Eating back my exercised calories!

How are you estimating calories burned?

How are you measuring calories in?

It's possible that you're overestimating your exercise calories, or underestimating how much you're eating.

However, I don't think either would be sufficient enough to make you gain back that much that fast. More likely, the early large loss was mostly water, and so is most of the gain. You said you lost 6 lbs in 2 weeks and gained that back in a week. It's nearly impossible for it to be fat or muscle causing the fluctuation.

There's a lot of things that cause a fluctuation in weight. I can weigh as much as 5 pounds more in the evening than in the morning of the same day. Make sure you're always weighing at the same time of day, with the same amount of clothes (I prefer 1st thing in the morning, after bathroom but before eating, undressed) and with the same scale, since that can make a difference too. And dehydration or water retention can come into play, especially as you start new exercise programs. As women, we are also "blessed" with extra fluctuations around TOM.

Keep tracking and eating back most of those calories, and give it time. Also, start measuring other ways than the scale - waist, hips, chest, etc. And bf% if you have easy access to it

It's possible that you're overestimating your exercise calories, or underestimating how much you're eating.

However, I don't think either would be sufficient enough to make you gain back that much that fast. More likely, the early large loss was mostly water, and so is most of the gain. You said you lost 6 lbs in 2 weeks and gained that back in a week. It's nearly impossible for it to be fat or muscle causing the fluctuation.

There's a lot of things that cause a fluctuation in weight. I can weigh as much as 5 pounds more in the evening than in the morning of the same day. Make sure you're always weighing at the same time of day, with the same amount of clothes (I prefer 1st thing in the morning, after bathroom but before eating, undressed) and with the same scale, since that can make a difference too. And dehydration or water retention can come into play, especially as you start new exercise programs. As women, we are also "blessed" with extra fluctuations around TOM.

Keep tracking and eating back most of those calories, and give it time. Also, start measuring other ways than the scale - waist, hips, chest, etc. And bf% if you have easy access to it

^^ Agree with this, I eat about 500/600 of my exercise calories (I usually burn around 2k cals give or take 4/5 days a week).

I have the same problem! First couple weeks I lost lost lost, then I started eating more because it told me after exercise I was eating too few, now even though I am running 2-4 miles a day I am GAINING!

( I did drink some beer over the weekend, that didn't help!)

Hahahah. "It told me after exercise I was eating too few."

I was also concerned when I see their disclaimer. Yesterday, I was a mere 80 cals under my goal and I got that disclaimer. I will no longer worry. Seems they want us at 1200 perfectly. Who can do that?! Not I! Good luck!!

Right or wrong, I've been successful with consuming 1200 cals max each day and buring 150-365 cals/day. I do not eat back my cals. This is not recommended, but it worked for me. Water water water!!!

I thought that if you eat them all back that is the amount you are suppose to eat to maintain your weight if you are maintaining. So I eat some of them back for added fuel but not all of them so I have a calorie deficit and will still lose weight while I'm trying to lose weight. I usually aim for somewhere in the 1450 range if I work out really hard I might eat little more than that but very rarely do I ever eat all of them bk

You should use common sense. Eat a little more if you're hungry and weigh yourself several times a week to see what your weight is doing. Do not automatically eat an additional 400 calories because some device or app said you burned 400 calories.

Some people here act as if weight loss is a perfect mathematical formula. First of all, the data often is inaccurate, secondly, it is more complicated than every calorie is the same. It's a complex process that is not entirely understood. But for ordinary folks like ourselves, creating a reasonable calorie deficit with a balanced diet is a good enough rule of thumb, if we adjust our eating based on our observations.

In addition, exercise is good for your health, but it is not critical for weight loss. You should treat it as one more healthy thing you do for yourself, not as a license to overeat.

This is almost exactly my situation. Yesterday I weighed almost 4 lbs more.. but it's just water fluctuation in my opinion. Like everyone else said, there's no way you can gain that much fat or muscle in a day or two.

As far as eating back the exercise calories, I sometimes eat my calories back, sometimes I don't. We're similar weight and height also. Mine told me I was under my calorie suggestion and gave me the warning.. but if you're not hungry, you're not hungry. Your body will tell you if it's hungry. If it is, snack on something healthy. I'm listening to my body now more than anything. And I've actually adapted to the 1200/cal a day. It's easier now as my body has gotten accustomed to it.

Also, good luck to you!

I do the same as others have stated - eat when I am hungry if I have calories to eat.
I also leave some leway for things like mustard or ketchup that I may not have added, or that bite I take to sample the dish I am making so far this has been working for me!

You should use common sense. Eat a little more if you're hungry and weigh yourself several times a week to see what your weight is doing. Do not automatically eat an additional 400 calories because some device or app said you burned 400 calories.

Some people here act as if weight loss is a perfect mathematical formula. First of all, the data often is inaccurate, secondly, it is more complicated than every calorie is the same. It's a complex process that is not entirely understood. But for ordinary folks like ourselves, creating a reasonable calorie deficit with a balanced diet is a good enough rule of thumb, if we adjust our eating based on our observations.

In addition, exercise is good for your health, but it is not critical for weight loss. You should treat it as one more healthy thing you do for yourself, not as a license to overeat.

Well said!