Eating back Calories?

paulei1975
paulei1975 Posts: 52 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I was wondering if all of you eat back the calories you've gained from exercise? I've been eating them back and noticed that I've maintained my weight without losing or gaining. I would love your advice or experience with this.

Replies

  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    if you're going by the MFP (or cardio machine) calorie burns, most are notoriously overestimates. Try only eating back 1/2 to 2/3rds of what MFP gives you. Best bet is to get a good HRM (heart rate monitor) with a chest strap. There are plenty of brands out there but Polar and Garmin seem to be the best. It's a bit of an investment but worth it IMHO.

    Or find the "in place of a road map" thread and try out the TDEE method - a lot of folks swear by it.

    ETA: here's a link to one of the many threads:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/975025-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet?hl=in+place+of+a+road+map
  • taeliesyn
    taeliesyn Posts: 1,116 Member
    I eat back most of my exercise calories.
    MFP is designed such that your deficit is already in place, and you are meant to eat back your exercise calories.
    If you're maintaining then more than likely you are either
    a) under estimating you calorie input (no weighing everything etc)
    b) over estimating your exercise calories
    c) a combination of a & b

    All this calorie stuff is really a best guess type of thing, if you find yourself maintaining where you are, drop your intake a little, but don't do anything drastic.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    I do, but that's because of the way I calculated my daily calorie goal. And that should be, for everyone, the determining factor in whether or not they eat back exercise cals.

    If you include exercise when you calculate daily calorie intake, then you shouldn't be eating back exercise cals. If you don't include exercise, then you should eat back those calories.

    More here:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/383956-exercise-calories-explained
    and here:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,432 MFP Moderator
    How many total calories are you eating? Can you open your diary? Do you weigh and measure foods as well?


    I can tell you I have a desk job, I exercise 6 hours a week (mostly weight training - I do the body beast program), I am 5'11, 186 lbs and 31 years old and I am losing on 2400 calories a day. I believe in fueling the body for workouts and ensure I can do whatever I need to in order to sustain my lean body mass which means high protein and resistance training as I dont' want to be skinny, i want to be fit looking. But if you are using MFP to estimate your calories, then it's over estimating most likely.
  • dantanjah
    dantanjah Posts: 100 Member
    Since I still have so much to lose I am not eating back my calories, but I got a Fitbit and it gives me the actual calories I burned not just the MFP projected ones. If you want a more acurate count consider getting a Fitbit.
  • lyricalkee123
    lyricalkee123 Posts: 5
    I've done this...not eaten them all back, but some of them and have maintained as well!
  • Qinnih
    Qinnih Posts: 7
    I usually only eat back a portion of it, and I make sure i'm still under about 100 or so calories, just in case I overestimated my exercises or underestimated my calorie intake of my home-cooked stuff.
  • supremelady
    supremelady Posts: 211 Member
    if you're going by the MFP (or cardio machine) calorie burns, most are notoriously overestimates. Try only eating back 1/2 to 2/3rds of what MFP gives you. Best bet is to get a good HRM (heart rate monitor) with a chest strap. There are plenty of brands out there but Polar and Garmin seem to be the best. It's a bit of an investment but worth it IMHO.

    Or find the "in place of a road map" thread and try out the TDEE method - a lot of folks swear by it.

    ETA: here's a link to one of the many threads:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/975025-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet?hl=in+place+of+a+road+map

    This is false MFP does not over estimate. If you search for online calories burned calculators you will see that sometimes MFP is actually lower I think their number are in line based on the information they have.

    I eat mine back when my body says it is hungry and it is working for me. sometimes i work out so hard that i am tired and i can 't anything but rest. but the way MFP is set up is for you to eat them back.

    Also be truthful with your self which is something that folks don't do. if you are only giving 50% during exercise that its probably not a good idea to eat all of the work out calories. I say just do your own research and respond to YOUR body.

    I just want to reiterate that is is FALSE that MFP overestimates and in casing where this happens there is usually other information that MFP wouldn't know.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,432 MFP Moderator
    if you're going by the MFP (or cardio machine) calorie burns, most are notoriously overestimates. Try only eating back 1/2 to 2/3rds of what MFP gives you. Best bet is to get a good HRM (heart rate monitor) with a chest strap. There are plenty of brands out there but Polar and Garmin seem to be the best. It's a bit of an investment but worth it IMHO.

    Or find the "in place of a road map" thread and try out the TDEE method - a lot of folks swear by it.

    ETA: here's a link to one of the many threads:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/975025-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet?hl=in+place+of+a+road+map

    This is false MFP does not over estimate. If you search for online calories burned calculators you will see that sometimes MFP is actually lower I think their number are in line based on the information they have.

    I eat mine back when my body says it is hungry and it is working for me. sometimes i work out so hard that i am tired and i can 't anything but rest. but the way MFP is set up is for you to eat them back.

    Also be truthful with your self which is something that folks don't do. if you are only giving 50% during exercise that its probably not a good idea to eat all of the work out calories. I say just do your own research and respond to YOUR body.

    I just want to reiterate that is is FALSE that MFP overestimates and in casing where this happens there is usually other information that MFP wouldn't know.

    Actually it does for many people. To flat out say it's false is incorrect. I can reassure you that 120lb women aren't burning over 1000 calories doing mild running. Heck, as a 190lb guy I can't do that. So yes, it does over estimate for some. This is why many of us prefer to include exercise as part of our TDEE and make a deficit from there.
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
    Yep. I've always eaten as many as possible, I've always used the cardio machine calorie burn, and I've never had a problem losing.
  • supremelady
    supremelady Posts: 211 Member
    if you're going by the MFP (or cardio machine) calorie burns, most are notoriously overestimates. Try only eating back 1/2 to 2/3rds of what MFP gives you. Best bet is to get a good HRM (heart rate monitor) with a chest strap. There are plenty of brands out there but Polar and Garmin seem to be the best. It's a bit of an investment but worth it IMHO.

    Or find the "in place of a road map" thread and try out the TDEE method - a lot of folks swear by it.

    ETA: here's a link to one of the many threads:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/975025-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet?hl=in+place+of+a+road+map

    This is false MFP does not over estimate. If you search for online calories burned calculators you will see that sometimes MFP is actually lower I think their number are in line based on the information they have.

    I eat mine back when my body says it is hungry and it is working for me. sometimes i work out so hard that i am tired and i can 't anything but rest. but the way MFP is set up is for you to eat them back.

    Also be truthful with your self which is something that folks don't do. if you are only giving 50% during exercise that its probably not a good idea to eat all of the work out calories. I say just do your own research and respond to YOUR body.

    I just want to reiterate that is is FALSE that MFP overestimates and in casing where this happens there is usually other information that MFP wouldn't know.

    Actually it does for many people. To flat out say it's false is incorrect. I can reassure you that 120lb women aren't burning over 1000 calories doing mild running. Heck, as a 190lb guy I can't do that. So yes, it does over estimate for some. This is why many of us prefer to include exercise as part of our TDEE and make a deficit from there.


    funny you mentioned TDEE when i put my numbers in for TDEE-20% it comes very close to MFP plus my exercise calories and TDEE does not ask which exercise you are doing, only how many hours a week. So how far off can MFP be? I doubt it seriously if MFP is giving a 120lb woman 1000 calories for mild running. walking has been my primary exercise and the calories burned has gone down since i lost weight and i weigh way more then 120 lbs.
  • sanndandi
    sanndandi Posts: 300 Member
    More here:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/383956-exercise-calories-explained
    and here:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf
    [/quote]

    ^ These two links are incredibly helpful
  • paulei1975
    paulei1975 Posts: 52 Member
    Thanks so much for the great feedback, I'm going to try to get a fitbit this weekend.
  • howardheilweil
    howardheilweil Posts: 604 Member
    Since I still have so much to lose I am not eating back my calories, but I got a Fitbit and it gives me the actual calories I burned not just the MFP projected ones. If you want a more acurate count consider getting a Fitbit.
    To clarify, my understanding is that Fitbits estimate your calorie burn based on your activity level during the course of the day. They are not heart rate monitors, so are not helpful for exercise calories... Again, this is my understanding, I have never used one. Is this correct?
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Since I still have so much to lose I am not eating back my calories, but I got a Fitbit and it gives me the actual calories I burned not just the MFP projected ones. If you want a more acurate count consider getting a Fitbit.
    To clarify, my understanding is that Fitbits estimate your calorie burn based on your activity level during the course of the day. They are not heart rate monitors, so are not helpful for exercise calories... Again, this is my understanding, I have never used one. Is this correct?

    They are just another form of estimating. For some people in some situations, they will be reasonably close. For some people in some situations, they will be way way way off.

    Personally, I had pretty good luck with mine.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,432 MFP Moderator
    Thanks so much for the great feedback, I'm going to try to get a fitbit this weekend.

    Keep in mind, it's not necessary to have one. They are just another algorithm to estimate. You can do the same thing with eating the same amount of calories daily and averaging weight loss over a 6 week time period (excluding the first month due to water weight losses). For example, I eat 2400 calories daily, I exercise 6 hours week and have a desk job. On average I lost 1lb per week which means my TDEE is around 2900 calories.

    So you can buy HRM's or whatever, it's just unnecessary if you want to save the money.
  • nebakanessa
    nebakanessa Posts: 11
    I put in the calories from the exercise machine, and find that MFP does seem to overestimate the exercise expenditure. I usually have to put in 10-15 minutes less "time" than I actually did to equal the calories I supposedly burned on the machine. One of those monitors is a good idea!
  • annakow
    annakow Posts: 385 Member
    1/3 of them
  • Swissmiss
    Swissmiss Posts: 8,754 Member
    I was eating them but have stopped. I can't see the scales drop unless I ignore the calories I have burned.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    I was eating them but have stopped. I can't see the scales drop unless I ignore the calories I have burned.

    This is likely more an issue with your estimating than it is the strategy of eating or not eating them back.
  • WaterBunnie
    WaterBunnie Posts: 1,371 Member
    Thanks so much for the great feedback, I'm going to try to get a fitbit this weekend.

    I bought a FitBit One and have never regretted buying it.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    if you're going by the MFP (or cardio machine) calorie burns, most are notoriously overestimates. Try only eating back 1/2 to 2/3rds of what MFP gives you. Best bet is to get a good HRM (heart rate monitor) with a chest strap. There are plenty of brands out there but Polar and Garmin seem to be the best. It's a bit of an investment but worth it IMHO.

    Or find the "in place of a road map" thread and try out the TDEE method - a lot of folks swear by it.

    ETA: here's a link to one of the many threads:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/975025-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet?hl=in+place+of+a+road+map

    This is false MFP does not over estimate. If you search for online calories burned calculators you will see that sometimes MFP is actually lower I think their number are in line based on the information they have.

    I eat mine back when my body says it is hungry and it is working for me. sometimes i work out so hard that i am tired and i can 't anything but rest. but the way MFP is set up is for you to eat them back.

    Also be truthful with your self which is something that folks don't do. if you are only giving 50% during exercise that its probably not a good idea to eat all of the work out calories. I say just do your own research and respond to YOUR body.

    I just want to reiterate that is is FALSE that MFP overestimates and in casing where this happens there is usually other information that MFP wouldn't know.

    Actually it does for many people. To flat out say it's false is incorrect. I can reassure you that 120lb women aren't burning over 1000 calories doing mild running. Heck, as a 190lb guy I can't do that. So yes, it does over estimate for some. This is why many of us prefer to include exercise as part of our TDEE and make a deficit from there.


    funny you mentioned TDEE when i put my numbers in for TDEE-20% it comes very close to MFP plus my exercise calories and TDEE does not ask which exercise you are doing, only how many hours a week. So how far off can MFP be? I doubt it seriously if MFP is giving a 120lb woman 1000 calories for mild running. walking has been my primary exercise and the calories burned has gone down since i lost weight and i weigh way more then 120 lbs.

    TDEE and MFP should be about 6 of 1 if you're doing it right. For many, the calorie burns in the database are vastly overstated. I looked up my 12 mile ride at 15 MPH that I took yesterday and MFP database gave me an 800 calorie burn...no friggin' way...that's about 17 calories per minute and I assure you it wasn't anywhere close to that...my HRM gave me 500 calories...much closer to reality.

    Like I said, both methods should come out roughly 6 of 1 provided you are estimating your calorie burn correctly and you are comparing same loss goals...i.e. TDEE - 20% is closer to a 1 Lb per week loss goal...so actually, if you're comparing a 2 Lb per week loss goal with TDEE - 20% and they're coming out 6 of 1 as you state...then that would mean you are overestimating burn with the MFP database.
  • pavrg
    pavrg Posts: 277 Member
    MFP's calorie numbers for most activities seem to be based on full exertion -- 90%+ of heart rate max. The little charts on the machines are inaccurate for most people -- according to them, I work out at 110% of my max heart rate -- I should be having a heart attack every time I do sprint work. OTH, sustaining that for more than 2-3 minutes straight is nearly impossible.

    Running seems to be accurate though, because for reasons beyond my comprehension the calories burned by running a mile don't appreciably change with speed or exertion.

    If you're sitting there in the 65-80% range, which you probably are if you're biking/swimming/using the elliptical for long distances and long periods of time, you might want to multiply the MFP number by 2/3.
  • bunkahes
    bunkahes Posts: 216 Member
    Okay. Sometimes i eat my calories if only if i am hungrey, alot of the times i end up in the negitive i eat small snack. But. I am a low cal diet from my doctor. So thats 1600. I eat better i drop the calorie level down to 1350. So if estimate wrong there is a little lee way. I also have a paper journal. Just in case something fails like the app or my phone.
  • tamadrummer001
    tamadrummer001 Posts: 71 Member
    I don't and I have been gaining muscle and losing fat each week for the past few weeks. When I first started the diet I was eating way too little, like 1300 to 1700 each day and burning an estimated 3400 each day and actually maintained or got fatter.

    Now I am eating about 2200 to 2500 each day and burning about 3800 - 4350 kcal.

    I am losing fat and gaining muscle and very happy with the progress at this time.
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,333 Member
    I'm losing slow and steady eating them back. Having more to eat helps me stay on plan and not feel deprived. However.. I do the elliptical for 65 minutes and I decrease mfp's calorie burn total from nearly 800 calories to 600, which the exercise machine reflects. I think I might even reduce it to 500 for a week and see if I lose more... but I enjoy having the extra calories to eat..it keeps me motivated.
  • Stage14
    Stage14 Posts: 1,046 Member
    I eat my exercise calories back, but I use a HRM to estimate my calories, not MFP. I have still been losing, albeit slowly since I'm set at about 0.5 lbs per week.
  • ClementineGeorg
    ClementineGeorg Posts: 505 Member
    I eat my workout calories back and I still am on track with losing weight after more than a year.
    I do not count long walks or cleaning as exercise.

    I use MFP estimates, but I am carefull of the intensity I log. If I don't feel like faiting after working out, it's definetly not logged as circuit training. :laugh: If I don't feel the burnount, even if it's a classic high intensity workout, it's logged as low intensity.
  • janicelo1971
    janicelo1971 Posts: 823 Member
    I don't and I have been gaining muscle and losing fat each week for the past few weeks. When I first started the diet I was eating way too little, like 1300 to 1700 each day and burning an estimated 3400 each day and actually maintained or got fatter.

    Now I am eating about 2200 to 2500 each day and burning about 3800 - 4350 kcal.

    I am losing fat and gaining muscle and very happy with the progress at this time.

    holy crap! what exercise are you doing every day to burn over 4 thousand calories??? Im lucky to burn 6-700 in a few hours of hard work!
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,432 MFP Moderator
    I don't and I have been gaining muscle and losing fat each week for the past few weeks. When I first started the diet I was eating way too little, like 1300 to 1700 each day and burning an estimated 3400 each day and actually maintained or got fatter.

    Now I am eating about 2200 to 2500 each day and burning about 3800 - 4350 kcal.

    I am losing fat and gaining muscle and very happy with the progress at this time.

    If you are losing weight you are not gaining new muscle. You ar3 confusing strength gains with gaining new muscle. Its actually virtually impossible to gain muscle while cutting fat. One is an anabolic state and the other is catabolic. Also, if you truly are burning 3500 calories a day then its impossible to gain muscle with such a high deficit. Unfortunately many people associate seeing muscle (losing fat) as gaining muscle.

    Not trying to be rude but pointing out semantics. Its great you are losing weight and fueling your body.

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