Eating Back Exercise Calories

smit7633
smit7633 Posts: 182 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Should people burning less than 1000 calories per day exercising, be eating back their exercise calories?

Replies

  • suruda
    suruda Posts: 1,233 Member
    you have to find the sweet spot that works for you. I rarely eat back any exercise calories...but I will if I have an occasion too. Hubby and I are going out to dinner tonight, we are planning on a long walk before hand to "earn" a few extra calories to enjoy at dinner!

    I definitely believe that we underestimate the calories we eat and overestimate the calories we burn...so, it's nice to leave most of those exercise calories as cushion for our miscalculations!
  • smit7633
    smit7633 Posts: 182 Member
    Agreed.
    suruda wrote: »
    you have to find the sweet spot that works for you. I rarely eat back any exercise calories...but I will if I have an occasion too. Hubby and I are going out to dinner tonight, we are planning on a long walk before hand to "earn" a few extra calories to enjoy at dinner!

    I definitely believe that we underestimate the calories we eat and overestimate the calories we burn...so, it's nice to leave most of those exercise calories as cushion for our miscalculations!

  • ConicalFern
    ConicalFern Posts: 121 Member
    I always eat back my exercise calories. I don't really see why they should be treated as any other type of calories, provided you're happy with the calorie estimate given for the exercise.
  • rjdr432
    rjdr432 Posts: 5 Member
    You should have worked out your daily "net" calorie requirements in order to achieve your desired weight. Providing you do not exceed this by eating less on the days you don't exercise and a little more on the days you do, you will achieve your desired goal. I am like suruda in that I will "earn" a night out or a glass of wine be exercising a little more on the day.
    The key to any of this is discipline, persistence and consistence, you don't have to miss out on everything all the time. Lost 12Kgs/26lbs in 90 days - i.e. 1Kg/2.2lbs per week.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    smit7633 wrote: »
    Should people burning less than 1000 calories per day exercising, be eating back If their exercise calories?

    If exercise is not included in your activity level, it would be logical to account for that activity when it is performed and to, yes...eat back those calories.

    This is such a simple concept, I really don't understand how people don't get this.
  • smit7633
    smit7633 Posts: 182 Member
    edited April 2016
    The reason people don't get it is because everyone here preaches about having a deficit and eating back calories burned seems counterintuitive because is shrinks the "deficit"

    No reason to even make a statement like that. I'm sure astrophysicists find *kitten* easy that you could never understand.
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    smit7633 wrote: »
    Should people burning less than 1000 calories per day exercising, be eating back If their exercise calories?

    If exercise is not included in your activity level, it would be logical to account for that activity when it is performed and to, yes...eat back those calories.

    This is such a simple concept, I really don't understand how people don't get this.

  • lizwrites1313
    lizwrites1313 Posts: 160 Member
    Providing that your are trying to lose weight I'd recommend eating back 25% which is what my personal trainer recommended and it really worked. It depends on how quickly you want to lose the weight.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    lizwrites1313 wrote: »
    Providing that your are trying to lose weight I'd recommend eating back 25% which is what my personal trainer recommended and it really worked. It depends on how quickly you want to lose the weight.

    I would have been under by 1500 calories yesterday if I had followed that advice!
    You want to lose weight at the rate you selected, faster doesn't mean better.

    You don't make an estimate more accurate by cutting it by a random and completely arbitrary percentage. You just make it lower not more accurate.
    Would you cut your food logging estimate by 75% just because it's also an estimate?
    This is such a simple concept, I really don't understand how people don't get this.

    Totally agree - isn't basic maths taught anymore at school? And it is basic maths to find an appropriate (not excessive) deficit.

  • loulamb7
    loulamb7 Posts: 801 Member
    smit7633 wrote: »
    The reason people don't get it is because everyone here preaches about having a deficit and eating back calories burned seems counterintuitive because it shrinks the "deficit"

    Actually eating back your exercise calories should keep the deficit the same. It is a little counter-intuitive to what has been pounded in to us by the diet industry to "eat as little as possible" and "workout like crazy", but it's the way MFP is designed to work.

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