Why do people eat their exercise calories?

Seriously people no need to get bent about other people's choices. The basic idea seems to be that you should net fewer than 1200 calories a day. If you do you get that annoying little message from MFP that you are eating too few calories and your body will think it's starving. Also, sometimes people use their exercise calories to treat themselves for special situations.

Here is the fact: they earned those calories, let them use them how they want, it has NOTHING to do with your weight loss success.

And just as a side note, some people with the "I'm not eating those calories back!" mentality will hit a plateau, then start eating some or all of their exercise calories, and begin to lose weight again. So sometimes eating those cheating calories is actually the best thing to do.

Bottom line: we are all on the same journey to be healthy. If that means not touching the exercise calories, fine. If it means you want to use what you have earned, fine. But whatever you decide, let's all be supportive instead of critical on here, ok?

I totally agree with you, most people who don't diet eat average 2,000 + calories a day, but when you set your goal on MFP, it then deduct to (depends this is a example) 1,500 so your already eating less from when you were befor you started dieting. Like she said above, they earn those extra calories & sometime they help when you do go over your calories, not everyone stays within the count everyday unless your starving yourself. I personally wouldn't eat my earn calories but like I said it does help time to time when I do go over or when I fell I need to treat myself for the hard work I've done. This site is just not to "Lose weight" it also help people become healthy so maybe there just hitting the gym to be in shape, you never know, so I wouldn't judge.

I agree with you 100%. Especially when people use every movement they make throughout the day to count as 'exercise'.
Making a sandwich 100 calories! Watching tv, 50 calories! Walking from the car to the store! 500 calories!
Life isn't a video game.

My settings are sedentary; meaning my body needs to lay in bed and not move a muscle all day long in order to meet the correct bmr number... unfortunetly for me i work which means i get out of bed and get dressed and work all day; i drink 25cups of water a day and go back and forth to bathroom at least 15times each and every day; not the mention refilling my 2cup waterbottle over 12times a day; then i take care of two different houses meaning i vacuum and laundry; and all other cleaning responsibilites at two different houses on a daily basis, and i go back and forht between these houses.. not to mention everything else that is involved with LIFE. If I dont account for at least some of that, Im not eating enough calories and putting my body into starvation mode... if im over eating, why have i lost 40lbs in 3months? I dont go to the gym, im technically disabled and cant do strenuous activity; cleaning and cooking and those activities ARE my excercise... MFP is set to loose 2pounds a week, and im more than exceeding that.. WTF IM OVEREATING HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE OMG

I really don't understand why. There really is no "science" behind it. The only true science in weight loss is calories in vs. calories out. I feel like eating your exercise calories is an excuse to eat more. You already ate 1300 calories... why would you eat 500 more? Excuses to eat more is how we all got ourselves into this place! I bet that if people didn't eat their exercise calories, they would lose weight a lot quicker! I am sorry to sound rude, but why cheat? You are only cheating yourself!


EDIT: Ok, people are taking it too personally. It was a simple question. Sorry I asked.

You obviously need to keep doing some more research/reading. Let me put it stupidly simple for you and everyone else so they stop asking this question. Let's say your daily goal is 1200 calories. Let's say you burn off 1200 calories a day from work and exercise. Now how on EARTH do you expect your body to function properly with no remaining calories?

I really don't understand why. There really is no "science" behind it. The only true science in weight loss is calories in vs. calories out. I feel like eating your exercise calories is an excuse to eat more. You already ate 1300 calories... why would you eat 500 more? Excuses to eat more is how we all got ourselves into this place! I bet that if people didn't eat their exercise calories, they would lose weight a lot quicker! I am sorry to sound rude, but why cheat? You are only cheating yourself!


EDIT: Ok, people are taking it too personally. It was a simple question. Sorry I asked.

You obviously need to keep doing some more research/reading. Let me put it stupidly simple for you and everyone else so they stop asking this question. Let's say your daily goal is 1200 calories. Let's say you burn off 1200 calories a day from work and exercise. Now how on EARTH do you expect your body to function properly with no remaining calories?

lol that was kind of rude but it gets the point across.

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lol that was kind of rude but it gets the point across.
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Oh I know it was. But the thread she started was obviously uneducated and she was taking pot shots at people because she lacked the proper info to understand what she was talking about. I'm just getting tired of people thinking they know everything and won't take other views into consideration.

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WHY U DO THIS?!

For me.. it is so I can eat more. I enjoy eating.

I really don't understand why. There really is no "science" behind it. The only true science in weight loss is calories in vs. calories out. I feel like eating your exercise calories is an excuse to eat more.

Eating your exercise calories really only makes sense if you view fat loss as being the goal as opposed to weight loss.

You are correct that in its simplest form weight loss is about calories in versus calories out. However you must ask yourself where this "weight" is coming from. Given that MFP calculates a deficit for you without factoring in exercise, if you don't eat back your exercise calories then your deficit will be greater than envisaged. This then causes your body to partition calories more towards loss of LBM as opposed to fat due to various physiological reasons.

If you don't want to eat back your exercise calories but still stay in the safe zone deficit wise just par down exercising. You will still lose fat just fine. However, if you want to work towards body recomp (changing the ratio of muscle to fat you have in your body thereby making yourself look better) then consider adding in resistance training as priority over cardio.

Good luck.

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