Do you eat the calories back?

skinnymama1975
skinnymama1975 Posts: 2 Member
edited December 1 in Fitness and Exercise
I'm on a 1200 calorie/day diet. When I log my exercise it gives me those calories back for the day. I really want to drop 20lbs. So, do you eat those calories back or no?

Replies

  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    Most people say to eat back 50-75% of them. MFP is set up for you to eat them, but by eating half or so you are being cautious in case they are overestimated.
  • StacyChrz
    StacyChrz Posts: 865 Member
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    Most people say to eat back 50-75% of them. MFP is set up for you to eat them, but by eating half or so you are being cautious in case they are overestimated.

    I agree. I tend to eat most of my calories back, more like 75-100% but my adjustments are based on my Fitbit and I find that I am still losing consistently. I also have more weight to lose than you do. When I get closer to goal I am sure I'll need to start paring it down.
  • skinnymama1975
    skinnymama1975 Posts: 2 Member
    Thanks ladies!! Very helpful!
  • Khaleesi2012
    Khaleesi2012 Posts: 84 Member
    I used to but noticed I wasn't losing much if any weight. Now I try to stay in my original calories for the day or even under. Strangely it's worked in my favor. I lost five pounds in five days last week.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I did when I did MFP...that's the way the tool is designed...why else would it give you those calories? Why would MFP be trying to trick you or something.

    When you set your activity level with MFP, it is without exercise...logically it would make sense that you would have to account for that activity somewhere otherwise you would be neglecting to fuel a particular activity...and one that can potentially be pretty strenuous and cause a lot of stress to the body.

    The inherent difficulty here is accurately estimating those burns...this is where most people go wrong or where it "doesn't work" for so many people...they are crap for accuracy in RE to the calories in and even worse with their calories out.

    1200 calories is a weight loss target for a sedentary female...obviously if you're exercising, you cease to be sedentary...more activity increases your overall energy expenditure...i.e you can eat more and accomplish the same things.
  • nettielouisepierson
    nettielouisepierson Posts: 9 Member
    I do not eat mine back. I have seen a 2-3 lbs drop per week doing that <3
    Good Luck
  • bekgirl5
    bekgirl5 Posts: 15 Member
    I do not eat more than 100-200 calories back, no matter how many calories it says I've burned in excess. For me, sticking as close to 1200-1300 is really important in order to develop a healthy relationship with food. I've had a steady and consistent weight loss so far - 1 month in and 14 lbs down!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    bekgirl5 wrote: »
    I do not eat more than 100-200 calories back, no matter how many calories it says I've burned in excess. For me, sticking as close to 1200-1300 is really important in order to develop a healthy relationship with food. I've had a steady and consistent weight loss so far - 1 month in and 14 lbs down!

    This past Saturday I hiked up a mountain and back down...I burned around 2000 calories...you wouldn't eat those back? I regularly ride 30 + miles...sometimes 50. I can burn around 2000 calories on a 50 mile ride...you wouldn't eat those back? What about fueling recovery? What about fueling performance? What about making sure your body has enough energy and nutrients to function properly after you've just gone and kicked some *kitten*?
  • wilsoncl6
    wilsoncl6 Posts: 1,280 Member
    Cons of not eating your exercise calories: 1. Fast weight loss where up to 30% of the weight lost can be muscle. Muscle is the necessary tool to burn fat. Loose that and you're setting yourself up for maintenance failure. Do not loose too much weight too fast as the faster you loose, the more likely it will include a lot of muscle. 2. Lack of energy to fuel your workouts. Eating at 1200 calories is for a sedentary female that isn't exercising. At that rate, it is likely you will burn out if you don't eat back your calories.
    Pros of not eating your exercise calories: 1. May make it easier to adjust your eating to reach your desired weekly weight loss goal if your exercise routine is pretty consistent. 2. Less likely to gain weight or fail to loose weight because you've overestimated your caloric burn.

    My two cents. I eat my calories back but I pack a lot more muscle than a lot of people and my exercise routines are pretty intense and I tend to underestimate my calorie burn.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    bekgirl5 wrote: »
    I do not eat more than 100-200 calories back, no matter how many calories it says I've burned in excess. For me, sticking as close to 1200-1300 is really important in order to develop a healthy relationship with food. I've had a steady and consistent weight loss so far - 1 month in and 14 lbs down!

    How many pounds until you get to your goal weight? Some of that 14 pounds may be water weight from just starting out, but for your second month, unless you have over 100 pounds to lose, 3.5 pounds per week is definitely too fast.
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