whats the point in eating back calories

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robbertuktuk
robbertuktuk Posts: 1
in Health and Weight Loss
Whats the point in eating back calories when you exercise? I mean, I don't see the logic in that. IF you're going to eat back your calories, why bother exercising in the first place?
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Replies

  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
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    To properly fuel your workouts. Exercise is for overall health and body composition, diet is for weight loss. If all you care about is the number on the scale, don't exercise and just eat at a deficit, and you'll hit that number. If you want your body to look a certain way when you hit that number, exercise. There's also non-appearance benefits to exercise, like cardiovascular health, and increased endurance, speed, strength, agility, and flexibility. Some people want to increase their overall fitness in addition to getting super hot.
  • lisalsd1
    lisalsd1 Posts: 1,520 Member
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    I eat back my exercise calories, b/c I am not trying to lose weight. I exercise for reasons other than weight loss. Cardio is strengthening your heart (which is a muscle). Lifting weights is to build muscle, which makes you stronger and better looking. Also, exercising strengthens your bones. Plus, I like to exercise, so I have to eat the calories back, if I didn't I would waste away.
  • LeahFerri
    LeahFerri Posts: 186 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf

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

    The full post explains the math.

    The above posters also have solid answers. It's not all about the math for everyone.
  • fredgiblet
    fredgiblet Posts: 241 Member
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    You do cardio to keep your heart healthy and build endurance.
    You lift for looks and functional strength.
    You eat the calories back to keep from losing weight so fast that you get giant flaps of loose skin and so you don't pass out from lack of nutrients.
  • j6o4
    j6o4 Posts: 871 Member
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    To keep your original deficit. MFP gives you a calorie goal with a built in deficit, when you exercise you make that deficit bigger so MFP give you calories back to eat. Beside all health benfits of exercising, you can use exercise to eat more if you find your calorie goal leaves you feeling hungry all the time.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    You do cardio to keep your heart healthy and build endurance.
    You lift for looks and functional strength.
    You eat the calories back to keep from losing weight so fast that you get giant flaps of loose skin and so you don't pass out from lack of nutrients.

    Yup. This.
  • SugaryLynx
    SugaryLynx Posts: 2,640 Member
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    You do cardio to keep your heart healthy and build endurance.
    You lift for looks and functional strength.
    You eat the calories back to keep from losing weight so fast that you get giant flaps of loose skin and so you don't pass out from lack of nutrients.

    Yup. This.

    ^2nd this.

    Your calorie goal already calculates your activity level when not exercising, exercising gives you extra calories. You burn calories just being alive
  • easjer
    easjer Posts: 219 Member
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    Because I would screw up my metabolism by under-eating and creating too large a deficit. I eat more, I lose more, or at least that is my experience.
  • 175michael
    175michael Posts: 5 Member
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    I get confused here as well. I have lost 60 lbs in a 1 1/2 years with the help of a personal trainer. I eat 1600 to 1800 calories a day but have had no weight loss for months. we have changed the workouts regularly with the past 7 weeks striclty weight lifting my scale has not moved.I am finding this difficult emotionally. I try to eat more on my work out days and I try not to weigh myself but I don't really feel any difference. Does anyone understand MFP saying eat like this for 5 weeks and you will weigh such and such in 5 weeks?
    according to MFP I should have lost 7 lbs in the past 7 weeks? So far I have lost maybe one. Sorry if this is the wrong place to right this topic :-) Im maybe venting :-) :-( I guess its also because my trainer wants me to eat more
  • snappingosprey
    snappingosprey Posts: 28 Member
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    Whats the point in eating back calories when you exercise? I mean, I don't see the logic in that. IF you're going to eat back your calories, why bother exercising in the first place?

    MFP calculates your daily caloric goal based on NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis). This is "energy expended for everything we do that is not sleeping, eating or sports-like exercise. It ranges from the energy expended walking to work, typing, performing yard work, undertaking agricultural tasks and fidgeting."

    The goal set by MFP is already at a calorie deficit based on your weight loss goal and your non-exercise activity level (sedentary, light, etc).

    Exercising causes your calorie deficit to drop further below the calculated deficit goal. This may result in significant (and possibly unhealthy weight loss and other nutritional problems).

    As a result, following MFP's calculations and established caloric goal, you are expected to eat your calories back. All of them.
  • margannmks
    margannmks Posts: 424 Member
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    Apart from thats what makes mfp work is the true weightloss rationale of to lose 1 lb a week you need a 3500 calorie deficit each week, you can either accomplish that by cutting 500 calories a day or you can cut 250 calories and exercise enough to burn 250 calories. If you want to lose 2 lbs a week you have to double that. Most people find it easier to maintain an eating plan that is not too restrictive and by being able to exercise off some of your favorite foods your more likely to stay with it. You will also require less calories as your weight lowers and at some point added exercise is even more essential because there is a point were lowering calories too much is not healthy. And we all know its better to be fit than skinny fat which is what youll be if you diet alone. Research also shows that people who incorporate exercise with there weightloss and continue that exercise keep the weight off versus just dieting alone.Im sure theres many more reasons i have not covered, but for me bottom line is it makes me feel good,look good and eat i get icecream :)
  • margannmks
    margannmks Posts: 424 Member
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    I get confused here as well. I have lost 60 lbs in a 1 1/2 years with the help of a personal trainer. I eat 1600 to 1800 calories a day but have had no weight loss for months. we have changed the workouts regularly with the past 7 weeks striclty weight lifting my scale has not moved.I am finding this difficult emotionally. I try to eat more on my work out days and I try not to weigh myself but I don't really feel any difference. Does anyone understand MFP saying eat like this for 5 weeks and you will weigh such and such in 5 weeks?
    according to MFP I should have lost 7 lbs in the past 7 weeks? So far I have lost maybe one. Sorry if this is the wrong place to right this topic :-) Im maybe venting :-) :-( I guess its also because my trainer wants me to eat more
    i dont know what your macros are by try eating at a 40/40/30 ratio. Especially as you get closer to goal weight and are doing alot of exercise the higher protein combo seems to do the trick. Also if you havent lost on the scale check out your measurements or just try on something thats tight and go by that. I havent lost any weight since nov but my clothes are too big and im getting alot of definition.
  • aplhabetacheesecake
    aplhabetacheesecake Posts: 181 Member
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    because it works to your benefit at the end of the day.

    I strength train to build muscle which burns more cals at rest than fat does! I eat back some of my earn exercise cals so I dont feel as weak and hollow and I know eating back some of those cals helps to rebuild my muscles and replenish my glycogen stores for longer runs!
  • SashleyA
    SashleyA Posts: 122 Member
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    I get confused here as well. I have lost 60 lbs in a 1 1/2 years with the help of a personal trainer. I eat 1600 to 1800 calories a day but have had no weight loss for months. we have changed the workouts regularly with the past 7 weeks striclty weight lifting my scale has not moved.I am finding this difficult emotionally. I try to eat more on my work out days and I try not to weigh myself but I don't really feel any difference. Does anyone understand MFP saying eat like this for 5 weeks and you will weigh such and such in 5 weeks?
    according to MFP I should have lost 7 lbs in the past 7 weeks? So far I have lost maybe one. Sorry if this is the wrong place to right this topic :-) Im maybe venting :-) :-( I guess its also because my trainer wants me to eat more

    I find that the "if you ate like this" thing is inaccurate, largely because I don't eat the same way every day. It's based on the idea that you lose a pound for every 3500 calories you have a deficit, but doesn't take into account factors like water retention and body recomposition. It sounds like you might have plateaued, but, since you're doing weight lifting, has the scale not moved but maybe your size has? I've not lost weight for several weeks, but am noticing my clothes are looser. That's more important to me than seeing the scale move.

    If your trainer recommends eating more, I'd give it a try for a while. You do want to fuel your workouts to get the most out of them.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    To keep your original deficit. MFP gives you a calorie goal with a built in deficit, when you exercise you make that deficit bigger so MFP give you calories back to eat. Beside all health benfits of exercising, you can use exercise to eat more if you find your calorie goal leaves you feeling hungry all the time.
    Yes - this!

    Too many people sign up and figure eating the least amount of cals possible is the best and fastest way to go without looking into how MFP actually works. That daily goal already has you at a reasonable deficit. Exercise creates a much larger deficit, which can lead to problems.

    You don't want to eat too many cals - that's why we're all here, right? But you don't want to eat too few, either, which over time leads to all sorts of fun things, like hair loss, brittle nails, saggy skin, lack of energy, screwed up hormones, and a slowed metabolism, making it necessary to eat less and less to lose weight. Not fun.

    Food is fuel! MFP is awesome when used correctly. Enter your info and goals accurately and reasonably, and then eat your calories, do your exercise, drink the water, take rest days, get good sleep. And have patience! It's worth it. :drinker:
  • ottermotorcycle
    ottermotorcycle Posts: 654 Member
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    1. Not everyone exercises to lose weight.
    2. Exercise is good for your overall fitness and health.
    3. Exercising for the sole purpose of burning calories is unhealthy behavior.
    4. When you are already in a deficit from losing weight, exercising without eating more can cause too much of a deficit which will cause general fatigue and lack of energy first, then will cause mood swings, hair loss, hormonal breakouts, etc. all the symptoms of an eating disorder.
  • Chaneliex5
    Chaneliex5 Posts: 17 Member
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    your body burns calories all day long wether you sit down or are up and active. your body needs energy.... say you ate a ton of calories your body is going to be half way down with those calories by the end of the night and now lets add on exercise. means youre empty... so your body has no source of energy. I dont eat all of mine back I eat enough to get me closer to my daily goal, I tend to eat half back. YOUR body NEEDS fuel.
  • lisalsd1
    lisalsd1 Posts: 1,520 Member
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    I second the suggestion about checking your macros. When I hit "goal weight," I switched my macros in MFP from the pre-set to customized: 35%fat/30protein/35carbs. Between strength-training and changing my macros, I have lost additional weight...not much, but it is fat loss that I wasn't anticipating. For me increasing the protein (I eat at least 100 grams a day) made the biggest difference. I routinely eat 100-150 grams, and I weigh about 125lbs.

    Also if you are doing a "cheat day," that's going to screw up the "you will weigh this in 5 weeks." I was taking 2 "cheat days" (more like 2 cheat meals (not full days) a week). I cut back to 1 cheat meal. In this 5 weeks, I actually did weigh "this amount in 5 weeks."
  • bngdugan
    bngdugan Posts: 3 Member
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    Some people, such as myself, exercise to earn more calories because they LIKE eating. I do a Friday night out with my friends most weeks and we generally go out to eat. On those days, I get a lot of exercise in the morning in addition to saving most of my 'normal' calories for the day so that I can have that awesome meal at night and still stay on track with my weight loss and fitness goals.
  • 175michael
    175michael Posts: 5 Member
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    Thanks some good points everyone

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