Eating exercise calories back....?

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bellabonbons
bellabonbons Posts: 705 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Tempting! But does it work? I thought I would try it and see if I still lose. Thanks everyone.
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Replies

  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    I ate most of mine back and lost 50 pounds. I'm curious why you think the site/app is setup this way if it won't work?

    You might find this post interesting: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/818082/exercise-calories-again-wtf/p1
  • nhenryoliver
    nhenryoliver Posts: 112 Member
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    I always eat back at least some, and have still been losing. I must admit to exercising sometimes so that I've more calories to eat. However, go by how you feel. Sometimes you'll need to, and other times not so much!
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    Yes. That's how MFP is designed to work. Yes, it works. (Assuming all numbers are accurate)
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,485 Member
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    It worked for me losing, and it has worked for me maintaining.
    I ate/eat back 125-175 cals of the approx 200 cals I burnt (I'm petite so low burn per hour).

    Cheers, h.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    bellabonbons wrote: »
    Tempting! But does it work? I thought I would try it and see if I still lose. Thanks everyone.

    yes...it's the way the tool is designed. you will note that when you set you activity level, it doesn't include exercise...common sense would dictate that exercise should be accounted for somewhere. you just have to be careful with the estimations...many, if not most people are really bad in general where accuracy is concerned with their calories in and estimating calories out.
  • bellabonbons
    bellabonbons Posts: 705 Member
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    diannethegeek wrote: »
    I ate most of mine back and lost 50 pounds. I'm curious why you think the site/app is setup this way if it won't work?

    You might find this post interesting: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/818082/exercise-calories-again-wtf/p1

    Because I studied nutrition in college where I learned that in some cases it doesn't always work, and from my late husband who was a physician who died very young. He was convinced that for women over 40 that the weight loss arena is difficult for many and that also after years of yo yo dieting metabolism can and does almost come to a halt. Eating back exercise does not always work for everyone.
  • jlc102980
    jlc102980 Posts: 137 Member
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    It works for me. I eat back around half and I've lost over 50.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    bellabonbons wrote: »
    diannethegeek wrote: »
    I ate most of mine back and lost 50 pounds. I'm curious why you think the site/app is setup this way if it won't work?

    You might find this post interesting: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/818082/exercise-calories-again-wtf/p1

    Because I studied nutrition in college where I learned that in some cases it doesn't always work, and from my late husband who was a physician who died very young. He was convinced that for women over 40 that the weight loss arena is difficult for many and that also after years of yo yo dieting metabolism can and does almost come to a halt. Eating back exercise does not always work for everyone.

    If your numbers are correct, yes it does work for everyone.
  • CoffeeNCardio
    CoffeeNCardio Posts: 1,847 Member
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    bellabonbons wrote: »
    diannethegeek wrote: »
    I ate most of mine back and lost 50 pounds. I'm curious why you think the site/app is setup this way if it won't work?

    You might find this post interesting: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/818082/exercise-calories-again-wtf/p1

    Because I studied nutrition in college where I learned that in some cases it doesn't always work, and from my late husband who was a physician who died very young. He was convinced that for women over 40 that the weight loss arena is difficult for many and that also after years of yo yo dieting metabolism can and does almost come to a halt. Eating back exercise does not always work for everyone.

    Eating back exercise calories DOES work for everyone (medical conditions notwithstanding) if the numbers are accurate. The math doesn't change for CICO, only the accuracy of the numbers you plug into the calculation. So if someone's burn estimates and intake estimates were perfect, they could eat back 100% of their exercise calories and lose weight. The only issue is the accuracy, which is why 50% is recommended.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    bellabonbons wrote: »
    diannethegeek wrote: »
    I ate most of mine back and lost 50 pounds. I'm curious why you think the site/app is setup this way if it won't work?

    You might find this post interesting: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/818082/exercise-calories-again-wtf/p1

    Because I studied nutrition in college where I learned that in some cases it doesn't always work, and from my late husband who was a physician who died very young. He was convinced that for women over 40 that the weight loss arena is difficult for many and that also after years of yo yo dieting metabolism can and does almost come to a halt. Eating back exercise does not always work for everyone.

    again, it depends on whether or not you're accounting for exercise with your activity level or not...most programs actually account for your exercise in your activity level and thus give you some figure of those calories already built into your targets.

    if i need 2500 calories to maintain my weight without any exercise and I eat 2000, I will lose about 1 Lb per week. Now lets say I exercise and burn around 600 calories per day...now my maintenance bumps up to 3,100 calories per day and I can lose that same pound per week eating 2,600. it's just math.

    where it "doesn't work" is generally where people are underestimating their calories in (often significantly) by using erroneous entries or eyeballing servings or not understanding how to read nutritional labels, etc combined with grossly overestimating their burn from exercise.
  • CoffeeNCardio
    CoffeeNCardio Posts: 1,847 Member
    edited February 2016
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    Further, metabolism does not ever "come to a halt" unless you're referring to someone who has passed away. That's when metabolism stops. And that is the only time. Only someone on a true starvation diet can affect their metabolism, up to about 40% according to the Minnesota starvation study, and even then, as soon as you return to a normal caloric intake, that effect is reversed.

    ETA: That number, by the by, 40% is overblown anyway, as it also includes completely normal TDEE decreases associated with weighing a whole lot less and having fewer muscles, etc.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    Yes it works. Worked brilliantly for me and I exercise a lot.

    The TDEE minus a cut method, which also includes exercise but just averaged out instead of estimated on the day, also works.
  • FitMissV
    FitMissV Posts: 3 Member
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    You can do it but......you will have faster weight loss if you don't eat back you calories. I make available healthy protein packed snack to eat after exercising, so that I'm not tempted to eat those calories back, yet I still get tummy satisfaction without the added calories.
  • vivelajackie
    vivelajackie Posts: 321 Member
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    Since it's kind of problematic to accurately count calories burned I don't bother with it. That's not to say it's not safe TO, but I'd rather not anyway. Good luck to you.
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,485 Member
    edited February 2016
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    @bellabonbons
    Metabolism comes to a halt when one dies.

    A persons metabolism slows 50-100 cals a decade depending on size and weight.
    This can be counteracted in part by keeping ones activity level consistent through the decades.

    Yoyo dieting causes a depletion in fat and muscle initially. As one gains again there is a greater increase in gained fat, unless one actively works on building muscle, than muscle.
    The next go at losing one is losing both fat and muscle again. Repeatedly.

    Eventually one has a greater fat to muscle ratio if one keeps returning to the same initial starting weight. (notwithstanding the slight muscle gain needed to support moving the extra weight around)

    This, as muscles burn a little more energy than fat, is why a yo-yo dieter could have a lower BMR. Not one that comes to a halt.

    Eating back exercise calories works for everyone as long as they are eating at a deficit.

    Cheers, h.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    edited February 2016
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    If you are going to eat back All of your exercise calories, then you need to make sure your food logging is as accurate as can be.
    I try to leave a few hundred calories on the table due to possible logging errors and possibly inflated exercise calories from my fitbit.

    I don't think anything is 100% accurate and foolproof.
  • jpcebu
    jpcebu Posts: 18 Member
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    http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/eating-back-calories-burned/
  • bendyourkneekatie
    bendyourkneekatie Posts: 696 Member
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    It also depends what kind/how much exercise you do. I might not bother eating back for walking or the minimal burn from strength training, but if I'm gonna run more than 5kms I'm gonna need a bit more fuel.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    katem999 wrote: »
    It also depends what kind/how much exercise you do. I might not bother eating back for walking or the minimal burn from strength training, but if I'm gonna run more than 5kms I'm gonna need a bit more fuel.

    Walking is the ONLY exercise I do. . Lots and lots of walking :lol:

  • bendyourkneekatie
    bendyourkneekatie Posts: 696 Member
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    Christine_72 wrote: »
    katem999 wrote: »
    It also depends what kind/how much exercise you do. I might not bother eating back for walking or the minimal burn from strength training, but if I'm gonna run more than 5kms I'm gonna need a bit more fuel.

    Walking is the ONLY exercise I do. . Lots and lots of walking :lol:

    Walking is awesome. We don't have a car and I have two very active toddlers so there's lots of walking to parks, shops, play dates, etc. (well, I walk, they get to relax in the pram...)
    I just meant that you may be able to get away with not eating back some exercise calories for milder/shorter exercise, but if you're doing something energetic/longer/etc you probably need to eat more to compensate. Walking can fall under either category, depending.

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