Do you eat back the calories of your workout?

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linamisiute
linamisiute Posts: 124 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
i was wondering should I eat back the calories I get from working out? Do you get better results if you do?

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  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    If you are following MFP it is designed for you to eat back exercise calories so yes

    However it depends how you estimate your calorie burn...the regular advice is to only eat back 50% of MFP database or machine burns as they overestimate

  • biancaaandreeac
    biancaaandreeac Posts: 4
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    I usually eat more than the calories i worked out but i don't think it's good! So i'll try not to eat that much
  • linamisiute
    linamisiute Posts: 124 Member
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    rabbitjb wrote: »
    If you are following MFP it is designed for you to eat back exercise calories so yes

    However it depends how you estimate your calorie burn...the regular advice is to only eat back 50% of MFP database or machine burns as they overestimate

    I use a polar watch so the calories burn are pretty accurate. I dont use the one from the machines. But if i dont eat them back will i lose more weight?
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
    edited February 2015
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    linamisiute wrote: »
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    If you are following MFP it is designed for you to eat back exercise calories so yes

    However it depends how you estimate your calorie burn...the regular advice is to only eat back 50% of MFP database or machine burns as they overestimate

    I use a polar watch so the calories burn are pretty accurate. I dont use the one from the machines. But if i dont eat them back will i lose more weight?

    if you eat them back you will be properly fueling your body and learning how to fuel your fitness...there is more to healthy living than simply losing weight.

    Look at the math...if you need 2000 calories per day to maintain your weight sedentary and you want to lose 1 Lb per week, you would eat 1500 calories per day. Now let's say you exercise and burn 300 calories...now you could consume 1800 calories and achieve the same weight loss goal because now your maintenance would be 2300 calories rather than 2000...and 2300 - 1800 = 500 calorie deficit still.

    It's not about losing more or less weight, it's about learning how to fuel your body and be a healthy individual. Properly fueling exercise activity is essential to recovery and fitness performance and gains.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    linamisiute wrote: »
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    If you are following MFP it is designed for you to eat back exercise calories so yes

    However it depends how you estimate your calorie burn...the regular advice is to only eat back 50% of MFP database or machine burns as they overestimate

    I use a polar watch so the calories burn are pretty accurate. I dont use the one from the machines. But if i dont eat them back will i lose more weight?

    For steady state cardio like jogging or cycling yes...not so much for HIIT or weights or other exercises. So really this depends on what you do
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    linamisiute wrote: »
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    If you are following MFP it is designed for you to eat back exercise calories so yes

    However it depends how you estimate your calorie burn...the regular advice is to only eat back 50% of MFP database or machine burns as they overestimate

    I use a polar watch so the calories burn are pretty accurate. I dont use the one from the machines. But if i dont eat them back will i lose more weight?

    if you eat them back you will be properly fueling your body and learning how to fuel your fitness...there is more to healthy living than simply losing weight.

    Look at the math...if you need 2000 calories per day to maintain your weight sedentary and you want to lose 1 Lb per week, you would eat 1500 calories per day. Now let's say you exercise and burn 300 calories...now you could consume 1800 calories and achieve the same weight loss goal because now your maintenance would be 2300 calories rather than 2000...and 2300 - 1800 = 500 calorie deficit still.

    It's not about losing more or less weight, it's about learning how to fuel your body and be a healthy individual. Properly fueling exercise activity is essential to recovery and fitness performance and gains.

    Yes ^^
  • eileensofianmushinfine
    eileensofianmushinfine Posts: 303 Member
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    as of right now, I don't eat back exercise calories. I'm trying to keep a deficit situation on the higher end for now.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    When I first started. Yes. Being on a 500 calorie deficit, I feel you need to. Now that I have such a tiny deficit and tend to like to slip into maintenance on the weekends, I do not.
  • Amanda4change
    Amanda4change Posts: 620 Member
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    I use a polar device as well, and I eat back about half of what I burn. If I eat less then I notice that my workouts start to suffer.
  • rachylouise87
    rachylouise87 Posts: 367 Member
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    nope as nothing can tell me 100% what i have burned so i dont do this now. i only usually burn 200 -250 in workouts so i dont eat them back. i have better results this way
  • kristenlsjones
    kristenlsjones Posts: 2
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    I usually go to the gym at 9pm or so and according to my vivofit, burn between 70o-1100 calories. I always have a snack after I leave, but considering I'm usually still under my mfp goal for the day before I even get to the gym, eating them all back is hard. I try to make sure my snack after my workout at least takes me up to my mfp goal (before subtracting work out cals). I'm big so my mfp goal to lose 2lbs per week still gives me 2300 cals per day, before I go to the gym.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    edited February 2015
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    I eat back about 2/3 of the calories my Fitbit gives me for steps. On the days I go to the pool, I eat back a little less than half of the calories I earn from swimming laps and a water aerobics class, since they are MFP estimates and MFP is notorious for overestimating burn.

    My NEAT calorie are 1760 daily. On pool days I earn enough to eat a little over 3000. That is just too much food and I can't do it.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
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    I usually eat my calories back if I net under 1200. I will eat about half of them back,enough to get me over 1200.If I am over 1200 then I will something small containing protein,carbs and fat..I also make sure to get plenty of water as well
  • orlandodenise
    orlandodenise Posts: 54 Member
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    No I dont eat them back - im allowed 1300 calories a day as I dont work or do much since retirement ( at 50) apart from going to the gym 6 days a week where I burn around 1300 calories over 3 hours ( zumba, swimming, weights and cadio machines ). I find it hard enough to eat the 1300 as im on a low carb diet, low fat diet with lots of green veg etc and lean meats have no real hunger. Ive lost 100 lb ( 70 pre MFP) and 30lb since joining on 1st Jan 2015 when I started this increased fitness regime, strict diet and stopped drinking alcohol too. Ive never been healthier and havent had any colds or infections now for over a year. I take a daily multi vitimin.
  • esjones12
    esjones12 Posts: 1,363 Member
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    It depends on how much you are burning. When you exercise you increase the deficit MFP already has figured in. Too large of a deficit and you will end up tired and miserable and your body will not be fueled properly for activity and recovery.

    If your burning 300 calories 3x a week. Not a huge deal to not eat back. If you are like me, burning 600-1200 calories 5x a week..
    .you have to eat back a lot of those calories. Even with 30-40lbs to lose that creates too large a deficit and I can't function. I used to eat half back but had to up it to 75%.

    Really you have to listen to your body. You CAN lose weight and not be hungry and miserable. If you arent losing weight than eat less. If your losing but tired then eat more.
  • Wenchiness
    Wenchiness Posts: 126 Member
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    My Dr. does not allow me to eat them back, as the whole point of doing the exercise is to help burn and lose. I also do the polar hrm, and I do believe it's fairly accurate, But say I burn 450 calories in an hour, probably 100-150 of those were for simply existing and those existence calories have already been accounted for in my plan, so I am really only burning 300ish. I also have a LifeTrak band, and on days I swim a mile, hour on elliptical, zumba and aerobics I am showing a burn of only 300-500 over what I do on a "rest" day. While it's disheartening to work so hard for such seemingly little return, it seems to be working so I'll keep it up.
  • linamisiute
    linamisiute Posts: 124 Member
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    Thanks for all the replies

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