Earning calories

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Lauren38570
Lauren38570 Posts: 239
in Health and Weight Loss
I workout 5 days a week and when I burn off calories does that mean you can choose to eat a little more that day?Wondering how that works , not necesarily saying make it a cheat day but is it okay to indulge in something you like if you burned off quite a bit?

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  • rebysue
    rebysue Posts: 136
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    Absolutely. And if you burned quite a bit, you actually should eat a little more. Try to keep your net calories over 1200 or you risk putting your body in starvation mode.
  • coolsmartygirl
    coolsmartygirl Posts: 299 Member
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    I know I do, and there a lot of people who work out a lot earlier in the day when they know they are going to be having a family gathering or something.
  • Toots2012
    Toots2012 Posts: 25
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    I think we are suppose to eat those calories...I never can eat all the extra calories that I have... But when I need to cheat it is very helpful...hehehe
  • Louiselesley
    Louiselesley Posts: 166 Member
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    I know I do, and there a lot of people who work out a lot earlier in the day when they know they are going to be having a family gathering or something.


    *hands up*

    i'm totally guilty of this.

    i'll work out more if i know i need extra calories for the day and it inspires me to do more when i know ill still be under my goal and have a complete feast.

    but yes. always eat your exercise calories back (or at least a good amount of them if you struggle to eat them all if you burn a LOT)
  • Lauren38570
    Lauren38570 Posts: 239
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    thanks you all been very helpful , one thing I like about this site.Everyone has been very nice except for one very sarcastic one but oh well it happens , lol but just to make sure if I eat my excersice calories back it won't put me back were I started?
  • tjwolf13
    tjwolf13 Posts: 14
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    A lot of people on here say not to eat those calories, but you really should. By setting your net calories at 1200, MFP has already given you a deficit. The only thing I do is try to leave a few (amount depends on how much I workout) each day because according to people who have an HRM MFP calculates high for the calories burned. But this is how I look at it, if I burn calories each day and then I don't eat them back it is the same as not working out and eating less than 1200 calories.
  • Lauren38570
    Lauren38570 Posts: 239
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    oh ok and what exactly is a deficit?
  • tjwolf13
    tjwolf13 Posts: 14
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    A deficit is the difference between the calories your body needs to maintain its weight and the calories needed to lose weight. Example: MFP calculates my maintenance calories to be 1910 a day according to my weight and lifestyle, so with a daily net of 1200 my deficit is 710. When you exercise but don't eat those calories back, you create a bigger deficit. When a deficit gets too big it can be unhealthy.
  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
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    I say no. Your body is more receptive to everything you put in it once you work out... which means you should eat a lot better especially AFTER you work out because your body is pretty much a sponge after a good sweat sesh.


    And a deficit is the space between what you need to eat to lose weight and what you need to eat to maintain. Basically, MFP takes the number of calories your body to requires to maintain your weight, and then subtracts however many calories is necessary for you to lose however many pounds you are set up to lose in your settings. Mine is 1 lb, so my daily deficit is 500 calories per day, times that by 7 and you get 3500 calories which equals one pound.
  • Lauren38570
    Lauren38570 Posts: 239
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    ok I get it now and my net calories a day is 1200 as well
  • appleandorange
    appleandorange Posts: 3
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    Hi Lauren3870, that is my concern as well. I am scared if I eat back my calories, It will set me back.
  • Lauren38570
    Lauren38570 Posts: 239
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    Yeah I worry about it alot but maybe if I just eat something that is around half of what I burn maybe that will be ok
  • Purplebunnysarah
    Purplebunnysarah Posts: 3,252 Member
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    I always eat back 80-90% of my exercise calories I earn and it hasn't hurt my weight loss so far! I'm averaging 1.8 lbs/week (goal is 1.4 lbs/week right now). I net between 1200 and 1300. It only slows down if I'm retaining water (i.e. too much sodium, TOM, or sometimes after an intense workout).
  • Lauren38570
    Lauren38570 Posts: 239
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    ok good I do drink but do u think that will still be okay?
  • Purplebunnysarah
    Purplebunnysarah Posts: 3,252 Member
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    ok good I do drink but do u think that will still be okay?

    Everything in moderation is really the key. Make sure you're getting the proper nutrition you need (lots of good, unprocessed foods, especially veggies, whole grains and protein) and the odd drink here or there won't hurt. You may retain water for a few days after you indulge, especially if you have more than one or two drinks, but just keep chugging away at the water and it'll flush out of your system provided you aren't drinking heavily every day.
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,554 Member
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    If you are worried about the calories - don't be! If you are exercising you are burning more and you need to give your body good fuel to work with.

    I know people all have their own opinion on this - but I needed to find something that I could sustain over a longer period of time and not give up. Eating my exercise cals gives me enough room to eat real food (not "diet" food), to eat out, to enjoy some treats and to lose weight. I currently eat around 1400 - 1500 net calories (this means 1400 or 1500 plus exercise calories) per day and I'm losing on average 1kg (2.2 pounds) every 10 days.

    In my opinion it would be wise to try out MFP as is has been designed - eg. to eat back those calories. If this doesn't work for you after a month or so, then you can adjust up or down until you find what works for you.

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