Here's why I don't eat back my exercise calories.

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  • scrook43
    scrook43 Posts: 78 Member
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    I do not eat my exercise calories back, I figure it all evens out because i also do not record every single thing I put in my mouth, condiments for example ( mustard, salsa etc) also if i add a few cucumbers and veggies to my salad or sandwich I do not count every little thing
  • deemar54
    deemar54 Posts: 61 Member
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    Ok the short answer............. Yes ate them back and lost 312 lbs...... Best of Luck

    i have seen your posts before. just wanted to say congratulations, you're awesome!
  • TriShamelessly
    TriShamelessly Posts: 905 Member
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    I eat a majority of mine back. Per my nutritionist, the only thing that will suffer is my athletic performance if I don't. Since I just finished one triathlon and have 2 more coming up in August, that is more important to me at this point. Since I only have 10 or more pounds to trim around the edges, weight loss is not my primary goal any longer. Swimming, biking, and running faster are! I'll get back to the final trim in the fall after my athletic endeavors are less specifically goal oriented. Since I burn over 700 calories a day on workout days, I certainly do enjoy the added freedom to add more food to my plate - albeit most of it is simply more lean protein plus a treat or two.

    That being said, when weight loss was the primary goal last year, I would try to stick within my calorie goal quite a bit more religiously. At the end of the day, you have to decide what YOUR priorities are. As the goals of each individual on MFP are their own, I don't think you can let us decide what is best for you. Best of luck.
  • SisterhoodoftheShrinkingPants
    SisterhoodoftheShrinkingPants Posts: 474 Member
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    Allllllllllright. Forget I even asked. Holy God in Heaven.

    No F*** that. You're being bullied. I liked your post. I think there is a block feature on MFP but Im not yet sure how to use it.

    She's not being bullied.

    I see 3 people not answering her question but harping on her for asking it. This is not the point of forum. There's a polite way to handle everything. Post the links, share your story, etc but when the OP is publicly apologizing for posting in forum SCREW THAT. I personally dont give a crap how many times the same things get posted. No one forces me to read anything I dont want to read, and I typically only respond to posts where I have something to OFFER.
  • YogaRunner
    YogaRunner Posts: 652 Member
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    Recommendation...just ignore them. Don't feed the trolls. Ask whatever you want.
  • SisterhoodoftheShrinkingPants
    SisterhoodoftheShrinkingPants Posts: 474 Member
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    Recommendation...just ignore them. Don't feed the trolls. Ask whatever you want.

    This
  • Rilzy
    Rilzy Posts: 59 Member
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    Allllllllllright. Forget I even asked. Holy God in Heaven.

    No F*** that. You're being bullied. I liked your post. I think there is a block feature on MFP but Im not yet sure how to use it.

    So as soon as someone says something you don't agree with now a days it is bullying? Interesting. I find people throw that word around waaaay too lightly on the internet. You obviously don't know what it means to really be bullied.

    At any rate in relation to the OP's question which I will fully admit to being surprised to find at the end of the thread having expected it to merely be an explanation of why she made that particular choice - I eat back most of my exercise calories. This is because I set my MFP to sedentary even though I am really not so I am scheduled to eat 1200 cals per day. Also, I am one of those people who agree that MFP seems to really badly over estimate exercise calories... so I program in the calories from the machine I use which is always HALF what MFP gives me.

    At the end of the day you do what works for your body until it doesn't work anymore and you do something else. Happy dieting.
  • tgarci20
    tgarci20 Posts: 3 Member
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    I actually you have a very valid point. Thanks for your input, this really helps a beginner...
  • ami5000psu
    ami5000psu Posts: 391 Member
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    I see 3 people not answering her question but harping on her for asking it. This is not the point of forum. There's a polite way to handle everything. Post the links, share your story, etc but when the OP is publicly apologizing for posting in forum SCREW THAT. I personally dont give a crap how many times the same things get posted. No one forces me to read anything I dont want to read, and I typically only respond to posts where I have something to OFFER.

    They did answer her question and provided links. Isn't the point of a forum to start discussion and that's what I see going on here. I certainly don't see any bullying.
  • mcheather14
    mcheather14 Posts: 9 Member
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    For me it depends on how hungry I am. I always try not to eat them back, but if I am ravenous, I opt for some fruit and cottage cheese or a greek yogurt or protein shake. I am hypothyroid so losing weight AND keeping it off has proved to be especially difficult for the last 16 years (since age 22). I did want to mention that you thought MFP over-estimates the calorie burn for cardio....I have an expensive Polar watch/heartrate monitor that is programmed with my height, weight, age and I wear it while doing any exercise. MFP's calorie estimator is usually only about 30-40 calories higher for a 45 minute cardio workout than what my heart rate monitor says, so it really is fairly accurate.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    I ate mine back all the way through, until I switched to the TDEE method. It worked. The end.

    Same here.

    Also, including my exercise calories was the holy grail of weight loss for me. Previously, I thought "the less you eat, the faster you lose." It didn't work that way for me. This thread shows the results of eating minimally, vs eating appropriately and inclusing exercise calories. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/494091-i-just-don-t-care-anymore
  • taunto
    taunto Posts: 6,420 Member
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    Ok the short answer............. Yes ate them back and lost 312 lbs...... Best of Luck

    i have seen your posts before. just wanted to say congratulations, you're awesome!

    He is indeed pretty awesome. Theres a bunch of other folks too who lost a great bunch via eating back their calories. In my first reply to the thread I mentioned that you can lose both by eating and not eating back the calories. The difference would be how your body would look once you reach your goal weight. Eating back the calories also keeps one sane imo :)
  • tgarci20
    tgarci20 Posts: 3 Member
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    I actually you have a very valid point. Thanks for your input, this really helps a beginner...
  • taunto
    taunto Posts: 6,420 Member
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    Allllllllllright. Forget I even asked. Holy God in Heaven.

    No F*** that. You're being bullied. I liked your post. I think there is a block feature on MFP but Im not yet sure how to use it.

    She's not being bullied.

    I see 3 people not answering her question but harping on her for asking it. This is not the point of forum. There's a polite way to handle everything. Post the links, share your story, etc but when the OP is publicly apologizing for posting in forum SCREW THAT. I personally dont give a crap how many times the same things get posted. No one forces me to read anything I dont want to read, and I typically only respond to posts where I have something to OFFER.

    She got good answers in the first 3 replies. Lets put this behind us and move on. mmk?
  • SisterhoodoftheShrinkingPants
    SisterhoodoftheShrinkingPants Posts: 474 Member
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    To those of you who disagree with me, ok. I sincerely hope if you ever start a forum topic you are treated with more respect. I am so incredibly tired of the rhetoric here. Apparently its OK to give advice in rude, condescending tones and its also ok to point out how redundant and stupid someones topic is. I feel so bad for new people actually looking for help, because unfortunately the people who've been around a while have this strange inability to be polite.
  • lpina2mi
    lpina2mi Posts: 425 Member
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    I honestly believe that if one is hungry then one should eat. Starvation is not necessary when making a lifestyle change.

    So. Do you eat back your calories that you burn while exercising? Why or why not? I am interested in opinions on this one and how well eating them back or not works for you.

    I make no effort to eat extra calories just because I exercised. Nor do I go hungry one day so that I can indulge during a festivity on another day.

    And because I am doing both cardio and toning I am not heading for what is referred to as "skinny-fat". My only concerned at the end of my wt loss is that my skin will have enough elasticity not to sag--and that may be in the hands of my genetics.
  • Carnivor0us
    Carnivor0us Posts: 1,752 Member
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    I simply offer prayers of thanks that this is not about clean eating.
  • Booksandbeaches
    Booksandbeaches Posts: 1,791 Member
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    So if a question has been asked before no one should ever ask it again. They should just do a search and never open a thread to ask a question. Ok, got it. Good to know how MFP works.

    OP - I do the same thing you do. I don't always eat back my calories. I eat if I feel ravenously hungry after workout, but if I don't feel hungry after a workout, I don't eat.
  • megsmom2
    megsmom2 Posts: 2,362 Member
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    I do eat them back...because I understand how MFP works.
    And if I could "eat when I'm hungry"....I wouldn't have been so overweight to begin with, and wouldn't need to be here at all.
  • SisterhoodoftheShrinkingPants
    SisterhoodoftheShrinkingPants Posts: 474 Member
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    So if a question has been asked before no one should ever ask it again. They should just do a search and never open a thread to ask a question. Ok, got it. Good to know how MFP works.

    OP - I do the same thing you do. I don't always eat back my calories. I eat if I feel ravenously hungry after workout, but if I don't feel hungry after a workout, I don't eat.

    LOL Right? Makes sense to me.

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