Eating Back Calories

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manby1973
manby1973 Posts: 6
in Health and Weight Loss
I am currently on 1390 calories a day. I walk to work most days (just over a mile and it takes me 20 minutes) sometimes I walk home as well. Now I was planning on not logging this as exercise and just sticking to my calorie allowance - to increase my deficit however now I'm seeing that I'm supposed to 'eat back' these calories - is this right.

I'm trying to get my head round it, cos I've always though that

Watch what you eat + exercise = Weight Loss

My weight loss has slowed a bit, could this be because I haven't been eating my calories back?

Sorry if this seems like a completely stupid question, and sorry if its been asked (and answered before)

Thanks

Replies

  • joannadalina
    joannadalina Posts: 112 Member
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    I generally eat back my calories back, just not all of them. I do not have a HRM and I know MFP tends to over estimate calorie amounts, so I try to leave 100 cals - 200 cals but eat back the rest.

    If your on a plateau, I suggest investing in a food scale. I was on a plateau for 5 months, couldn't figure out why. I was exercising and I thought "watching what I ate." But when I got the food scale and got to see how much a serving size portion really is, I saw where the problem was. Now I've been weighing / measuring and eating proper portion size and am losing again.

    best of luck,
    Joanna
  • Rainboots80
    Rainboots80 Posts: 218 Member
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    I don't eat back my exercise and actually I rarely even log it.
  • manby1973
    manby1973 Posts: 6
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    I already weigh and track everything I eat and drink. I have been struggling to eat my full allowance - let alone eat back my calories as well!! Though today I will only be about 50 calories short of my allowance, as I bought more to work for lunch.

    I've also struggled with drinking water, though because of our mini heatwave in the UK I've managed about 4 pints today!

    I only earn about 200 cals from the walking anyway (and that's if I walk both ways). I think I need to chill out a bit and stop worrying about the weight not coming off fast enough and set myself achievable goals. Staying the same is better than gaining right? Slow and steady is the key to keeping it off but I just wish that I could lose at least a 1lb a week!!
  • LessHeavyVeggie
    LessHeavyVeggie Posts: 208 Member
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    The general consensus on here seems to be that MFP overestimates exercise calories, so I only eat some of mine back (50% or less usually) if at all!

    But I guess it's down to preference and results - if you're eating back exercise calories and losing weight, then carry on! If you're only doing a little bit of exercise every day then it may not be so important to eat them back, but if you're doing intense/a lot of exercise then your body will probably need extra fuel on those days!
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    You need to understand that your daily goal has you at a calorie deficit before any exercise - meaning you could eat TO GOAL every day, do zero exercise and you'll lose weight. When you burn off more cals through exercise, you're creating a much larger deficit, too large, and this can cause you more harm than good over time. This is why the burned exercise cals are added back into your goal - you are supposed to eat them back, bringing your net cals to or very near goal - and you'll still be in a calorie deficit.

    It is true that MFP tends to overestimate calorie burns, but you should still be eating at least a good portion of them back. Food is fuel, and slashing cals drastically and then exercising and expecting your body to do more with less will only last for so long. It usually leads to burn out and results in yo yo dieting as it's not all that sustainable.

    As for not being able to reach your calorie goal even before exercise - how on earth did you come to need to lose weight if you can't eat enough now? :tongue: Makes no sense. Grab some calorie dense foods like nuts and nut butters, avocados, cheeses, full fat dairy, use olive and coconut oils in cooking, and butter! Ditch the fat-free or "diet" foods - fat doesn't make us fat, too many calories do. Eat good, real foods, foods you like, even treats like ice cream and cookies - fit them into your goals. As long as you're still in a calorie deficit, you will lose weight.

    Basically if you're using MFP, coming in well under goal and not eating back any exercise cals, you're doing it wrong. :wink:
  • mulecanter
    mulecanter Posts: 1,792 Member
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    As you lose weight each succeeding pound is harder to lose than the previous. Your calorie burn rate is decreasing because you are carrying a lighter load. It's a moving target. Ensure your calculated calories burned from exercise are calibrated to your current weight. Then I would say this gently, if your exercise consists of walking to work and back, I'd recommend taking it up a notch. Strength training is very important, see if you can add it to your regimen. Are you sweating from your walks? If you don't sweat 3-5 times a week from exercise you are behind the curve so to speak--running may be a goal you should reach for. Try and get a virtuous circle of increased exercise and weight loss going, it will keep your progress going--and you will be happier for it.

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