Getting Old, I Know.... : /

Tiana405
Tiana405 Posts: 270 Member
edited September 25 in Food and Nutrition
Okay, so... I hear about eating back your exercise calories all the time, BUT....does this truly work? Is it completely factual? Does it work for everyone? Just makes me nervous, so if anyone has any links that could help me out or share your personal success/fail stories and greatly appreciate it! Thanks so much! : )

Replies

  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    Okay, so... I hear about eating back your exercise calories all the time, BUT....does this truly work? Is it completely factual? Does it work for everyone? Just makes me nervous, so if anyone has any links that could help me out or share your personal success/fail stories and greatly appreciate it! Thanks so much! : )

    Yes and yes, unless you have a thyroid or other such issue. Losing weight with a "normal" metabolism is math. Calories in vs calories out. And if your goal is to lose 1 lb/week your caloric deficit/day would have to be 500. So the calories goal MFP gives you would account for this. Now if you workout and burn 400 calories, your deficit is now 900, but your goal is 500, so you must eat back the 400 calories to keep your deficit at 500 and lose your goal amount of weight/week.

    If you don't eat them back you may not be fueling your body enough and may end up burning muscle, instead of fat. You may lose more or less if you don't eat them, but your goal in MFP should be your goal for a reason therefore you should eat them back. Why else set a goal, if you are not going to stick to it.
  • CaraRadz
    CaraRadz Posts: 169 Member
    erickirb, you always explain the exercise calorie thing so well!

    I've been on MFP for 90+ days, have been eating back the vast majority of my exercise calories, and have lost 34.8 pounds. I'd be so hungry is I only consumed 1,200 on days when I workout!
  • Tiana405
    Tiana405 Posts: 270 Member
    Caloric deficit?
  • PoorGirlEatingHealthy
    PoorGirlEatingHealthy Posts: 209
    I am trying this for the first time...the whole eat your calories back...hoping it works for me!
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    Caloric deficit?

    If your maintenance was 1800 and MFP gives you 1300 your caloric deficit would be 500 (1800-1300) and this tells you it will take 1 week to have a total deficit of 3500 which equals 1 lb weight loss. 500 daily deficit * 7days = 3500 weekly deficit, 3500 calories = 1 lb.
  • Tiana405
    Tiana405 Posts: 270 Member
    AHA!!!! It's all clear to me now! Thank you soooo very much! I hope that eating them back will help. I don't want to lose any muscle, THAT'S for sure!

    Does eating back calories work for everyone? Is it harder to plateau when doing this?
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    AHA!!!! It's all clear to me now! Thank you soooo very much! I hope that eating them back will help. I don't want to lose any muscle, THAT'S for sure!

    Does eating back calories work for everyone? Is it harder to plateau when doing this?

    It should work for everyone, assuming no thyroid issues, and that the calories burned from exercise are calculated correctly using a HRM. If you don't have an HRM I would suggest eating no more than 75% of the calories burned back. So if MFP tells you you burned 200, I would only eat back 150, this would allow for any overestimation MFP's calculation made.
  • Tiana405
    Tiana405 Posts: 270 Member
    Sounds smart to me. I do, however, have a thyroid issue... it doesn't work at all.... but.... I'm on medicine that regulates it and just had blood work done... everything is normal. Will this still cause adverse affects?
  • FordEXP
    FordEXP Posts: 22
    This is the most in-depth explanation I've seen thus far on here regarding eating exercise calories.

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