate between calories??

annasor70
annasor70 Posts: 187 Member
edited January 27 in Food and Nutrition
So MFP gives me about 1270 or so to eat per day but I exercise A LOT...sometimes 800 calories worth so I end up eating about maybe 1700 in total per day.
I have seen that on here some people differentiate between exercise calories and the regular calories base allowed by MFP...but aren't they all the same?
Some folks say that they don't eat back "exercise calories"! If I did that with how much I exercise and only ate about 1270 per day, I would drop dead from fatigue. I eat to be healthy and strong...not fainting ;)
Am I right?
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Replies

  • __Di__
    __Di__ Posts: 1,661 Member
    So MFP gives me about 1270 or so to eat per day but I exercise A LOT...sometimes 800 calories worth so I end up eating about maybe 1700 in total per day.
    I have seen that on here some people differentiate between exercise calories and the regular calories base allowed by MFP...but aren't they all the same?
    Some folks say that they don't eat back "exercise calories"! If I did that with how much I exercise and only ate about 1270 per day, I would drop dead from fatigue. I eat to be healthy and strong...not fainting ;)
    Am I right?

    I don't always eat back my exercise calories, in fact I never eat them all back. I am on 1200 calories per day and when I exercise, I can burn anything from just 300 calories to over 600.

    I have to admit, I have never felt like fainting or fatigued, I guess everybody is just different.
  • KAS0917
    KAS0917 Posts: 172 Member
    So MFP gives me about 1270 or so to eat per day but I exercise A LOT...sometimes 800 calories worth so I end up eating about maybe 1700 in total per day.
    I have seen that on here some people differentiate between exercise calories and the regular calories base allowed by MFP...but aren't they all the same?
    Some folks say that they don't eat back "exercise calories"! If I did that with how much I exercise and only ate about 1270 per day, I would drop dead from fatigue. I eat to be healthy and strong...not fainting ;)
    Am I right?

    Well if you're eating 1270, and earning 800, that equals 2,070 calories, but you said you're eating 1700 in a day. So you're essentially doing the same thing - not 'eating back' all of your exercise calories. Maybe I'm not understanding your question.
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    So MFP gives me about 1270 or so to eat per day but I exercise A LOT...sometimes 800 calories worth so I end up eating about maybe 1700 in total per day.
    I have seen that on here some people differentiate between exercise calories and the regular calories base allowed by MFP...but aren't they all the same?
    Some folks say that they don't eat back "exercise calories"! If I did that with how much I exercise and only ate about 1270 per day, I would drop dead from fatigue. I eat to be healthy and strong...not fainting ;)
    Am I right?

    I don't always eat back my exercise calories, in fact I never eat them all back. I am on 1200 calories per day and when I exercise, I can burn anything from just 300 calories to over 600.

    I have to admit, I have never felt like fainting or fatigued, I guess everybody is just different.

    underestimating intake, overestimating exercise cals or you haven't been doing it long enough.

    The reason people differentiate is that some people don't exercise and just eat at a cal deficit. (good way to end up skinny fat IMO). Others like the above lady believe that they should just eat the alloted cals despite exercising. If the person is set to 2lbs per week and does this it's likely that unless they are extremely obese the deficit will be too large. This means they are more likely to lose LBM and have further metabolic adaptation than is required.
  • grimendale
    grimendale Posts: 2,153 Member
    It depends. When my exercise routine was more stable, I had things set up so that my weekly calorie allotment included exercise calories for my own convenience, based on my typical workouts, and divided across a week. It was simpler for me and made it easier than having to plan specifically for whether a run would be on Wednesday or Thursday to make the appropriate meal. I had a signficant apparent deficit on the days I did work, but it had already been factored in. Now, my burns are a little more variable, so I do eat back what I burn on a specific day (although I typically try to leave 100-200 uneaten to account to potential inaccuracies in my calories burned values.
  • chelstakencharge
    chelstakencharge Posts: 1,021 Member
    I stay under 1200 everyday. Run for at least an hour and lift for 20-30 minutes. I only eat when hungry, never out of boredom. Have never felt faint or fatigued. I never eat back my exercise calories. Everybody is different
  • lemonmon1
    lemonmon1 Posts: 134 Member
    I agree with grimendale. I like to leave some of my burned calories uneaten as well. There can be inaccuracies with the calorie burn calculations. It can go either direction though, If you are truly hungry, I believe in eating at least something. And always make sure you are meeting your requirements of protein, calcium, and iron! This is more important in my opinion!
  • wild_wild_life
    wild_wild_life Posts: 1,334 Member
    They are the same, MFP is the one that differentiates between them. By giving you your basic calorie goal with a built in deficit assuming no exercise and then asking you to log exercise and adding it back to your goal, they kind of make a big deal of exercise vs daily life calories. I think this is a point of confusion for many people.

    ETA: Yes you are right to eat them back! That is how the site is set up. Also ensures the forums will never go out of business.
  • astronomicals
    astronomicals Posts: 1,537 Member
    So MFP gives me about 1270 or so to eat per day but I exercise A LOT...sometimes 800 calories worth so I end up eating about maybe 1700 in total per day.
    I have seen that on here some people differentiate between exercise calories and the regular calories base allowed by MFP...but aren't they all the same?
    Some folks say that they don't eat back "exercise calories"! If I did that with how much I exercise and only ate about 1270 per day, I would drop dead from fatigue. I eat to be healthy and strong...not fainting ;)
    Am I right?

    cuz it seems sensible to them
  • __Di__
    __Di__ Posts: 1,661 Member
    So MFP gives me about 1270 or so to eat per day but I exercise A LOT...sometimes 800 calories worth so I end up eating about maybe 1700 in total per day.
    I have seen that on here some people differentiate between exercise calories and the regular calories base allowed by MFP...but aren't they all the same?
    Some folks say that they don't eat back "exercise calories"! If I did that with how much I exercise and only ate about 1270 per day, I would drop dead from fatigue. I eat to be healthy and strong...not fainting ;)
    Am I right?

    I don't always eat back my exercise calories, in fact I never eat them all back. I am on 1200 calories per day and when I exercise, I can burn anything from just 300 calories to over 600.

    I have to admit, I have never felt like fainting or fatigued, I guess everybody is just different.

    underestimating intake, overestimating exercise cals or you haven't been doing it long enough.

    The reason people differentiate is that some people don't exercise and just eat at a cal deficit. (good way to end up skinny fat IMO). Others like the above lady believe that they should just eat the alloted cals despite exercising. If the person is set to 2lbs per week and does this it's likely that unless they are extremely obese the deficit will be too large. This means they are more likely to lose LBM and have further metabolic adaptation than is required.

    No, I have been doing this long enough believe it or not, my current weightloss is not my full story :laugh:
  • __Di__
    __Di__ Posts: 1,661 Member
    I stay under 1200 everyday. Run for at least an hour and lift for 20-30 minutes. I only eat when hungry, never out of boredom. Have never felt faint or fatigued. I never eat back my exercise calories. Everybody is different

    thank you :flowerforyou:
  • SurfyFriend
    SurfyFriend Posts: 362 Member
    Myfitnesspal overestimates exercise calories in its database for a lot of general exercises.
  • RoseTears143
    RoseTears143 Posts: 1,121 Member
    If you don't eat back exercise calories (since MFP builds in a deficit for you already) you could create too large of a deficit depending on your weight loss goals you set and lose weight too quickly - which some people do on purpose but it shouldn't be a goal. I actually am working on getting myself back to eating enough myself as I am eating far too little lately due to an enormous amount of stress in my personal life...losing weight too quickly isn't healthy by any means unless you are very overweight.

    You are doing great with eating them back and are completely right that you could end up being too fatigued for your workouts if you burn that much a day. Keep up the great work!!
  • annasor70
    annasor70 Posts: 187 Member
    If you don't eat back exercise calories (since MFP builds in a deficit for you already) you could create too large of a deficit depending on your weight loss goals you set and lose weight too quickly - which some people do on purpose but it shouldn't be a goal. I actually am working on getting myself back to eating enough myself as I am eating far too little lately due to an enormous amount of stress in my personal life...losing weight too quickly isn't healthy by any means unless you are very overweight.

    You are doing great with eating them back and are completely right that you could end up being too fatigued for your workouts if you burn that much a day. Keep up the great work!!

    Thanks..this makes most sense to me...for example, many days I do insanity which, according to monitor can burn up to 700 cals, then I take ballet classes for 90 to 120 minutes, again according to monitor, I burn up to 850 cals..these are very intensive. I also hike with my dogs up hilly areas for about an hour...some days I burn more than 1000 cals in total....on average about 700 to 800 per day.
    I need strength for my ballet especially.
    I maybe don't eat ALL the cals back but a lot of them.
    I get very thin in my upper body; arms, face, neck if I eat too little. I want to keep building lean long muscle and not look gaunt.
    Right now I am 127 lbs and 5 foot 6...not obsessed with weight but want to lose two inches off my waist, build up my back and reduce thighs by about an inch.
    I am also doing some weight lifting as of recently.

    Yes, everyone is different for sure :)
    I am amazed at how little some folks eat and still maange to have strength!! How DO they do it!? :)
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    A lot of people; 1) don't understand that their calorie goal is a deficit of maintenance...they think it is maintenance and that they need to do a lot of exercise to create a deficit; 2.) they don't understand that MFP is a NEAT method calculator...thus, exercise is extra activity; 3) a lot of people have had it beat into their heads that to lose weight they have to eat like a little birdie; 4) a lot of people are obsessed with FAST weight loss rather than SAFE and HEALTHY...not to mention sustainable weight loss; 5) people just don't research how to properly use a tool...they just dive in and think they know what the **** they're doing.
  • annasor70
    annasor70 Posts: 187 Member
    A lot of people; 1) don't understand that their calorie goal is a deficit of maintenance...they think it is maintenance and that they need to do a lot of exercise to create a deficit; 2.) they don't understand that MFP is a NEAT method calculator...thus, exercise is extra activity; 3) a lot of people have had it beat into their heads that to lose weight they have to eat like a little birdie; 4) a lot of people are obsessed with FAST weight loss rather than SAFE and HEALTHY...not to mention sustainable weight loss; 5) people just don't research how to properly use a tool...they just dive in and think they know what the **** they're doing.

    All true imo too....I want to be strong..I want to be healthy and to have boundless energy and also to enjoy delicious and healthy foods :)
    It is also more important to me to be healthy for life rather than lose inches fast.
  • KenosFeoh
    KenosFeoh Posts: 1,837 Member
    Some of us struggle to find the right balance of calories and exercise. I keep gaining and losing the same 4 pounds no matter if I do or do not eat exercise calories. One size does not fit all, and some of us can't find a fit.
  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,832 Member
    I don't eat back exercise calories because I try to balance exercise with off-diary late night snacking. So far, the balance is pretty good. I'm trying to increase exercise while decreasing snacking. If I succeed, I may start eating back some exercise.
  • Hezzietiger1
    Hezzietiger1 Posts: 1,256 Member
    to think 250 calories of broccoli is the same as 250 calories of soda is stupid. Not all calories are created equal. No one who is lean, fit, and healthy will tell you otherwise.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    I don't always eat my calories back. I'm not going to eat just to eat when I'm not hungry, despite that fact that it might be the best thing to do. I will usually try to drink some full fat raw milk or some nuts towards the end of the night if my deficit is too large though. I have had nights where I am ready for bed and have a 1200 calorie deficit. That's obviously exaggerated by MFPs overestimating of exercise calories, so the real total is probably more like 7-800. In those instances, I will try to get something in me, but if it's only 2-300, I don't worry about it.
  • RllyGudTweetr
    RllyGudTweetr Posts: 2,019 Member
    Many folks on MFP have an unhealthy relationship with food, whether battling obesity or, at the other end of the spectrum, an eating disorder. This influences how they perceive calories and exercise.
  • WifeofPJ
    WifeofPJ Posts: 312
    Some people will differentiate between the two so they realize that when they don't exercise they may not have those extra 800 calories to eat. And also like someone said here that it's not one size fits all. Every person is different every person loses weight differently and different types of calories affect each person differently. So you find what works for you and you do that regardless of what works for other people.
  • jmoliveson
    jmoliveson Posts: 40 Member
    June 19, 2013 10:58 am

    Many folks on MFP have an unhealthy relationship with food, whether battling obesity or, at the other end of the spectrum, an eating disorder. This influences how they perceive calories and exercise.


    I agree with you on this because I have never counted calories or dieted and had no problem losing weight with just working out and eating healthy. I also occasionally fasted which did wonders to my body and almost made me feel instantly thinner. The saying that you are what you eat is soo true because the moment you abstain from these things your body responds. While I do understand people say it is unhealthy to fast, when your body is so overloaded with excess fat, fasting for a morning won't kill you.

    The reason I never went on a diet before is because to me it is just finding another way to obsess about food. I am glad to have joined this site and love how everyone eats healthy, but I wonder if I will end up scarred by obsessing with my calorie intake.
    In the past I have lost over 50 pounds after each of my four kids and I did it with a lot of exercise and regular, smart portions of food which is why I have decided not to eat back the calories I earn from exercising because I want to see results now and not later. I am glad though to be on this site because everyone's helping me learn to eat healthier which is extremely valuable. Thanks for asking this great question because you allowed me to understand it more.
  • tonyrocks922
    tonyrocks922 Posts: 172 Member
    to think 250 calories of broccoli is the same as 250 calories of soda is stupid. Not all calories are created equal. No one who is lean, fit, and healthy will tell you otherwise.

    try reading the actual content and not just the title
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    So MFP gives me about 1270 or so to eat per day but I exercise A LOT...sometimes 800 calories worth so I end up eating about maybe 1700 in total per day.
    I have seen that on here some people differentiate between exercise calories and the regular calories base allowed by MFP...but aren't they all the same?
    Some folks say that they don't eat back "exercise calories"! If I did that with how much I exercise and only ate about 1270 per day, I would drop dead from fatigue. I eat to be healthy and strong...not fainting ;)
    Am I right?

    You're right, but you should still eat a bit more!
  • annasor70
    annasor70 Posts: 187 Member
    So MFP gives me about 1270 or so to eat per day but I exercise A LOT...sometimes 800 calories worth so I end up eating about maybe 1700 in total per day.
    I have seen that on here some people differentiate between exercise calories and the regular calories base allowed by MFP...but aren't they all the same?
    Some folks say that they don't eat back "exercise calories"! If I did that with how much I exercise and only ate about 1270 per day, I would drop dead from fatigue. I eat to be healthy and strong...not fainting ;)
    Am I right?

    You're right, but you should still eat a bit more!

    YEAH!!! That's what I like to hear :) Extra helping of delicious lentil stew with millet :) I love my food!!!!
  • rlmadrid
    rlmadrid Posts: 694 Member
    A lot of people; 1) don't understand that their calorie goal is a deficit of maintenance...they think it is maintenance and that they need to do a lot of exercise to create a deficit; 2.) they don't understand that MFP is a NEAT method calculator...thus, exercise is extra activity; 3) a lot of people have had it beat into their heads that to lose weight they have to eat like a little birdie; 4) a lot of people are obsessed with FAST weight loss rather than SAFE and HEALTHY...not to mention sustainable weight loss; 5) people just don't research how to properly use a tool...they just dive in and think they know what the **** they're doing.

    All true imo too....I want to be strong..I want to be healthy and to have boundless energy and also to enjoy delicious and healthy foods :)
    It is also more important to me to be healthy for life rather than lose inches fast.

    That right there answers your question. You want to be strong, healthy, and feel great. If the way you feel day to day is more important to you than the number on the scale or the tape measure, then that is what you go by. Do what feels better. Having said that, continue to monitor yourself and how you feel, and if you notice weight gain you will have to readjust. I lost 18 lbs (low: 145) in 5 months eating under 1450 (net) and I was weak and tired. In 7 months of heavy lifting I only gained 7 lbs back (high: 152) eating 1850 (net). Following that I dropped to 1650 and I am already losing faster than I did the first time. In 2 months I have lost 4 pounds. Clearly my system is achieving my goals in a way that I can sustain, only because I feel healthy. I hope to slowly get down to 135-140. People vary more in their intent than their physiology.

    Do what achieves the goals you want to achieve. I'm also going to add you because I like having friends who want to enjoy food, be strong, and feel healthy.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I don't eat back exercise calories because I try to balance exercise with off-diary late night snacking. So far, the balance is pretty good. I'm trying to increase exercise while decreasing snacking. If I succeed, I may start eating back some exercise.

    If you're offsetting your exercise calories with late night snacking...that is eating back exercise calories...you're just not logging it.
  • annasor70
    annasor70 Posts: 187 Member
    I don't eat back exercise calories because I try to balance exercise with off-diary late night snacking. So far, the balance is pretty good. I'm trying to increase exercise while decreasing snacking. If I succeed, I may start eating back some exercise.

    If you're offsetting your exercise calories with late night snacking...that is eating back exercise calories...you're just not logging it.

    Hahaha! that's what I was thinking ;)
  • sorcha1977
    sorcha1977 Posts: 133 Member
    A lot of people; 1) don't understand that their calorie goal is a deficit of maintenance...they think it is maintenance and that they need to do a lot of exercise to create a deficit; 2.) they don't understand that MFP is a NEAT method calculator...thus, exercise is extra activity; 3) a lot of people have had it beat into their heads that to lose weight they have to eat like a little birdie; 4) a lot of people are obsessed with FAST weight loss rather than SAFE and HEALTHY...not to mention sustainable weight loss; 5) people just don't research how to properly use a tool...they just dive in and think they know what the **** they're doing.

    THIS
  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,834 Member
    Am I right?

    For you, yes. For everyone, no.

    I don't always eat back my exercise calories, depending on how I feel and knowing what my body needs to keep humming along. Sometimes I eat ALL of the exercise calories back and then some cuz I am hungry.

    So yeah. You can talk about safe and healthy, etc, but it will vary a bit for each person and their goals.

    Don't even get started on the caloric efficiency of foods too.
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