Do you eat back your exercise calories?

kayleexbabeex
kayleexbabeex Posts: 55 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
It says it in the title really but just wondered if many of you ate back your exercise calories? Sometimes I do but then I feel bad about it :?

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Yep, that's how mfp is set up to work
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Yes I do.

    So do people who do the TDEE method as well.

    So does everyone who successfully maintains at their goal weight (whether they label them as such or not).

    Why feel bad? They are simply part of the calorie needs of your body so don't understand any negative connotations.
  • davimcf
    davimcf Posts: 2 Member
    I don't set out to.
    Sometimes it happens other times it doesn't

  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,474 Member
    drink them back
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    I don't but that's because I'm using a TDEE based method.

    Assuming your activity level is set correctly, your food logging is accurate and the the estimated calories expended exercising are reasonably accurate there's no reason not to eat back your exercise calories.

    I estimated my TDEE using the USDA body weight planner which allows you to make fairly detailed exercise entries to calculate TDEE (the list is missing some things like weights and rowing)

    https://supertracker.usda.gov/bwp/
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,616 Member
    Absolutely I eat them back!!

    You can't cycle 100 km without fuel ... well, you probably can, but you wouldn't be very comfortable.
  • CollieFit
    CollieFit Posts: 1,683 Member
    It depends how you ascertain your calorie burn. If I were to use MFP "guesstimates" or data from cardio machines I certainly wouldn't all of them back because they are huge overestimates.

    If you work with a HRM and are reasonably confident you are not overestimating your burn, then maybe eat back half to two-thirds.
  • Bluepegasus
    Bluepegasus Posts: 333 Member
    No I don't eat back exercise calories generally, but that's to make allowances for the fact I don't weigh my food, I only guess at food portions.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    Machka9 wrote: »
    Absolutely I eat them back!!

    You can't cycle 100 km without fuel ... well, you probably can, but you wouldn't be very comfortable.

    Agreed, I've taken most of my training needs into consideration when estimating my TDEE but for longer than average rides or runs extra fuel is called for. I looked back at my logs and during the last 100km ride I did I took in about 800 calories during the ride (my favourite ride fuel is PB&J sandwiches....they may get a little squashed in my jersey pockets but it's not the end of the world)
  • FitPhillygirl
    FitPhillygirl Posts: 7,124 Member
    Depends on; a)how hungry I am that day, b) how active I was during the day. Since I'm maintaining I usually do end up eatting at least half of my calories burned back.
  • CollieFit
    CollieFit Posts: 1,683 Member
    BrianSharpe wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    Absolutely I eat them back!!

    You can't cycle 100 km without fuel ... well, you probably can, but you wouldn't be very comfortable.

    Agreed, I've taken most of my training needs into consideration when estimating my TDEE but for longer than average rides or runs extra fuel is called for. I looked back at my logs and during the last 100km ride I did I took in about 800 calories during the ride (my favourite ride fuel is PB&J sandwiches....they may get a little squashed in my jersey pockets but it's not the end of the world)

    I agree with what you're saying but as far as I can see the OP wasn't talking about adequately fuelling hours of endurance cardio? Most people are talking about whether to eat back what they earned by being on an elliptical for 20 mins, so I think the fuelling requirements are a bit different.
  • CherGiddy
    CherGiddy Posts: 1 Member
    I thought you was meant to. I would be far too hungry if I didn't
  • RMinVA
    RMinVA Posts: 1,085 Member
    edited March 2016
    Most people don't need to eat any differently unless they are engaged in instense and sustained cardio activity of an hour or more. So it really depends on what you are doing. That being said...I stick to a range and eat a bit less on days I don't exercise and a little more on the days that I do. Usually somewhere between 1400-1800 cals. Maybe more on a day when a long bike ride is involved. But for most of my weekday workouts...I stick to that range.
  • honeysprinkles
    honeysprinkles Posts: 1,757 Member
    Right now my goal is to have a 750 calorie deficit each day to lose 1.5 lbs a week. I have my fitbit synced to my account so it adjusts my calorie goal each day based on my activity level. I set my goal on here to maintain so it shows me my total calorie burn for the day and my goal is to have 750 calories "leftover." Example from yesterday: total calorie bur 2325, ate 1561, deficit of 764.

    I just wear my fitbit during exercise so I don't worry about logging it separately and trying to figure out how many burned calories to eat back vs. how many I'd rather have just count towards my daily activity level.
  • Wysewoman53
    Wysewoman53 Posts: 582 Member
    What does TDEE mean? I don't eat all my calories back. I eat enough to make sure I stay healthy but since I'm trying to lose weight, I have a deficit at the end of the day. Not a huge deficit but enough to make my body use the fat I have stored.
  • SmartAlec03211988
    SmartAlec03211988 Posts: 1,896 Member
    Yes. Always.
  • ctraugh
    ctraugh Posts: 17 Member
    If you have calories left and feel hungry feel free to eat them. If you have calories left and don't feel hungry then don't force it. Learn to listen to your body. And remember to drink lots and lots of water. This is my 2 cents and I am by far no expert. This just works for me. 25lbs down, 140lbs to go.
  • Wysewoman53
    Wysewoman53 Posts: 582 Member
    ctraugh wrote: »
    If you have calories left and feel hungry feel free to eat them. If you have calories left and don't feel hungry then don't force it. Learn to listen to your body. And remember to drink lots and lots of water. This is my 2 cents and I am by far no expert. This just works for me. 25lbs down, 140lbs to go.

    Congratulations on your weight loss! I also agree with drinking lots and lots of water altho' it is harder to do some days. I am not a big water fan but notice a big difference when I get lots of it in my day.
  • katiebean
    katiebean Posts: 110 Member
    Yes I do, sometimes all and sometimes just some. I've still been losing weight, I just get to eat more food! :D
  • dwyerpj1
    dwyerpj1 Posts: 6 Member
    No, I do not eat back my exercise calories. Most days I do my exercise in the evening as I work 12 hour shifts. I don't want to eat in the evening so I'd have to eat them before I burn them which would not be a good habit to get into.
  • yourfriendlaurie
    yourfriendlaurie Posts: 32 Member
    edited March 2016
    I do if I'm hungry, sometimes I don't if I'm not. Usually I am and I do. I've lost 41 lbs so far with 84 to go.

    Edited to add: I know a lot of exercises listed in MFP dramatically inflate the calorie burn count though, so I would be wary of trusting them. Mostly the only exercise I do is very slow walking and from the research I've done, the calorie estimates in MFP are very accurate for that.
  • ThickJoker
    ThickJoker Posts: 14 Member
    I do if I'm hungry =shrugs= if I'm not no... but if I'm hungry, genuinely hungry I do not feel bad for eating.

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