Do you eat back the calories you burn?

24

Replies

  • Oh_Allie
    Oh_Allie Posts: 258 Member
    I usually don't eat them back, but it really just depends on if I'm hungry or not. If I'm legitimately hungry, I'll eat.
  • SlinkyAndHerAmazingBunsOfSteel
    SlinkyAndHerAmazingBunsOfSteel Posts: 434 Member
    My calories are set at 1210 to lose 0.8lbs a week. I like to burn 500 a day so that means I will eat 400 of them (1510 in total) and leave the other 100. This means, in theory, I should lose 1lb per week. :smile:
  • Mgregory723
    Mgregory723 Posts: 529 Member
    No. Instead of eating them back, I use the handy dandy search button and read the hundreds of other posts about this very topic. (Sorry for being snarky, I'm in a snarky mood.)


    It's this kind of remark that makes people not want to get the help they need. :noway: What if she's new and didn't about the search feature? Get over yourself!

    New to the internet? Not that I even made that comment to begin with, just asking.

    No, new to MFP. I know every has heard repeat questions but people need to understand that not every one is an "MFP PRO" some us might have questions for those who are. If it is a repeat, just don't answer and let those who want to help, help.
  • jfrankic
    jfrankic Posts: 747 Member
    If you are following MFP caloric intake guide you should be eating them back.

    Say MFP gives you 1450 calories to lose 1 lb/week, and you plan on exercising 5x/week for an average of 400 cals per workout. well MFP will tell you to eat 1450 on the days you don't workout and 1850 on the days you do whereas a "professional" may tell you to eat 1700 everyday regardless if you workout.

    So for the week MFP will have you eat 12,150 (1450*2+1850*5) whereas doing it the other way will have you eat 11,900 (1700*7) almost the same number of cals for the week (250 dif). The issue in not following MFP is if you don't workout the full 5 days or burn more or less than planned. If that is the case you may lose more or less than your goal, whereas MFP will have you lose your goal amount regardless how much you actually workout.

    What many MFPers do is take the low 1450 and not eat back exercise calories which is wrong, if you are not eating them back then your daily activity level should reflect the higher burn with would be covered in the 1700/day above.

    Thank you for that answer! I just switched to TDEE - 20% and was wondering if I was still supposed to be eating the calories back or not...

    This is great info. If you eat TDEE-%, then do NOT eat them back. Unless you have an unusual day, like an all day hike, bike ride, etc and it not considered in your normal TDEE. Then enjoy more food.

    If you allow MFP to set your calorie goal, this is NET calories, so you need to keep up with exercise calories burned and eat those.

    TDEE-% is much easier in my opinion and you don't get all obsessed about "how many calories did I burn". Just train hard (meaning lift heavy things, put them down, and repeat :wink: ) and eat to fuel it.
  • OptimisticlyOptimistic
    OptimisticlyOptimistic Posts: 162 Member
    No. Instead of eating them back, I use the handy dandy search button and read the hundreds of other posts about this very topic. (Sorry for being snarky, I'm in a snarky mood.)

    ^ You could have simply chose not to respond to her question instead of being snarky about it. Being snarky does no good whatsoever to someone who is just trying to figure it all out.
    I could have. But **** happens. What would help her is to read the hundreds of other posts about this very topic. Which I believe I did.

    Who cares if there are millions of posts about this exact same subject. This is her post. No need to be snarky when someone is just asking for opinions and help.

    :heart:
  • chenne0130
    chenne0130 Posts: 2
    Thanks for asking this question! I found (most of) the replies helpful, as I was wondering the same thing. :) Good luck with your goals!
  • glin23
    glin23 Posts: 460 Member
    I eat them back if I'm hungry enough to do so.
  • Nsmurphy
    Nsmurphy Posts: 21 Member
    I don't ..... only because I have gone to 2 different dietitian/nutritionist, and they both gave me the same number to stay under, They told me not to eat back, but I do think everyone is different. Try both ways and see what works better for you.
  • ryry_
    ryry_ Posts: 4,966 Member
    No. Instead of eating them back, I use the handy dandy search button and read the hundreds of other posts about this very topic. (Sorry for being snarky, I'm in a snarky mood.)

    Pangea250 burned 10 calories doing 5 minutes of cardio excercises, including, "being snarky"
    Poster #1: Great burn girlfriend!!
    Poster #2: You eat those calories...You earned it!
    Pangea250: Lol thanks!
  • LilBritGettinFit
    LilBritGettinFit Posts: 106 Member
    No, because I'm eating TDEE - 20% and exercise is already figured into my TDEE. :happy:

    ^^ yep me too! If I have a huge burn where I NET below my BMR I will eat a little more.
  • chandanista
    chandanista Posts: 986 Member
    I eat back some, but not all. It evens out because other days I go over my goal 100 or so calories, so if I look at the weekly average I'm generally just below the week's goal. I like to be slightly below in case I'm overestimating something somehow.
  • Babygi6003
    Babygi6003 Posts: 356 Member
    I eat back some of them on the days I burn a lot..but I hardly ever eat all of them back
  • Pangea250
    Pangea250 Posts: 965 Member
    No. Instead of eating them back, I use the handy dandy search button and read the hundreds of other posts about this very topic. (Sorry for being snarky, I'm in a snarky mood.)

    Pangea250 burned 10 calories doing 5 minutes of cardio excercises, including, "being snarky"
    Poster #1: Great burn girlfriend!!
    Poster #2: You eat those calories...You earned it!
    Pangea250: Lol thanks!

    I get 10 calories for this???? OMG, I have to log them
  • justal313
    justal313 Posts: 1,375 Member
    85-95% of them. I leave a few "on the table" to account for overestimation or incorrect calorie counts.
  • suziepoo1984
    suziepoo1984 Posts: 915 Member
    Yes..because i try and gather all the calories that i can eat..hungry gal here
  • ryry_
    ryry_ Posts: 4,966 Member
    No. Instead of eating them back, I use the handy dandy search button and read the hundreds of other posts about this very topic. (Sorry for being snarky, I'm in a snarky mood.)

    Pangea250 burned 10 calories doing 5 minutes of cardio excercises, including, "being snarky"
    Poster #1: Great burn girlfriend!!
    Poster #2: You eat those calories...You earned it!
    Pangea250: Lol thanks!

    I get 10 calories for this???? OMG, I have to log them

    Of course...the snark gives you a much better burn!
  • RockinTerri
    RockinTerri Posts: 499 Member
    Yes, I try to eat back the bulk of my burned calories. Depending on what the activity is (I don't yet have an HRM), I may underestimate my burn (I've heard reading other forum posts that MFP may overestimate calories in activities). I do take the calories on any exercise equipment I use, as they seem to be lower than MFP also.
  • sjberrier
    sjberrier Posts: 39 Member
    New to the internet? No. New to this site and community? Yes. (Only had used the mobile app before.) I've been reading and reading and reading. I felt a little confused about what I should do-- so I asked what others are doing. It didn't dawn on me to search for my question. Most questions, I'd imagine, are repeat questions. I'll never understand the a-hole remarks on a site that I thought was here to offer support -- we all have similar goals, right? :)

    Thanks for all of the helpful comments. It's really given me good information so I can better my calorie goals, thus bettering my success. :)
  • Juniper3411
    Juniper3411 Posts: 167 Member
    Just wanted to add that even HRM aren't the end all be all of accuracy when it comes to exercise calorie burns :( I wish there was a magic calculator that would tell you everything to the exact decimal point but pretty sure they don't have those (at least for public consumption anyway).

    Sooo...yes it is wise even while using the MFP method to routinely leave some "buffer" calories in case you overestimated exercise or underestimated food (which you KNOW happens all the time LOL!)

    Just as long as you aren't routinely under or over eating everything should work out in a positive direction.

    And I will totally save up some for the inevitable weekend indulgences!
  • Libertysfate
    Libertysfate Posts: 452 Member
    I did for the first month on MFP, but then I got hooked on working out and it became a chore to eat so much. I felt like I was having to snack all the time just to keep up. Now I just try to eat at least 1200.
  • sjberrier
    sjberrier Posts: 39 Member
    I did for the first month on MFP, but then I got hooked on working out and it became a chore to eat so much. I felt like I was having to snack all the time just to keep up. Now I just try to eat at least 1200.

    That's kind of how I feel now-- that it's a chore to eat so much. Because I'm making healthier choices, I feel like I have to eat SOOO much just to hit my goal, much less my exercise calories.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    I did for the first month on MFP, but then I got hooked on working out and it became a chore to eat so much. I felt like I was having to snack all the time just to keep up. Now I just try to eat at least 1200.

    That's kind of how I feel now-- that it's a chore to eat so much. Because I'm making healthier choices, I feel like I have to eat SOOO much just to hit my goal, much less my exercise calories.

    You don't have to eat more food to ingest more calories, make different choices or drink some cals (juice, protein shake, etc). As a snack have a handful of nuts, seeds, trail mix. add peanut butter to things you already eat, add olive oil to soups, sauces, and salads, etc.
  • doIlhands
    doIlhands Posts: 349 Member
    Yes. I like eating.
  • sjberrier
    sjberrier Posts: 39 Member
    You don't have to eat more food to ingest more calories, make different choices or drink some cals (juice, protein shake, etc). As a snack have a handful of nuts, seeds, trail mix. add peanut butter to things you already eat, add olive oil to soups, sauces, and salads, etc.

    Thank you for all your tips and help today! Very helpful and informative. I want to try a protein shake but want a high quality one. I was thinking of using hemp protein because it's natural (from what I hear) and easy to digest... thoughts or suggestions?
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I like to use tools the way they are designed to be used...other people like trying to drive screws with hammers because they don't know or understand how to use a specific tool. Just my smart *kitten* way of saying....of course...it's the way this tool is designed to be used. Also, when in doubt get out your handy dandy dictionary and look up the word GOAL....it is something to be achieved. Don't be an underachiever.
  • kingcrystalg
    kingcrystalg Posts: 5
    That was very helpful! I've been trying to figure this out recently too.
  • kingcrystalg
    kingcrystalg Posts: 5
    Great explanation. I've been trying to figure this out recently. Thanks for making this clear!!
  • JennPrebs
    JennPrebs Posts: 111 Member
    All this stuff can get so confusing and stressful. You might have to do trial and error with yourself and how you feel and how much weight you lose. I feel I lose weight steadily and healthy. I exercise and eat back my calories if I feel fatigue or hungry. If I have -900 calories and I don't feel hungry and its late at night, Ill just try to lay down and sleep.But.... I also had issues binging and over eating (especially late at night) so I am trying to control it.
  • melham
    melham Posts: 233 Member
    No. I usually can't scrape off all the really blackened parts, and they end up tasting funny.
  • shelllord
    shelllord Posts: 43 Member
    I don't as I feel as though it's undoing my hard work. I hate exercise so I personally don't want to put myself through a hard workout just to eat it back, but everyone is different x

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