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

I simply offer prayers of thanks that this is not about clean eating.

I simply offer prayers of thanks that this is not about clean eating.

I simply offer prayers of thanks that this is not about clean eating.

ROFL I literally shot pop out my nose!!! :drinker: Agreed x1000

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.

I would love to hug you. Thanks.

I just did my first ever search on MFP. "Rude people on MFP" wow, over 50 pages! NICE

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

I wasn't talking to you.

I just did my first ever search on MFP. "Rude people on MFP" wow, over 50 pages! NICE

You do realize that you are instigating now right? People are slowly moving past it but if you keep on doing this, the thread will really derail.

I have been reading lot of controversy on why one should or should not eat back their exercise calories. I have also been reading the entire spectrum of response, from those who believe if one does not eat back their exercise calories they will shrivel up into nothing and blow away as dust particles in the wind to those who believe that eating back your exercise calories will cause you to not lose any weight at all.


Here's my take. I MOSTLY elect not to eat mine back. *gasp* (cue the waste away to dust crowd here.) However, before that bunch starts spraying me with sealant to keep me together before the next wind comes, allow me to elaborate. If I have a particularly brutal workout, and I am ravenously hungry that day then sure, you can bet your bottom dollar that I will eat back and not feel bad about it in the least. Most days, this doesn't happen. I am actually less hungry on days I have especially trying workouts than on my rest days. Now, on days where I run/walk/use the elliptical or stationary bike for 30-45 minutes I will not eat my calories back. I tend to believe MFP overestimates caloric burn in cardiovascular exercise and I feel like eating them back at the point where the calculated burn is somewhere around 500, or less that eating them back could be counteractive to what I'm trying to do. 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.

So you say you've read all the controversial threads on MFP, still want to believe what you want to believe (even though that is not using the system the way it is intended) and now you want even more feedback? Were the thousands of threads ALREADY on the subject not enough responses for you?

I don't know why you're even asking the question as you've clearly made up your mind to believe what you want to believe.

Sounds to me like you just created this thread because you wanted to post your justification for not eating your exercise calories back. Way to go?

Wow, holy rude. You are completely incorrect. I asked the question because I find the topic interesting and I'm interested as to see what the response is in a more recent thread, so I posted one so I can see what other people say. Quite honestly, I'm not sure why you even bothered to answer if its not something you even wanted to talk about. Also, I don't need to justify why I choose not to eat them back all the time to anyone, because it's my body and I can choose not to do it if I want, and plus.. who would care? As I said, I offered up my take on it to see why or why not people eat back what they burn... not to deal with people who automatically take to the defensive.So really, if you have to be such a jerk, please find another place to do it.

I just did my first ever search on MFP. "Rude people on MFP" wow, over 50 pages! NICE

I tend to eat back my calories burned because I don't like losing muscle.

You will lose weight if you eat too little. No doubt. Starving African kids (and Olsen twins) have done it. Its about wether you will look like an African Starving kid when you do reach your goal weight or not.

Miniscule...all African kids aren't starving.