Do I eat the calories that I have burned?

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  • jclji4
    jclji4 Posts: 118 Member
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    I find that most of the time, if I do not net at least 1200 calories I lose energy. So I try to net 1200. Sometimes that is eating some of the calories back, and sometimes it isn't. It just depends upon how many calories I burn.
  • traceybett
    traceybett Posts: 206 Member
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    Great info everyone :) thank you so much. I will ry to stay between my original 1200 and what MFP says is remaining after exercise is added. I have eaten all day and feel very full.

    To eat all the calories back, it gets complicated making sure I dont go over on Fat, protein, sugar, etc.

    But I will do my best to eat a little extra (over the 1200) on the days I exercise


    you are all so awesome~
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
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    Great info everyone :) thank you so much. I will ry to stay between my original 1200 and what MFP says is remaining after exercise is added. I have eaten all day and feel very full.

    To eat all the calories back, it gets complicated making sure I dont go over on Fat, protein, sugar, etc.

    But I will do my best to eat a little extra (over the 1200) on the days I exercise


    you are all so awesome~

    It's important to watch those macros (protein/fat/carbs), but when you're just starting, don't obsess over them. Because you're making some big changes, focus on the basics first.

    Get the cal intake set first. It will take a little bit of time to get your daily schedule where it needs to be. Learning when to eat, how often, and how much, is a huge step. Once you have that down, plus drinking enough water, plus getting on a regular exercise schedule, then you can focus a bit more on the details. Don't overload yourself all in the beginning. Getting cal intake at the right level is mostly about planning. Eat 4-6 times per day, and try to make each meal/snack balanced (protein/fat/carbs).

    Keep in mind that some things are more/less important than others. MFP's protein goal is a bit low for many people - it's not a horrible thing if you're a bit over on protein. You can get too much, but most people have to really work at it to get that far. As for fat, it is important to watch, but mostly it's about the source. If you're getting good fats (from fish, nuts, natural oils like olive and canola, and avocado) then you're in good shape. Just try to avoid high-fat meats, and other sources of saturated fat and trans fat. Same with carbs - make them good carbs, from whole grains, veggies and fruits. Sugar is a tricky one, and for most people (unless diabetic) not the best indicator. Eating just a few pieces of fruit can put you over on sugar - but the sugar in fruits is not bad. It's the processed sugar that is important to avoid - and usually you can get a good idea if that's an issue by watching your carb sources.

    This is a learning process, and it won't happen overnight. Don't stress yourself out over the small issues for now - just get a good look at the big picture.
  • traceybett
    traceybett Posts: 206 Member
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    Great info everyone :) thank you so much. I will ry to stay between my original 1200 and what MFP says is remaining after exercise is added. I have eaten all day and feel very full.

    To eat all the calories back, it gets complicated making sure I dont go over on Fat, protein, sugar, etc.

    But I will do my best to eat a little extra (over the 1200) on the days I exercise


    you are all so awesome~

    It's important to watch those macros (protein/fat/carbs), but when you're just starting, don't obsess over them. Because you're making some big changes, focus on the basics first.

    Get the cal intake set first. It will take a little bit of time to get your daily schedule where it needs to be. Learning when to eat, how often, and how much, is a huge step. Once you have that down, plus drinking enough water, plus getting on a regular exercise schedule, then you can focus a bit more on the details. Don't overload yourself all in the beginning. Getting cal intake at the right level is mostly about planning. Eat 4-6 times per day, and try to make each meal/snack balanced (protein/fat/carbs).

    Keep in mind that some things are more/less important than others. MFP's protein goal is a bit low for many people - it's not a horrible thing if you're a bit over on protein. You can get too much, but most people have to really work at it to get that far. As for fat, it is important to watch, but mostly it's about the source. If you're getting good fats (from fish, nuts, natural oils like olive and canola, and avocado) then you're in good shape. Just try to avoid high-fat meats, and other sources of saturated fat and trans fat. Same with carbs - make them good carbs, from whole grains, veggies and fruits. Sugar is a tricky one, and for most people (unless diabetic) not the best indicator. Eating just a few pieces of fruit can put you over on sugar - but the sugar in fruits is not bad. It's the processed sugar that is important to avoid - and usually you can get a good idea if that's an issue by watching your carb sources.

    This is a learning process, and it won't happen overnight. Don't stress yourself out over the small issues for now - just get a good look at the big picture.

    Thank you, this sounds like practical, realistic, good advice. I will try to concentrate on basic calories "in" calories "out" for now.... maybe pay attention to fat and colesterol (since i am struggling here and have high colesterol).

    Your reminder to keep it basic for now is great because I tend to overthink everything and could burn myself out quickly like that.

    Have a great night :)
  • ChassityGetsFit
    ChassityGetsFit Posts: 173 Member
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    I've noticed that when you complete your diet entries at the end of the day it tells you the weight you could be in 5 weeks. If I eat my 1200 calories but not my exercise calories then I notice it says I could lose much more weight then if I do eat them. Now if you are comsuming less than 1200 calories without counting the exercise calories then it will tell you that you need more calories to stay out of starvation mode, so I make sure to eat enough calories without eating all the calories. But if I'm still hungry and need those calories then I know they are there! :) Hope that helped some! I suppose it's really up to you what you want to do! The really healthy thing is to eat the exercise calories, but I don't think you really need to if you are atleast consuming 1200 calories.
  • HartJames
    HartJames Posts: 789 Member
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    Seems to me, most of the advocates of this have lost 30 pounds or less. I think that eating calories back does not always work for everyone including people at higher weights. I agree you should start out with this method and use it as long as it works but if it stops working or is not working and changing your exercise level has not helped, reducing how much you eat back until you lose again is the way to go. What has worked for me (in my loss of 117 pounds) has changed many time during this process. We are all individuals and no one theroy fits everyone, I think that is where the frustration comes in for people who end up giving up when it doesn't work. Weight-loss is very much trial and error. Take it all in, all the info and advice and then apply it all until something sticks, then just when you've got it all figured out, it stops working and you have to figure it out again. That's just the way it goes :)
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
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    Seems to me, most of the advocates of this have lost 30 pounds or less.

    How is this statement relevant or helpful? MFP designed the site to create a built in deficit, regardless of exercise, therefore adding exercise calories back in to maintain that CHOSEN deficit - and encouraging a healthy rate of weight loss, for persons of any weight. How does how much I've lost (or anyone else) have any bearing on how the website was designed?
  • HartJames
    HartJames Posts: 789 Member
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    Sorry you took that offensively. How? Because IMO in addition to what I already wrote, I think that eating back calories (for SOME people) only works for so long. Several people I know who have had around 100 pounds or more to lose including myself have found that this only worked initially, about the first 20-30 pounds. Therefore.....

    It is something I have returned to as I cycle several things when one stops working as they often do (plateau anyone?) I try something different. Each time, for me, it has only worked for a short time. All I can do is offer my experience, which is honest if not popular, and suggest that this is not something that works long-term for everyone. Again, it is a smart place to start, but also again, if it's not working for weeks on end then it may need adjusting in my opnion.
  • whatupskinnyjeans
    whatupskinnyjeans Posts: 229 Member
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    Thank you!! It really does help to know how others are handling it. I will take your advice and stick with 1200. the "remaining" calories on my phone app are in big bold print at the top of the screen, so it will be tricky remembering what I "really" have left in order to stick close to 1200.


    You rock!
    I recently lowered my number to 800 n now I eat back the exercise calories without getting the high numbers of calorie remaining which causes me to want to eat more .if idont work out I just eat till 1200
  • daddyratty
    daddyratty Posts: 305 Member
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    I usually eat them. I've *not* eaten them a couple times, and felt fine. I do try to not eat past about 8 in the evening, as this was a MAJOR issue for me before and I don't want to go there again, so if it gets late and I haven't eaten all my calories (including my workout calories), then I just leave them as extra bonus.
  • runningneo122
    runningneo122 Posts: 6,962 Member
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    Seems to me, most of the advocates of this have lost 30 pounds or less.

    I find it interesting that the people who say, "You don't have to eat your exercise cals back," often cite someone's weightloss ticker number as a reference to how much the person knows about weightloss. I lost 45 pounds BEFORE I joined MFP. I hit a plateau b/c just watching portion size only gets someone so far. I started running and started losing again. I had a couple of overuse injuries and while researching running and weightloss, I found out that it was important to "count calories". Calories in/calories out is a basic concept that works for NEARLY everyone. I started out eating my exercise cals and was losing 2 pounds per week. I added calisthentics and was not eating all of my exercise cals as it is tough to eat back 1900 cals on top of my daily goal of 1620. I plateuaed for the first three weeks of Feb. I knew what needed to happen. I cut out the extra exercise, kept running and did a "spike" day. My weight went up a total of 6 pounds, dropped 3 the next day, 3 the following day and yesterday, I weighed 1.7 pounds below my plateau weight from the beginning of the month!! Eating the exercise cals is ABSOLUTELY essential ..... that is IF YOU BREAK A SWEAT when you exercise. Getting your heartrate up into FAT BURNING levels and MAINTAINING IT THERE is what burns fat. I run 7 miles a day and walk 2 miles cooldown to extend the burn a little and to soften up my calves. My clothes are literallly dripping when I get done. So, I guess the thing to consider here isn't necessarily whether to eat/not eat your exercise cals, but rather to eat the exercise cals that = the time that you were really BURNING calories.
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
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    Sorry you took that offensively. How? Because IMO in addition to what I already wrote, I think that eating back calories (for SOME people) only works for so long. Several people I know who have had around 100 pounds or more to lose including myself have found that this only worked initially, about the first 20-30 pounds. Therefore.....

    It is something I have returned to as I cycle several things when one stops working as they often do (plateau anyone?) I try something different. Each time, for me, it has only worked for a short time. All I can do is offer my experience, which is honest if not popular, and suggest that this is not something that works long-term for everyone. Again, it is a smart place to start, but also again, if it's not working for weeks on end then it may need adjusting in my opnion.

    Well, how much someone has lost (or how much they have to lose) has nothing to do with their level of knowledge about nutrition/diet, exercise, health.

    Daily intake (including exercise cals) is dependent on a lot of factors, including accuracy of logging and whether or not goals are healthy and realistic. Goals/intake need to be reassessed and adjusted periodically, as weight is lost and the body changes. Goals/settings may be wrong; intake and burns may be inaccurate, both of which can cause a perceived plateau. But that doesn't invalidate the concept of eating exercise cals.
  • dawnelaine96
    dawnelaine96 Posts: 38 Member
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    I'm still up in the air on this issue. When I first started MFP, I did not eat back my burned calories because I wasn't aware of the "rule". And I was losing 2 lbs per week for 3 weeks doing that. Then I heard about the rule and started eating back my calories. It was actually hard to do because I wasn't hungry enough to eat that much. And then I ended up gaining 2 lbs back again. Then I read a news article stating that you just need to eat your goal calories but you don't need to eat extra calories if you work out and burn some off.
  • bebababy
    bebababy Posts: 50 Member
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    i totally agree with you! My doctor also said the same thing especially because we just discovered my thyroid issues. I love love your ticker by the way!
  • HartJames
    HartJames Posts: 789 Member
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    When you take a portion of what I say out of context I can see how someone would take it wrong. The amount of weight you have lost DOES indeed have a lot to do with what I am saying in my particular point as you wouldn't have had the exprience of if no longer working after 20-30 pounds if you haven't even lost that much.What I am explaining does not apply to everyone and I think I stated that pretty clearly, if it does not apply to you or you don ot agree, more power to you? I am offering my opinion, my experience. I have no problem agreeing to disagree as I am very confident in my view and am not in any way saying that the opposite view is untrue, just that it is not true for everyone. Sinple as that.
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
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    I'm still up in the air on this issue. When I first started MFP, I did not eat back my burned calories because I wasn't aware of the "rule". And I was losing 2 lbs per week for 3 weeks doing that. Then I heard about the rule and started eating back my calories. It was actually hard to do because I wasn't hungry enough to eat that much. And then I ended up gaining 2 lbs back again. Then I read a news article stating that you just need to eat your goal calories but you don't need to eat extra calories if you work out and burn some off.

    There could be several things going on that caused the gain. The most likely is that your goals or settings aren't where they should be, or there was some other factor that didn't have anything to do with eating them (TOM, stress, lack of water, high sodium, etc). You have to give it time.

    Here is a great thread that might help (and discusses a gain after starting to eat them) -

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
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    When you take a portion of what I say out of context I can see how someone would take it wrong. The amount of weight you have lost DOES indeed have a lot to do with what I am saying in my particular point as you wouldn't have had the exprience of if no longer working after 20-30 pounds if you haven't even lost that much.What I am explaining does not apply to everyone and I think I stated that pretty clearly, if it does not apply to you or you don ot agree, more power to you? I am offering my opinion, my experience. I have no problem agreeing to disagree as I am very confident in my view and am not in any way saying that the opposite view is untrue, just that it is not true for everyone. Sinple as that.

    What I am saying is that if you hit a plateau at 20 or 30 lbs (which is common, and happens to almost everyone), it doesn't mean that you need to stop eating exercise cals - it means that some other factor is off. Either you haven't recalculated your goals/settings, you haven't adjusted your intake to account for the weight lost, you have kept a static exercise routine and need to switch it up, etc.

    I understand what your stance is - and I do disagree, but that wasn't what I found irrelevant. Starting out saying that only people who haven't lost much advocate eating exercise cals (which is untrue), and implying they don't know what they're talking about wasn't a good way to begin - and still wasn't relevant or necessary in voicing your opinion about the topic at hand. Just my opinion.

    At any rate, congrats on your loss and good luck to you! :smile:
  • HartJames
    HartJames Posts: 789 Member
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    That you have mis-read that into what I have said speaks volumes. My opinion stands. I wish everyone on this thread good luck in their weight-loss journey and encouarage you not to get frustrated when you have done all of the "right" things and get stuck. Just continue to educate yourself and keep going! Weight-loss is something each and every person can acheive :)
  • mowrynation
    mowrynation Posts: 91
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    Glad that you asked this question as well! My husband and I were just having this conversation the other day. Thanks for all of the Great Information!!

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