Eating back exercise calories?
kimbulie
Posts: 20 Member
Should we or shoudn't we?
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Replies
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Depends on how you're progressing toward your goal.0
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I've consistently read on these forums to eat back about half of your MFP-determined exercise calories, because the reported calorie burns are greatly over estimated.
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There is no consensus on this.
Many members of these forums eat back half their exercise calories.
I tend to ignore my exercise calories but sometimes eat back a small amount.0 -
It depends on how you have your goals set, and how accurate your logging is.
If you are using MFP method and you choose the correct activity level (just for everyday life, not including exercise), then yes, you should eat at least some of your exercise calories. The reason is, MFP does not include exercise in what it calculates your needs are, so when you do it, you log it and eat more fuel. Otherwise your deficit is too large and can be unhealthy.
If you are using the TDEE-% method which most diets do, then this number includes exercise in its calculations and you would not eat more.
A properly set MFP+exercise calories should be somewhere about the same as a properly set TDEE-% goal.
Example:
1400 (amount MFP says to eat)
-300 (amount you exercised)
+300 (amount more you eat for the exercise)
=1400 NET (but you actually ate 1700 total)
vs:
2100 (your Total Daily Energy Expenditure TDEE)
-420 (a 20% deficit)
=1680 (your daily calorie goal)
Some people do not eat ALL of their exercise calories to compensate for inaccurate logging or because MFP estimates of calorie burns are said to be too high.
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When I was trying to lose I ate back around 50 - 75% of exercise calories, as long as I was logging accurately I consistently lost.
I now follow TDEE method, my maintenance calories are 2300, I can eat that amount to maintain and if I want to lose I just eat at deficit of that total.0 -
Depends on your goals. I eat back protein and a smaller percentage of carbs, but my end goal is to increase endurance and strength.0
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All the answers are what I suspected...that there's no definite answer, right or wrong!
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There's no definitive answer but I'll throw my hat in for the "eat back half of the calories it gives you" side. Start from there then adjust accordingly, based on your results after a few weeks, if you're feeling excessively drained, etc.0
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You should, but just remember that you should eat back net exercise calories, not gross exercise calories and some estimators tend to be off for some people. But yes, if you calculate your exercise calories correctly, you should eat those calories.0
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All the answers are what I suspected...that there's no definite answer, right or wrong!
Mmm....sort of.
Are you using MFP to figure your daily deficit? If yes, then MFP (as designed) expects you to eat exercise calories back. So the definite answer is yes...........however
User errors and estimations....change people's answers.
1. Some people are very good at logging food: weighing portions, logging every bite, etc. Those people can eat exercise calories back and still lose weight.
2. Some people wear heart rate monitors for steady state cardio and use conservative estimates for other workouts. Those people can eat exercise calories back and still lose weight.
3. Some people have chosen the appropriate activity level, some people only log actual workouts. Some people have used realistic weekly weight loss goals. Those people can eat exercise calories back and still lose weight.
Why not try MFP (as designed). Only eat 50% of your calories back. See if your weekly weight loss is on track. You may be one of the people who is accurate, conservative, and settings are correct.
The reason for keeping your deficit in check (it's not hunger)....fast weight loss often sacrifices a larger percentage of existing lean muscle mass than most people are comfortable with.0 -
If / How much of exercise calories to eat can be easily determined after answering two questions
1) Are you exercising specifically to increase your healthy deficit ?
2) How accurate is your calorie expenditure estimate/logging ?
If your answer to #1 is yes, then don't eat the cals, but try to eat the increased protein.
If your answer to #1 is no, then eat the increased protein, and you can safely eat a % of the total calories based on accuracy rate. IE if you think its 50/50 chance its accurate, eat back 50% of the calories. If your using a high quality HRM with 95%+ accuracy, then you can eat them all.
That is a starting point, then adjust/tweak based on results history.0 -
I've eaten at least half and often all of them back ever since I started 2+ years ago.0
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All the answers are what I suspected...that there's no definite answer, right or wrong!
Mmm....sort of.
Are you using MFP to figure your daily deficit? If yes, then MFP (as designed) expects you to eat exercise calories back. So the definite answer is yes...........however
User errors and estimations....change people's answers.
1. Some people are very good at logging food: weighing portions, logging every bite, etc. Those people can eat exercise calories back and still lose weight.
2. Some people wear heart rate monitors for steady state cardio and use conservative estimates for other workouts. Those people can eat exercise calories back and still lose weight.
3. Some people have chosen the appropriate activity level, some people only log actual workouts. Some people have used realistic weekly weight loss goals. Those people can eat exercise calories back and still lose weight.
Why not try MFP (as designed). Only eat 50% of your calories back. See if your weekly weight loss is on track. You may be one of the people who is accurate, conservative, and settings are correct.
The reason for keeping your deficit in check (it's not hunger)....fast weight loss often sacrifices a larger percentage of existing lean muscle mass than most people are comfortable with.
I think I'm very accurate on logging food. Calories burned may not have been accurate prior to yesterday but, I'm adjusting that. Your least sentence is my concern....since my net is b/t 900-1100 after exercise, am I "starving" (I don't feel like I am) or losing muscle mass.0 -
If / How much of exercise calories to eat can be easily determined after answering two questions
1) Are you exercising specifically to increase your healthy deficit ?
2) How accurate is your calorie expenditure estimate/logging ?
If your answer to #1 is yes, then don't eat the cals, but try to eat the increased protein.
If your answer to #1 is no, then eat the increased protein, and you can safely eat a % of the total calories based on accuracy rate. IE if you think its 50/50 chance its accurate, eat back 50% of the calories. If your using a high quality HRM with 95%+ accuracy, then you can eat them all.
That is a starting point, then adjust/tweak based on results history.
The answer to #1 is yes and I like to get cardio in since I sit at a desk all day. I eat more protein that is recommended (macros) so hopefully I'm good!
. Hard to tell if it's still working as weight hasn't changed in over a week but it did work the first three weeks after I started. 0 -
All the answers are what I suspected...that there's no definite answer, right or wrong!
There is a correct answer, and as stated, it depends on how you have set up your goals, and how accurate you are in tracking. You haven't supplied those variables, so nobody can give you a definitive answer about what is the best course for you.
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All the answers are what I suspected...that there's no definite answer, right or wrong!
I think the correct answer is based on your results. If your goal is to lose 2 lbs/ week, that is what you are achieving (on average) and you aren't eating back your exercise calories, then you are dialed in. If you are losing more than you planned, then you should eat some back (say 50% like others do) and see what the results are.0 -
All the answers are what I suspected...that there's no definite answer, right or wrong!
I think the correct answer is based on your results. If your goal is to lose 2 lbs/ week, that is what you are achieving (on average) and you aren't eating back your exercise calories, then you are dialed in. If you are losing more than you planned, then you should eat some back (say 50% like others do) and see what the results are.
It depends. Your example is 2 pounds a week (I know it's an example).
But let's say OP is looking to lose 2 pounds a week. If so, she has unrealistic goals and would be alloted 1200 net calories. Your advice would be eat nothing back to achieve that unrealistic goal. Eating calories back should be based on results.....but some people have it wrong from the beginning.
OP - is you are seeing a daily goal of 1200 net calories I would be concerned that your weekly goal is too high. 1200 net is MFPs minimum. 1200 is appropriate for petite, senior ladies.
Within 10 pounds of goal you should be looking for 1/2 pound a week, 1 pound a week is appropriate for awhile. Hunger is not a good indicator of adequate nutrition.0 -
everyone is different. i do not.0
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All the answers are what I suspected...that there's no definite answer, right or wrong!
actually, there is...people are just woefully ignorant.
you have to account for exercise somewhere. there are basically two methods used for calorie counting...the NEAT method (MFP) and the TDEE method.
With the NEAT method, your activity level only consists of your day to day hum drum...this is why MFP only talks about what kind of work you do (i.e. desk job or whatever) and makes no mention of exercise...you set your activity to account for only your day to day hum drum and your calorie targets are based on that. Suffice it to say that when you exercise, you are going beyond your daily hum drum...thus increasing your energy (calorie) requisites...thus you would eat back exercise calories to account for that extra activity.
With the TDEE method, you include an estimate of your exercise in your activity level...a TDEE calculator will then give you a calorie target based on you day to day AND your exercise...thus your calorie targets would already include some estimate of the energy required to fuel your fitness.
The difficulty with the MFP method and calorie counting in general is that people tend to not be very accurate...they choose erroneous entries from the database...they eyeball servings...they don't actually account for everything going into their mouth, etc...people in general tend to underestimate their intake. On top of that, they also tend to overestimate their exercise burns...so the net effect of all of those inaccuracies for someone eating back exercise calories is often maintenance and not losing weight.
Done properly and being as accurate as possible, the MFP method works...I lost 40 Lbs eating back exercise calories using the MFP method...it's just that it requires a high degree of accuracy as well as consistency.
All that said, it's important to learn how to fuel your fitness...when you start to look at fitness for the sake of fitness rather than as a weight management tool, it makes sense. I ride roughly 80 miles per week...if I didn't know how to properly fuel that, I'd be on my *kitten*. If you watch fit and healthy people closely, you will notice that they do not diet and exercise...they eat and they train.0 -
I meant no offense by my comment of no right or wrong, just that it seems there isn't a definitive answer that yes, you should or no, you shouldn't. I appreciate all the helpful comments and info from EVERYONE, thanks!0
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Nobody took offence by your comment :flowerforyou:
In answer to your question, I eat back most, sometimes all of my exercise calories. but you must be sure your food logging is on point if you're going to eat back a large portion of them.0 -
I'm not going to lie - I just walked 2 miles so I could eat back the calories in cheesecake. I don't care.
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I don't know. I have been avoiding it.
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Don't eat back your exercise calories until you have a solid analysis of how well you're losing weight, then you can always work back from there.
Lots of people don't measure food, don't get those calories right, or exercise calories right. It's just hard to be precise. Lose weight first, establish a habit and pattern, then adjust if it's even needed (or desired).0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »All the answers are what I suspected...that there's no definite answer, right or wrong!
actually, there is...people are just woefully ignorant.
you have to account for exercise somewhere. there are basically two methods used for calorie counting...the NEAT method (MFP) and the TDEE method.
With the NEAT method, your activity level only consists of your day to day hum drum...this is why MFP only talks about what kind of work you do (i.e. desk job or whatever) and makes no mention of exercise...you set your activity to account for only your day to day hum drum and your calorie targets are based on that. Suffice it to say that when you exercise, you are going beyond your daily hum drum...thus increasing your energy (calorie) requisites...thus you would eat back exercise calories to account for that extra activity.
With the TDEE method, you include an estimate of your exercise in your activity level...a TDEE calculator will then give you a calorie target based on you day to day AND your exercise...thus your calorie targets would already include some estimate of the energy required to fuel your fitness.
The difficulty with the MFP method and calorie counting in general is that people tend to not be very accurate...they choose erroneous entries from the database...they eyeball servings...they don't actually account for everything going into their mouth, etc...people in general tend to underestimate their intake. On top of that, they also tend to overestimate their exercise burns...so the net effect of all of those inaccuracies for someone eating back exercise calories is often maintenance and not losing weight.
Done properly and being as accurate as possible, the MFP method works...I lost 40 Lbs eating back exercise calories using the MFP method...it's just that it requires a high degree of accuracy as well as consistency.
All that said, it's important to learn how to fuel your fitness...when you start to look at fitness for the sake of fitness rather than as a weight management tool, it makes sense. I ride roughly 80 miles per week...if I didn't know how to properly fuel that, I'd be on my *kitten*. If you watch fit and healthy people closely, you will notice that they do not diet and exercise...they eat and they train.
Thanks!0
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