Eating back calories burned from exercise

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I would not eat back the calories you burn through exercise! I could easily burn 200 calories or more doing yard work, but I"m not going to eat more than 1200 calories because of that! Exercise is no different! If you're really hungry, then eat something like an egg white omelet. Don't eat if you're not hungry! Why not lose as much weight as you can? Haven't you heard the saying, "Eat less, move more"?
It isn't "Eat less, move more, eat again"! Most people can't exercise everyday, so put those exercise calories in the bank for a rainy day!!!!! If you need to lose weight, you're going to lose weight! I don't believe in starvation mode if you still have weight to lose. If you're close to your goal weight, then you've probably just plateaued! In that case, go eat Burgers and fries! It will trick your body, and get it moving again. Just once though! :)

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  • MissusMoon
    MissusMoon Posts: 1,900 Member
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    Was this intended to be a response to a specific post?
  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
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    Thanks for your opinion.
  • lisawilkes20
    lisawilkes20 Posts: 138 Member
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    16jamison wrote: »
    I would not eat back the calories you burn through exercise! I could easily burn 200 calories or more doing yard work, but I"m not going to eat more than 1200 calories because of that! Exercise is no different! If you're really hungry, then eat something like an egg white omelet. Don't eat if you're not hungry! Why not lose as much weight as you can? Haven't you heard the saying, "Eat less, move more"?
    It isn't "Eat less, move more, eat again"! Most people can't exercise everyday, so put those exercise calories in the bank for a rainy day!!!!! If you need to lose weight, you're going to lose weight! I don't believe in starvation mode if you still have weight to lose. If you're close to your goal weight, then you've probably just plateaued! In that case, go eat Burgers and fries! It will trick your body, and get it moving again. Just once though! :)

    Not sure if you saw my post...
    I was eating a packet of crisp just to use up calories I had gained through exercise. It seemed so daft. So since then I've decided to ignore the added ones & just go with the 1200, unless I'm actually hungry, then I may go into them
  • wilsoncl6
    wilsoncl6 Posts: 1,288 Member
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    Some of us eat those calories back to have a sustainable workout routine and retain (or grow) as much muscle as possible. Too large a deficit will cause muscle loss and, I for one, do not wish to be skinny fat where you lose as much muscle as you do bodyfat. People with the same goals may eat, even though they are not hungry, because the body needs the extra calories to repair damage tissues from exercise.

    Burgers and fries to trick your body? That's a new technique I've never heard of. Why would I do that when I can just eat regularly. By the way, 1200 calories is the bare minimum for survival and get all of your nutrients in. Not everyone can survive on 1200 calories. You should go calculate what your TDEE is.
  • wilsoncl6
    wilsoncl6 Posts: 1,288 Member
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    trina1049 wrote: »
    MFP is designed for you eat back your exercise calories. I'm 66 years old, petite, and have lost 52 lbs. eating back 50 to 75% of my exercise calories (sometimes all of them). I exercise moderately (4Xs per week) and eat around 1850 - 2000+ calories per day. I'm now on maintenance and have been at a healthy weight range since February of 2015. Find a way to accurately measure your calories in and calories out; I use a Fitbit. Eat back those exercise calories.

    The goal is to eat as much as you can and still lose weight; NOT to lose weight as fast as you can and eat as little as possible -- there is no time deadline. You want to stay healthy and enjoy the process.

    You look great. You're an inspiration.
  • trina1049
    trina1049 Posts: 593 Member
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    wilsoncl6 wrote: »
    trina1049 wrote: »
    MFP is designed for you eat back your exercise calories. I'm 66 years old, petite, and have lost 52 lbs. eating back 50 to 75% of my exercise calories (sometimes all of them). I exercise moderately (4Xs per week) and eat around 1850 - 2000+ calories per day. I'm now on maintenance and have been at a healthy weight range since February of 2015. Find a way to accurately measure your calories in and calories out; I use a Fitbit. Eat back those exercise calories.

    The goal is to eat as much as you can and still lose weight; NOT to lose weight as fast as you can and eat as little as possible -- there is no time deadline. You want to stay healthy and enjoy the process.

    You look great. You're an inspiration.

    Aw, thanks @wilson16. You gave the OP good advice. I hope she takes it to heart.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    edited May 2016
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    Cool.

    In some cases, that advice might be just fine. For those with higher calorie intakes or a lot of weight to lose, you can afford to have a higher deficit. For those who have lower calorie intakes or are highly active (especially those with fitness goals), not so much.

    This weekend I did a 2 1/2 hour hard bike ride followed by a 30 minute run. The next day a 2 hour run. If my calorie goal was 1200 calories and I didn't eat back any exercise calories I would be essentially starving myself since I would be exercising off all the calories I ate. And I doubt I would be able to do my training the following week.


    There are a lot of reasons to not lose weight as fast as you can - preserving muscle is a big one. Sustainability is another one.
  • heatherheyns
    heatherheyns Posts: 144 Member
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    I dont want to just lose weight, I want to lose body fat and achieve better health. I could eat 500 calories a day and lose super fast, but it would harm my health. When I go too low on my calories, I don't fuel my body. This isn't a me vs it thing. Without fueling my body properly, I lose muscles and am unable to complete my workouts or better my fitness. My goals are so much more than the scale going down, because being low weight, sedentary, unhealthy, and hungry just doesn't seem any better than where I started.
  • dxlee7
    dxlee7 Posts: 23 Member
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    What? Does this work for you? Where did you get all of this from?