what does everyone mean by 'eating back' exercise cals?

pet0006
pet0006 Posts: 5
edited September 26 in Health and Weight Loss
reading through posts, I'm really confused!
So whenever we exercise, we have to eat back the calories wej ust burnt off?! that makes no sense... Isn't weight loss just a simple 'burn more than you put in' scenario? I burnt 500 cals today and ate 1000 calories, does this mean I have to eat another 500?
HELP!

Replies

  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    You set a calorie deficit when you create your original goals, eating exercise calories just keeps you at that goal deficit, NOT eating them would increase the deficit.
  • SheehyCFC
    SheehyCFC Posts: 529 Member
    YES. You have to eat another 500 (and your goal should be >1000, MFP only allows 1200 minimum due to various medical concerns). MFP builds in a calorie deficit to your "goal", so if you workout, you have burnt more calories than a "typical" day and therefore have to eat them back.
    Hope this helps - good luck!
  • kbarry90
    kbarry90 Posts: 48
    I don't eat my exercise calories back & I've been losing weight.
  • BeckyKSmith
    BeckyKSmith Posts: 212 Member
    yes, to an extent. Your body needs calories to survive.....if you are burning so much, you need to fuel your muscles to build them up. Even if the treadmill says you burn 250 calories, you will still burn at a higher rate for hours after. I have found that if I don't eat some of them I don't lose as much weight.....my body shuts down my metabolism. If I eat at least half of them, the weight falls off.
    Try it both ways for a week and see what works best for you. I'll bet the "eating more" will work out better.
  • A_New_Horizon
    A_New_Horizon Posts: 1,555 Member
    Every person is different. Some eat back exercise calories and some don't. Personally, I eat back about half of them. I am allowed 1270/day, and I workout anywhere from 300 to 500 a day. If I don't eat back my exercise calories, I am starving. I end up anywhere from 1300 to 1500 calories for the day. Sometimes, if you don't eat back some of your exercise calories, your body will go into starvation mode. But like I said before, every person is different. Just stay under your calories and you will be fine.
  • reese66
    reese66 Posts: 2,920 Member
    MFP already gives you calorie deficit. Many recommend you do eat back your exercise calories. If you search the forums that's question there are many posts you can read through and come to your own conclusion.

    Best wishes in your journey :)
  • juliapurpletoes
    juliapurpletoes Posts: 951 Member
    YES! ditto the above wise comments :)
  • BeBeBurro
    BeBeBurro Posts: 2
    I think it's different for everyone really. If I eat all of my exercise calories, I might not lose weight or maintain. It also depends on what you are using those calories for.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    Yes to a pint, but having too large of a caloric deficit can hamper your weight loss and cause your body to burn muscle instead of fat to use as fuel.

    MFP already gives you a deficit to lose your goal amount of weight/week with your daily caloric goal. If your goal is to lose 1lb/week your daily deficit is already 500. If you burn another 500 your deficit is not 1000 and depending on your situation that deficit may be too large for you. Eating these calories is the only way to meet your goal.

    As an example say MFP gives you 1200 calories to lose your goal of 1.5 lbs/week and you exercise for 1000 calories. That would be a deficit of 1750 on the day (much too large) and your body will react as if you ate 200 (1200-1000) cals. Eating 1200 and burning 1000 is the same as eating 200 and not exercising. Either way, not enough for you to function on.
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    You'll find a variety of opinions, and it'll be up to you to work out what's best for your body!

    Personally, I get the theory and maths of eating back to net 1200 calories - but that assumes that our bodies are programmable machines (which they're patently not).

    It also assumes that we are accurately measuring every last morsel we eat (when there's obviously a margin of error in there), and that every last calorie expended is recorded (so I run for the bus instead of walk, do a heavy session of housework, have a vigorous session of rumpy pumpy...but don't record those..so I've over consumed calories)

    Me, I make sure I take in at least 1200 calories a day. If I do some serious exercise, I'll allow more ( big fan of the chocolate milk post work-out!), but often I'll not even record my exercise burnt.

    I do think that MFP "shouts" at you quite rightly when your cals consumed is less than 1200, but not when your "net" figure (ie after allowing for exercise) takes it below that. ((I could be wrong here, happy to be proved so)

    Sorry there's no quick fix black or white answer - if there was, wouldn't we all have been doing that years ago?
  • Oompa_Loompa
    Oompa_Loompa Posts: 1,099 Member
    I eat back all of mine. otherwise im starving and miserable.
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    I think a lot of you guys are missing her question. She wasn't asking whether to eat them or not, she was asking why MFP puts them in there, in other words she was trying to understand how MFP does it's calculations.
  • reese66
    reese66 Posts: 2,920 Member
    I think a lot of you guys are missing her question. She wasn't asking whether to eat them or not, she was asking why MFP puts them in there, in other words she was trying to understand how MFP does it's calculations.

    She asks "does this mean I have to eat another 500?"


    This is a toughie only in this question tends to create a huge debate...
    I do eat them, others don't and some only eat half.
  • pet0006
    pet0006 Posts: 5
    thanks for the help guys! I'm understanding it more now, makes much more sense. It was all going around in circles in my head! fyi, yesterday I wasn't feeling well, hence the 1000 calories. Sometimes I don't feel like eating back all of my calories, but it really makes sense now - before I felt as if I was undoing all my hard work!
  • pjharr
    pjharr Posts: 8
    It takes a while to get it. I call the eat backs my play calories. I burn about 1200 in a workout so by the time I walk out eat back isn't even a question because I could eat the fat pug the lady is walking past the gym... with some jerk seasoning maybe. I am starving.

    I do make the eat back count nutritionally. Once in a long while I treat with some foods with no redeeming value.
  • ReginaM49
    ReginaM49 Posts: 65 Member
    I have been wrestling with the very same question. I'm in my third week and have not been eating back my exercise calories. My brother tells me I need to or my metabolism slows down thinking I'm starving myself. Your comments have clarified things for me. I think I'll experiment and see what works best for me. Thanks, all!
  • ryzola
    ryzola Posts: 51 Member
    Clues in the title. If you do 500 calories worth of cardio, then you are entitled to an extra 500 calories. That's the idea. Whether it works or not is up to you.
  • kellogsmscott
    kellogsmscott Posts: 67 Member
    I have the same ponderings. Skating for more than 2 hours at a time is some scary calorie amount, like 1000+.

    So techincally i need to eat another 1000 calories in order to fuel my body and continue losing my 1.5lb a week. I get the logic, but eating another 1000 at least (again dependant on my time roller derbying) sounds so extreme!

    But, i guess i've earnt it so enjoy it....
  • phinners
    phinners Posts: 524 Member
    Think of them as freebies. Burn 500, eat back 500, net = zero. Freebies.
  • jessiecrow
    jessiecrow Posts: 7
    ive programmed my MFP to only ever allow me a net of 1000 calories a day. so obviously i eat back my exercise calories but never exceed 1000 net.

    so if i want to eat a normal days-worth of food, i HAVE to exercise. keeps me motivated, otherwise its raw veggies for dinner. :)
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