Eating Back Your Exercise Calories

mkbarnes1775
mkbarnes1775 Posts: 55 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'd like to get some opinions on eating back your exercise calories. This is something I typically try to avoid but I do it from time to time, like tonight, and then I feel guilty about it. It should be fine for me to eat them back right? Especially if I don't do it all the time?

Replies

  • ChrisM8971
    ChrisM8971 Posts: 1,067 Member
    I think everyone is different but I eat all of my exercise calories back if wearing a HRM and I reduce MFP estimates by 30% if I am not wearing it and eat that amount back
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf
    This is a pretty big debate that pops up continually on the main forums.

    Should you, or should you not, eat back your exercise calories? The answer is: It depends.

    Here are some background definitions before going into this:

    BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate): The number of calories you burn at complete rest.
    EAT (Exercise Associated Thermogenesis): Caloric requirements of training, or training expenditure.
    NEAT (Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis): Caloric requirements of activity that is not planned exercise. Vacuuming, driving, brushing your teeth, for example.
    TEF/DIT (Thermic Effect of Feeding or Diet Induced Thermogenesis): Caloric expense of eating/digestion.
    TDEE: (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) = Sum of the above. BMR+EAT+NEAT+TEF


    Exercise calories, as they are typically used in MFP specifically, is represented by EAT in the above definition. Whether or not you should eat your EAT (giggity) depends on what system or method you are using to calculate your intake needs.

    If you are using most other online calculation tools to determine an intake estimate, that estimate is going to already include EAT as part of the suggested intake. For example, it will ask you an activity factor that includes an average of your exercise, and with this it increases your TDEE to account for the fact that you are exercising.

    If you are using MFP to tell you how much to eat, that estimate is NOT going to include EAT as part of the intake estimate.

    Myfitnesspal uses a caloric estimation tool that expects you to eat back calories burned during exercise.

    Consequently, MFP will essentially give you a LOWER intake estimate than an external TDEE calculator would give you.


    In other words:

    You tell MFP: I'd like to lose 1lb/week.

    MFP says: Hey, you should eat X calories every day to lose 1lb/week.

    You then decide to exercise and you burn 400 calories.

    MFP says: Hey you pecker, you said you wanted to lose 1lb/week. Now you need to eat X+400 because you told me you wanted to lose 1lb/week.


    So based on this:

    If you are using MFP to tell you how many calories to eat, you should probably be eating back some portion of your exercise calories.

    If you are using an external calculator and then customizing your intake to match that, you should not be eating back your exercise calories.

    Lastly: Exercise expenditure is often over-stated.

    My general opinion is that it's much simpler and uses less guess-work to use a custom intake and just forget about the exercise calorie model entirely, but that's a different topic of sorts, more discussion of which can be found here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets
  • donyellemoniquex3
    donyellemoniquex3 Posts: 2,384 Member
    If you are hungry eat them back.
  • Mellyajc
    Mellyajc Posts: 142 Member
    Eating only 1200 calories a day is usually hard for me (and then it yells at me if I don't eat at least 1200..can't win..) So I naturally eat back SOME of the calories, because I wouldn't be able to continue on this path if it meant always feeling deprived. I often negotiate with myself. Craving froyo? Make sure I run to 'afford' it.

    Generally I try not to go toward sweets (addictive) but splurging once in a while is fine and makes me able to stay with it for the long haul. I just try to keep my overall calories at a deficit.
  • ImRemko
    ImRemko Posts: 34 Member
    Depends. If you are already on a deficit and exercise for the health benefits, do eat them back if it would put you into a too big deficit. However, if you exercise to create a deficit, then eating the calories back isn't the most logical option.
  • maddogg82
    maddogg82 Posts: 159 Member
    If you are hungry eat them back.

    YES THIS!.. i do this .. some days im really hungry.. other days i could care less.. just depends on how i feal
  • lucan07
    lucan07 Posts: 509
    If you are hungry eat them back.

    YES THIS!.. i do this .. some days im really hungry.. other days i could care less.. just depends on how i feal

    ^This^ I refuse to eat for the sake of eating it makes a mockery of trying to lose weight and get fit the reason I am here!
  • Bukawww
    Bukawww Posts: 159 Member
    I wear a BodyBugg to help me manage my true calorie expenditure. I have to be honest, either it is not as accurate as it claims or you just don't burn as many calories as you think you might...My BMR is around 1750. I rarely sit down during the day (busy mom of 4, ages 19m-10y, own a soap making business filling orders and making stuff all day, etc)...if I don't do any exercise on purpose that day, I still only burn about 2100 calories that day according to my Bugg.

    I do not eat my calories back unless I want to...if I am struggling that day with my food choices, I will eat the sushi. Because eating 1500-2100 calories one day is better than giving up completely. Some days I am motivated to lose all of this weight in 3 months and other times (like when on my period...it is near impossible to be motivated or stay at 1200 cal for those few days), I am fine with being the tortoise...low and slow is better than not at all.
  • mkbarnes1775
    mkbarnes1775 Posts: 55 Member
    I'm glad to see a number of people saying the eat them back, makes me feel better :-)

    I wear a fitbit flex all day and a HRM when I work out to help with calories, I assume what they tell me I'm burning is overstated. I usually just eat back calories if I'm having a really hungry day and then I never eat them all back, just a portion of them. I've had a really hungry week this week, seems like I'm struggling, sigh.
  • BossLadyDSimp
    BossLadyDSimp Posts: 257 Member
    I'm glad to see a number of people saying the eat them back, makes me feel better :-)

    I wear a fitbit flex all day and a HRM when I work out to help with calories, I assume what they tell me I'm burning is overstated. I usually just eat back calories if I'm having a really hungry day and then I never eat them all back, just a portion of them. I've had a really hungry week this week, seems like I'm struggling, sigh.

    I wear a Fitbit and I think it actually understates how many calories I've burned. When i do strength training and lifting it doesn't count that ... Just steps. When i work on training for my 5K then I am good.

    I think if you are hungry then eat them back. If you start to see that you are not losing weight then you mifght want to change something.

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  • ttknowles01
    ttknowles01 Posts: 255 Member
    I wear a HRM, so I usually try to get back at least half (or sometimes more) of my exercise calories. In the end, you do what works for you :-)
  • Cindyinpg
    Cindyinpg Posts: 3,902 Member
    I have a Bodymedia Fit and yes, I absolutely eat my calories back! Some days less, some days more, but it averages out over the course of a week. It's been working, I've lost 122lbs in 15 months. What good would it do me to have a bigger deficit if I feel deprived and fall off the wagon? I would rather lose at the rate I told MFP I want to lose it at, exercise, eat ice cream everyday, and stay on the wagon. :drinker: Plus, I am getting closer to goal and it will be an easier transition into maintenance, if I am already eating more.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    If you're going to eat them back, make sure you're estimating them properly. Most people are vastly over-estimating what they burn, and as a consequence, eat right into their planned deficits.

    If you are using a FitBit or BodyBug or HRM to get your calorie burn, you are most likely over-estimating. If you are using MFP for anything like HIIT/intervals/circuit, you are most likely over-estimating.
  • Cindyinpg
    Cindyinpg Posts: 3,902 Member
    If you're going to eat them back, make sure you're estimating them properly. Most people are vastly over-estimating what they burn, and as a consequence, eat right into their planned deficits.

    If you are using a FitBit or BodyBug or HRM to get your calorie burn, you are most likely over-estimating. If you are using MFP for anything like HIIT/intervals/circuit, you are most likely over-estimating.
    Absolutely. I remember back when I started, MFP had me burning 1200 calories per hour exercising moderately on a recumbent bike. :noway: In fact, it would still give me 700, while my Bodymedia gives me 300 for the same activity. Because I lose weight fairly steadily and am in line with my goals, I know that for me, my Bodymedia does not overestimate by very much.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    I'd like to get some opinions on eating back your exercise calories. This is something I typically try to avoid but I do it from time to time, like tonight, and then I feel guilty about it. It should be fine for me to eat them back right? Especially if I don't do it all the time?

    MFP is designed so you eat your exercise calories back ALL the time and I do eat mine back everytime. The problem is that calorie burns given here are "generous" ....so eating a percent back is prudent.

    If you have a goal of reducing your body fat percent.....then you will want to eat back some calories. Eating too little (big deficit) ....results in fat+muscle loss.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    If you are hungry eat them back.

    YES THIS!.. i do this .. some days im really hungry.. other days i could care less.. just depends on how i feal

    ^This^ I refuse to eat for the sake of eating it makes a mockery of trying to lose weight and get fit the reason I am here!

    How does using a tool as designed make a mockery of anything? That's like saying driving nails with a hammer makes a mockery of driving nails...makes zero sense. I think it's funny how all of you use this tool yet you think it's trying to sabotage you or something when it comes to exercise calories...srsly...this tool is really friggin' easy to understand and use properly and in my experience, using a tool as designed ultimately yields the best results. I mean...you could drive a screw with a hammer but a screw driver would ultimately yield better results....
  • Feed_the_Bears
    Feed_the_Bears Posts: 275 Member
    Do not feel guilty about that. It is the best thing to do. If you are already eating at a deficite and THEN add on some exercise you are going to stress your body out. You will gain back the weight or stall the loss all together by eating too low. Do not start your body. Feed your body good choices of nutrients and fuel that activity to grow muscle. Seriously. Have you been starving yourself intermittently on "diets" your whole life and keep winding up right back here with weight to lose again? I'm going to guess yes. Well it didn't work did it? So why keep trying it like it was your fault it didn't work. Eat like an athlete and fuel your active body. Make clean unprocessed choices for balanced foods. You will be so happy. Love your food and never feel guilty about feeding your body.

    Check out Eat More 2 Weigh Less. It saved my life.
  • j6o4
    j6o4 Posts: 871 Member
    Yes eat them back, MFP gives you a calories goal with a deficit in it already before you exercise. Exercising will make your deficit even bigger which is why MFP gives you calories back to eat so that you can stay within a healthy deficit.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Yes eat them back, MFP gives you a calories goal with a deficit in it already before you exercise. Exercising will make your deficit even bigger which is why MFP gives you calories back to eat so that you can stay within a healthy deficit.

    This is very succinct...thank you

    I dont know how to bold so here goes...........HEALTHY DEFICIT!
  • bekahlou75
    bekahlou75 Posts: 304 Member
    I don't eat all mine back. For me, it's near impossible. I'm supposed to eat 1200 calories. I've already eaten 350 for bfast and lunch. With my exercise points of 432, It gives me 1282 more calories to eat! There's no way I can eat that much. But it does help when I want a second glass of wine with dinner or a real cookie that's not low fat.
  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
    Please note that although exercise calories on fitness equipment are often greatly overestimated for many people, they can be reasonably close for persons of high body weight. Thus, you may want to eat back an adequate amount based on your greater potential to burn energy while tracking trends of weight loss.
  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
    I don't eat all mine back. For me, it's near impossible. I'm supposed to eat 1200 calories. I've already eaten 350 for bfast and lunch. With my exercise points of 432, It gives me 1282 more calories to eat! There's no way I can eat that much. But it does help when I want a second glass of wine with dinner or a real cookie that's not low fat.
    More than likely, you are not supposed to net 1200 calories based on how active you are in addition to only needing to lose 9 more lbs. I'm guessing you set your weekly weight loss goal to either 1.0, 1.5 or even 2.0 lbs. Set your weekly weight loss goal to 0.5 lbs per week because you simply do not have the fat mass to warrant a deficit larger than that.
  • BossLadyDSimp
    BossLadyDSimp Posts: 257 Member
    If you're going to eat them back, make sure you're estimating them properly. Most people are vastly over-estimating what they burn, and as a consequence, eat right into their planned deficits.

    If you are using a FitBit or BodyBug or HRM to get your calorie burn, you are most likely over-estimating. If you are using MFP for anything like HIIT/intervals/circuit, you are most likely over-estimating.
    Absolutely. I remember back when I started, MFP had me burning 1200 calories per hour exercising moderately on a recumbent bike. :noway: In fact, it would still give me 700, while my Bodymedia gives me 300 for the same activity. Because I lose weight fairly steadily and am in line with my goals, I know that for me, my Bodymedia does not overestimate by very much.

    I agree. When I add activity from MFP it may give me 800 for my workout when my FitBit gave me 350. I would rather underestimate my calories then overestimate and not lose weight. I see a lot of people that are having an extra 600-700 calories a day because MFP said they were doing more than they actually were.

    I also agree with what she said in another post. I would rather say on track and have a beer here and there than not eat my calories, get frustrated and then just quit it all together.
  • lucan07
    lucan07 Posts: 509
    If you are hungry eat them back.

    YES THIS!.. i do this .. some days im really hungry.. other days i could care less.. just depends on how i feal

    ^This^ I refuse to eat for the sake of eating it makes a mockery of trying to lose weight and get fit the reason I am here!

    How does using a tool as designed make a mockery of anything? That's like saying driving nails with a hammer makes a mockery of driving nails...makes zero sense. I think it's funny how all of you use this tool yet you think it's trying to sabotage you or something when it comes to exercise calories...srsly...this tool is really friggin' easy to understand and use properly and in my experience, using a tool as designed ultimately yields the best results. I mean...you could drive a screw with a hammer but a screw driver would ultimately yield better results....

    It is a guide not a gospel, I have seen diaries where people are binge eating junk late evening to supposedly eat these calories, to me its an excuse to binge you do not need 3 or 4 puddings and cake for a meal because you did a bit of work, that is a mockery you do not need it. I use the app/guide in the way it works for me, it does not take account of the amount of bowel I lost to cancer or many other variables, I also ignore the minimum 1200 nett calories on medical advice. And its nothing to do with sabotaging me, its to do with common sense, eating for the sake of eating is not sensible if you do not need or want the food.
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  • gman94568
    gman94568 Posts: 12 Member
    I think for most people, exercise is not consistent. I do a ~1000 calorie workout 2 - 5X weekly. I choose not to eat back my calories but if I did I would try to average them over the week. I don't want to be eating 1700 calories on days I don't exercise and then 2700 calories on the days I do.

    I have heard people use their exercise calories to limit their alcohol intake. No exercise, no drinks. Of course I am not sure I need 1000 calories of alcohol on the days I work out.

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