Exercise calories really that important?

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TinaS88
TinaS88 Posts: 817 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Do I REALLY have to eat my exercise calories back? My whole MFP is set at 1 lb. a week but I wouldn't mind loosing 1 1/2 even 2 lbs a week in the beginning at least. I mean as long as I am eating at least 1200 I should be okay right? (And if I am hungry I will eat, but if not.. I don't want to.)

Replies

  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
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    This was posted a few minutes ago.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/277506-can-i-stop-the-calorie-goals-from-rising-when-i-add-exercise
  • vodkaswigger
    vodkaswigger Posts: 467
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    I never eat mine, i tried once for a few weeks and never lost a pound, theres loads of debate on here about this topic but i say its up to you xx
  • aabyrer
    aabyrer Posts: 57
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    As was stated above, it all depends on how your body loses weight. I was eating 1200 and not eating any of my exercise back, and I was stuck on a plateau for 3 weeks. Only recently I started eating 1500 and I've lost pounds again! But I know many others who eat them and don't lose, or don't eat them and lose. Just try it out. If not eating them doesn't work, try eating them for a few days and see if you get more results. Best of luck to ya!!
  • bstamps12
    bstamps12 Posts: 1,184
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    I was going to reference that thread too!

    There is a difference between eating 1200 calories and your net calories being 1200. As long as your net calories are above 1200, it is probably ok in the beginning. As you hit a plateau, ironically, it becomes more important to eat back your exercise calories. Net calories = calorie goal + calories burned - calories eaten.
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
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    I plan my day out with exercise calories included and when I do that, I generally don't dip into them.

    I also follow the principal that if you're hungry eat, and if you're not then don't!
  • GamecockFan14
    GamecockFan14 Posts: 154 Member
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    Everyone does this differently, as you'll see. Personally, I never eat my work out cals. To me (and I might be wrong- I'm not a scientist), but if I'm eating back my work out calories- why bother to work out? To me, it just creates more of a deficiency. Also, I've tried eating them back and my weight loss went downt the tubes- but other people are the opposite.
  • garysgirl719
    garysgirl719 Posts: 235 Member
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    Everyone does this differently, as you'll see. Personally, I never eat my work out cals. To me (and I might be wrong- I'm not a scientist), but if I'm eating back my work out calories- why bother to work out? To me, it just creates more of a deficiency. Also, I've tried eating them back and my weight loss went downt the tubes- but other people are the opposite.

    Whether you eat or them or not is a debate I won't weigh in on, but I had to respond to this. Why bother to work out? The point of working out is not just losing weight. Working out is for being healthy.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    From my experience, eating more, including those exercise calories, helps me lose more FAT, rather than just losing weight, which is muscle and fat.

    I might drop more *pounds* if I didn't, but less of those pounds would be fat.
  • CDG1013
    CDG1013 Posts: 106 Member
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    I don't think you need to eat them all, but it's improtant to fuel your body after exercise. When you exercise, especially if you do resistance training, you break down muscle. In order for your body to repair the musle and generate new musle, it needs protein to rebuild and quality carbs to provided the energy necessary for the process. So, if I burn 600 calories in they gym with my usual combination of cardio and weight, I will drink a low-carb, high-protein shake for the protein and eat a banana, apple, or whole wheat bread for the carbs. I may take in 300 calories of the 600 I have burned, but what 's important is what I take in, not just the calories. I have found this through a ton of reading in various places and know that when I work out, I may not be hungry (exercise is an appetite suppressant), but I need to take in the fuel, and I continue to lose weight by doing this and am getting good muscle tone. Oh by the way, increased muscle leads to increased metabolism which means your body will burn more calories even when at rest to sustain itself which leads to more fat loss.
  • vinnysgirl
    vinnysgirl Posts: 311 Member
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    I try not to eat back my exercise calories as I find it is the only way at the moment to lose the lbs.
    I stick to a healthy diet with the odd treat, and if I do dip into my exercise calories from time to time then I don't worry about it :smile:
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
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    Do what works for you. If you find that you are hungry, eat. If not, don't unless you want to and can fit it in your calorie goal. People on this site do either, and some will yell at you that you HAVE to eat them back.

    For what it's worth, I don't eat mine back really unless I get hungry, then I eat a small amount back. Seems to be doing well for me.
  • Runshanrun
    Runshanrun Posts: 21 Member
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    I run about 25 miles a week and there is no way I could continue my running training if I did not eat back most of my exercise calories. I stive to leave about 200 calories a day unused. I find that if I do not eat any of my exercise calories I feel starved all day and my running performace sucks.
  • masonmst
    masonmst Posts: 84 Member
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    I dont usually, but I try yo eat every 2-3 hours of 200-300 cals a meal weather I am hungey or not. It keeps your metabolism up. With protein at every meal. It is really what your body wants and needs though. Good Luck!!
    :flowerforyou:
  • bjohs
    bjohs Posts: 1,225 Member
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    I don't have the answer for this either, other than every single person is different and will see results doing different activities and having different diets. I can share what worked for me though:

    Before joining MFP, I was going it alone. I knew 1,200 calories was the number to meet for a healthy diet. I'm 5'2" and thought that was a reasonable number. I exercised 6 days a week with P90X , 30-45 minutes on the elliptical every other day plus Taekwondo class twice a week for 45 minutes per class. I stuck with 1,200 calories as closely as I could with just tracking in a notebook.

    Then I re-injured a knee and I had a bad hip. The exercise was aggravating both of them. It brought my workouts to a halt and I had to research ways to continue losing weight without activity. I came across an article about the benefits of getting a big breakfast with a lot of protein. I made the switch the very next morning and within 3 weeks I dropped 10 lbs. I had only dropped about 3 pounds in 4 months with doing all the exercise.

    When I was able to start adding a little bit more exercise, I joined MFP and learned about eating back exercise calories. I decided to give that a try too and the weight kept coming off every week. When I started to plateau as I neared my target weight, it wasn't working as well anymore. I changed up my diet by going with a bigger deficiency and staying close to 1,200 calories again. Now I'm only .8 lbs from my goal weight and I continue to drop.

    So, I guess in my case, eating back the exercise calories worked. But as I had less to lose, it wasn't as effective. My only advice is to experiment with both to see how your body will react. Eating more really does mean losing more in some cases. I like to compare it to a car driving down the highway at a comfortable 60 miles per hour. You will burn fuel consistently at that speed. But, if you rev your engine and gun it up to 80 miles per hour (exercise), you will burn a lot more fuel and you'll need to fill up the tank more often. Just my opinion on that though. :)

    Good luck with whatever you decide to do!
  • slimcin37
    slimcin37 Posts: 4
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    From my experience and conversations with people in the Nutrition/weightloss field, Diet is 80% food and 20%excersice. I think you will do well even if you don't excersice.
  • l3ugjuice
    l3ugjuice Posts: 233
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    Do I REALLY have to eat my exercise calories back?

    No.


    Queue militant argument...
  • anthony438
    anthony438 Posts: 578 Member
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    Do I REALLY have to eat my exercise calories back? My whole MFP is set at 1 lb. a week but I wouldn't mind loosing 1 1/2 even 2 lbs a week in the beginning at least. I mean as long as I am eating at least 1200 I should be okay right? (And if I am hungry I will eat, but if not.. I don't want to.)

    I'd say do what feels right to your body. If you plateau along the way, try the opposite.
  • samcee
    samcee Posts: 307
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    I don't want to wreck my metabolism by going too low so I compromise and eat half of them back - but only if I'm hungry. I don't know if its important or not but so far I've broken my plateau and the weight is finally dropping again after a long hiatus. My calorie goal this week has pretty much been spot on so far and not netting too low or too high after exercise. Just hope it'll last!
  • Heather75
    Heather75 Posts: 3,386 Member
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    Do what you want. It's your life.
  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
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    Do I REALLY have to eat my exercise calories back? My whole MFP is set at 1 lb. a week but I wouldn't mind loosing 1 1/2 even 2 lbs a week in the beginning at least. I mean as long as I am eating at least 1200 I should be okay right? (And if I am hungry I will eat, but if not.. I don't want to.)

    FYI - since you don't have a ton to lose (looks like have less than 20 lbs to lose), 1/2 to 1 lb/week is a reasonable goal. 1.5 to 2 is more appropriate for people with much more to lose than you do. It's just how it works - the less you have to lose, the less your body can safely handle more aggressive weight loss. Do yourself a favor and stick with the 1 lb/week goal and eat back at least some of your exercise calories.

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