Eating back workout calories calories?

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brookeliz92
brookeliz92 Posts: 13 Member
edited September 2015 in Food and Nutrition
I'm 5'6" and about 134 pounds and myfitnesspal is telling me I should eat 1200 calories. Without exercising, I usually won't eat more, but I heard you shouldn't eat back your exercise calories, although my fitness pal is telling me to. It just seems too low and unhealthy. How do you feel about eating back workout calories?

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  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    MFP is designed for you to eat back exercise calories, so I'm not sure where you're hearing that you shouldn't. Because the database often over-estimates burn, many people just eat back a portion of their calories (25-75%). I ate back most of my calories for the majority of my weight loss (35+ pounds). You have to fuel your exercise, especially if your calorie goal is very low (like 1,200).
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    When trying for such a very low calorie goal I always recommend eating back at least a portion of your exercise calories.
  • brookeliz92
    brookeliz92 Posts: 13 Member
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    janejellyroll wrote: »
    MFP is designed for you to eat back exercise calories, so I'm not sure where you're hearing that you shouldn't. Because the database often over-estimates burn, many people just eat back a portion of their calories (25-75%). I ate back most of my calories for the majority of my weight loss (35+ pounds). You have to fuel your exercise, especially if your calorie goal is very low (like 1,200).
    I just heard it from online forums and places, not from MFP! but thank you :)

  • southhamptonmike
    southhamptonmike Posts: 61 Member
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    I don't eat them back. I don't even enter them anymore. I kind of guess at my portion sizes and allow my exercise calories to make up the difference. It works for me . I might be eating less that I think at times. It all evens out for me.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    The app is designed with the idea that you eat those extra exercise calories. Try that. See how it goes.

    It's the easiest way and works for many people. :)
  • cnbbnc
    cnbbnc Posts: 1,267 Member
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    The app is designed for you to eat them back, but I think people run into problems with it if they're not tracking calories/portions correctly (overeating) and then overestimating calories burnt on top of it. Combine that with eating back even more calories and you could end up gaining weight due to all the errors.

    As long as you're tracking everything including exercise the right way, definitely eat them back. Or a portion anyway....
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
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    If you are weighing your food and know that your calorie counts are accurate, you will lose weight exactly according to MFP's calorie recommendations. Then you should eat most of your exercise calories back. If you're not weighing your food, it's likely you could be off on your calorie estimates and could be eating more than you think.
  • CardiLuxe
    CardiLuxe Posts: 89 Member
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    When you're working out, you should definitely be eating more calories.
    If you're trying to lose weight, eating maybe half of your calories back will give you the proper nutrients you need weather you're lifting, trying to lose fat, etc.
    But buring 600 cals and eating at 1200 cals will probably make you lose weight quickly for a while... But eventually depriving your body will catch up with you long term.
    I lost 60lbs and gained back about 20-30
    on this cycle and lost my muscle gains.
    Now I eat around 1375-1400 calories 4x a week, 1500 2x a week and a niiiice cheat day.
    Sure, the weight loss isn't as fast as before,
    (3-4 lbs per week).
    But I feel healthy and my body is filled out nicely and toned instead on skinny and flabby like before with no muscle tone. :)

    So eating half of your calories back atleast 3-4 times per week is ideal.
    But 1200 evvvverday or never eating back calories isn't enough to me! For me anyway. :)

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