Eating back workout calories? Why is the elliptical calorie burned not accurate?

nissa5575
nissa5575 Posts: 21 Member
edited November 20 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm sure this has been answered countless times, but fresh opinions and all. Should you eat back the calories gained from working out? A couple years ago, everything I read on MFP talked about how you should eat your calories back that you worked off as long as you are eating correctly. I read that not doing this both slows down your weight loss progress as well as fails to nourish your body effectively. Now, I feel like I am reading the opposite; that you should just stick to 1200 calories regardless. Thoughts?

Also, I keep reading that the HR monitor on the gym machines are not accurate. If I am putting in my age and weight, then how is it so far off? MFP and the gym machines give me similar calorie burns (albeit, MFP is slightly more generous, but not by a drastic amount). I understand how it would be off if I did a workout without putting in my stats, but otherwise, seems like it would be close enough to safely assume correct, no?

Replies

  • DemoraFairy
    DemoraFairy Posts: 1,806 Member
    Where are you reading you should stick to 1200 regardless? I've never seen anyone recommend that. The usual recommendation is to eat back at least a portion of your exercise calories (to account for the inflated estimates from machines and MFP) - most people eat back 50-80%. But it's definitely always recommended to eat back some, especially if you're on a calorie goal as low as 1200.
  • nissa5575
    nissa5575 Posts: 21 Member
    DemoraFairy wrote: »
    Where are you reading you should stick to 1200 regardless? I've never seen anyone recommend that. The usual recommendation is to eat back at least a portion of your exercise calories (to account for the inflated estimates from machines and MFP) - most people eat back 50-80%. But it's definitely always recommended to eat back some, especially if you're on a calorie goal as low as 1200.

    I've read it a few times on the MFP community. I would be starving all day if I worked out and only ate 1200! I suppose it's always best to find what works for you, but I was curious as to why this is the new trend.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    If you've been reading that it is from people who are either new or don't know what they are talking about.

    MFP is setup using NEAT method of weight loss...it gives you your calories to consume to lose the weight you want without exercise...exercise is extra to eat.

    It isn't a new trend people for some reason feel that exercise is required for weight loss and if they eat those calories back they negate the exercise which is false. You need to fuel your next work out and that is what eating 50-75% of those exercise calories back does.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    If you've been reading that it is from people who are either new or don't know what they are talking about.

    MFP is setup using NEAT method of weight loss...it gives you your calories to consume to lose the weight you want without exercise...exercise is extra to eat.

    It isn't a new trend people for some reason feel that exercise is required for weight loss and if they eat those calories back they negate the exercise which is false. You need to fuel your next work out and that is what eating 50-75% of those exercise calories back does.

    This

    And the reason that machine burns are out is because they want to keep selling the machines ...

    Use an HRM with chest strap if steady state or just cut the calorie allowance down to 50 - 75% and eat those then judge against your weight loss averaged over 6-8 weeks and adjust acordingly
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    considering on the fact I can burn 600 calories in a workout (depending on activity and duration....) I'd net 800 cals if I didn't eat back! I like to eat, therefore i work out. Typically I eat back half or so. I try to net at least 1000 when I'm looking at the day as a whole.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    Gym equipment is inaccurate because the marketing department got involved with the design. Because it is easier to sell gym equipment if you can claim it burns a bunch of calories, they report as many calories as they possibly can. To begin with, they report gross calories burned rather than net calories burned. You would've burned a portion of the calories they are reporting even if you'd sat at home. Another way they can add calories to the number is by selectively using the lab results that show the highest number of calories burned. They aren't lying, exactly, since there were some people who did achieve the calorie burns they are reporting, but it may not be typical of most people.
  • terbusha
    terbusha Posts: 1,483 Member
    edited June 2015
    I think that you should eat as many calories as you can while making good progress towards your health and fitness goals. What I do and what I recommend to people is to eat at a calorie level that allows you to make good progress towards your goal, regardless of how many calories you burn during exercise. If you are trying to lose weight, eat so you drop 1-2 lbs/week. This assumes an average calorie burn from you getting in all of your workouts. This will be different for everyone, so you'll have to do some trial and error to figure it out. I'd start ~1600 cal/day. Hit this goal, along with your macros and getting in your workouts, for 2 weeks. If you lose 1-2 lbs/week, you're good to go. If you lose too much, increase your intake and repeat. If you don't lose enough, reduce your intake a bit and repeat. After a few cycles, you'll figure out what works for you in your situation.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    edited June 2015
    The idea is that if you're just eyeballing your food, maybe you shouldn't eat back exercise calories because it will make up for the lack of accuracy... like most people who 'eat 1200 calories' probably eat 1400 or 1600. If you're weighing everything though, you should eat most of them back (well, maybe only half what the machine says).
  • HeatherCrazyCat
    HeatherCrazyCat Posts: 46 Member
    I found this to be a really useful tool!
    http://caloriesburnedhq.com/calories-burned-on-elliptical/
    It helped me realise that the number of calories I am burning on the elliptical trainer are about half of what MFP says. In spite of the low Calorie burn rate compared with running, I have a bad knee, so I will continue to use the elliptical trainer a lot, with a little running, so as not to put too much pressure on it.
    An article I read said that the reason that elliptical trainers are so wildly out on the calorie counts is because they do not replicate your natural gait, plus using the arm handles will increase your heart rate without a corresponding increase in calorie burn, due to your arms being lighter than the rest of your body.
    Personally, I think it has a lot to do with everyones' comments above about selling lots of machines!
  • nissa5575
    nissa5575 Posts: 21 Member
    terbusha wrote: »
    I think that you should eat as many calories as you can while making good progress towards your health and fitness goals. What I do and what I recommend to people is to eat at a calorie level that allows you to make good progress towards your goal, regardless of how many calories you burn during exercise. If you are trying to lose weight, eat so you drop 1-2 lbs/week. This assumes an average calorie burn from you getting in all of your workouts. This will be different for everyone, so you'll have to do some trial and error to figure it out. I'd start ~1600 cal/day. Hit this goal, along with your macros and getting in your workouts, for 2 weeks. If you lose 1-2 lbs/week, you're good to go. If you lose too much, increase your intake and repeat. If you don't lose enough, reduce your intake a bit and repeat. After a few cycles, you'll figure out what works for you in your situation.

    Thank you!! This makes sense to me, I think I get too hung up on what others say and forget to just find whatever works. Thank you for reminding me of that!
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