Eating your Calories Burned?

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2

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  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
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    staticsplit wrote: »
    I'm trying to only eat when I'm hungry, while still logging calories. Sometimes, I don't eat any of my exercise calories back because I'm not hungry. Sometimes I'm ravenous, so I eat back some/most of them. I'm listening to my body while also keeping an eye on it, if that makes sense?

    Hunger is not a good indication of whether you need to eat.
  • heyspearsy
    heyspearsy Posts: 30 Member
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    I use a heart rate monitor, eat back most of my exercise calories, but only if hungry, and make monthly adjustments to my daily calorie goals, based on results.
  • ElizabethAnne14
    ElizabethAnne14 Posts: 12 Member
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    I never do unless I'm feeling light headed. Even then I usually only eat back about half of them, so a snack size amount.
  • blondx7
    blondx7 Posts: 1,683 Member
    edited July 2015
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    erickirb wrote: »
    blondx7 wrote: »
    I do not. I am currently eating about 20-25% less than my TDEE figured at lightly active and ignore my calories burned.

    If you are doing TDEE then you are eating them back, but averaged for the week instead of the day you are doing the exercise.

    Exactly.

    If I didn't eat any of them back at all, I wouldn't be able to run for s&&t. When I was eating 1200 calories/day, I was crapping out after mile 1.

    But I think the greater point here is that I'm eating enough to sustain my activity while losing weight and not paying any attention whatsoever to the amount of calories MFP says I burned exercising.
  • Bshmerlie
    Bshmerlie Posts: 1,026 Member
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    If you are doing a vigorous exercise routine it would be wise to eat some of them back. MFP is already calculating for your deficit. If you are doing a vigorous workout routine where you're burning an extra 400-600 calories a day you're going to have too large of a deficit. You won't notice it at first but after 30-45 days you'll start to feel fatigued. It may be harder to get up in the morning or you're leg muscles may just give out or weaken just during normal walking. These are signs that you might be overdoing it. Eat a little back and it will help with muscle repair and recovery.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    If I did wimpy workouts that really didn't account for many calories - probably not.
    Or I couldn't log them accurately because I didn't pay attention to time or pace or speed.

    But I do hard workouts - and I want to keep doing them.

    I eat them all back.
  • Nuke_64
    Nuke_64 Posts: 406 Member
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    Not eating some of your exercise calories back is the same as eating less than your daily calorie amount without exercise. Example, if you normal goal is 1200 calories, you do a work out that assumes 400 calories burned, you eat only 1200, you net for the day would be 800-1000 calories, assuming some error in the method of measuring burned calories and accurate measurement of food calories.

    This is not healthy. If a some one came on here and asked "Is it okay to only eat 800 calories, or a 1000, BTW i'm 5'6"" everyone would be screaming.
  • Dizzylizard444
    Dizzylizard444 Posts: 3 Member
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    I eat mine back because it motivates me to exercise so I can eat more. In the past I've been too harsh on myself and I can't stick with it. So far it seems to be working. I don't feel deprived and I'm excited because I'm enjoying my exercise now. Also it's still teaching me portion control because I could never exercise enough to burn what I used to eat. I lost almost 3 lbs this week. Granted im in the beginning stages, so I will continue to adapt as needed.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
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    pepper456 wrote: »
    Thanks for the reply, I know it's best not to eat them back, just wanting a general idea of what others are doing.

    I wouldn't say that....It's dependent upon the individual, their goals, and how much they work out. Say if I didn't, there would be days where I would net less than 1K calories per day. I wouldn't say that's optimal or "best".
  • pepper456
    pepper456 Posts: 7 Member
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    RGv2 wrote: »
    pepper456 wrote: »
    Thanks for the reply, I know it's best not to eat them back, just wanting a general idea of what others are doing.

    I wouldn't say that....It's dependent upon the individual, their goals, and how much they work out. Say if I didn't, there would be days where I would net less than 1K calories per day. I wouldn't say that's optimal or "best".

    You are correct......it's dependent upon the individual....and for me I don't need to eat them back at this point. Not yet at least. Until my workouts get longer and stronger, I PERSONALLY don't need to eat them.
    Thanks for you reply.
  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
    edited July 2015
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    I eat 100% back. My workouts suffer if I don't, @KSH86 's reply notwithstanding.

    ETA: I don't use MFP or machine values for my burn estimates, however. Over time I've developed what I believe are fairly good estimates of the various exercises I do. YMMV.
  • winram11
    winram11 Posts: 12 Member
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    Don't do it. It's a trap. :)
  • rperkins524
    rperkins524 Posts: 10 Member
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    I don't eat my calories burned. I put them on a pedestal and admire them because I don't like to exercise much, lol. I make my calorie deficit by eating a small amount of calories (1200)
  • missomgitsica
    missomgitsica Posts: 496 Member
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    If I'm hungry, yes. If I'm not, then no. Sometimes I eat back half. I just play it by ear.
  • beatua1
    beatua1 Posts: 98 Member
    edited July 2015
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    I have a fitbit charge HR and set my mfp settings to sedentary and then let my fitbit adjust calories for me, so I do often eat a pretty significant portion of my calories back. I typically walk about 12000 steps including moderately vigorous cardio most days and resistance training 3 days a week. I also calculated my average TDEE based on my BMR and activity level to make sure it is not widely out of alignment with what my fitbit is telling me.

    The reason I bring this in is it will depend based on what your logging philosophy is.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    edited July 2015
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    pepper456 wrote: »
    RGv2 wrote: »
    pepper456 wrote: »
    Thanks for the reply, I know it's best not to eat them back, just wanting a general idea of what others are doing.

    I wouldn't say that....It's dependent upon the individual, their goals, and how much they work out. Say if I didn't, there would be days where I would net less than 1K calories per day. I wouldn't say that's optimal or "best".

    You are correct......it's dependent upon the individual....and for me I don't need to eat them back at this point. Not yet at least. Until my workouts get longer and stronger, I PERSONALLY don't need to eat them.
    Thanks for you reply.

    Just clarifying the blanket statement, as for many it's quite important.
  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
    edited July 2015
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    Not to derail, but I'm curious:

    For those who DON'T eat exercise calories, how much exercise are you doing? I don't mean those of you doing TDEE, I mean those who follow the MFP method and ignore exercise.

    As I said, I DO eat mine and I estimate I burn 600-900 kcal per day in intentional exercise, sometimes more.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    pepper456 wrote: »
    Thanks for the reply, I know it's best not to eat them back, just wanting a general idea of what others are doing.

    Not true. MFP is designed TO eat them back, just remember the burns are often overestimated, so a portion of them would be best.
  • MakingMyDreamsComeTrue2015
    MakingMyDreamsComeTrue2015 Posts: 163 Member
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    I try not to eat back my exercise calories.
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
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    I exercise specifically to eat those calories.

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