Eating back calories counterproductive to weight loss

Rworthy
Rworthy Posts: 271 Member
edited September 24 in Food and Nutrition
I have seen so many people, including myself, who aren't sure whether or not they should eat back their exercise calories on MFP. I say NO. Here is a good article reiterating this point:

http://exercise.about.com/od/weightloss/a/secretweightlos_5.htm

Secret Weapons for Weight Loss - Don't Overcompensate for your Workouts

Hope this helps.
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Replies

  • Nailrep
    Nailrep Posts: 966 Member
    I agree with you mostly. Maybe if you burn 500 calories during a workout, you should eat 250 back. Maybe.
  • jram70
    jram70 Posts: 91 Member
    My rule is if I am hungry I eat most of them back. If I am not I don't. I never eat them for the sake of eating them, because I go over usually one day a weekend so it helps offset that.
  • RoniDoll
    RoniDoll Posts: 262
    I agree!!! finally someone who agrees!!!
  • ShellyMacchi
    ShellyMacchi Posts: 975 Member
    this is equally interesting *S*

    http://www.edmontonsun.com/life/columnists/cary_castagna/2011/02/25/17405911.html
  • rvice2
    rvice2 Posts: 132 Member
    Everybody's body is different. When I wasn't eating mine back I hit a plateau. I finally decided to eat them back (some days all, some days half) and I started losing weight again.
  • Fat2FitChick
    Fat2FitChick Posts: 451 Member
    I eat back almost all give or take 50 or so and I am losing twice as fast. I burn about 600 calories during exercise and I eat back about 500-550 and I am burning at an amazing rate compared to when I didn't eat the extra calories.
  • emchamberlain
    emchamberlain Posts: 133 Member
    Right, but that doesn't take into account that you already have a deficit set automatically by MFP.

    Very, very simply:

    I need to eat 2000 calories/day to maintain my weight. I need to eat 1500/day to lose weight.

    WITHOUT MFP, if I exercise 500 calories away, then eat 500 calories, I don't lose any weight.

    WITH MFP, they only GIVE me 1500 calories/day to eat. So if I eat 1500 calories, then exercise 500 away, I can still eat back those 500 calories and still lose 1lb/week.

    I don't know why this is so hard for people to understand.
  • sweetheart03622
    sweetheart03622 Posts: 928 Member
    The issue with this is that MFP already calculates a deficit. Your "net calories" that you're allotted every day will allow you to lose weight even if you don't exercise. Therefore, exercising goes above and beyond, which means you can eat them back. Most diet plans do not do this, hence your article.
  • agdeierl
    agdeierl Posts: 378 Member
    I definitely agree with "don't overcompensate for your exercise". But eating back cals isn't necessarily over-compensating. It's just partially compensating. :) I try to eat back about half of mine, sometimes more, sometimes less. The reasoning behind eating them back just makes more sense to me. And there's too many people here on MFP that have had success with eating them back to argue against it for everyone. It might not work for some, but it obviously works for plenty of others.
  • anubis609
    anubis609 Posts: 3,966 Member
    *Do not invoke The URL...Do not invoke The URL....* :explode:
  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
    Right, but that doesn't take into account that you already have a deficit set automatically by MFP.

    Very, very simply:

    I need to eat 2000 calories/day to maintain my weight. I need to eat 1500/day to lose weight.

    WITHOUT MFP, if I exercise 500 calories away, then eat 500 calories, I don't lose any weight.

    WITH MFP, they only GIVE me 1500 calories/day to eat. So if I eat 1500 calories, then exercise 500 away, I can still eat back those 500 calories and still lose 1lb/week.

    I don't know why this is so hard for people to understand.

    Exactly.
  • Naomi91
    Naomi91 Posts: 892 Member
    Hmm after my nine mile run today I think I need to eat some of the extra calories.
  • sweetheart03622
    sweetheart03622 Posts: 928 Member
    Right, but that doesn't take into account that you already have a deficit set automatically by MFP.

    Very, very simply:

    I need to eat 2000 calories/day to maintain my weight. I need to eat 1500/day to lose weight.

    WITHOUT MFP, if I exercise 500 calories away, then eat 500 calories, I don't lose any weight.

    WITH MFP, they only GIVE me 1500 calories/day to eat. So if I eat 1500 calories, then exercise 500 away, I can still eat back those 500 calories and still lose 1lb/week.

    I don't know why this is so hard for people to understand.

    Exactly.

    And to add... I've been eating back my calories consistently (like... ALL of them), and I've lost 12 pounds in three weeks.
  • JenWorthen3
    JenWorthen3 Posts: 64 Member
    I think the point is whatever you do, don't let your net calorie intake go below 1200. So if you're daily allowance is 1500 and you burn 500, then be sure to eat 200 to not go below 1200. Make sense? That's just not healthy to go below that point.
  • josavage
    josavage Posts: 472 Member
    I completely disagree. If you are counting your calories, being honest with your tracking, and eating healthy food, you can eat your exercise calories and still lose.
  • JenWorthen3
    JenWorthen3 Posts: 64 Member
    *Do not invoke The URL...Do not invoke The URL....* :explode:

    They seriously need to add a "like" button to this.
  • eillamarie
    eillamarie Posts: 862 Member
    I try to eat half my exercise calories back.
  • hpsnickers1
    hpsnickers1 Posts: 2,783 Member
    Here we go again. If you are at 1200 calorie goal and you burn 500 during exercise that will put you at 700 calories. 1200 is the baseline number for Starvation Mode. If you go under that number for too long then your body will start to adapt to the number by stopping the fat burning process for fear of famine (My 'comatose' BMR is 1188 and I'm pretty little so 1200 is a good number). Your weight loss will slow down and you can possible start gaining. I am proof of that. I gained 20 pounds in less than a year by "not eating". You eat the 500 calories to get you back up to your daily goal. You want your NET calories to stay above 1200. This is why MFP will not go below a 1200 daily goal.

    Please check out the links in my signature especially the "frantic about adhering to calorie...".

    Heck I upped my goal from 1250 to 1480 2 weeks ago and have dropped another 1 1/2 pounds.

    Oh I don't mean too sound mean. This is the one biggest ongoing issue on this site. Some days I am under 1200. I just don't stay under for more than 2 days. :smile: :smile: :smile: :smile:
  • 12by311
    12by311 Posts: 1,716 Member
    Right, but that doesn't take into account that you already have a deficit set automatically by MFP.

    Very, very simply:

    I need to eat 2000 calories/day to maintain my weight. I need to eat 1500/day to lose weight.

    WITHOUT MFP, if I exercise 500 calories away, then eat 500 calories, I don't lose any weight.

    WITH MFP, they only GIVE me 1500 calories/day to eat. So if I eat 1500 calories, then exercise 500 away, I can still eat back those 500 calories and still lose 1lb/week.

    I don't know why this is so hard for people to understand.

    I was getting ready to write pretty much the exact same thing.

    I don't care if people eat back their exercise cals or not...I just don't understand why it's difficult to comprehend.
  • obifatkanobi
    obifatkanobi Posts: 190
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

    I read this quite some time ago, when I was faced with the same question. I know it differs with our opinion, and I do respect your thoughts, however, to make a good decission we need as much information as posible for every side. Personally, I try and come close to my daily goals, including exercise calories, but with some workouts, there just isn't any way possible for me to consume all my exercise calories unless I switch to a diet of sugar sweetened fat. :sick: I have also noticed that when I don't come anywhere close to consuming all my calories burned for that day, I will be extremely hungry the next day, but when I do eat back my exercise calories, I'm not real hungry the following day. As I understand it, this site is designed to tell us how many calories we can consume, including exercise calories, based on how much weight we desire to lose per week.

    Again, I do respect your opinion, and only wish to give information so that everyone can determine for themselves how they want to decide.
  • shariann3
    shariann3 Posts: 15
    Some days I HAVE to exercise in order to eat more because I am hungry! Like today for example, I only have 421 calories left for the day, so I will workout to eat a snack and dinner and still be within my allotted calories for the day. This is whats so great about MFP! Some days I am not as "hungry", regardless of whether or not I worked out, I think it's mostly listening to your body.
  • taldie01
    taldie01 Posts: 378
    Am I the only one who gets hungry after excercise?
  • Cmccracken1
    Cmccracken1 Posts: 326 Member
    i think the disbelief part comes from that when people dont watch and log what they eat they have no idea what they are taking in in a day...
    example. never tracked my food before this Sunday went to breakfast had something that i normally would have gotten before mfp and used to be i'd go home have some lunch and dinner.. breakfast alone was 1700 calories. that means on a normal day i probably would have taken in upwards of 3000 calories i would never have guessed that it was that much in one day.. So when i started tracking, i am eating better low calorie items so i really eat more and with exercise the idea that i could have even more than that is foreign,,, does that make sense...
    but yes totally agree that you can sometime eat back your exercise calories and if you plateau you should for at least a week and it will shock your metabolism back into moving.
  • hpsnickers1
    hpsnickers1 Posts: 2,783 Member
    Am I the only one who gets hungry after excercise?

    I get STARVED after exercise but it is usually very close to dinner time anyway.
  • Sheila62
    Sheila62 Posts: 25 Member
    I always eat most of my exercise calories and have found it to be very successful for me, I have been losing a steady pound each week for the past 8 weeks except for 1 week when I didnt lose any but the following week lost 4!
  • FearAnLoathing
    FearAnLoathing Posts: 4,852 Member
    Here we go again. If you are at 1200 calorie goal and you burn 500 during exercise that will put you at 700 calories. 1200 is the baseline number for Starvation Mode. If you go under that number for too long then your body will start to adapt to the number by stopping the fat burning process for fear of famine (My 'comatose' BMR is 1188 and I'm pretty little so 1200 is a good number). Your weight loss will slow down and you can possible start gaining. I am proof of that. I gained 20 pounds in less than a year by "not eating". You eat the 500 calories to get you back up to your daily goal. You want your NET calories to stay above 1200. This is why MFP will not go below a 1200 daily goal.

    Please check out the links in my signature especially the "frantic about adhering to calorie...".

    Heck I upped my goal from 1250 to 1480 2 weeks ago and have dropped another 1 1/2 pounds.


    myhmmm my net has been under 1200 for almost a year,im fine
  • crazymama2two
    crazymama2two Posts: 867
    Hmm after my nine mile run today I think I need to eat some of the extra calories.

    frik, nine miles??! rock on!
  • lloydrt
    lloydrt Posts: 1,121 Member
    I normally stay away from this one question, but..........I did read that the following applies to each and everyone of us.....

    if your are MORBIDLY OBESE, OR OBESE.........No, dont eat any of your exercise calories back

    if you are OVERWEIGHT, .....................................Eat only half of your exercise calories back

    if you are NORMAL, ............. Eat all of your exercise calories back

    again, I only read this, so I guess its hear say.............I usually ate about half for the last year ,and it paid off...........best of luck
  • ♥Violette♥4Ever♥
    ♥Violette♥4Ever♥ Posts: 457 Member
    Right, but that doesn't take into account that you already have a deficit set automatically by MFP.

    Very, very simply:

    I need to eat 2000 calories/day to maintain my weight. I need to eat 1500/day to lose weight.

    WITHOUT MFP, if I exercise 500 calories away, then eat 500 calories, I don't lose any weight.

    WITH MFP, they only GIVE me 1500 calories/day to eat. So if I eat 1500 calories, then exercise 500 away, I can still eat back those 500 calories and still lose 1lb/week.

    I don't know why this is so hard for people to understand.

    I have a question to add to this....

    I work out after work at night. I usually go to the gym around 8 or 8:30 and work work for approximately 90 minutes and burn anywhere from 1200 to 1500. By the time go to the gym i'm over on my cals somewhere between 250 and 350. There is no way I can eat the extra calories at 10:30 at night right before I go to bed. I don't want to eat an extra 1200 calories before I go to the gym in case something happens and I only burn...lets say....500 calories. What should I do in this case?
  • kimmerroze
    kimmerroze Posts: 1,330 Member
    Right, but that doesn't take into account that you already have a deficit set automatically by MFP.

    Very, very simply:

    I need to eat 2000 calories/day to maintain my weight. I need to eat 1500/day to lose weight.

    WITHOUT MFP, if I exercise 500 calories away, then eat 500 calories, I don't lose any weight.

    WITH MFP, they only GIVE me 1500 calories/day to eat. So if I eat 1500 calories, then exercise 500 away, I can still eat back those 500 calories and still lose 1lb/week.

    I don't know why this is so hard for people to understand.

    AMEN! this is so true. Do what you wish, but by starving yourself, you will lose weight, Muscle weight, not FAT WEIGHT. I have a hard time understanding why people don't understand this as well.
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