Eat back exercise calories or not....

kattygirl0499
kattygirl0499 Posts: 41 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey all - I'm getting a TON of conflicting advice and I'm not sure what the right answer is. Here's the background: This is my second go around - I lost nearly 40 lbs 4 years ago and then some life craziness created stress and I put it all back on. Started at 200lbs in Jan and moderated my goals to target 1 lb down a week. Started logging food and exercising - long walks. Goal was to ensure I was hitting 10K steps a day. I had steady weight loss and was actually down 12 lbs after 6 weeks...so pretty happy. I usually ate back some of my exercise calories but tried to leave some on the table each day.

Two weeks ago, I started C25K. It's been going well and I've actually been doing the program 4 or 5 days a week. I did not change my eating habits. The first week, I gained a few pounds - 2ish? - but attributed it to normal variation or water weight. After two weeks, my weight is still holding steady. I haven't gained...but I haven't lost either. I've had some people say to NEVER eat back exercise calories. Others say that you should eat them all back. Any ideas on what is going on and what to do?

I'm not giving up...took measurements today to I can track that way...but it's bugging me.

THANK YOU!!!
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Replies

  • eayockey
    eayockey Posts: 8
    You should only eat back exercise calories if you aren't trying to lose weight.
  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member
    If you are using the MFP method, you should eat back your exercise calories. (or at least a portion of them to account for overestimation)
  • kattygirl0499
    kattygirl0499 Posts: 41 Member
    I should probably add that I am using a fitbit to record all step activity so I'm pretty confident in calorie burn.
  • K3rB3ar89
    K3rB3ar89 Posts: 263 Member
    im curious too know this answer too... i clean for a living sometimes up too 5-6 hours a day or more depending where i am... MFP tells me that if i do light too moderate effort for about 5 hours i burn around 1300 calories! if this is actually true who knows but thats nuts and i just go with it lol... ok so i will eat breakfast and usually eat about 350 calories in the morning give or take but by the time i go too work and burn the calories in a 5 hour day im at -1000. my calorie intake too maintain is about 2000. so i end up needing too eat back 1000 calories problem is sometimes i only eat between 1200-1400 a day... so im very unsure what im supposed too do with this deflict :S
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    The reason you get conflicting advice is because there are numerous methods for doing this and you have to understand which one you are using.

    With MFP, your activity level is to include only your day to day type of stuff...no exercise. So MFP calculates a calorie goal based on your stats and desired rate of loss that includes your weight loss deficit WITHOUT any exercise whatsoever. If you just hit your calorie goal without doing any deliberate exercise you would lose weight. So exercise then becomes an extra activity that is unaccounted for in your calorie goal until you log it...then MFP gives you those calories to eat back.

    Other methods include some estimate of your exercise burn upfront in your activity level and others try to use some combination of diet and exercise to create your energy deficit. Like I said...you need to understand what method you are using and whoever you're talking to has to have the same understanding (and I doubt they do because most people are pretty ignorant about this stuff as noted by poster number 2 on this very thread).

    Common pitfalls of MFP method (NEAT method) is overestimating calorie burn. A lot of people just workout and go to the database and put "vigorous" effort or whatever and get like a gazillion calories burned for 30 minutes of swimming or something completely unreasonable. You should always have some kind of reasonableness check on your burn and you should do a bit of research on burning calories and what exercises burn what...there are a lot of formulas out there that are far more accurate that some data base of online calculator. I personally never logged more than 10 calories per minute, and that was an intense workout...around 5 calories per minute for a nice walk.

    For this to work, you also have to be as precise as possible with intake which means you should be weighing pretty much anything that has weight as a serving suggestion and measuring cups/spoons for just about everything else. If you eat out a lot, you can have issues in that restaurants are given a lot of leeway in there calorie estimations. This is also an issue if you eat a lot of prepackaged type of meals...I believe they are allowed something like 20% error or something.
  • starrylioness
    starrylioness Posts: 543 Member
    I don't eat them back, but that's just me...
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    You should only eat back exercise calories if you aren't trying to lose weight.

    Strong....and completely wrong first post.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Also people..read the damned stickies that you're supposed to read when you sign up...they kind of explain all of this...sorta like instructions and what not on how to use this tool.
  • lrob79
    lrob79 Posts: 16 Member
    I don't eat them back, to me they are a welcome bonus to my deficit
  • LittleMissFit83
    LittleMissFit83 Posts: 38
    I eat almost every single delicious calorie back.
  • Str0ng_Heart
    Str0ng_Heart Posts: 46
    Sometimes I eat them back.. sometimes i dont.. I dont even count how many calories i burn. So i tend to under estimate my calorie burn, therefore i snack less when "eating them back".. I focus on my eating habits.. Working out is just to help out the loss and tone as i get there.. I say do what ever works for you!
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
    The answer is really simple......

    Do what works for you!!! it's trial and error sometimes!!

    When I used to eat my calories back,I wouldn't lose weight.
    so I stopped eating them back, unless I was truly hungry.then I would eat some back.
  • loubidy
    loubidy Posts: 440 Member
    I've had more success (and more energy) by eating some of them back. I know I don't weigh accurately when logging calories so by only eating some this allows for mistakes in logging.
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  • knra_grl
    knra_grl Posts: 1,566 Member
    okay my 2 cents is - eat back a portion of your workout calories - but you also have to consider your initial settings - if you are using a fitbit I think you have your settings on sedentary right? So then the fit bit syncs with MFP and calculates your calorie burn for you? The only thing that seems off with this for me is that the fitbit also logs resting calories right? So does the program deduct these from your calorie burn?

    I have a Polar Loop which basically does the same as a fit bit but it doesn't sync with MFP - I log my exercise and just use the Loop to monitor my activity and steps (I just want to make sure I am at least doing a minimal amount of activity on non active days).

    I usually eat back some exercise calories but only a bit (some days I need the extra). It works differently for everyone but if you are exercising a lot and not re-fueling your body - will your body not try to "store" the calories? All the posts that I have read in regards to people doing a lot of exercise says they basically need to eat some of those extra calories back to continue to lose.

    I would say eat back 1/3 to 1/2 worth of the calories to see if this triggers your body into losing again.
  • kattygirl0499
    kattygirl0499 Posts: 41 Member
    I did read all the instructions when I signed up - but I've gotten so much conflicting advice that it makes my head spin. So...to clarify:

    1. I do weigh or measure pretty much everything that goes in my mouth...and where I can I simply barcode scan items so I know calories are accurate. If in doubt, I go log higher calories than lower.
    2. I'm using a fitbit for all step activity, so I'm not logging my walking or running. I"m letting the fitbit calculate for me. If anything, I've been surprised at how low it tends to be....which I'm FINE with. I spent an hour on the treadmill today walking and running and burned about 350 calories - so roughly 5.8/min. Seems reasonable.
    3. What I am not is totally OCD about this. There are days when I go over. There are days when I decide I'm ok falling short of 10K steps...but they are relatively rare...maybe once a week.
    4. Most days I have 200-250 calories left.

    I don't mind being stuck at a weight for awhile as long as I know I've got things moving the right way. I just didn't expect it...I didn't experience this the last time I did it, I just want to make sure I'm not doing anything wrong. :)

    Appreciate all the pointers...and I'm glad to have it confirmed that NOT eating the calories back is not necessarily the way to go.
  • eayockey
    eayockey Posts: 8
    Strong....and completely wrong first post.

    Sorry, I forgot that calories in do not equal calories out in your reality.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I would also add that it would also depend...someone neglecting to account for exercise activity who was maybe just doing 30-60 minutes or something on the elliptical is not going to have the same issues as someone doing more intense exercise. When you perform vigorous and intense exercise you break down the body big time...energy (calories) are required to repair your body when you beat it to ****.

    There is a fine line between maintaining a reasonable energy deficit for weight loss but still giving your body adequate fuel and completely depriving the body of the energy and nutrients it needs to fix itself and function. Unfortunately, a lot of people opt for that latter and have zero clue as to the kind of damage they are doing to themselves when they think they're being "healthy."
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    eat them back or at least the majority of them

    but if you dont believe other people why not just try the alternative and see how it works for you. more than likely you will discover that you wont be able to progress in your workouts. i know that's what happened to me when i was trying to increase my running mileage and increase my weight lifting strength all while trying to to maintain a 1000 calorie deficit

    not to be a workout snob (ok but i am) but i honestly think the only people who are able to to get away with not eating back their calories AND already eating at adeficit are the ones who are looking at exercise as a way to burn calories (ie lots of slow/steady cardio) rather than those primarily looking at it as fitness and looking to progressively and continuously increase their strength and fitness.
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    You should only eat back exercise calories if you aren't trying to lose weight.
    On the contrary; you should only NOT eat back exercise calories if you are happy to lose muscle.

    Well, on the presumption you've got your deficit setup at a loss which is on the limit of acceptable muscle loss.

    If you're quite overweight, but only have a 250 calorie deficit.

    On my non-weights-workout days I have my calories set at 1400. If I go for a decent run, I can burn 1400 calories with that. So if I didn't eat them back, I'd be on a net calories of 0. Great way to lose weight, but I'm confident it's not a good way to 'live'.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Strong....and completely wrong first post.

    Sorry, I forgot that calories in do not equal calories out in your reality.

    You don't understand how to use this tool...yet you are giving advice on how to use said tool. You aren't trying to create a calorie deficit with exercise with MFP...maybe brush up on you knowledge a bit before you run your mouth.

    You do understand that your weight loss deficit is already included in your calorie goal right? Probably not...
  • kattygirl0499
    kattygirl0499 Posts: 41 Member
    I'm trying to remember how the fitbit accounts for resting calories. I *think* it subtracts them out. I know it's not double counting. And yes...my goals are set on sedentary because I have a big time desk job and finding time to move can be a challenge. :)

    I am eating back a portion now - and that seems logical. MFP yells at me if I don't because I end up at 800-900 calories for the day. :)
  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member
    Strong....and completely wrong first post.

    Sorry, I forgot that calories in do not equal calories out in your reality.

    :huh:
    second post just as strong as the first
  • BrainyBurro
    BrainyBurro Posts: 6,129 Member
    Strong....and completely wrong first post.

    Sorry, I forgot that calories in do not equal calories out in your reality.

    i don't think you understand how MFP works.

    MFP assumes a constant deficit from TDEE. with this method, you exercise so that you can eat more. so eating back your calories doesn't put you in a surplus... it simply ensures that you maintain a constant deficit from day to day.

    not everyone eats back all of their exercise calories for a variety of reasons (e.g., the exercise estimates in the MFP databse are too high, the member is morbidly obese and trying to lose faster than 2lbs per week, etc.), but you're supposed to eat them back if you're following the MFP method.
  • eayockey
    eayockey Posts: 8
    On the contrary; you should only NOT eat back exercise calories if you are happy to lose muscle.

    You're assuming that the dieter is working on a protein deficit, which isn't necessarily the case.
    You don't understand how to use this tool...yet you are giving advice on how to use said tool. You aren't trying to create a calorie deficit with exercise with MFP...maybe brush up on you knowledge a bit before you run your mouth.

    If you eat back calories, you are only gaining the metabolic advantage of exercise and not the initial expenditure. You're also assuming MFP's estimate of calories burned (based on a broad description of what you do in a week) is completely accurate.

    You also seem quite angry, to have called me out twice before my (admittedly sarcastic) response. Relax.
  • knra_grl
    knra_grl Posts: 1,566 Member
    I'm trying to remember how the fitbit accounts for resting calories. I *think* it subtracts them out. I know it's not double counting. And yes...my goals are set on sedentary because I have a big time desk job and finding time to move can be a challenge. :)

    I am eating back a portion now - and that seems logical. MFP yells at me if I don't because I end up at 800-900 calories for the day. :)

    It must subtract them if you are getting the appropriate calorie burn on your walk/run - I was just curious - calorie burn on my Loop is high but it accounts for resting calories so I don't pay much heed to that I calculate what I do with an online tool - I can get a HRM that the Loop will sync to but I haven't ordered it yet. Thanks for sharing the info :flowerforyou:
  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member
    OP:
    Here is some more reading about it:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    So, just to clarify, if I get 1g/lb of protein in a day, and end up on 0 net calories (or even negative), do you believe muscle will still be retained as well as on a deficit calculated to give 1-2lb loss per week?

    Do you have any research to back this up?

    Do you think it would be a good way to live?

    It doesn't sit true for me, trying to think of a specific paper that may back it up, but can't this second.
  • snoodled
    snoodled Posts: 57
    I always eat my calories back. It normally already fits in with my food intake for the day. MFP creates a calorie deficit based on your goals. No need to increase the deficit by too much. You do not want to eat too few calories.
  • eayockey
    eayockey Posts: 8
    So, just to clarify, if I get 1g/lb of protein in a day, and end up on 0 net calories (or even negative), do you believe muscle will still be retained as well as on a deficit calculated to give 1-2lb loss per week?

    You're always going to lose muscle mass on a cut (unless you're running controlled substances), but maintaining 1g/#LBM will reduce muscle loss. The larger the deficit, the more muscle that will be lost, so I suppose it's technically correct that you will lose more muscle mass if you don't eat back calories, but the effect should be negligible. Bear in mind we're also not talking about advanced athletes as a general rule, here.

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