Ok straight answers please?

I would like to know how many of you burn you calories eat them?
Do you eat all of them? Do you eat half if them? Do you not eat any of them?
I'm allowed 1600 calories a day, I have burnt a little over 900 exercising today,
Can I eat some of that? I never seen to get a straight answer from my doctor so what do you guys do?
Thank you in advance for your answers! I appreciate it very much!
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Replies

  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    Yes. I have almost always eaten all of my exercise calories. I have managed to reach my goal weight and maintain it for two years. If you only eat 1600 and burn 900 that means your body will be living off of only 700 calories for the day. That's not enough. I am not going to be a pain and say you should eat every single one of them, but you need to fuel your body for the exercise you are doing.
  • rachrach7595
    rachrach7595 Posts: 151 Member
    I eat some of them. But I also believe my method for tracking calories during walking/running is somewhat flawed as I dont have a hrm and use an app which over estimates.

    I would eat if your hungry!
    And MFP gives you numbers with the expectation you will eat your exercise calories back. Whether or not you do is completely your choice.
  • Sovi_
    Sovi_ Posts: 575 Member
    Are you hungry? If yes, please eat.
  • RamonaFr
    RamonaFr Posts: 112
    So your net calories would be 1600 - 900 = 700. That is too few calories. Eat 500 more at least to get up to 1200 net calories.
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
    I eat all of mine and have been successfully cutting, maintaining, and bulking the whole time.
  • Dlewis8288
    Dlewis8288 Posts: 42 Member
    Lol yes I am, I had some chocolate and it kicked my butt for counting!
  • majasmi
    majasmi Posts: 133 Member
    eat all the calories!

    but i reduce the number of exercise calories that MFP estimates by 30%. seems to work pretty well.
  • jamesalytle
    jamesalytle Posts: 112 Member
    wish there was a definitive answer, for everyone opinion there is a 100 people on here supporting it and plenty of web talk about it...
  • Dlewis8288
    Dlewis8288 Posts: 42 Member
    Fantastic! Thank you very much! I was hoping to get an answer from someone who reached their goal or is close, and you maintained so even better! Much appreciated!
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
    TDEE
  • Cre8veLifeR
    Cre8veLifeR Posts: 1,062 Member
    I try to! But that's a LOT of food in a day! :ohwell:
  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
    You're supposed to, but how did you get 900 for your calorie burn? That's a large number, just make sure it's accurate. The calorie burns MFP gives are usually way too high.
  • personally I don't eat my calories back. I just feel like I wasted a lot of time excersicing if i eat it all back. I like to think of exersice as a nice bonus, and don't really even track it. but if you're hungry, then eat. listen to your body when its hungry, but not when you're craving.
  • Dlewis8288
    Dlewis8288 Posts: 42 Member
    Thank you, I go by my elliptical so I have an idea how many I burnt :-)
  • SherryTeach
    SherryTeach Posts: 2,836 Member
    I lost all my weight and reached my goal by eating my exercise calories. Now that I'm on maintenance, I think it has helped allow my body to maintain on more calories than I might otherwise be able to eat.
  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
    Thank you, I go by my elliptical so I have an idea how many I burnt :-)

    A lot of people find machines are inaccurate, too. What's your height, weight, and how long did you work out today that you burned 900 calories?
  • MJ_Watson
    MJ_Watson Posts: 180 Member
    I eat mine back and have been making good progress. However, I don't use MFP calculations for anything other than walking and running, which I found to be almost identical with my heart rate monitor's numbers. If I'm doing something else, I use the HRM to calculate. (I also don't input things like housework or food prep or walking down the stairs to check the mail.) Oh, and I do also use MFP's entry for strength training and eat that back. Not sure if it's accurate but I'm so freaking hungry after I lift that I don't actually care. I figure I need the extra calories on those days (and it's not all that much, tbh).

    Basically, yes, I think you should eat them back if you're using MFP method. If after a while you find you're not losing enough, you could always scale back and try eating something like 75% or 50% of what you burned. I know several people who do that.
  • The whole calorie thing really depends on weather you are trying to lose weight or just tone up. If you want to lose weight make sure you are getting enough calories but watch the carbs. Don't over do the carbs because you are defeating your purpose. which is to build lean muscle and burn the fat. You don't make up the calories if you are trying to lose weight But do not go below 1200 calories a day for low impact exercise program. If you are happy with your weight and just want to tone then you will eat a few of the calories back and still watch the carbs and proteins so you don't over do them. It is all balance of your calories carbs fats proteins. If you are really unsure possibly talk to a trainer or a dietician.
  • acogg
    acogg Posts: 1,870 Member
    Because it is all about estimates, I am not logging exercise so I am relying on my feelings. I have been doing a progressive lifting program and I am about to raise my calories by a hundred. I can see and feel that I need more. I am a lazy logger so I will have to eat more of what I am already eating because I am too lazy to figure out new food.
  • imjolly
    imjolly Posts: 176 Member
    Yes, I eat my calorie back. Sometimes I can't eat them all back but I don't go hungry or stuff myself on a day I work out. If I didn't eat most of my calories back then I wouldn't have the energy to work out.
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
    The whole calorie thing really depends on weather you are trying to lose weight or just tone up. If you want to lose weight make sure you are getting enough calories but watch the carbs. Don't over do the carbs because you are defeating your purpose. which is to build lean muscle and burn the fat. You don't make up the calories if you are trying to lose weight But do not go below 1200 calories a day. If you are happy with your weight and just want to tone then you will eat a few of the calories back and still watch the carbs and proteins so you don't over do them. It is all balance of your calories carbs fats proteins. If you are really unsure possibly talk to a trainer or a dietician.

    What?...
  • psych101
    psych101 Posts: 1,842 Member
    The whole calorie thing really depends on weather you are trying to lose weight or just tone up. If you want to lose weight make sure you are getting enough calories but watch the carbs. Don't over do the carbs because you are defeating your purpose. which is to build lean muscle and burn the fat. You don't make up the calories if you are trying to lose weight But do not go below 1200 calories a day. If you are happy with your weight and just want to tone then you will eat a few of the calories back and still watch the carbs and proteins so you don't over do them. It is all balance of your calories carbs fats proteins. If you are really unsure possibly talk to a trainer or a dietician.

    What?...


    ^^What he said....what?
  • Bernadette60614
    Bernadette60614 Posts: 707 Member
    I don't eat them, because I tend to underestimate my food intake and overestimate my calories burned.

    Some people take a more accurate, scientific approach (they weigh and measure their food, they wear heart rate moniters or FitBits), but since I don't, I don't eat the calories back.
  • MireyGal76
    MireyGal76 Posts: 7,334 Member
    I eat every single one. Usually.

    Sometimes I save them for the next day, but eventually I catch up.

    I'm in maintenance mode, so I'm not as picky about going over or being under by a bit.
  • Myhaloslipped
    Myhaloslipped Posts: 4,317 Member
    The whole calorie thing really depends on weather you are trying to lose weight or just tone up. If you want to lose weight make sure you are getting enough calories but watch the carbs. Don't over do the carbs because you are defeating your purpose. which is to build lean muscle and burn the fat. You don't make up the calories if you are trying to lose weight But do not go below 1200 calories a day for low impact exercise program. If you are happy with your weight and just want to tone then you will eat a few of the calories back and still watch the carbs and proteins so you don't over do them. It is all balance of your calories carbs fats proteins. If you are really unsure possibly talk to a trainer or a dietician.

    Ummm...what?
  • bajoyba
    bajoyba Posts: 1,153 Member
    The whole calorie thing really depends on weather you are trying to lose weight or just tone up. If you want to lose weight make sure you are getting enough calories but watch the carbs. Don't over do the carbs because you are defeating your purpose. which is to build lean muscle and burn the fat. You don't make up the calories if you are trying to lose weight But do not go below 1200 calories a day for low impact exercise program. If you are happy with your weight and just want to tone then you will eat a few of the calories back and still watch the carbs and proteins so you don't over do them. It is all balance of your calories carbs fats proteins. If you are really unsure possibly talk to a trainer or a dietician.

    No, to pretty much all of that.

    MFP is designed for you to eat your exercise calories back AND still lose weight. If you are in a calorie deficit (eating fewer calories than your body needs to maintain its current weight), then you will lose weight, and your carb intake will not "defeat the purpose".

    The only part that I agree with is the suggestion to talk to a dietitian if you have no idea what you're doing.
  • Ok let me explain it another way. If you are overweight and you lose 3 lbs of fat in 1 week do you eat 3 lbs of fat because you lost it. Same with calories Just because you use 300 calories does not mean you eat 300 calories. If you start with 2000 calories and you burn up 1000 because you have a sedentary life style and do nothing all day do you eat 3000 calories because you burned up 1000 o f the beginning calories. No You eat less calories because your body will use up the fat it has stored for energy as long as you continue to feed the body. The trick is to eat healthy foods that are better for you with the right kinds of fats and fiber so your body will not continue to store them.
  • marinamur
    marinamur Posts: 11 Member
    I always eat all my calories back. Still losing weight.
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
    Ok let me explain it another way. If you are overweight and you lose 3 lbs of fat in 1 week do you eat 3 lbs of fat because you lost it. Same with calories Just because you use 300 calories does not mean you eat 300 calories. If you start with 2000 calories and you burn up 1000 because you have a sedentary life style and do nothing all day do you eat 3000 calories because you burned up 1000 o f the beginning calories. No You eat less calories because your body will use up the fat it has stored for energy as long as you continue to feed the body. The trick is to eat healthy foods that are better for you with the right kinds of fats and fiber so your body will not continue to store them.

    34hjksl.gif

    Sorry to say, but you're still way off...

    The calorie deficit is built in to your original goal
  • determinedbutlazy
    determinedbutlazy Posts: 1,941 Member
    Ok let me explain it another way. If you are overweight and you lose 3 lbs of fat in 1 week do you eat 3 lbs of fat because you lost it. Same with calories Just because you use 300 calories does not mean you eat 300 calories. If you start with 2000 calories and you burn up 1000 because you have a sedentary life style and do nothing all day do you eat 3000 calories because you burned up 1000 o f the beginning calories. No You eat less calories because your body will use up the fat it has stored for energy as long as you continue to feed the body. The trick is to eat healthy foods that are better for you with the right kinds of fats and fiber so your body will not continue to store them.

    OP, please don't listen to this.