Do you eat your exercise calories?

theswann
theswann Posts: 1
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been eating at 1250-1350 cals daily and working out. I've been eating more over the last few days (and stupid stuff) because I'm so moody and hungry and while I'm usually keen for a workout (I'm weeks off finishing up my cert iv in Fitness) I just haven't felt like it lately!
I assume that I need to start eating the calories I burn during my workout but I'm just interested to hear if that's worked for you? Thanks. :)

Replies

  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
    I usually eat about 1/2. I am hypothyroid so I try to keep the estimate low. Except last night because I didn't get home until around 9 and just wanted to shower (after swimming) and go to bed.
  • CoffeeNBooze
    CoffeeNBooze Posts: 966 Member
    Yes, I couldn't have had the success I had if I didn't eat back exercise calories. I'd be so hungry!!!
  • ktsmom430
    ktsmom430 Posts: 1,100 Member
    About 1/3 of them.
  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
    When I logged I did, usually about half to account for errors in logging and calculating calorie burns.
  • Kitship
    Kitship Posts: 579 Member
    If you're using the MFP method (where you enter your height, weight, activity level, etc) and it gives you a number of calories to eat per day, then yes, you need to eat your exercise calories back (especially if you're hungry!).
  • MissLeelooDallas
    MissLeelooDallas Posts: 145 Member
    I eat them back and it's worked for me.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    I'm using the MFP method and I'm set to sedentary, so if I didn't eat my exercise calories I'd be going way under calories when I do my long runs or on strenuous exercise days. I always try to eat back most of them. It has always worked for me and I've been on maintenance now for almost 3 years.
  • missomgitsica
    missomgitsica Posts: 496 Member
    You should eat your exercise calories back, but from what I've heard MFP overestimates what you burn exercising. I didn't start eating mine back until I got a heart rate monitor and had a more accurate idea of what I'd burned.
  • Paula5130
    Paula5130 Posts: 27 Member
    At the moment I don't simply because I m not hungry enough to eat them, but i try and vary my calorie intake, weekends I take them higher to make it more achievable and manageable with all the family around, so I suppose it works out in the long term. But I always have 1000-1500 calories from exercise unused at the end of the week, not sure if that's bad or good
  • kelly_e_montana
    kelly_e_montana Posts: 1,999 Member
    Yes, especially if your diet has you running below your BMR. You don't want your body to start losing a bunch of muscle along with the fat. You may lose weight faster, but it won't be sustainable long-term and you could easily wind up skinny-fat (lower weight yet still relatively high body fat percentage due to muscle loss).
  • YorriaRaine
    YorriaRaine Posts: 370 Member
    Yes, I eat back my net calorie loss. When I do cardio I take what my heart rate monitor tells me I burned, which is a gross number, then calculate the net. I eat back all those calories.

    I don't eat back strength training calories, mainly because I've found no accurate way to determine how much I'm burning.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    When I followed MFP's methodology I ate back around 80% of what my HRM said I burned for a steady state aerobic event (they're less accurate the further away you get from steady state). For other things, I used databases and calculators and other formulas on-line. I never logged anything above 10 calories per minute though...10 calories per minute being a pretty vigorous workout for which I could not hold a conversation.

    It is the way this tool is designed and the methodology used by MFP...you just have to be conservative in your burn estimates. I no longer use MFP's methodology and build an estimate of my exercise burn into my activity level with a TDEE calculator and customize my calorie goals from there based on my weight control goals.
  • kiwigal41
    kiwigal41 Posts: 1,059
    I have a HRM watch and I don't really trust it compared to what MFP says, which i've read over estimates anyway...so I don't log as much as what it says that I burn.....and even then I only eat about half of those calories back that I log......so if my HRM watch says 530....i'll log maybe 280 and then from that eat back only about 180....
  • Colorfan
    Colorfan Posts: 230 Member
    When I was trying to build muscle, yes. I wanted my full calories to pack on as much as I could.

    Now that Im back to cutting weight, Im avoding eating back my exercise calories, unless Im really hungry.

    And if youre not hungry, then dont eat. Listen to your body.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    I've been eating at 1250-1350 cals daily and working out. I've been eating more over the last few days (and stupid stuff) because I'm so moody and hungry and while I'm usually keen for a workout (I'm weeks off finishing up my cert iv in Fitness) I just haven't felt like it lately!
    I assume that I need to start eating the calories I burn during my workout but I'm just interested to hear if that's worked for you? Thanks. :)

    Yes - the resaon behind it is MFP doesn't trust you to exercise....so when you add exercise it expects you to eat the calories back to get to your original deficit. Too big a deficit won't help you minimize muscle loss.

    Other methods may include exercise up front (TDEE for one) ....those methods don't expect you eat calories back because they are already in the original equation.

    The problem is getting a good handle on calorie burns. Start by eating a % back......if you are tired or run down....you're not eating enough.
  • dswolverine
    dswolverine Posts: 246 Member
    I would probably eat my own arm off if i didn't eat back at least half the calories. I usually eat closer to 2/3 or 3/4 back, and so far it hasn't hindered my loss...
  • MemphisHellFire
    MemphisHellFire Posts: 38 Member
    no, i eat around 1300-1500 calories per day and burn maximum around 1500 through exercise 4 days per week. i dont get particularly hungry unless i eat below the 1300. i may have the odd day of 1600 if i need a midnight snack.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    no, i eat around 1300-1500 calories per day and burn maximum around 1500 through exercise 4 days per week. i dont get particularly hungry unless i eat below the 1300. i may have the odd day of 1600 if i need a midnight snack.

    so you give yourself zero net calories basically for your body to survive and what not? good luck with that...not very smart and actually very dangerous.
  • Nightfall30
    Nightfall30 Posts: 112 Member
    Since calorie burn is just an estimate, I eat only a portion of my exercise calories. However, this also depends on how hungry I am on a given day, I end up calorie cycling without consciously meaning to.
  • sixxkitty
    sixxkitty Posts: 27
    Well if you consider that it takes a deficit of 3500 calories to lose 1 lb/wk. You would have to have a 500 calorie deficit each day of the week, (500 x 7=3500). If you still have more than 500 calories to your goal at least eat up to that point so you can stay healthy.
  • RosalindSutch
    RosalindSutch Posts: 5
    I ate back my calories - it encouraged me to work out more often and id have starved to death otherwise. Im so hungry on work out days.
  • mzhokie
    mzhokie Posts: 349 Member
    I found that as long as I got to 1200 NET, I was good. That's my target usually. If I'm starving, I eat more. But the 1200 NET kept me losing weight. But once in a while, it's good to eat most of them back! LOL I think it helps you mentally from that constant "I have to diet" mantra running around in your brain. (Maybe that's just me!)

Categories