Here's why I don't eat back my exercise calories.

FredDoyle wrote: »

merrycam wrote: »

Serah87 wrote: »

Usually the "mean" people are the ones who lost the most weight or have kept it off. I think I will go with what they say!!! I eat back my exercise calories and sometimes plus more and I have lost 121 pounds. I think I am doing it right!!

I wouldn't place a hierarchy on who is more right just based on how much they've lost, I think that's a little more than just "mean". Nobody earns the right to be rude just because they had more weight to lose. I've lost fifty pounds doing various different things and while I gained a little back because I stalled and decided to go try MFP's way again, it doesn't negate the fact that not eating calories back works just as well as eating them back.

Some people say not eating them back or eating too little "leads" to anorexic behavior. I think that eating them back is enabling for people with binge eating disorder and binge-like behavior.

There are plenty of ways to lose weight and none of them is "right" for everyone except the basic "calories in < calories out".

Or you know, the way in which the site you're on is supposed to work.

Sure. That doesn't mean that the way it works isn't enabling. There's a reason people end up weighing twice their healthy amount. I personally think it's unhealthy to "reward" yourself with food if you aren't hungry. If you are, no big deal, but you're not going to die just because you miss a meal.

There are plenty of people on this website that don't lose, plenty that do. All I'm saying is that it's a bit rude to turn MFP into Mean Girls where the people who were 200+ pounds somehow have more valid advice than those who were maybe 60-70 pounds, or even just 20 pounds over their goal.

merrycam wrote: »

FredDoyle wrote: »

merrycam wrote: »

Serah87 wrote: »

Usually the "mean" people are the ones who lost the most weight or have kept it off. I think I will go with what they say!!! I eat back my exercise calories and sometimes plus more and I have lost 121 pounds. I think I am doing it right!!

I wouldn't place a hierarchy on who is more right just based on how much they've lost, I think that's a little more than just "mean". Nobody earns the right to be rude just because they had more weight to lose. I've lost fifty pounds doing various different things and while I gained a little back because I stalled and decided to go try MFP's way again, it doesn't negate the fact that not eating calories back works just as well as eating them back.

Some people say not eating them back or eating too little "leads" to anorexic behavior. I think that eating them back is enabling for people with binge eating disorder and binge-like behavior.

There are plenty of ways to lose weight and none of them is "right" for everyone except the basic "calories in < calories out".

Or you know, the way in which the site you're on is supposed to work.

Sure. That doesn't mean that the way it works isn't enabling. There's a reason people end up weighing twice their healthy amount.

There are lots of reasons. Following MFP's plan closely and eating back exercise calories probably isn't one.

I don't even use MFP method currently, but the idea that eating appropriately for the exercise you do (i.e., eating back exercise calories when you have a goal based on being sedentary) is "binging" is just not true.

I personally think it's unhealthy to "reward" yourself with food if you aren't hungry. If you are, no big deal, but you're not going to die just because you miss a meal.

It's not about rewarding yourself. It's about having a goal that is appropriate for your level of activity. What I hate about these discussions is the idea that it's better or more virtuous to eat less, no matter what. However you do it--exercise calories, TDEE method, whatever--it's better not to be too aggressive in your goal and not to convince yourself that not eating when possible is always better than eating.

I agree with your point on the advice and certain people not automatically deserving deference vs. others. What should matter is accuracy, not who says it. Here, though, the idea that it's an ideal to be able to do 1200 without eating back exercise calories while exercising hard an hour a day, for example, because you can manage not to be that hungry unlike those weaker people is just a really unhealthy way to look at it. And that's what these discussions always seem to fall into. Eating more is not innately bad or related to "binging."

I'm on 1200 calories a day. The days I run 30 mins I tend to eat back the 300 extra calories. If I run an hour 600 calories I don't eat them all back.
This seems to be keeping me manage my diet and actually do more exercise. Many days I have thought if I have a run I can eat a little more. This seems to work for me.
For me the difference between 1200 and 1500 calories a day seems to make quite a difference to how I feel about dieting. Therefore I will eat those calories back. On those days I hardly feel like I'm on a diet so it keeps me going for the long haul.

We are looking at a thread from July. . . .of 2013. Somebody bored?!? Able to start another thread. . . .hmmm

_Terrapin_ wrote: »

We are looking at a thread from July. . . .of 2013. Somebody bored?!? Able to start another thread. . . .hmmm

Yup.

I started not eating them back a while ago... but I've not noticed a difference. Perhaps it's time for me to take a different route.

Why start a new thread when this one does perfectly fine, lol.

My problem with eating back calories is I do not really believe the calorie burns I'm given....esp. when I use drastically reduced calorie burns as it is....i.e., I take whatever the website, app, or machine - (the gym elliptical does track my heart rate and I can customize it with my weight and age) - tells me I burned and I cut it in half, or even less.

And sometimes I see a loss, sometimes I just maintain. It's frustrating.

I eat back. Mostly. It helps motivate me to get on the bike! I'm losing this way and don't feel depressed or restricted with what I'm eating. Each to their own. I'm only on 1200 and I'd struggle to stay at that without exercise giving me more.

Well it seems that some people's difference of opinion here leads to some very long threads, and as we're all grown adults can't we at least act accordingly?

Having had my say, my personal experience here is; I've not had this app very long at all, am not massively overweight but would like to be happier with my own appearance. I'm sticking to my allowance and exercising like a maniac, but not finding I'm losing weight in the slightest. It hadn't even occurred to me that not eating your exercise calories back was an option. I for one feel like bashing my head against a wall, calling myself a doofus repeatedly, giving this a try and wondering why I didn't realise that was an option.
I understand that some people feel this is not how the app was designed, by if doing everything right doesn't work for you, perhaps it's time to try a bit of wrong?