Eating back exercise calories?

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Halziees
Halziees Posts: 42 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I usually workout 6 days a week, averaging about 500 calories burned every time. My calorie intake is set to 1530 (0.5 lb weight loss/week). Yesterday, for example, I ate approximately 1262 calories (which is typical of my eating habits). So my net was approximately 762, which seems low… but to me, "eating back" exercise calories seems counter intuitive/productive.

However, I am noticing I am SO drained & exhausted lately (and cleared of any new medical problems, just had a full work-up). So, if I may ask… what is everyone's opinions on eating back exercise calories at these levels? I'm not hungry though, just extra exhausted.

I am attempting to lower body fat, not necessarily "lose weight", and build lean body mass. My BMI is 20.4% at present.

I know the eating back debate has happened many times, but any targeted help is much appreciated! Just trying to keep my energy levels consistent. Thanks in advance!
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Replies

  • glitznglamour15
    glitznglamour15 Posts: 54 Member
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    I personally eat back my excersise calories only if I am hungry. If your not hungry, then don't eat. As long as your hitting your calorie goal or going above it, then your fine. If your tired/exhausted, I suggest maybe eating more at each meal then you currently do, because it might mean that your blood sugar levels are just somewhat low. Or sleep more xD haha but I know, sleeping lots is a luxury and life doesn't have time for that! Your calorie intake sounds pretty good though!
  • zeal26
    zeal26 Posts: 602 Member
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    I've started eating back my calories and feel MUCH better than I did before and my weight loss even sped up. You are already at a deficit, burning calories through exercise just puts you in a larger deficit. You could try eating back half and seeing how you feel and then eating back slightly more if you're still not feeling great.
  • veganbaum
    veganbaum Posts: 1,865 Member
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    I personally eat back my excersise calories only if I am hungry. If your not hungry, then don't eat. As long as your hitting your calorie goal or going above it, then your fine. If your tired/exhausted, I suggest maybe eating more at each meal then you currently do, because it might mean that your blood sugar levels are just somewhat low. Or sleep more xD haha but I know, sleeping lots is a luxury and life doesn't have time for that! Your calorie intake sounds pretty good though!

    Eating your exercise calories IS eating at your calorie goal.

    To OP: when using MFP's goals as set for your, then, yes, eat those calories, or around 75% of them if you're worried about inaccuracies. It is not counter-productive. MFP gives you an initial deficit to lose weight - in your case 1530. When you exercise, you make your deficit larger and are meant to eat back those calories to properly fuel your body. Hunger is not the best cue for a lot of us, hence why we need to count calories, learn proper portions, etc. Your exhaustion might be alleviated if you eat those calories like you're supposed to - or not, I don't know what your life is like, but regardless, you are supposed to eat them since you already have a healthy deficit before exercising.
  • RelentlessCherry
    RelentlessCherry Posts: 13
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    I agree with both zeal26 and glitznglamour. It could be down to blood sugar levels, in which case you might want to look at what you're eating as well as how much. Little and often is good advice for regulating blood sugar levels. Perhaps try combining a GI diet with your calorie counting and see if that helps.
    Or you could also just try eating some of the calories back :) If it were me I would try aiming for a net of 1000 (after exercise), that way you're still under your suggested intake but eating more than you currently do.

    Personally I usually eat some of mine back, especially if I want to save them up for something (like a 10" pepperoni pizza I just finished for my dinner lol). Did more exercise than normal today just so I could have that pizza lol.
  • sbarella
    sbarella Posts: 713 Member
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    Read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    Think of exercise calories as this..."fuel for your next workout"...

    Even if you are not "hungry" it is important to fuel your body for the next time.

    I experience this myself for example on Thursday I was not hungry for dinner...so I ate light and sitll had over 400 calories left but knowing I was lifting on Friday I ate more food...mainly carbs and treats as I had hit my protien macro and had calories left...
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    I agree with both zeal26 and glitznglamour. It could be down to blood sugar levels, in which case you might want to look at what you're eating as well as how much. Little and often is good advice for regulating blood sugar levels. Perhaps try combining a GI diet with your calorie counting and see if that helps.
    Or you could also just try eating some of the calories back :) If it were me I would try aiming for a net of 1000 (after exercise), that way you're still under your suggested intake but eating more than you currently do.

    Personally I usually eat some of mine back, especially if I want to save them up for something (like a 10" pepperoni pizza I just finished for my dinner lol). Did more exercise than normal today just so I could have that pizza lol.
    It's not a blood sugar issue, she already stated no medical problems. The human body does an extremely good job at maintaining steady blood sugar levels. Without a medical problem causing it, you will never feel a change in your blood sugar, because it doesn't change enough to be noticeable.

    Eat back the exercise calories. That's what they're for. The drained feeling is called "starvation."
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    MFP does not include exercise in its calculations for what you need
    This is why it adds calories for you to eat when you do. It is fuel. Eat it. You surely won't be building any lean body mass by netting 800 calories.
  • Halziees
    Halziees Posts: 42 Member
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    glitznglamour - thank you for your input! sleeping is definitely a luxury I wish I had more time for! :) I try for 8 hours every night, but sometimes only get away with 6.

    zeal26 - thank you! I think I like the idea of eating SOME of my exercise cals back. I dunno, it's old school dieting like engrained in my head… calories = bad, haha. But I keep hearing about the success of eating back calories, much like your experience.

    veganbaum - thank you SO much. This is the most logical to me; I will eat back around 75% of them. It's a good introduction for me, I think. I really appreciate you explaining this to me in a way that makes sense, especially since hunger is definitely not the best way for me to judge if I should eat or not. Because I *can* eat quite a bit, if I let myself.

    RelentlessChe - thank you! Your pizza analogy is part of the reason why I haven't been eating my calories back, I figure I can save them for a rainy day (aka candy). ;)

    sbarella - many, many thanks. Great link.

    SezxyStef - thank you! I do need to start viewing food as fuel, I know this is one of my downfalls. I still see "good" and "bad" foods, see calories as detrimental, etc.

    tigersword - thank you very much!

    deksgrl - thank you for this very straightforward explanation. Especially since I do want to be gaining lean mass. This is what I needed to hear. It's just a hard concept for me to grasp.


    Many, many thanks, all!
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
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    If 1,262 calories is typical for you......how did you get overweight to begin with? Legitimately curious.


    But to answer your question , you ARE supposed to eat back your exercise calories. It's not counterproductive.
  • Halziees
    Halziees Posts: 42 Member
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    AllOutof_Bubb - with a BMI of 20.4, I don't believe I am "overweight". But I guess to each their own.
    I am trying to get fit and lose body fat.
  • nomad1000
    nomad1000 Posts: 206 Member
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    I exercise every day and eat back some to most of the cals. Shoot, I swear some days I exercise extra so I can have more chocolate, fitness be damned. :) Like today, I worked like a madwoman in the yard so I could have a Chipotle burrito and ice cream tonight.

    So yes, I eat back my cals and have been losing.
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
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    I mostly eat them back and always have done.
    I would not have gotten the physique I have, had I not.
    My bodyfat is currently 14%. Food fuels your workouts. And a good workout, especially weights, fuels fat loss.
    It is a very rare day I eat under 2000 calories. Most days I eat over that and up to 2800.
  • weird_me2
    weird_me2 Posts: 716 Member
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    If you're having a hard time getting past how counterproductive it is to eat back your exercise calories, think of out this way-it's actually hurting you to not easy then back because you are getting worn down. What happens when you are tired? You tend to move less and you obviously have less energy for your next workout. I like what PP said about them being fuel for your next workout.

    That being said, i don't think you always have to eat then back, but i think your average intake for the week needs to be more than your average goal is (minus exercise). My daily goal is 2090...today I'm ending at only 1400, but yesterday i was at 2500 with exercise calories abs one day i was over 3000and overt even with exercise calories. It all averages out in the end to about 2200 for the week for me.
  • Spyderbaby
    Spyderbaby Posts: 4 Member
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    You can't build lean body mass on that little calories a day, you're not giving your body anything to build from. You're drained and exhausted because your basically starving yourself. 1200 calories and exercising 6 days a week, you're pretty much just spinning your wheels. Eat more, lift heavy.
  • lemonlionheart
    lemonlionheart Posts: 580 Member
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    If you are exercising that much and feeling fatigued, it could be that you aren't getting enough nutrients. This was happening to me a couple of months ago when I joined a gym and started working out heaps. I wasn't eating back my calories but then I realised that I was way under for protein and iron as MFP will increase these when you add workouts to your diary. I still don't eat back all my exercise cals but I try to eat some of them and maybe allow myself a nice meal or two on the weekend, and I also take multivitamins for iron now :)
  • Halziees
    Halziees Posts: 42 Member
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    nomad1000 - heh, this is what I did tonight. Tomorrow is my rest day, so I figured it would be okay to eat back my cals from today with some left over Easter candy (which is thankfully all gone now)!

    Graelwyn75 - you are where I want to be!! Low body fat, high muscle, high calories. Can I ask, how long did it take you to achieve your current BF%? And thank you, because this gives me some sense of calm about eating them back.

    weird_me2 - thank you! I am having a hard time getting over the thought of eating them back. But, I like the idea of monitoring for the week, not the day. That idea of being at a certain level for the week doesn't confound me as much as eating back calories every day (as I know I have some days where I am under or over).

    Spyderbaby - Thank you! This is the habit I am trying to get into now. I began lifting 3 weeks ago, and I am loving it to pieces. I am still trying to figure out what is considering lifting heavy though. Any suggestions? Currently, I am doing two sets, 12 reps on all my weights. I try to keep the weight high enough that I fail on rep 11-12 on the second set.

    leahthelemon - thank you! I think that is the trap I have fallen into, actually… I am working out a lot, and not getting enough iron or protein. I recently started adding in a daily protein shake, because otherwise I just don't get enough… and an iron pill, too! Hopefully I will start to feel the benefits of these things, too (along with eating back some of my calories). I do like the idea of just monitoring cals for the week, instead of being so vigilant on each day. So long as I reach my levels for the week, I'll be in a good spot it seems!
  • Spyderbaby
    Spyderbaby Posts: 4 Member
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    I do a complicated 4 day rotation that my brother set up for me. (He's a personal trainer) But on the lifts I do sets of I usually do 3 x 8-10 reps. I eat a ton of chicken breast, ground turkey, veggies, eggs, yogurt, brown rice, protein shakes, usually 2400 or so calories a day. I never go to sleep until I've logged 2000 minimum. It's working, I've lost 3 inches in my waist alone over the last 8 weeks. I also quit weighing myself, because muscle is so much denser than fat.
    You should definitely listen to anything Graelwyn has to say, because 14% bodyfat is phenomenal. She definitely knows what she's doing!
    Good luck! :)
  • Halziees
    Halziees Posts: 42 Member
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    I do a complicated 4 day rotation that my brother set up for me. (He's a personal trainer) But on the lifts I do sets of I usually do 3 x 8-10 reps. I eat a ton of chicken breast, ground turkey, veggies, eggs, yogurt, brown rice, protein shakes, usually 2400 or so calories a day. I never go to sleep until I've logged 2000 minimum. It's working, I've lost 3 inches in my waist alone over the last 8 weeks. I also quit weighing myself, because muscle is so much denser than fat.
    You should definitely listen to anything Graelwyn has to say, because 14% bodyfat is phenomenal. She definitely knows what she's doing!
    Good luck! :)

    Thank you so much!! You're awesome! Your diet sounds similar to mine, but just at more calories. I am hoping after raising my cals, this is how things will start to go with me (losing inches and gaining muscle). I am finally starting to see a slight difference in my body shape, and it's pretty exciting. :)
  • nomorebingesgirl2014
    nomorebingesgirl2014 Posts: 378 Member
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    Bump - need to read later

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