Should I Eat Back my Exercise Calories?

Options
Wunderlandz
Wunderlandz Posts: 6 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi, I'm a 5'5 female 19 year old currently at 159 lbs, and I'm trying to get down to 135-140. I set up MyFitnessPal according to my (mostly) sedentary lifestyle, and I have to net around 1200 calories a day to lose 1.3-1.5 lbs per week. I DO get in a lot of cardio/weight training about 4-5 days a week, but am I supposed to eat those exercise calories back so I stay at 1200? I wasn't entirely sure because I've heard mixed thoughts on that suggesting that if I didn't, I would be technically undereating and my weight wouldn't move.
«1

Replies

  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Options
    Based on your info, yes... you should be eating them back.

    No, it wouldn't be undoing the exercise. MFP calculates a calorie goal that will result in weight loss assuming NO exercise. When you do exercise, it changes the numbers/calculations so you must eat them back to stay on MFP's plan.

  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    Options
    Yes

    Eat back 50-75% of them so that you account for the overestimation of MFP/machines
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    Options
    You should eat those calories back, but probably not all of them. The calories burned doing workouts and the calories burned for normal life activities double dip on some of the calories. Also, the calories burned tends to be a little high.
  • KylaDenay
    KylaDenay Posts: 1,585 Member
    Options
    jacksonpt wrote: »
    Based on your info, yes... you should be eating them back.

    No, it wouldn't be undoing the exercise. MFP calculates a calorie goal that will result in weight loss assuming NO exercise. When you do exercise, it changes the numbers/calculations so you must eat them back to stay on MFP's plan.
    This

  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    Options
    When you set up your account on MFP it gives you what your deficit needs to be to meet the weight loss goal you entered, considering you do zero exercise.

    When you exercise you are supposed to eat that back to net the goal MFP gave you as that would keep you at the deficit to meet your goal.....along with the ever important needed fuel for your body (especially at your age).

    Keep in mind that MFP does overestimate calorie burns, so many start out at eating back 50% and adjusting from there.

    Look at it this way..............

    At your age/wt/ht and saying that you exercise 4-5 times per week. Your TDEE is probably close to 2300 and BMR closer 1500, so you should be taking in a total caloric intake somewhere between the two (probably close to 1700). If that 1700 minus your exercise nets you in the 1200-1400 range, you're good. As long as your food logging is on point.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    Options
    If you know how to accurately estimate your burns - sure, go for it.

    If you don't....don't.
  • kangaroux92
    kangaroux92 Posts: 188 Member
    Options
    i sometimes do, but only if i feel very hungry, listen to your body. if i do feel unusually hungry i will eat 50 -75% of them back.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    Options
    I'm not sure the calories burned estimates are as far off as we all assume they are. I don't have enough data points to be very accurate, but based on what I've seen so far, it has only been 10% off when compared to weight lost.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Options
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    Yes

    Eat back 50-75% of them so that you account for the overestimation of MFP/machines

    This^

    MFP as designed gave you a calorie deficit BEFORE exercise. Eating back calories just gets you back to your original starting place. Keeping a moderate deficit helps your body fuel existing lean muscle. Trying to lose too fast can lead to fat+muscle loss.
  • RibStabsHeart
    RibStabsHeart Posts: 71 Member
    Options
    Don't eat them back. If you're hungry, use them as a cushion when you can't make it to your next meal. But all the machines overestimate your burned calories, so I do what I can do always stick around my actual calories in, even when i burn 3-400 a day through exercise.

    If you're trying to bulk up, it's a different story.
  • KylaDenay
    KylaDenay Posts: 1,585 Member
    Options
    karryjakson wrote: »
    The only long term and healthy way to lose weight is to eat better and get more exercise.
    To eat in a caloric deficit and exercise for health. You do not need to exercise more to lose weight nor do you need to eat better. For good health sure.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Options
    I think the closer you are to average, whatever that is (average height, average weight, working out at an average intensity), the more likely estimates of any sort (MPF, websites, etc) will be fairly correct.

    As for Rib's advice above... I disagree.
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
    Options
    Yes, you should eat back some of your exercise calories.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    Options
    Wunderlandz wrote: »
    I DO get in a lot of cardio/weight training about 4-5 days a week, but am I supposed to eat those exercise calories back so I stay at 1200?

    If you are doing that much cardio, you should consider setting your MFP profile to "lightly active" and eat the higher calories it gives you, but don't eat back exercise calories. Otherwise, yes you should eat back your exercise calories.

    58841349.png
  • wmcmurray61
    wmcmurray61 Posts: 192 Member
    Options
    Yes. Absolutely. You need those calories to fuel your workouts. Dipping below 1200 calories is not safe. If you don't eat back exercise calories at this level and say you burn 300 calories working out, then that takes you below a healthy calorie intake.
  • RibStabsHeart
    RibStabsHeart Posts: 71 Member
    edited November 2014
    Options
    Do whatever works for you guys, this seems to work out for me. I eat my recommended 1350 a day and burn between 250-300 on the days when I work out. I always eat around 1350, and when I go out to eat, I generally eat back a chunk of my exercise calories. Likewise, If I'm hungry between meals, I eat! The main difference for me is that I don't force myself to eat more food at the end of the day if I'm not hungry.

    Personally, I have a hard time believing that the 300 cals it says I'm burning on the treadmill and stationary bike are actually 300 calories worth eating back. I don't have a fitbit or similar device to calculate the true amount of calories that I'm expending each day, so I err on the side of caution and make sure that I'm sticking to the caloric goal that I set for myself.

    (A final note: MFP suggested I go down to 1250 when I hit my last milestone. I can't do that comfortably, so I'm sticking where I was at previously and incorporating more cardio and weights.)
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    edited November 2014
    Options
    RibStabsHeart wrote: »
    Do whatever works for you guys, this seems to work out for me. I eat my recommended 1350 a day and burn between 250-300 on the days when I work out. I always eat around 1350, but I don't force myself to eat more food at the end of the day if I'm not hungry. If I'm hungry between meals, I eat! But I have a hard time believing that the 300 cals it says I'm burning on the treadmill and bike are truly 300, and I don't have a fitbit or similar device to calculate the true amount of calories that I'm expending each day, so I err on the side of caution and make sure that I'm actually taking in the caloric goal that I set for myself.

    MFP suggested I go down to 1250 when I hit my last milestone. I can't do that comfortably, so I'm sticking where I'm at and incorporating more cardio and weights.

    wow....

    What's your BMR....like 1700 calories?

Categories