Eating your exercise calories.....
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I've asked my trainer who is familiar with the website and actually recommends it, and she said that I don't need to. I know some people say that you're supposed to but knowing that the human body doesn't work like "clock work" is a good indicator that you should do what works best for you. Someone previously recommended trying it both ways. I would second that recommendation so that way you know for you, what works best.
Good luck!!!!
If you have a lot to lose you can afford not to, as you have the fat stores to call upon for energy. You would lose faster than your goal, if your goal is 2 lbs/week and you don't eat them you will lose faster (not healthy) if you have a lot to lose. For those that don't have a lot to lose or to meet, not exceed, your weekly loss goal, must eat the exercise calories, as it is a mathematical equation that only balances your deficit to your goal weight loss when you eat the exercise calories.0 -
I agree with the people that says it depends on the person. Everyone is different. I was having concerns so I talked to my doctor because he is meeting with me once a month to help me loose my weight goal of 100lbs this year. For me my doctor recommended 1400-1600 calories on days I am exercising and 1200-1500 on days I am not. This is less than MFP recommends, but my doctor knows me and is monitoring me very closely. When we meet he goes over every day of the month and makes suggestions on things to change the next month. The calculations on this website are a great tool and provide a safe calorie goal for people to shoot for to loose weight safely and successfully. If you are seriously questioning how many calories you should eat or whether you should eat your calories back you might want to think about discussing it with a doctor or nutritionist that can look at you as the whole person.0
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I was told my a trainer at my gym to eat back only HALF of the calories burned not all, this way your body is getting the fuel back and keeps your metabolism running and burning fat, especially helpful is a protein snack like a cup of cottage cheese, yogurt or peanut butter on an apple , and NOT to eat back those calories back in JUNK...so if you burned 300 cal, eat a healthy 150 snack
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Quite honestly Original Poster.... you should probably base your answer on what a group of people your same size are doing.... that is going to be the most accurate way to get an answer....
if you ask people that have 100 pounds to lose, they can afford to not eat their calories....
but if you ask someone who only has 10 pounds to lose they MUST EAT THEIR calories... or their body will just burn muscle making their BF % higher... aka "skinny fat"
I don't know how heavy you are or what your work our routine is but
I am 5'3" I weight 142 (goal weight 135)
I work out 4-5 times a week and lift for a half hour and only do 20-30 minutes of cardio.
I lift as much as possible and do three sets... I have increased my muscle mass and lowered my body fat percentage to a point that over the past three months I have only lost 4 pounds....
I bumped my calories up to 1480 this last month and lost three of those four pounds.
Bumping my calories up and eating ALL my exercise calories has made me lose BODY FAT... not very much weight but lots of BODY FAT.0 -
No one wears a hrm all day to see what you burned through out the day and add those in so why would you add in the exercise calories if you are trying to lose weight?
Those daily burned normal activity calories are already accounted for in your maintenance calories figured into your calorie deficit (by your MFP quiz (remember when they asked you if you were sedentary, active, etc?). You eat your exercise calories in order to keep your metabolism up (to optimally burn fat) and running properly and to fuel your body. If you eat 1200 but burn 600, you are letting your body run on 600 calories a day so it will have to resort to burning lean muscle tissue to function. The deficit to lose 1 lb (or whatever you set yourself up to lose per week) is already built in to your Goal Calories so there is no need to NET less than your goal calories in order to lose. Eating them also keeps you satisfied so you don't get hungry and binge, thereby defeating the purpose.0 -
As stated here, and in about 10,000 other forum posts, THIS DOES NOT WORK FOR EVERY BODY!I think the whole idea of eating your exercise is stupid. I don't do it! And I've lost 30-35 lbs in 9 weeks.
You have to try it both ways and see what works for you! There isn't really any right or wrong but the basic concept is to keep the body fueled and don't consume less than 1200 net calories per day! :bigsmile:
Even if it "works", you are most likely not losing only fat, but a combination of fat and lean muscle tissue which is NOT good in the long run.0 -
I've asked my trainer who is familiar with the website and actually recommends it, and she said that I don't need to. I know some people say that you're supposed to but knowing that the human body doesn't work like "clock work" is a good indicator that you should do what works best for you. Someone previously recommended trying it both ways. I would second that recommendation so that way you know for you, what works best.
Good luck!!!!
If you have a lot to lose you can afford not to, as you have the fat stores to call upon for energy. You would lose faster than your goal, if your goal is 2 lbs/week and you don't eat them you will lose faster (not healthy) if you have a lot to lose. For those that don't have a lot to lose or to meet, not exceed, your weekly loss goal, must eat the exercise calories, as it is a mathematical equation that only balances your deficit to your goal weight loss when you eat the exercise calories.
Precisely. If you have a lot of fat then you can afford to do more aggressive approaches. I still wouldn't recommend more then an average of a 2 pound weight loss a week for other health and aesthetic reasons, but it isn't as detrimental to someone who has a lot of fat to lose. For someone like Sos, it would be more of a concern, she is already fairly small. I wouldn't recommend over a 500 calorie deficit to anyone but certainly not to someone who is her size.0 -
I think the whole idea of eating your exercise is stupid. I don't do it! And I've lost 30-35 lbs in 9 weeks.
That weight loss is a little too fast to be considered healthy, I'm sure you lost quite a bit of muscle along with the fat at that rate.
If you went to a trainer they may tell you to eat 1500 calories everyday regardless if you workout that day or not as long as you do 5 days/week. MFP takes it one step further and says you may not workout so to lose weight without exercise you need 1200 cals. Now say you workout 5 days per week 450 calories per session. MFP tells you to eat 8400 (1200*7) plus exercise calories 2250 (450*5) per week for a total of 10650, while your trainer says eat 10500 (1500*7) per week. These number are only 150 apart, and MFP would have you lose weight if you didn't workout whereas your trainer gave you a caloric intake that you would only lose if you worked out.
No trainer or nutritionist, knowing you workout, would ever give you a calorie goal as low as MFP. MFP assumes you will not be working out, then adjusts your caloires up to account for exercise when you do it.
I may have lost a little muscle, but I am moving up in the weights and starting to notice the cut in my arms and back a bit more. People wanna look into the numbers way too much on this site! When I played football I was in the best shape of my life. Strength, stamina, appearance.. never once did I count a single calorie or track my workout's. I just ate healthy and went hard in the gym. That is all people need to do. Do you really think every pro athlete or body builder is on MFP or a similar site tracking everything? Probably not! This crap of counting every little detail is just going to drive people nuts.
And the best part of any article you'll read or "fact" out there. It's opinion based. You can search google for eating exercise calories and you'll get a million different reasons why it's bad or why it's good. And then people on here who had a little weight lose all of sudden becomes experts and preach this crap like it's fact. Everyone is a different, what works for one, might not work for another. I shared my experience with the OP about not eating mine. They need to find what works for them. Because there really isn't a right or wrong way.0 -
I asked the exact question on here last week, and got a mixed response. I started at 218lb and dropped 60lb but then got stuck and then found this site, until now I have never eaten my exercise calories. But my weight has stayed the same for 6 months, it was so frustrating and would not move. I have done five days of eating my exercise calories and have lost 2lb already! very wierd but try it, it may get you through. For me I was ignoring being hungry so I would not go over calories, now I am not hungry and am losing, win win for me !0
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Just wanted you to reread this It is so spot on!!!! want to add if you weigh your food, or measure it makes a difference weighing can make a big difference over a week if your just eye ball (ex a soft ball is a cup) that will make a difference, If you use a HRM for exercise or just this web site or the gym machines will make a difference there more ways to be on or off calories than just exercise calories to be eatten or not. so figure out a plan stick with it for 3 or so weeks if it doesn't work make a new plan don't flip flop week to week.Quite honestly Original Poster.... you should probably base your answer on what a group of people your same size are doing.... that is going to be the most accurate way to get an answer....
if you ask people that have 100 pounds to lose, they can afford to not eat their calories....
but if you ask someone who only has 10 pounds to lose they MUST EAT THEIR calories... or their body will just burn muscle making their BF % higher... aka "skinny fat"
I don't know how heavy you are or what your work our routine is but
I am 5'3" I weight 142 (goal weight 135)
I work out 4-5 times a week and lift for a half hour and only do 20-30 minutes of cardio.
I lift as much as possible and do three sets... I have increased my muscle mass and lowered my body fat percentage to a point that over the past three months I have only lost 4 pounds....
I bumped my calories up to 1480 this last month and lost three of those four pounds.
Bumping my calories up and eating ALL my exercise calories has made me lose BODY FAT... not very much weight but lots of BODY FAT.0 -
You don't have to eat your Activity Points on WW because if you eat all your points and weekly points you are most likely averagingYou do NOT have to eat your exercise calories. Read this:
http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=35501
1620-2160 calories per day (so you BETTER be exercising and not eating those calories, unless you have a huge amount to lose)! (40-60 calories per point--the healthier you eat, the more cals per point), so this does not really apply if you are strictly counting calories.0 -
I think the whole idea of eating your exercise is stupid. I don't do it! And I've lost 30-35 lbs in 9 weeks.
That weight loss is a little too fast to be considered healthy, I'm sure you lost quite a bit of muscle along with the fat at that rate.
If you went to a trainer they may tell you to eat 1500 calories everyday regardless if you workout that day or not as long as you do 5 days/week. MFP takes it one step further and says you may not workout so to lose weight without exercise you need 1200 cals. Now say you workout 5 days per week 450 calories per session. MFP tells you to eat 8400 (1200*7) plus exercise calories 2250 (450*5) per week for a total of 10650, while your trainer says eat 10500 (1500*7) per week. These number are only 150 apart, and MFP would have you lose weight if you didn't workout whereas your trainer gave you a caloric intake that you would only lose if you worked out.
No trainer or nutritionist, knowing you workout, would ever give you a calorie goal as low as MFP. MFP assumes you will not be working out, then adjusts your caloires up to account for exercise when you do it.
I may have lost a little muscle, but I am moving up in the weights and starting to notice the cut in my arms and back a bit more. People wanna look into the numbers way too much on this site! When I played football I was in the best shape of my life. Strength, stamina, appearance.. never once did I count a single calorie or track my workout's. I just ate healthy and went hard in the gym. That is all people need to do. Do you really think every pro athlete or body builder is on MFP or a similar site tracking everything? Probably not! This crap of counting every little detail is just going to drive people nuts.
And the best part of any article you'll read or "fact" out there. It's opinion based. You can search google for eating exercise calories and you'll get a million different reasons why it's bad or why it's good. And then people on here who had a little weight lose all of sudden becomes experts and preach this crap like it's fact. Everyone is a different, what works for one, might not work for another. I shared my experience with the OP about not eating mine. They need to find what works for them. Because there really isn't a right or wrong way.
Actually body builders do count everything, during bulk phase they want a certain caloric surplus and during cut phase they want a certain deficit. and most pro athletes are put on diets by nutritionists which account for calories. they may not do the counting but it is done for them. More so in sports that have weight classes than others but many pro football players do follow strict caloric intake and training programs to balance out based on goal, gain or lose weight or based on position.
and it is fact. 3500 calories = 1lb. If your goal is to lose 1 lb 500 cal/day deficit 3500/7, and you burn more you must eat them back to keep your deficit at 500. If not you may lose more than your goal of 1lb, but it should be a goal for a reason, so why would you try to lose even more??, if that is the case then change your goal.0 -
I'm 5 2 and a half. When I started MFP over 2 weeks ago, I weighed in around 120. At the beginning of this week I weighed in at 115.
I eat all of my exercise calories back. I take in anywhere from 1850-over 2000 on some days, with a NET at 1250.
I've done P90X and P90X Plus for over a year now, I also add in some extra cardio. The way my muscles are finally starting to pop from finally feeding my body the right amount of calories each day is proof enough for me that eating them back at least works for me.0 -
I think the whole idea of eating your exercise is stupid. I don't do it! And I've lost 30-35 lbs in 9 weeks.
That weight loss is a little too fast to be considered healthy, I'm sure you lost quite a bit of muscle along with the fat at that rate.
If you went to a trainer they may tell you to eat 1500 calories everyday regardless if you workout that day or not as long as you do 5 days/week. MFP takes it one step further and says you may not workout so to lose weight without exercise you need 1200 cals. Now say you workout 5 days per week 450 calories per session. MFP tells you to eat 8400 (1200*7) plus exercise calories 2250 (450*5) per week for a total of 10650, while your trainer says eat 10500 (1500*7) per week. These number are only 150 apart, and MFP would have you lose weight if you didn't workout whereas your trainer gave you a caloric intake that you would only lose if you worked out.
No trainer or nutritionist, knowing you workout, would ever give you a calorie goal as low as MFP. MFP assumes you will not be working out, then adjusts your caloires up to account for exercise when you do it.
I may have lost a little muscle, but I am moving up in the weights and starting to notice the cut in my arms and back a bit more. People wanna look into the numbers way too much on this site! When I played football I was in the best shape of my life. Strength, stamina, appearance.. never once did I count a single calorie or track my workout's. I just ate healthy and went hard in the gym. That is all people need to do. Do you really think every pro athlete or body builder is on MFP or a similar site tracking everything? Probably not! This crap of counting every little detail is just going to drive people nuts.
And the best part of any article you'll read or "fact" out there. It's opinion based. You can search google for eating exercise calories and you'll get a million different reasons why it's bad or why it's good. And then people on here who had a little weight lose all of sudden becomes experts and preach this crap like it's fact. Everyone is a different, what works for one, might not work for another. I shared my experience with the OP about not eating mine. They need to find what works for them. Because there really isn't a right or wrong way.
Actually body builders do count everything, during bulk phase they want a certain caloric surplus and during cut phase they want a certain deficit. and most pro athletes are put on diets by nutritionists which account for calories. they may not do the counting but it is done for them. More so in sports that have weight classes than others but many pro football players do follow strict caloric intake and training programs to balance out based on goal, gain or lose weight or based on position.
and it is fact. 3500 calories = 1lb. If your goal is to lose 1 lb 500 cal/day deficit 3500/7, and you burn more you must eat them back to keep your deficit at 500. If not you may lose more than your goal of 1lb, but it should be a goal for a reason, so why would you try to lose even more??, if that is the case then change your goal.
Then what is the point in even working out? And how can you keep count of exactly what you burn? HRM I am sure are close, but probably not 100% accurate. Not to mention I highly doubt people wear HRM all day long. So the idea of knowing exactly what your body burns is unrealistic. And others might be happy with 1-2 lbs a week, I'm not.
Bottom line, if I'm hungry I'll eat. If I'm not, I am not going to force food down my throat to match some silly little number. I played football from the pee wee to the minor leagues. I was in great shape then, and I never once counted anything. So therefore I am not going to do it now. It works for me. It works for a lot of people I know.0 -
I've asked my trainer who is familiar with the website and actually recommends it, and she said that I don't need to. I know some people say that you're supposed to but knowing that the human body doesn't work like "clock work" is a good indicator that you should do what works best for you. Someone previously recommended trying it both ways. I would second that recommendation so that way you know for you, what works best.
Good luck!!!!
If you have a lot to lose you can afford not to, as you have the fat stores to call upon for energy. You would lose faster than your goal, if your goal is 2 lbs/week and you don't eat them you will lose faster (not healthy) if you have a lot to lose. For those that don't have a lot to lose or to meet, not exceed, your weekly loss goal, must eat the exercise calories, as it is a mathematical equation that only balances your deficit to your goal weight loss when you eat the exercise calories.
So far I'm averaging a loss of about 2.5 lbs per week.0 -
bump0
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I asked the exact question on here last week, and got a mixed response. I started at 218lb and dropped 60lb but then got stuck and then found this site, until now I have never eaten my exercise calories. But my weight has stayed the same for 6 months, it was so frustrating and would not move. I have done five days of eating my exercise calories and have lost 2lb already! very wierd but try it, it may get you through. For me I was ignoring being hungry so I would not go over calories, now I am not hungry and am losing, win win for me !
Another thing you might try is shocking your system. Your body gets used to your exercise routine. Try switching up your exercise routine with something new and hardcore.0 -
I've asked my trainer who is familiar with the website and actually recommends it, and she said that I don't need to. I know some people say that you're supposed to but knowing that the human body doesn't work like "clock work" is a good indicator that you should do what works best for you. Someone previously recommended trying it both ways. I would second that recommendation so that way you know for you, what works best.
Good luck!!!!
If you have a lot to lose you can afford not to, as you have the fat stores to call upon for energy. You would lose faster than your goal, if your goal is 2 lbs/week and you don't eat them you will lose faster (not healthy) if you have a lot to lose. For those that don't have a lot to lose or to meet, not exceed, your weekly loss goal, must eat the exercise calories, as it is a mathematical equation that only balances your deficit to your goal weight loss when you eat the exercise calories.
Precisely. If you have a lot of fat then you can afford to do more aggressive approaches. I still wouldn't recommend more then an average of a 2 pound weight loss a week for other health and aesthetic reasons, but it isn't as detrimental to someone who has a lot of fat to lose. For someone like Sos, it would be more of a concern, she is already fairly small. I wouldn't recommend over a 500 calorie deficit to anyone but certainly not to someone who is her size.
You called me small! Yay!!!!!! Thank you!
I do get what everyone is saying, I guess I need to just get over it and do it.0 -
While this may work for you, it probably won't work for everyone. Plus, you sound like one of those hydroxycut commercials where at the end they have in tiny print at the bottom of the screen: RESULTS NOT TYPICAL.I think the whole idea of eating your exercise is stupid. I don't do it! And I've lost 30-35 lbs in 9 weeks.0 -
I've asked my trainer who is familiar with the website and actually recommends it, and she said that I don't need to. I know some people say that you're supposed to but knowing that the human body doesn't work like "clock work" is a good indicator that you should do what works best for you. Someone previously recommended trying it both ways. I would second that recommendation so that way you know for you, what works best.
Good luck!!!!
If you have a lot to lose you can afford not to, as you have the fat stores to call upon for energy. You would lose faster than your goal, if your goal is 2 lbs/week and you don't eat them you will lose faster (not healthy) if you have a lot to lose. For those that don't have a lot to lose or to meet, not exceed, your weekly loss goal, must eat the exercise calories, as it is a mathematical equation that only balances your deficit to your goal weight loss when you eat the exercise calories.
Precisely. If you have a lot of fat then you can afford to do more aggressive approaches. I still wouldn't recommend more then an average of a 2 pound weight loss a week for other health and aesthetic reasons, but it isn't as detrimental to someone who has a lot of fat to lose. For someone like Sos, it would be more of a concern, she is already fairly small. I wouldn't recommend over a 500 calorie deficit to anyone but certainly not to someone who is her size.
You're probably right. I do have more to lose so I can afford to not eat my exercise calories back. It'll change. I think that's where a lot of people run into trouble. They start out doing things a certain way (eating right and exercise) and then hit a roadblock where they can't seem to lose anymore. That's where a change-up in eating and working out comes into play. I've been there, lost 30 lbs and couldn't lose anymore. As much as I tried, I was stuck. Gradually I gave up and now here I am again, to learn from my mistakes. 0
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