Do you guys eat your exercise calories?

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Replies

  • meddaugh48
    meddaugh48 Posts: 41 Member
    I never do.
  • griffinca2
    griffinca2 Posts: 672 Member
    Only if I'm hungry.
  • Asher_Ethan
    Asher_Ethan Posts: 2,430 Member
    It really depends... I found that MFP over exaggerates calorie burn for exercise so I always try to under estimate my calorie burn (example - if I got running, I put it in as walking) I watch my hunger cues after that and see if I should eat them all or not.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Absolutely eat a portion back. Remember, the winner gets to eat the most and still lose.
  • whmscll
    whmscll Posts: 2,255 Member
    Yes, almost all of them. Otherwise very hard to stick to 1200 a day. I underestimate the calorie burn, or shave a portion off what MFP gives me and then log that amount. Because if it shows in my log that I have uneaten calories you can be sure that I will eat them.
  • chels1126
    chels1126 Posts: 6 Member
    I think a lot of it depends on your height, weight and goals. When I was starting at 150 lbs I absolutely did, because I had more weight to lose and it was easier to do so. Once I reach my body's happy weight or set point, I stop eating as many of them back as it becomes harder to lose this weight and I have to try a little harder. I'm not a nutritionist/doctor so I can't advise you to do the same or if that's right, it just works for me!
  • thankyou4thevenom
    thankyou4thevenom Posts: 1,581 Member
    Depends on the day. If I'm on a maintenance day yes. If I'm on a cutting day no.
  • vivmom2014
    vivmom2014 Posts: 1,649 Member
    Yes, I eat them back - 75% to almost all.
  • Yoshirio
    Yoshirio Posts: 242 Member
    Not usually. If I do,it's only because I am hungry and it's only about a third of them.
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    edited July 2015
    I used to eat less back than I do now, and I didn't have energy to work out. What a conundrum. The more I eat back, the more I exercise, the more I exercise, the higher my TDEE gets and the more weight I drop. I eat 50%-60% back and have been steadily increasing the frequency and intensity of my workouts. Win-win.

    I recently got a Fitbit, and once I've had it for a while, I'm going to trust it for burns since most of my activity other than strength training is step-based.

    I don't use MFP for my burns, though, I use Shape Sense and then figure out net burn using their option for an additional calculation. Their calculators give a less generous burn for most activities than MFP does.
  • klmnumbers
    klmnumbers Posts: 213 Member
    I generally don't, but I will if exercise means I'm netting under 1200. And even then, I only eat back about half at most since I use MFP's calorie estimates.
  • Unrated57
    Unrated57 Posts: 7 Member
    I do most days.
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
    Depends how much im burning, whether im hungry. I prefer not to run large deficits.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    yes, almost all of them.
  • jkal1979
    jkal1979 Posts: 1,896 Member
    I eat back a good portion of them. I have a personal guideline to net at least 1200 a day (my calorie goal is 1460).
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    I didn't eat any while I was l losing. When I started trying to maintain, I switched to TDEE so I am trying to now, just not explicitly.
  • quackers82
    quackers82 Posts: 55 Member
    I try not to, then on the app i go to Nutrition on the Diary page. It tells me how many calories i am net under for the last 7 days, then if say at the weekend and I'm going out i know i have a piggy bank of saved calories so if i do go over that day i don't care i just touch my savings. Works for me and allows me to not feel like i cannot go out for a meal because i cannot know how many calories are in a meal when I'm not preparing it.
  • Nachise
    Nachise Posts: 395 Member
    If I eat back my exercise calories, I don't lose weight. If I don't eat them back, I lose weight.
  • DeniseB0711
    DeniseB0711 Posts: 294 Member
    NO!!! I tried eating them back for about a month, and the weight loss trend line went flat. I am short 5'2'', and after reading some info on the not so average hieght people of the world, I will only eat back workout calories for maintenance.
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,590 Member
    Up to half. I know MFP overestimates, so that's why.
  • lizzocat
    lizzocat Posts: 356 Member
    Depending if I'm hungry, I'll eat 50% or so back, sometimes I eat them all back, especially if it's a weekend
  • unrelentingminx
    unrelentingminx Posts: 231 Member
    Not always. I set up my meal plans so that I am eating bigger meals on the days I work out so that without the workout I'm close to my calorie goal. If I'm still hungry late in the evening, I may eat back half (at most) of the calories I've burnt.
  • julaynem
    julaynem Posts: 2 Member
    Thank you everybody for the input.
This discussion has been closed.