I don't eat my exercise calories and here is why

kklindsey · July 2011

I have never ever based weight loss on exercise. I think most people will tell you that losing weight is 80% diet. I am not knocking exercise. I workout 5-6 days a week, cardio and strength training. I don't eat exercise calories and have never had exercise be a part of my plan to lose weight because it is way too easy to miss a workout, not have as good a workout as you are used to and to get injured and not be able to work out for a long time.

I want to know where I stand with my calories in all by themselves so that if I want to or have to miss a workout I am not in a panic about it. I also want to make my eating habits ones that aren't dependent on burning off calories. I didn't workout for the first 120lbs I lost because I was too heavy and not motivated to. Once I got down close to goal and realized I still wasn't happy with my shape I began working out to tone and firm which is what I think exercise is for. Plus it is way too hard to ever be sure how many calories you are actually, truly burning.

chevy88grl · July 2011

Everyone has to learn and do what works for THEM. For me personally, I see a weight gain if I do not eat back my exercise calories. In the last year, I've learned a lot about my body - like the fact that it LOVES when I eat higher calories (I can get my weight down to around 140lbs - IF I eat 3000 NET calories a day! 3000!). I must have a pretty high metabolism because I burn through a ton of calories in a day (I am averaging between 2200-2500 NET calories in a day).

For me, not eating those calories doesn't benefit me at all. It makes my body grumpy and it holds onto weight.

If what you're doing works for you - GREAT.

The key to being successful in this journey is to learn what works for you. And if it stops working, switch things up until you find what works again.

Congrats and best wishes!

ashleelyman · July 2011

I do not eat my exercise calories either BUT if you were burning huge amounts of calories each day you would NEED to make up at least some of the deficit.

stormieweather · July 2011

Well, MFP already has a deficit built in to the calorie goals, without any exercise. So it's expected that people will eat their exercise calories back, in order to maintain that deficit.

That said, I don't burn very much during my workouts, so I don't eat them back either. The most I've ever burned is an extra 300 calories, and 150 of those were already included in my BMR/calorie goals. If I ever have more than 300 extra exercise calories, I'll eat some of them back.

FL_Nettie · July 2011

First, AWESOME job on your weight loss!!!!!!! That's an accomplishment to be really proud of :flowerforyou:

I'm on the fence about eating the exercise calories. I used to eat them back, but I'm now of the mindset that I eat about half back.

I think each person needs to find what works for their body.

4KidFather · July 2011

Sounds like a healthy approach to me! I also take a similar view.
I only log on mfp for a reality check
Some seasons (winter) I am over 5000 calories with a couple hundred gram of saturated fat. SUmmer is veg season and not so much.
Interesting how we learn by logging. I just go with what I feel;
I think you are doinb well, congrats on the weight loss.
I also knwo that I CANNOT excercise if i do not eat enough. And I usually get energy from fat.
hmm bacon

Jennyisbusy · July 2011

I count calories to lose weight and manage nutrients. I work out to be healthy and strengthen my body. I didn't worry about eating my calories back when I was only burning a few hundred here and there. Recently I have started burning about a 1000 calories a day and so I have had to start eating more. Suddenly it matters.

I don't eat my exercise calories and here is why

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