Eating Back Your Cals?

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rwethington654
rwethington654 Posts: 34 Member
in Food and Nutrition
My question is, do you go by your net calories? Like, do you plug in your exercise and then make sure to eat back some of the calories and hit the new macros or just stick to all of the original goals?

Personally, I will plug in my cardio because I know I have burned a significant amount of calories compared to lifting. I usually try to eat some calories back but still stay in a deficit.

Thanks in advance!
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Replies

  • Oldbitcollector
    Oldbitcollector Posts: 229 Member
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    Personally, I log them, but I've never eaten them.. Figured if I worked that hard to burn them, I'd like to see them provide the earned results. ;)
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
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    If you use MFP net method then you should be eating back at least half of those calories unless you are grossly mislogging and choose to have a wide margin of error. In which case I'd advise that you learn how to log accurately.

    If you maintain your weight on 2000 calories without exercise, then you need to eat 2000 to continue maintaining. If you burn an extra 300 calories (assuming in these examples the burn rates are 100% accurate) then you now maintain your weight on 2300 calories, so you need to eat 2300 calories to maintain your weight.

    If you are thus eating 1500 calories to lose 1lb/week without exercise, eat 1500 to lose 1lb. If you burn 300 calories from exercise, you need to eat 1800 calories to maintain that 1lb/week deficit (2300-1800 = 500).

    To not eat back your exercise calories is just creating an unnecessarily larger deficit, and is not optimal to fueling your workouts and ensuring your body gets enough nutrients.

    Many eat only half (the short time I did MFP neat method I ate them ALL back and lost according to schedule) back to account for any mis-estimations and to have a margin of error.
  • Bageeeta
    Bageeeta Posts: 1,259 Member
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    I just stick with the original calories. I find it works the best for me.
  • rh091
    rh091 Posts: 100 Member
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    I don't eat back my exercise calories unless I am hungry and feel that I do need to eat more, otherwise I just eat like a normal day and don't worry if I go over by 50-100 calories. I read a blog post from myfitness pal from Facebook and the nutritionist said you don't need to eat back your exercise calories. BUT I eat at 1600 calories/day so I think it's different for someone who is only eating at 1200 and doesn't eat back.
  • krrbrr
    krrbrr Posts: 221 Member
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    I usually try not to eat back my calories, but today?...... cake
  • BeTheChange352
    BeTheChange352 Posts: 253 Member
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    I don't eat them back as I burn them, but I usually have a couple of days every week where I eat around TDEE, and that brings my daily average up to the same as if I was eating them back every day.
  • Cryptonomnomicon
    Cryptonomnomicon Posts: 848 Member
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    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/818082/exercise-calories-again-wtf/p1
  • rwethington654
    rwethington654 Posts: 34 Member
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    krrbrr wrote: »
    I usually try not to eat back my calories, but today?...... cake

    Haha...same today with pizza. It happens.
  • r5d5
    r5d5 Posts: 219 Member
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    You really should eat back some. MFP builds a calorie deficit for you, so exercising increases that deficit even more. When you don't eat back some of those burned off calories, you risk not properly fueling your body and giving it the nutrients it needs.
    Definitely eat them back!
  • csb66
    csb66 Posts: 32 Member
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    Thanks Ana, I was wondering how that worked regarding working out and eating back the calories, I do alot of weight training, and need the extra calories after working out, but was hesitant to eat more, although I stick to my allowed calories, on my workout days I do eat a little more than the 1380 calories daily allowance. Not much maybe 150-200 calories extra.
  • Lancerchick86
    Lancerchick86 Posts: 13 Member
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    So if I am planning a good workout and burned a lot of calories, I will eat back the calories burned. If I do eat, then I look for foods high in protein. If I don't go to the gym, then I stick to my daily calorie count and try not to go over.
  • daniebanks
    daniebanks Posts: 179 Member
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    I usually eat back some if iv done weights or HIIT training that morning, I'm always hungry all day when I do that sort of training :)
  • FitPhillygirl
    FitPhillygirl Posts: 7,124 Member
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    If I'm still hungry at the end of the day I eat more calories.
  • rwethington654
    rwethington654 Posts: 34 Member
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    I would like to thank everyone for their answers. Some were more informational and some more personal suggestions. Nonetheless, all were helpful. It's nice to see other inputs on topics and learn from one another. I think I will just listen to my body when it comes to this. Thanks again!
  • Asher_Ethan
    Asher_Ethan Posts: 2,430 Member
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    When I first started a calorie deficit I tried working out with out eating all my extra calories and I was so sluggish and felt so tired. So I decided to eat back half the calories I burn (and I usually underestimate those) I'm still loosing so it's working for me.
  • be_here_now
    be_here_now Posts: 9 Member
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    I don't log my exercise at all, so I don't eat back calories.
  • landfish
    landfish Posts: 255 Member
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    I don't eat back my exercise calories as a matter of habit and it seems to be working ok. Losing fat, gaining a little muscle. But if I eat back some portion of them on any given day, I don't freak out either.
  • Dragn77
    Dragn77 Posts: 810 Member
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    My goal is to eat back half my exercise calories, and consume no less than my set calories. Doesnt always work that way, but thats my goal.
  • WeddedBliss1992
    WeddedBliss1992 Posts: 414 Member
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    be_here_now wrote: »
    I don't log my exercise at all, so I don't eat back calories.

    ^^^ this is me as well ^^^
  • kpw818
    kpw818 Posts: 113 Member
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    Yep
    WeddedBliss1992 wrote: »
    be_here_now wrote: »
    I don't log my exercise at all, so I don't eat back calories.

    ^^^ this is me as well ^^^

    Ditto. It is something new I'm trying to keep blood sugar and energy even. I'm trying to eat at TDEE and then see how I come out after a few weeks. I am not trying to lose weight, but I still want to watch nutrients ( and not gain too much during training). Also, I do not trust their exercise counts at all. I'm small, so I'm not burning as much in most exercise.

    So far TDEE has worked well. I was naturally a little more hungry after longer run days so ate closer or a tiny over TDEE.

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