Eating exercise calories back when you're very overweight

I would have been so hungry that I would have looked at my furniture and thought 'gee, that might taste great with some ketchup on it' if I hadn't eaten most of my exercise calories back when I first started this. I was ravenous after workouts. It didn't keep me from losing either. Now that I've lost a bit of weight I can get away without eating as many back because I don't have as much body mass to feed. I think most people would be safe to eat them back at first, if they feel like they're starving. But if you're not so hungry that you are contemplating gnawing on your car tires or something, then there's no point in eating them back.

If I am hungry, I will eat back part of them (maybe half, maybe more)). If I'm not hungry, I don't. Part of this journey is listening to your OWN body and getting to know its needs. Best of luck to you!!!

This my second time around using MFP to track my calories. My experience after doing it for two years and losing over 140lbs was that the exercise calories were pretty close to actual. I am a large man 6'-3" and have a decent amount of muscle mass. When I run/cycle or do the boot camp style work outs that I prefer I am pretty certain that I am burning slightly more than the system says. Once you have developed muscle mass after you are done exercising your body still burns calories well after the activity has stopped. Also if you do not eat properly after your workout you can reduce your muscle. When I am starting out like I am now, I do not eat back my calories *much* I will eat say 10%... I'm just greedy like that, ha! But I know that after I have lost some weight I am not helping my overall fitness by starving my body. I may be a smaller size but I won't have the same strength and endurance. As for the kinds of foods I prefer as eat backs I try to get it as high protein meats and whey protein shakes.

If I eat pie (I love pie, and my wife makes the best pie) I do not consider it "free" there is no free...

Having said that, plateau's are a MFr

I think you should eat your exercise calories back only when your net is under 1200.

Also, MFP over-estimates calories burned (especially under the 'Circuit Training'), so I would be VERY careful eating them back if you're relying solely on MFP to count your calories burned.

I know I'm replying to an older post, but wanted to comment on this topic. I definitely eat back my exercise calories. I have a heart rate monitor and use it to tell me how many calories I burn, so I just adjust the numbers when I find my exercise in MFP's database (i.e., spinning). Anyway, as everyone is stating, please listen to your own body. Everyone is so different. The more muscle you have, the more you are going to burn and continue burning throughout the day. Some days I feel like I'm hungry all day and that I'm going to black out if I don't eat all day long. Of course, these are small snacks and/or meals, but I usually eat about 6 times a day. I keep my calories lower than is indicated for me to lose weight. I keep them between the fat loss and extreme fat loss levels, but never go below around 1300 net calories. I did that the first week and thought I was going to die! I wasn't eating back my exercise calories and for me, that was not the way to go. Even though I have a desk job, I am up and down all day. Remember too, that your brain uses 20% of your daily calories, so if you are foggy feeling, you need to eat more. Your brain and body are fighting over the food you are eating. Eat enough, just don't eat too much. Again, it is very important to find your own balance, as has already been mentioned. Just remember that this is a WOL (way of life), NOT a quick fix. If you starve and binge, you will eventually get sick or give up and gain your weight back. Be balanced. Some days we are hungrier and some days we can go without. Some days we work out and some days we sleep in. I wish everyone the very best in your endeavors! :flowerforyou:

I think you should read this, it might put things in perspective for you to fully understand how the body works in regards to weightloss.

http://body-improvements.com/resources/eat/

I didn't eat my exercise calls back originally. BIG MISTAKE. You're not netting enough fuel for your body.

I started eating some back, and the pounds came flying off.

MFP is designed so you eat them back - if you're not using the system properly, it won't work as well.

Also, MFP usually logs everyone at 1200 cals - I wasn't losing at 1200. I starting losing a ton at 1400. Calculate your RDEE - 15%/20% for a much better food plan.

Also, don't go off MFP calorie burns. They are extremely over estimated - invest in a fitbit, bodymedia, or heart rate monitor. MFP was overestimating my caloric burn by about 300-400 a day. That's a big difference, and once I figured that out as well as the TDEE method the pounds came off much quicker! (typically 1-1.5 a week)

I think part of it depends on where you are with your weight loss in part, and also how many calories you burn while exercising. If you're heavier, you probably don't need to eat them back and you will lose weight at a faster rate for awhile. Eventually this may not continue to work for you.

I'm training to run a marathon and can easily burn 1000-1500 during a training run and even more on my long runs. Obviously this is above and beyond the 300-400 most people will burn doing regular cardio. If I didn't eat most of my calories back, I probably wouldn't be able to get out of bed the next day.

However, I am a big believer that everyone should net at LEAST 1200 calories a day even with exercise and really, despite what the MFP calculators may tell us, I think that number is closer to 1400 or 1500 for most people.