Does anyone suggest not eating their workout calories?

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KKOLB1
KKOLB1 Posts: 53 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I had gotten to a plateau over a week ag,. then finally a day later, weight loss. Someone in my post suggested I don't eat my workout calories and my husband read an article that said you should eat the calories you want to weigh x10, so I want to get to 145, therefore I should eat 1450 cal. a day. Wed. I started doing that & I've gone nothing but up since then. I'm now over 2 weeks behind in getting to my weight loss goal. I'm frustrated & upset. Anyone have any tips for getting the scale to move the right direction again?! (Don't look at my food diary from yesterday. that's the first day since I've started this program that I didn't finish it. It was a *high* calorie day (can't think of the word for it). Should I skip a workout day altogether or should I start eating my workout calories again? I do the elliptical at home everyday along with some strength afterwards for a few min. The elliptical says Ii'm burning 1300 calories but I know that's not even close so I avg. around 750 on a good day when I know I've really pushed myself and am half dead.
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Replies

  • melissatacker
    melissatacker Posts: 91 Member
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    I personally have never eaten any of my exercise calories back and have lost 22 pounds in the last 38 days. I find that people are right when they tell you to calorie cycle. Everyday eat a different amount of calories to keep your metabolism up, if you eat the same amount everyday your metabolism becomes used to it and you plateau. I have been trying to calorie cycle and it's working!
  • ckmama
    ckmama Posts: 1,668 Member
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    eating back all of my "burned" calories was the death of my weight loss. It put me on the biggest plateau.

    I even tracked my burn with a Polar HRM. I would recommend you set your calorie target at your true activity level instead of eating exercise calories and having your calorie target set too low.

    You'll get different opininions, but when I lost weight consistently 7-8 lbs a month for a year...I started eating back my exercise calories and my weight loss slowed then eventually plateaued.

    It really just depends on whether or not your calorie target is set for your real activity level. If it is then you eat your exercise calories back you are counting them twice, makes sense?
  • papastu
    papastu Posts: 737 Member
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    eating back your calories makes no sense to me neither, if your trying to lose weight, I eat my calories sometimes more than I should but I excercise hard, paying off for me, but I have the weight to lose :P
  • brandi16
    brandi16 Posts: 56
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    Currently, my trainer has me doing 1000 calories a day, but I am working closely with him and have a certain goal that I am trying to hit by April 1st. NORMALLY, he has me on 1200 calories a day...period. If I don't work out, I eat 1200...if I do workout, I still eat only 1200. He always tells me that you should eat your daily calories that best suits you and your workout calories only when you are finally ready to maintain and not lose....

    Hope that helps! Good luck!
  • obifatkanobi
    obifatkanobi Posts: 190
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    The argument goes back and forth, and it can be very confusing. Here is link to a post some time ago that I found very interesting and informative, hope it helps.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
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    I have always eaten my exercise calories and have generally maintained a 1-2 pound loss per week. Eating your exercise calories makes for a more consistent, though slower, weight loss. But, it's healthier. Losing tons of weight quickly isn't always healthy and doesn't always mean you're burning fat. If you aren't getting enough nutrition your body can start to burn muscle instead because muscle has amino acids and nutrients that your body needs, while fat does not.
  • rherrin5
    rherrin5 Posts: 136 Member
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    I eat enough cals back to keep my NET cals above 1200 and I lose everyweek. I walk 5 miles and that burns around 515 for me and I generally eat 400 of them back. Your metabolism need fuel (just like fire need wood to keep burning) to keep burning. Everyone is different and their bodies work differently but this is my personal experience. Hope it helps!
  • brunettebetty
    brunettebetty Posts: 27
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    Can't say what is or isn't right for someone else but I've never eaten mine back and never will. It's worked well for me that way.
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
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    I personally have never eaten any of my exercise calories back and have lost 22 pounds in the last 38 days. I find that people are right when they tell you to calorie cycle. Everyday eat a different amount of calories to keep your metabolism up, if you eat the same amount everyday your metabolism becomes used to it and you plateau. I have been trying to calorie cycle and it's working!

    Congrats on your great progress! It's awesome that you're losing that quickly. But because you have a large amount to lose, it's not really applicable to the OP's situation, as she is already relatively lean.

    To the OP: MFP creates a built in cal deficit to allow for weight loss, regardless of exercise. If you don't replace exercise cals, you are making that deficit larger.

    Your body prefers to have a "cushion" (especially for women.) So when you are relatively lean, it is even more important to NOT have a large deficit. The body needs to KNOW it will be getting enough fuel to be willing to tap those remaining fat stores. The closer you get to your goal weight, the more eating too little will hamper your progress, and the more likely you are to encourage burning muscle, rather than fat.

    Here are some great threads that explain metabolism and why it's important to fuel the body properly. Good luck to you!

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/173853-an-objective-look-at-eating-exercise-calories

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/153704-myth-or-fact-simple-math-3500-calories-one-pound-eat
  • marlabelle
    marlabelle Posts: 55 Member
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    Personally I don't eat the workout calories but I always try to stay above 1200 and below what the site recommends to satisfy my BMR. I do this because I know this site is not 100% correct in calculating your workout or the calories you intake so staying under is like my cushion. Just keep working on that calorie deficit and you will loose weight!
  • Edestiny7
    Edestiny7 Posts: 730 Member
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    When eating only 1200 calories a day, I HAD to eat back ALL of my exercise calories to keep my net calories above 1200. Now that I am on maintenance, I have a little wiggle room, but find if I do not eat back ALL of my exercise calories, I continue to lose weight, which is not what I want. 1200 net is the key to keep in mind for healthy weight loss. 1500 net for men.
  • Mrs_McFadden
    Mrs_McFadden Posts: 1,139
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    I'm kind of thinking that we should have a line, put duct tape on it, and on one side have those that eat their exercise calories, and on the other have those that do not. All people on both sides will have to eat normal foods and be consistent. Then we can stare at each other and see what works..no words allowed to be exchanged..just a gander. Then we can all walk away shaking our heads...
  • rherrin5
    rherrin5 Posts: 136 Member
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    I'm kind of thinking that we should have a line, put duct tape on it, and on one side have those that eat their exercise calories, and on the other have those that do not. All people on both sides will have to eat normal foods and be consistent. Then we can stare at each other and see what works..no words allowed to be exchanged..just a gander. Then we can all walk away shaking our heads...

    LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • kelligonzales
    kelligonzales Posts: 391
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    If you look at the break down of your calories. when you eat them back you end up at you target calorie intake. If you aren't getting enough calories you will shut down and start storing. The whole reason for this site is to do it healthy not get a 1,2,3 result. I don't always eat my calories back, i'll eat half or a quarter sometimes. But i'm doing it the slow way to be the healthiest me. working out hardcore and not eating is called an eating disorder.
  • Larode
    Larode Posts: 22 Member
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    I don't eat my calories back either....I try to eat exactly what they tell me but not the exercise calories as that doens't make sense to me. To lose weight we have to cut calories and increase exercise so I don't get the logic of "eating exercise calories".
  • kioga86
    kioga86 Posts: 126 Member
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    I am currently not eating my exercise calories back, as I am transitioning out of what I am considering my "rapid weight loss" phase of my journey. So far my concern has been losing weight, period. Not building muscle, but just good old weight loss. I eat between 1200 and 1300 (a few just over 1300) calories daily, and have lost ~77 pounds since October.

    Right now I am transitioning to my "muscle building" phase of my journey, and it's going to be intensifying soon. I will soon be moving my calories up to 1500 maximum daily, but will still not be eating back my exercise calories. My diet is focusing more on protein, while still maintaining a lower calorie intake. This will continue until I am satisfied that I have reached my goal fitness (not goal weight mind you).

    Eventually, I will move in to the "maintain this health" phase of my journey, which I will hopefully be able to continue indefinitely. I will set my calorie goal up higher (1800-2000 range, not sure yet), and then decide whether or not I can maintain my level of health and fitness if I eat back my exercise calories. Until this point, I won't even consider eating back my exercise calories.

    So to shorten a long post and simply answer your question: as long as I'm working to lose weight and increase my fitness/health, I will not eat back my exercise calories.
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
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    I don't eat my calories back either....I try to eat exactly what they tell me but not the exercise calories as that doens't make sense to me. To lose weight we have to cut calories and increase exercise so I don't get the logic of "eating exercise calories".

    You're misunderstanding how MFP works. MFP has a BUILT IN deficit, based on your chosen loss per week goal (1 lb, 2 lbs, etc). So whether you log no exercise, 20 min of exercise, or 20 hours of exercise, you will still be at a deficit. When you don't replace the cals added for exercise, you make that deficit larger than you (presumably) intended, which is usually unhealthy and unsustainable.
  • rherrin5
    rherrin5 Posts: 136 Member
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    I don't eat my calories back either....I try to eat exactly what they tell me but not the exercise calories as that doens't make sense to me. To lose weight we have to cut calories and increase exercise so I don't get the logic of "eating exercise calories".

    You're misunderstanding how MFP works. MFP has a BUILT IN deficit, based on your chosen loss per week goal (1 lb, 2 lbs, etc). So whether you log no exercise, 20 min of exercise, or 20 hours of exercise, you will still be at a deficit. When you don't replace the cals added for exercise, you make that deficit larger than you (presumably) intended, which is usually unhealthy and unsustainable.

    Agreed. i think she says it best here.
  • melissatacker
    melissatacker Posts: 91 Member
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    There is one really important factor to consider when putting your faith into MFP for weight loss...you CANNOT trust the calories it says you have burned! I recently bought a BodyMedia Fit HRM and my ACTUAL calories burned are about 1/4 of what MFP tells me I have burned! That is a HUGE difference and something to consider if you are going to eat back your calories...just my two cents :)
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
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    There is one really important factor to consider when putting your faith into MFP for weight loss...you CANNOT trust the calories it says you have burned! I recently bought a BodyMedia Fit HRM and my ACTUAL calories burned are about 1/4 of what MFP tells me I have burned! That is a HUGE difference and something to consider if you are going to eat back your calories...just my two cents :)

    This is an important point. However, unless you have had your VO2 tested professionally, EVERY measurement of energy expenditure is an estimate (and even that is only a close estimate). MFP estimates will be closer for some people, and not for others; and will be more or less accurate for different exercises, as well. Machines can be inaccurate as well. HRMs and BMF or BodyBuggs can also be inaccurate. All of the numbers we work off of are estimates. Obviously, we want to get the best numbers we can. But if we stress about every little calorie, we are actually increasing the stress on our bodies and impeding our bodies' ability to function optimally.

    No site (or machine or gadget) is perfect and exact for everyone. There are always a few people who are outside the curve. But MFP is successful because they have set up a design that uses good guidelines for the majority. Yes, some people will need to tweak the numbers occasionally. But it works well for most.

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