should I eat extra calories from working out?

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Ratrap
Ratrap Posts: 153
in Health and Weight Loss
Should I eat the extra calories that I gained from my workout or just leave them alone?

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  • _Waffle_
    _Waffle_ Posts: 13,049 Member
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    Set your lifestyle to sedentary and then eat the calories you burn during workouts. MFP already has a built in 500 calorie deficit for you to help you lose weight. There's no need to go higher than that each day.
  • luckypony71
    luckypony71 Posts: 399 Member
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    I think most people eat back half. I use mine as I need them. Some days I don't use them at all.
  • Chickee8586
    Chickee8586 Posts: 155 Member
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    It depends on how you calculated your TDEE. If you included your workouts in that calculation, then no. If you didn't, then probably eat back at least a portion of them. And yes, I did say 'at least'. Some will say you should eat back all exercise calories.

    I try not to, but some days I'm just hungry and will eat them back.
  • detoxjusttoretox
    detoxjusttoretox Posts: 31
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    I personally don't although I think the eating back half is popular. Although I don't actually log workouts because I run and horse ride daily so my body is very used to it.
  • rsclause
    rsclause Posts: 3,103 Member
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    I found that I do better as I eat back exercise calories to within about 400 calories of my goal. I lose more weight and have energy for the next run.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
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    Should I eat the extra calories that I gained from my workout or just leave them alone?

    Yes, yes you should. You should eat them all back. The reason people eat half back is the idea that most estimates for caloric burn from exercise that you get off a machine are grossly exaggerated. But if you knew accurately what your burn was you should eat back every last calorie to maintain your goal deficit.

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