Calorie eatback question.

NormInv
NormInv Posts: 3,303 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'll make it very simple. Thanks.

If I sit on couch for an hour, say I burn 75 calories. If instead I get on the treadmill, I burn 300 calories.

Now let us ASSUME that for whatever reason I have decided to eat back the exercise calories. Should i eat back 300, or 300 minus 75?

Replies

  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,059 Member
    Say your goal is 2,000 calories per day (just an easy example cause I'm horrible at math). You've eaten up to your goal for the day.
    You burned 375 calories that day, not counting BMR.
    You net is 1,625 for the day. If you are trying to lose weight, you've netted a healthy amount for the day. You may not need or want to eat those back. If you're trying to maintain, I would recommend that you do.

    Personally, I always make sure I eat back enough so that I've netted at least 1,400-1,500 a day minimum. But my calorie goals may be different from yours.

    So take that into consideration. Look at your goals, figure out what is a healthy net for the day, and gauge back how much you want to eat back on days you exercise.
  • lexlyn14
    lexlyn14 Posts: 290 Member
    That is an awesome question...

    I have thought about it and would assume you would eat back the whole 300 calories because after you workout your metabolism is speedy fast and burning way more calories than it would if you had not worked out...

    so for example if normally sitting on the floor for an hour burns 75 calories...sitting on the floor for an hour after you have just worked out would burn double that say...150 calories...so you make up the difference there,,,

    Does that make sense???
  • vanguardfitness
    vanguardfitness Posts: 720 Member
    When I do excessive walking (at least an hour but I mean like 3 hours a day), I usually add the calories burned from the walking, but also subtract about 3 hours worth of my daily bmr from the total (not even sure if this is legit or not or where I even got the idea from).
  • NormInv
    NormInv Posts: 3,303 Member
    Often people do not understand what is being asked in this question. The issue is not what you want to net a day but that fact that if your HRM shown 300 calories from running the treadmill, that 300 includes the 75 calories that you would have burned by just being alive. So if you are maintaining or gaining, or even losing, it makes sense to eat back only the 225 or fewer calories. If you eat back the full 300, you eat into the deficit you created just by diet, or go into surplus.
  • NormInv
    NormInv Posts: 3,303 Member
    That is an awesome question...

    I have thought about it and would assume you would eat back the whole 300 calories because after you workout your metabolism is speedy fast and burning way more calories than it would if you had not worked out...

    so for example if normally sitting on the floor for an hour burns 75 calories...sitting on the floor for an hour after you have just worked out would burn double that say...150 calories...so you make up the difference there,,,

    Does that make sense???

    The after-burn after workout is often overstated, especially when talking cardio workout. The metabolic benefit is usually tied to the weight training aspect of workout, not cardio, and even then its not as pronounced as previously thought.
  • slspry1
    slspry1 Posts: 27 Member
    my personal trainer has set me a calorie goal of 1200 a day so that I lose between 1-2lbs a week so if I burn 400 calories at workout I should eat them back or close to them in protein rich foods and minimal carbs. so maintaining a healthy weekly weight loss.
  • lexlyn14
    lexlyn14 Posts: 290 Member
    That is an awesome question...

    I have thought about it and would assume you would eat back the whole 300 calories because after you workout your metabolism is speedy fast and burning way more calories than it would if you had not worked out...

    so for example if normally sitting on the floor for an hour burns 75 calories...sitting on the floor for an hour after you have just worked out would burn double that say...150 calories...so you make up the difference there,,,

    Does that make sense???

    The after-burn after workout is often overstated, especially when talking cardio workout. The metabolic benefit is usually tied to the weight training aspect of workout, not cardio, and even then its not as pronounced as previously thought.



    Well if that is the case...Then I would only eat back 225 rather than the whole 300...I think I am going to start doing that...
  • candiceh3
    candiceh3 Posts: 379 Member
    I'll make it very simple. Thanks.

    If I sit on couch for an hour, say I burn 75 calories. If instead I get on the treadmill, I burn 300 calories.

    Now let us ASSUME that for whatever reason I have decided to eat back the exercise calories. Should i eat back 300, or 300 minus 75?

    225 definitely! I hate the fact that MFP doesn't correct for this.

    I log NET workout burn, so I take what my HRM says and subtract the BMR for the timeperiod I exercised, and then log that into MFP.
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    I eat them all.


    But I also like to live dangerously, I don't use an HRM. :devil:
  • NormInv
    NormInv Posts: 3,303 Member
    I eat them all.

    You also use a taser on your kid.
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    I eat them all.

    You also use a taser on your kid.

    No no no, not on him
  • candiceh3
    candiceh3 Posts: 379 Member
    I eat them all.

    You also use a taser on your kid.

    No no no, not on him

    OMG LOL

    Men all over MFP are practicing their safe words...

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