Eat back your exercise calories? Yes or No? Why?

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  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Werk2Eat wrote: »
    Alot of you might not agree with my methods, but they have always worked for me with no problems. Granted i end up putting the weight back on every 2-3 years but thats because i have trouble maintaining. Losing weight is easy.

    you have problems maintaining because you don't actually know how to properly fuel yourself and your activities...
  • Florida_Superstar
    Florida_Superstar Posts: 194 Member
    My personal experience--for about 7 months I was eating max 1430 calories a day (logging very accurately with a food scale) and exercising. Calories burned normally are 500-600 a day, so MFP recommended around 1900-2000. I thought that was too much and just ignored it for 6 months until I felt so exhausted, run down, burned out and miserable that I finally decided I didn't care if I gained weight, I just needed some FOOD! I started eating more and now I eat 1800-1900 calories a day maintaining exactly what I weighed at 1430 calories--even about 1-2 pounds less. I am a big believer in calories in/calories out for maintaining weight, but I think your body tries to protect you if you aren't eating enough by just not burning anything extra. I gradually increased 100 calories at a time so I could monitor my weight. It has been over 2 months at 1800-1900 calories with no weight gain. So to answer your question, I do think sometimes eating more is the answer. But I also think that isn't the norm and if you're going to try it, just do it gradually--wait and see what happens after a couple weeks and then adjust how much you eat based on what your weight is doing. Definitely be very accurate with your logging so that you're certain of your intake.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    Werk2Eat wrote: »
    RGv2 wrote: »

    It's one thing to disagree with your methods, but rather here, people are pointing out why you are incorrect about the pointlessness of eating back exercise calories and why they become more and more important.

    It seems pointless to exercise just to eat them back if you are in a sense forcing yourself to eat them back.

    That to me would sound like someone who's calorie out estimation is off, or calorie in logging needs some attention, especially if they have less than 25-30lbs to lose.

    Hence the reason I said that most start with eating back 60% and adjust from there due to estimations/inaccuracies. It's very possible this person could be eating back exercise calories and not realize it.
  • sweetestlove1
    sweetestlove1 Posts: 38 Member
    I would not if I could live without the extra calories.
  • Werk2Eat
    Werk2Eat Posts: 114 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Werk2Eat wrote: »
    Alot of you might not agree with my methods, but they have always worked for me with no problems. Granted i end up putting the weight back on every 2-3 years but thats because i have trouble maintaining. Losing weight is easy.

    you have problems maintaining because you don't actually know how to properly fuel yourself and your activities...

    I have problems maintaining because I choose to either lose or gain. I also choose to not be a part of the "lifestyle" club.

  • robertf57
    robertf57 Posts: 560 Member
    The difficulty in eating back your exercise calories is that our measurements of what we expend really are not very good. MOst execrize equipment seems to over estimate. Kinda of like vanity sizing in clothing, I guess......
  • M30834134
    M30834134 Posts: 411 Member
    Werk2Eat wrote: »
    I have problems maintaining because I choose to either lose or gain. I also choose to not be a part of the "lifestyle" club.

    I'm sorry, I don't mean any disrespect, but I think this is a very sad and weak excuse.

    Why would anyone consciously "choose" a yo-yo "lifestyle"? Anyway, that was a rhetorical question, I don't mean to sidetrack OP's thread, no answer needed, but I wish you success.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    I don't eat mine back but my activity level is not constant and I rarely do cardio.

    That being said, if you're not losing-look to your intake/logging.
  • brookelynn2112
    brookelynn2112 Posts: 7 Member
    The plateau you have hit may also be because of the need to change up your exercise routine. If you are doing the same thing every day, your body may be getting used to it. Check out fitnessblender.com. They have tons of free workout videos and weight loss advice. They have really helped me!
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