Non exercise calorie eaters, please explain something to me
Replies
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Why I don't eat my exercise calories back?
Because I was instructed not to from my doctor, my OB/GYN, and mainly, my dietician. In my opinion, they are the experts in their line of work ~ Human wellness & nutrition.
So, in conclusion.... Kangaroos.
That is all.
And they prescribed that you set up a standard MFP account, follow MFP's recommended caloric intake, but not eat back your exercise calories?
Actually, yes. My dietician gave me a sheet of paper with really great fitness trackers/nutrition trackers and recommended MFP as one of the highest ranked. She also said that the 'standard' calorie allowance they give me on MFP, seeing that I already had an account before seeing her, (at the time, it was 1200 calories) was way too low & that I should aim for around 1600-1900 calories a day of 'good for me' foods. She ALSO said that I should not record my exercise on MFP, in order to avoid eating back exercise calories; to use Fitocracy or MapMyFitness instead.
I appreciate you trying to call me out though.0 -
I think, for so many of us, being heavy has led to feelings of hurt from perceived judgement by those we meet. MFP is a- mostly- safe place where we can help one another feel better about ourselves and get healthy. If someone posts "help", I do think offering our own experiences is very helpful. Complaining about and judging them is not. If the posts annoy you, but are not in any way detrimental to your own success, why not just choose another forum topic you like better and move on? I would guess we are all pleased for one another when success is acheived.0
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Most of the people responding are not understand the OP's question. Its a valid question. And, it's one that is repeated here over and over again as people constantly say, "I don't see the point in eating back exercise calories". Then, 3 months later, "why has my weight loss stalled. I eat 1200 calories and burn 600 calories everyday with exercise on a treadmill, why am I not losing, I don't understand..." then, they are told why, and they rage quit. LOL. It's my favorite thing to watch happen.
Thank you, someone gets it! My bad wording, I think.
But then why start a thread about it when you know this is not the case for everyone that doesn't eat exercise calories?I think, for so many of us, being heavy has led to feelings of hurt from perceived judgement by those we meet. MFP is a- mostly- safe place where we can help one another feel better about ourselves and get healthy. If someone posts "help", I do think offering our own experiences is very helpful. Complaining about and judging them is not. If the posts annoy you, but are not in any way detrimental to your own success, why not just choose another forum topic you like better and move on? I would guess we are all pleased for one another when success is acheived.
Yes this exactly!0 -
I think, to be honest, the point has kind of been missed here. Some of you are saying you overeat one day and then won't eat back your exercise calories the next - this is still eating them back. Some of you are saying you use the TDEE method - this is still eating them back.
The people that this is targeting are the people that cannot lose the weight because they don't eat their exercise calories, or the people that net below 1200 calories because they don't eat their exercise calories. Why? MFP even warns you that amount is too low. Then said people start a thread asking why they are in a plateau. I don't think my question was unreasonable.
Once again; as long as a person is in deficit, they will lose weight. If people eat their exercise calories and are still in deficit, they will lose weight. If people do not eat their exercise calories and are in deficit; they will lose weight. People who stop losing weight, usually are for a variety of reason not in deficit.
One of the often overlooked ones is that after a certain weight loss calorie consumption has to be adjusted downwards, because a lighter body needs less calories. Maybe a person needs to eat 1550 calories, but after losing 25 pounds only needs 1400. Many people forget to make that adjustment assuming they always need to eat the same amount of calories. But being in deficit and not losing ( unless there are medical problems ) is not very likely. The metabolic adaption when people eat less is so minimal ( average 13-15% ), that it almost is not worth it to even consider it. A metabolic stop is impossible. If the metabolism stops.......we are dead.0 -
Why I don't eat my exercise calories back?
Because I was instructed not to from my doctor, my OB/GYN, and mainly, my dietician. In my opinion, they are the experts in their line of work ~ Human wellness & nutrition.
So, in conclusion.... Kangaroos.
That is all.
And they prescribed that you set up a standard MFP account, follow MFP's recommended caloric intake, but not eat back your exercise calories?
Actually, yes. My dietician gave me a sheet of paper with really great fitness trackers/nutrition trackers and recommended MFP as one of the highest ranked. She also said that the 'standard' calorie allowance they give me on MFP, seeing that I already had an account before seeing her, (at the time, it was 1200 calories) was way too low & that I should aim for around 1600-1900 calories a day of 'good for me' foods. She ALSO said that I should not record my exercise on MFP, in order to avoid eating back exercise calories; to use Fitocracy or MapMyFitness instead.
I appreciate you trying to call me out though.
Seems like he did a pretty good job, MFP had you set up at 1200 calories + exercise calories, your dietician set you up between 1600 - 1900 calories which is eating some of your exercise calories back. You pretty much just made the OP's argument by saying your dietician agrees with what she is saying. It seems most of the people who have a problem with what the OP is saying are actually eating their exercise calories back, but just don't realize it, because it is already manually entered into what they can eat, and the ones who don't do it, that is also fine if it is working with them, but you have to admit that we see tons of threads everyweek where somebody isn't eating them back, and not losing weight.0 -
I think, to be honest, the point has kind of been missed here. Some of you are saying you overeat one day and then won't eat back your exercise calories the next - this is still eating them back. Some of you are saying you use the TDEE method - this is still eating them back.
The people that this is targeting are the people that cannot lose the weight because they don't eat their exercise calories, or the people that net below 1200 calories because they don't eat their exercise calories. Why? MFP even warns you that amount is too low. Then said people start a thread asking why they are in a plateau. I don't think my question was unreasonable.
Once again; as long as a person is in deficit, they will lose weight. If people eat their exercise calories and are still in deficit, they will lose weight. If people do not eat their exercise calories and are in deficit; they will lose weight. People who stop losing weight, usually are for a variety of reason not in deficit.
One of the often overlooked ones is that after a certain weight loss calorie consumption has to be adjusted downwards, because a lighter body needs less calories. Maybe a person needs to eat 1550 calories, but after losing 25 pounds only needs 1400. Many people forget to make that adjustment assuming they always need to eat the same amount of calories. But being in deficit and not losing ( unless there are medical problems ) is not very likely. The metabolic adaption when people eat less is so minimal ( average 13-15% ), that it almost is not worth it to even consider it. A metabolic stop is impossible. If the metabolism stops.......we are dead.
And this is what I've been saying too. What pisses me off more is when someone says they're GAINING weight eating only 1200 or so calories and not eating exercise calories, and people tell them they need to eat more. It's physically impossible to gain weight if you're in calorie deficit. Something else is not right, and it's not the fact that they aren't eating exercise calories.0 -
Why I don't eat my exercise calories back?
Because I was instructed not to from my doctor, my OB/GYN, and mainly, my dietician. In my opinion, they are the experts in their line of work ~ Human wellness & nutrition.
So, in conclusion.... Kangaroos.
That is all.
And they prescribed that you set up a standard MFP account, follow MFP's recommended caloric intake, but not eat back your exercise calories?
Actually, yes. My dietician gave me a sheet of paper with really great fitness trackers/nutrition trackers and recommended MFP as one of the highest ranked. She also said that the 'standard' calorie allowance they give me on MFP, seeing that I already had an account before seeing her, (at the time, it was 1200 calories) was way too low & that I should aim for around 1600-1900 calories a day of 'good for me' foods. She ALSO said that I should not record my exercise on MFP, in order to avoid eating back exercise calories; to use Fitocracy or MapMyFitness instead.
I appreciate you trying to call me out though.
I wasn't trying to call you out, I was worried about a dietitian prescribing you follow an app's recommendations for a second there, but I'm highlighting some confusion that often ends up on these threads where people end up confusing others on different plans.
I believe the caloric goal your dietitian has set includes exercise calories. This is called TDEE, or IPOARM or whatever on here, but is in fact standard practise.
If this is the case, then you are eating your exercise calories. You're not logging them on here, so that you don't end up eating them twice.0 -
Actually, yes. My dietician gave me a sheet of paper with really great fitness trackers/nutrition trackers and recommended MFP as one of the highest ranked. She also said that the 'standard' calorie allowance they give me on MFP, seeing that I already had an account before seeing her, (at the time, it was 1200 calories) was way too low & that I should aim for around 1600-1900 calories a day of 'good for me' foods. She ALSO said that I should not record my exercise on MFP, in order to avoid eating back exercise calories; to use Fitocracy or MapMyFitness instead.
I appreciate you trying to call me out though.
[/quote]
SMH...people don't read or really lack an understanding of this thing.
What I read above means you are doing TDEE and not eating exercise calories, instead of the standerd MFP 1200 plus eating back exercise calories...which would put you in the same calorie range. UGH these forums are so frustrating!0 -
I get what you're getting at. Yes you can lose weight by not eating exercise calories back, but eventually you will hit a wall. If you eat 1200 calories, but burn 1800 total through exercise and and daily life, your body will eat away at your adipose tissue. That's what it's there for, extra energy storage. At some point though (likely the point where people go "what's wrong, why am I not losing?!?!?!!") your body is going to quit using adipose tissue. That's the point where eating your exercise calories back becomes important.
Any diet/exercise plan, case in point: anorexia, can cause weight loss. That doesn't make it the most healthy, sustainable option.
But how many people actually burn 1800 or the aforementioned 2000 calories a day on an almost daily basis ?0 -
I think, to be honest, the point has kind of been missed here. Some of you are saying you overeat one day and then won't eat back your exercise calories the next - this is still eating them back. Some of you are saying you use the TDEE method - this is still eating them back.
The people that this is targeting are the people that cannot lose the weight because they don't eat their exercise calories, or the people that net below 1200 calories because they don't eat their exercise calories. Why? MFP even warns you that amount is too low. Then said people start a thread asking why they are in a plateau. I don't think my question was unreasonable.
For me personally, it's hit or miss. Why? Because I eat when I am hungry, and if I am not hungry, I won't force myself to eat because SOME people think I should eat my exercise calories back. I will try to at least include some nourishment, because I like to watch my vitamin intake and make sure I am getting enough of each. But I think it's just situational, and like so many have already said, everyone is different. I think that for the most part, a lot of us are not experts and should probably stick to our own diets rather than questioning others. I see so many people who eat less than 800 calories a day without exercise included, and it scares me. But it's not my place to say a thing, unless of course they actually post about it themselves asking for opinions. But this was obviously not the case in this post.0 -
Well, I think you're right, you should probably just concern yourself with your own routine and methods.
I would imagine there are numerous reasons people don't always eat their calories back from exercise. For those who have a higher calorie intake as it is, 1800+, I can imagine that you could feel like you're eating enough within that and trying to consume more when you're not hungry would feel pointless and uncomfortable. I also think that MFP can overestimate on calories burned for certain exercise so perhaps people are worried about that aspect. I am sure there are a multitude of other reasons.
I actually think it's so rude to suggest people who don't eat their exercise calories back are so stupid or naïve that they assume MFP is "sabotaging" their weight loss.
**APPLAUSE**0 -
I never ate my exercise calories when I my goal was to lose pounds. Not because of any particular principle, rather I am just a very scheduled person. I have pre-arranged meals that are quick, healthy and premeasured. My meals stayed very consistent and if I forgot to track, I still knew I was within my calorie allowance. The only real changing factor in my schedule is how much I worked out every day. If I had a little time open up I'd workout for 1.5 hours instead of 1. If "**** happened" and I didn't have time to work out, then I didn't.
I just didn't have the time to sit on this little app and be concerned about making sure I eat that half a damn banana because I pushed myself and extra mile on my evening run. I was never over hungry (of course I was hungry all the time that's why its called a diet) regardless of big workout days or stuffed because I had to skip.
I guess I'm just full of it, did everything wrong and will never be healthy. I guess going from 245 to 178 in 9 months isn't considered "progress".
Disclaimer, I found MFP about three months into my diet and exercise routine.0 -
so the assumption is that if you put in a goal above 1200 in MFP then you are doing TDEE? um... no
i could have a goal of only losing 1lb a week and that would put me at sedentary of 1700 a day before exercise so with the whole eating back calories i would need to eat 1700 calories + any exercise calories.0 -
Well, alrighty then. To everyone who had a say about my post:
You're right. I'm wrong, blah blah blah. I never looked at it that way ~ I don't agree with eating 1200 calories, burning an umpteenmillion and not eating them back. Yes, yes, I agree. Yada yada, whatever.
Now. Can we get back to Kangaroos? This thread is getting too heated.0 -
so the assumption is that if you put in a goal above 1200 in MFP then you are doing TDEE? um... no
i could have a goal of only losing 1lb a week and that would put me at sedentary of 1700 a day before exercise so with the whole eating back calories i would need to eat 1700 calories + any exercise calories.
That's not what anybody said at all...0 -
Most often the person who says they're eating 1200 calories, exercising a lot and not losing is either doing incorrect calculations or is already at a low weight. If someone is 200 lbs and makes the above statement then they are most likely wrong somewhere. You don't stop losing when there is something to lose. Just doesn't happen.
Biggest problem with saying eat 100% of your exercise back is that people who want to eat more start logging doing the dishes, etc as exercise and eating all of those calories back. Then they wonder why they don't lose.
Unless you are 100% accurate with your food intake, 100% accurate with your exercise burn and have a 100% accuracy on what your sedentary TDEE is then you have no idea how much of a deficit you are creating. The huge majority of people have no way of being 100% accurate on any of those numbers so eating back exercise is really a crap shoot.
I lost 25 lbs 3 years ago eating 1200 calories and not ever eating back any exercise. I'm still at my goal weight now, eat 1500 calories and still never eat back any exercise unless I've done a 3 hour bike ride or a 10 km or more run. I haven't ruined my metabolism, I'm not sick or starving and I don't feel deprived.
Everyone needs to figure out what works for them.0 -
Have a Snickers!Well, alrighty then. To everyone who had a say about my post:
You're right. I'm wrong, blah blah blah. I never looked at it that way ~ I don't agree with eating 1200 calories, burning an umpteenmillion and not eating them back. Yes, yes, I agree. Yada yada, whatever.
Now. Can we get back to Kangaroos? This thread is getting too heated.0 -
Biggest problem with saying eat 100% of your exercise back is that people who want to eat more start logging doing the dishes, etc as exercise and eating all of those calories back. Then they wonder why they don't lose.
Unless you are 100% accurate with your food intake, 100% accurate with your exercise burn and have a 100% accuracy on what your sedentary TDEE is then you have no idea how much of a deficit you are creating. The huge majority of people have no way of being 100% accurate on any of those numbers so eating back exercise is really a crap shoot.
Everyone needs to figure out what works for them.
Yes.0 -
Have a Snickers!Well, alrighty then. To everyone who had a say about my post:
You're right. I'm wrong, blah blah blah. I never looked at it that way ~ I don't agree with eating 1200 calories, burning an umpteenmillion and not eating them back. Yes, yes, I agree. Yada yada, whatever.
Now. Can we get back to Kangaroos? This thread is getting too heated.
I just might if I liked the things! :grumble:0 -
Biggest problem with saying eat 100% of your exercise back is that people who want to eat more start logging doing the dishes, etc as exercise and eating all of those calories back. Then they wonder why they don't lose.
Unless you are 100% accurate with your food intake, 100% accurate with your exercise burn and have a 100% accuracy on what your sedentary TDEE is then you have no idea how much of a deficit you are creating. The huge majority of people have no way of being 100% accurate on any of those numbers so eating back exercise is really a crap shoot.
Everyone needs to figure out what works for them.
Yes.
I switched to TDEE when I realised that I was just spending more and more time on cardio equipment just to get the calorie number higher, rather than having any fitness goals.0 -
Why I don't eat my exercise calories back?
Because I was instructed not to from my doctor, my OB/GYN, and mainly, my dietician. In my opinion, they are the experts in their line of work ~ Human wellness & nutrition.
So, in conclusion.... Kangaroos.
That is all.
And they prescribed that you set up a standard MFP account, follow MFP's recommended caloric intake, but not eat back your exercise calories?
Actually, yes. My dietician gave me a sheet of paper with really great fitness trackers/nutrition trackers and recommended MFP as one of the highest ranked. She also said that the 'standard' calorie allowance they give me on MFP, seeing that I already had an account before seeing her, (at the time, it was 1200 calories) was way too low & that I should aim for around 1600-1900 calories a day of 'good for me' foods. She ALSO said that I should not record my exercise on MFP, in order to avoid eating back exercise calories; to use Fitocracy or MapMyFitness instead.
I appreciate you trying to call me out though.
I would like to point out that not all doctors are in fact experts, just as not all military members are good honest people, and not all old women are cookie baking, hug giving, grandmas. Their license is proof that they have LEARNED the required information for their career field, not that they will use it.
That said, when your weight loss slows down, start eating back your exercise calories, see what happens.0 -
I don't eat back my exercise calories. I tried it, I gained weight. I've been doing this for a very long time and eating back my exercise calories does not work for me.
Each body is different and reacts differently to various methods. I'm in my late 40's and when it used to take me a week to lose 5lbs, now takes me months.0 -
Those people generally plateau, not directly from their diet approach, but due to it's un sustainability.
I didn't post fast enough. The above is for those on a harsh deficit.
I believe that plateau's are just people either not giving it their all and just getting comfortable or people thinking they have to do the same thing over and over again. I don't think it has anything at all to do with eating back your calories.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/TheFitHooker/view/you-have-to-change-or-you-ll-remain-the-same-584922
I wrote a blog post over that.
Just because one way works for someone, doesn't mean it's for everyone. Like I said, I have been at this for 2 years steady now, and I've lost 132 lbs, never eat back my workout calories and never will, there might be a time I go a little over my daily goal, but won't eat them all back. I normally don't go over 100 more calories. This works for me, but might not work for someone else.
The people who are complaining they aren't losing weight and not eating back their workout calories and are at 1200, maybe this method isn't for them. I support whatever works for anyone, but I don't expect to get flack for what works for me. Why would I change my method if it's worked for me?
ETA:// MFP is set up a certain way but it doesn't have to be used to that method, there is no law that says we have to lose it this way or we can't be apart of this site. Sometimes things need to be tweaked to work right for us.0 -
Well, I only eat my calories back on certain days. No particular reason though. Sometimes I'm not hungry so I don't eat. I go to bed with 1000 calorie deficits sometimes. I very rarely eat more than 1/4 of my exercise calories back. I have never plateaued, but I have upped my calories I get closer to my goal (I've been eating between 1600-1800 the last 1.5 months, sometimes more, sometimes less).
I don't know that there is a point in that, but I am an in betweener I guess. About 70lbs in 6 months so I'm not complaining.0 -
I get what you're getting at. Yes you can lose weight by not eating exercise calories back, but eventually you will hit a wall. If you eat 1200 calories, but burn 1800 total through exercise and and daily life, your body will eat away at your adipose tissue. That's what it's there for, extra energy storage. At some point though (likely the point where people go "what's wrong, why am I not losing?!?!?!!") your body is going to quit using adipose tissue. That's the point where eating your exercise calories back becomes important.
Any diet/exercise plan, case in point: anorexia, can cause weight loss. That doesn't make it the most healthy, sustainable option.
But how many people actually burn 1800 or the aforementioned 2000 calories a day on an almost daily basis ?
Considering I'm 27, 145 lbs, 5'3" and work out 6-7 days a week, I do burn more than 2000 calories a day on daily basis. Your calorie burn is based on age, weight, activity level, etc.
The point is, you should eat at a deficit to lose weight. If you are using MFP as it is designed, you should eat back all of your exercise calories, and the ticker will reflect that. It will add calories to your "calories remaining" number when you log exercise. If you are changing settings so that you are following a TDEE plan, then no, you don't eat back calories because it's already calculated into your count.0 -
I do eat my exercise calories back, but I also under-log. I find most activities to be way off...for example if I clean my house for 3 hours I may burn 200 cals, not 600.0
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so the assumption is that if you put in a goal above 1200 in MFP then you are doing TDEE? um... no
i could have a goal of only losing 1lb a week and that would put me at sedentary of 1700 a day before exercise so with the whole eating back calories i would need to eat 1700 calories + any exercise calories.
That's not what anybody said at all...
Seems like he did a pretty good job, MFP had you set up at 1200 calories + exercise calories, your dietician set you up between 1600 - 1900 calories which is eating some of your exercise calories back. You pretty much just made the OP's argument by saying your dietician agrees with what she is saying. It seems most of the people who have a problem with what the OP is saying are actually eating their exercise calories back, but just don't realize it, because it is already manually entered into what they can eat, and the ones who don't do it, that is also fine if it is working with them, but you have to admit that we see tons of threads everyweek where somebody isn't eating them back, and not losing weight.
that's basically what this is saying.0 -
Those people generally plateau, not directly from their diet approach, but due to it's un sustainability.
I didn't post fast enough. The above is for those on a harsh deficit.
I believe that plateau's are just people either not giving it their all and just getting comfortable or people thinking they have to do the same thing over and over again. I don't think it has anything at all to do with eating back your calories.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/TheFitHooker/view/you-have-to-change-or-you-ll-remain-the-same-584922
I wrote a blog post over that.
Just because one way works for someone, doesn't mean it's for everyone. Like I said, I have been at this for 2 years steady now, and I've lost 132 lbs, never eat back my workout calories and never will, there might be a time I go a little over my daily goal, but won't eat them all back. I normally don't go over 100 more calories. This works for me, but might not work for someone else.
The people who are complaining they aren't losing weight and not eating back their workout calories and are at 1200, maybe this method isn't for them. I support whatever works for anyone, but I don't expect to get flack for what works for me. Why would I change my method if it's worked for me?
ETA:// MFP is set up a certain way but it doesn't have to be used to that method, there is no law that says we have to lose it this way or we can't be apart of this site. Sometimes things need to be tweaked to work right for us.
TBH, I think you are seeing the results that you've seen because the more you have to lose, the quicker and easier you lose. Have you noticed your progress slow down now that you're getting into a healthier weight range?0 -
LOL!Have a Snickers!Well, alrighty then. To everyone who had a say about my post:
You're right. I'm wrong, blah blah blah. I never looked at it that way ~ I don't agree with eating 1200 calories, burning an umpteenmillion and not eating them back. Yes, yes, I agree. Yada yada, whatever.
Now. Can we get back to Kangaroos? This thread is getting too heated.0 -
Those people generally plateau, not directly from their diet approach, but due to it's un sustainability.
I didn't post fast enough. The above is for those on a harsh deficit.
I believe that plateau's are just people either not giving it their all and just getting comfortable or people thinking they have to do the same thing over and over again. I don't think it has anything at all to do with eating back your calories.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/TheFitHooker/view/you-have-to-change-or-you-ll-remain-the-same-584922
I wrote a blog post over that.
Just because one way works for someone, doesn't mean it's for everyone. Like I said, I have been at this for 2 years steady now, and I've lost 132 lbs, never eat back my workout calories and never will, there might be a time I go a little over my daily goal, but won't eat them all back. I normally don't go over 100 more calories. This works for me, but might not work for someone else.
The people who are complaining they aren't losing weight and not eating back their workout calories and are at 1200, maybe this method isn't for them. I support whatever works for anyone, but I don't expect to get flack for what works for me. Why would I change my method if it's worked for me?
ETA:// MFP is set up a certain way but it doesn't have to be used to that method, there is no law that says we have to lose it this way or we can't be apart of this site. Sometimes things need to be tweaked to work right for us.
TBH, I think you are seeing the results that you've seen because the more you have to lose, the quicker and easier you lose. Have you noticed your progress slow down now that you're getting into a healthier weight range?
I'm 118 lbs, I'm at my goal weight, my goal was 120 lbs. I'm not trying to lose weight, I'm working on toning and tightening. So to answer that question, once I hit my goal, I quit focusing on the scale. I weigh once in awhile but not like I use to. I lost my weight in a 2 year span. I lost it slow because slow is better, I went from 250 lbs to 118 lbs. I don't have much loose skin and I workout daily.0
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