Who eats back exercise calories and who doesn't?

ILiftHeavyAcrylics wrote: »

I ate back every single calorie while I was losing weight, and of course I eat them back now that I'm in maintenance. I work out for fitness and health, not just to burn calories.

Your deficit is already built into your goal. It's not a good idea to make your deficit too large, as you can end up losing muscle instead of just fat.

For a more in depth explanation:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/818082

Ditto. On my "usual" bike ride I burn close to 700 calories. I cannot imagine not refueling after that.

I do not intentionally eat them back, every now and then I will end up over my goal but I don't sweat it cuz according to mfp after my work out I am still technically under. However, if I know I am going out to eat or to the bar I will do my best to stay super low all day like no creamer in my coffee, no cheese on my eggs kinda stuff then go hard for the work out because I know I will be going way over my goal so I try to make up for it with the work out

I do both. I use both exercise and food to control my weight. If I know I won't be able to work out, I know I really need to watch what I eat and plan accordingly. Conversely, if I know I'm going out to a dinner or a holiday meal, I workout extra to burn off any anticipated extra calories. I usually try to leave 200 or or so just to cover potential inaccuracies in calorie numbers.

Per the original question, yes, I eat back the calories burned during my workouts. I have lost 30 lbs at a consistent 1 lb/wk rate, while keeping my hard-earned weightlifting muscles, so it's working for me.

I do the TDEE -20% method. Seems to work well for me.

Who eats back exercise calories

People who understand how this tool actually works and people who know to strike a balance between properly fueling your activities while still maintaining an energy deficit to lose weight.

and who doesn't?

People who don't understand the above concept and don't understand the MFP method...and people who use other methods like the TDEE method which already includes and estimate of exercise activity in your calorie goals.

I'm pregnant now and just logging in calories for macro factors (thanks gestational diabetes) but when I am working out moderately/strenuously I eat back half of them if I'm not over calories for the day already. I would eat at least 1/3rd of them back at the very least unless your going by TDEE calculation. Unless you want to put your body in starvation mode.

I only decided to use NEAT a few weeks ago, but I'm currently eating back nearly 60% of my exercise calories with plans to adjust in another two weeks if I've lost too much weight or not enough (aiming for 1lb/wk). I feel much better than I did last year when I was eating under 1k due to ignorance.

I get my burn numbers from Fitocracy.

Its math.

I spent time when I first landed here trying to get a handle on my BMR and estimated daily burn for this body that hangs out in an office chair most of the day. I tried to figure that out as accurately as reasonably possible.

Then I spent time trying to figure out the appropriate deficit to achieve a sustainable, reasonable and safe goal, while still keeping my hair and some muscle mass.

I weigh my food and figure out that part of the equation in my best effort to keep the deficit I identified in steps 1 and 2 above.

So if I'm going to exercise and not account for the change in equation, not eat the calories, I'm messing around with a deficit I put a lot of effort into identifying. And I've created a whole different deficit, a different goal by default, and different results that aren't what I was looking for.

So yes, I eat my exercise calories. And they are delicious!

I do some intense cardio routines and burn from 700-1,000 per workout, so I do eat back some calories, but with healthy choices.