Do you eat back your burned calories?

rikkejanell2014
rikkejanell2014 Posts: 312 Member
edited November 15 in Food and Nutrition
Also do you only log intentional work outs? I personally will eat back some but usually have a few hundred calories left unless i didn't work out. I stopped logging exercise unless it's an intentional work out because the scale wasn't moving. Now its moving again. 45 more pounds to go.
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Replies

  • omakase619
    omakase619 Posts: 226 Member
    Good question! I don't always log my workouts only the automatic steps counter. And I try not to eat my exercise calories, but sometimes I break and eat some back.
  • shelleyrhoads
    shelleyrhoads Posts: 103 Member
    I eat back some of my calories. Sometimes I log cleaning because I have stairs and 4 kids it is actual exercise when I do some real cleaning. I only do that because I don't have a fitbit or anything like that. I usually do not eat back those calories. But is literally just to track my activity.
  • H_Ock12
    H_Ock12 Posts: 1,152 Member
    I only log intentional exercise and eat back about half of my cardio calories...I do bank some calories for my two cardio days, because running 3-5 miles leaves me ravenous.
  • IWearDaCrown
    IWearDaCrown Posts: 15 Member
    Personally I log intentional exercise only. And I try not to eat back and of my workout calories unless I really am super hungry.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,690 Member
    I only log intentional exercise, and when I was losing weight, I was eating about half my exercise calories back.
  • Cope_Jr
    Cope_Jr Posts: 11 Member
    I eat my Cal's back
    .. bad habit lately
  • EricaCraigie
    EricaCraigie Posts: 1,396 Member
    Never. I eat my nutritional requirements on a daily basis and don't stuff more food in depending on calories burned.
  • leahcollett1
    leahcollett1 Posts: 807 Member
    i use the TDEE method now, as long as im consistent ( definitely 3 times a week body combat for now) then my exercise cals are incorporated into my allowance. im on 1600 and i eat no calories back
  • bgh707
    bgh707 Posts: 164 Member
    [quote
    Machka9 wrote: »
    I only log intentional exercise, and when I was losing weight, I was eating about half my exercise calories back.

    About the same. I eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm full, and it usually ends up adding up to about half of my calories burned.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Cope_Jr wrote: »
    I eat my Cal's back
    .. bad habit lately

    But this is how My Fitness Pal (MFP) is designed.....it's not "bad" at all.

    MFP gave you a calorie goal before exercise. When you do intentional exercise, you make the deficit larger. A larger deficit can help you lose weight faster.....but the price can be losing existing lean muscle mass.

    People should be able to eat their calories back and lose at the same weekly goal they signed up for. But there are lots & lots of estimates that get in the way. Some people are great at logging (use a digital scale) ...others eye-ball. Your activity level is actual a range of activity. You could be at the high end, or the low end. Exercise calorie burns are a guess too.

    TDEE as referenced by @leahcollett1 above is a method that includes exercise up front. This is great for people that have a consistent exercise pattern in place.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited January 2017
    Never. I eat my nutritional requirements on a daily basis and don't stuff more food in depending on calories burned.

    But your MFP daily calorie goal is in NET calories. That NET number is calories after intentional exercise.

    Example my "net" goal is 1400 (I'm older). Let's say I exercise for 250. 1400 + 250 = 1650. If I eat 1650, then I have "netted" 1400 (1650-250=1400).

    The reason for eating calories back - large deficits make it harder for your body to fuel existing lean muscle mass. Fast weight loss doesn't lower your body fat % as effectively as moderate paced weight loss does.

    Great explanation below
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/818082/exercise-calories-again-wtf/p1
  • ritzvin
    ritzvin Posts: 2,860 Member
    Yes- I eat mine back (in fact I look forward to being able to eat a candy bar after a run). I do log dancing (I try to err on the side of underestimating that one)(since that can burn a few hundred calories in 2 hours depending on style and floor time, and I am usually very hungry afterward) in addition to running/cycling.
  • mburgess458
    mburgess458 Posts: 480 Member
    Yes, I eat mine back. But not the amount that MFP says. Through trial and error I think I have figured out roughly how many calories I burn. For example, I eat back about 110-120 calories per mile when I go running. That is based on some calculators I found online and seems to make sense for me given how my weight responds. My running app and MFP estimate higher calories so I make a manual adjustment.
  • Rocknut53
    Rocknut53 Posts: 1,794 Member
    I'm in maintenance now and every day is different for me. I'm learning to balance my exercise and intake because both vary a lot on any given day. I have extreme cardio days involving steep long hikes and snowshoeing and then days where I don't do much so it's been interesting to figure out how much or little I can actually eat. When I was losing I never ate back all of my exercise calories only because I didn't trust the numbers. It's becoming more intuitive for me as time goes on and I stay at the same weight. Good luck on reaching your goal!
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    Never. I eat my nutritional requirements on a daily basis and don't stuff more food in depending on calories burned.

    Your nutritional requirements change depending on what you do.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    Of course I eat my exercise calories, and I've (1) lost about 80 pounds this way, and (2) seen beautiful and amazing sites on my bike, skis, and while hiking.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Never. I eat my nutritional requirements on a daily basis and don't stuff more food in depending on calories burned.

    That's not really the best approach.

    When I was losing weight, my calorie target before exercise was 1,900 to lose 1 Lb per week. I often go for a 30+ mile ride on weekends...on a 30 mile ride I burn roughly 1200 calories which would leave me all of 700 calories for my body to function and go about my daily...it would be the exact same thing as me only eating 700 calories...not too healthy.

    To boot, recovery would be an issue, performance would be an issue, and fitness development would be blunted. Part of eating healthy is taking in an appropriate amount of calories for what you do.
  • EricaCraigie
    EricaCraigie Posts: 1,396 Member
    TeaBea wrote: »
    Never. I eat my nutritional requirements on a daily basis and don't stuff more food in depending on calories burned.

    But your MFP daily calorie goal is in NET calories. That NET number is calories after intentional exercise.

    Example my "net" goal is 1400 (I'm older). Let's say I exercise for 250. 1400 + 250 = 1650. If I eat 1650, then I have "netted" 1400 (1650-250=1400).

    The reason for eating calories back - large deficits make it harder for your body to fuel existing lean muscle mass. Fast weight loss doesn't lower your body fat % as effectively as moderate paced weight loss does.

    Great explanation below
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/818082/exercise-calories-again-wtf/p1

    I don't go by calories though.. I go by macros. I only use mfp as an easy tool to track my macros, not for guidance.
  • rugratz2015
    rugratz2015 Posts: 593 Member
    I only log into intentional workouts. And I try not to eat the calories back because I feel the amounts given are very generous.

    In saying that, I find it hard to stick to my allowance and I often go over it.
  • FeraFilia
    FeraFilia Posts: 4,664 Member
    I got a Fitbit for Christmas, and I didn't trust the calorie burns it was giving me in January, so I basically ignored the 'exercise calories'... And I've lost 14 pounds this month.

    So, I'm thinking it's at least somewhat accurate and I probably should be eating some of those calories. I'm starting with half, and will see what happens in February! :)
  • TheSkyBlushed
    TheSkyBlushed Posts: 153 Member
    edited January 2017
    I probably eat about 1/4 of the calories back. For some reason to me it feels like they are far too generous in giving me calories for the fitness I do. But usually I am not hungry anyway, if I was I'd eat more of them back. :p
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    TeaBea wrote: »
    Never. I eat my nutritional requirements on a daily basis and don't stuff more food in depending on calories burned.

    But your MFP daily calorie goal is in NET calories. That NET number is calories after intentional exercise.

    Example my "net" goal is 1400 (I'm older). Let's say I exercise for 250. 1400 + 250 = 1650. If I eat 1650, then I have "netted" 1400 (1650-250=1400).

    The reason for eating calories back - large deficits make it harder for your body to fuel existing lean muscle mass. Fast weight loss doesn't lower your body fat % as effectively as moderate paced weight loss does.

    Great explanation below
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/818082/exercise-calories-again-wtf/p1

    I don't go by calories though.. I go by macros. I only use mfp as an easy tool to track my macros, not for guidance.

    Okay - so you're not trying to lose weight.....that's different.

    Everyone who is trying to lose weight needs to manage calories.
  • SolotoCEO
    SolotoCEO Posts: 293 Member
    I only count intentional workouts. Stuff like cleaning the house, grocery shopping, etc - NOT exercise IMO. I also don't count things like snowmobiling or ATV riding even though you are burning more calories than most people think. I generally don't eat back any calories (unless I need to..lol) if I burn less than 500 calories. If I burn more - I do eat some of them back but never more than half.
  • fitmom4lifemfp
    fitmom4lifemfp Posts: 1,572 Member
    edited January 2017
    Also do you only log intentional work outs? I personally will eat back some but usually have a few hundred calories left unless i didn't work out. I stopped logging exercise unless it's an intentional work out because the scale wasn't moving. Now its moving again. 45 more pounds to go.

    Not sure what you mean by "intentional". I always log (what I consider to be) actual exercise - no matter whether it is a part of my daily exercise plan (such as the gym) or a hike in the woods. I don't log things like mowing the lawn, or cleaning the house, or sex (LOL). Is that what you meant?


    And no - I never "eat back" my exercise calories. I am trying to lose weight, so that would not be beneficial to me.
  • AFGP11
    AFGP11 Posts: 142 Member
    I eat a lot of my calories back, but not always. I only log intentional workouts done with fitness in mind.
    TeaBea wrote: »
    TeaBea wrote: »
    Never. I eat my nutritional requirements on a daily basis and don't stuff more food in depending on calories burned.

    But your MFP daily calorie goal is in NET calories. That NET number is calories after intentional exercise.

    Example my "net" goal is 1400 (I'm older). Let's say I exercise for 250. 1400 + 250 = 1650. If I eat 1650, then I have "netted" 1400 (1650-250=1400).

    The reason for eating calories back - large deficits make it harder for your body to fuel existing lean muscle mass. Fast weight loss doesn't lower your body fat % as effectively as moderate paced weight loss does.

    Great explanation below
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/818082/exercise-calories-again-wtf/p1

    I don't go by calories though.. I go by macros. I only use mfp as an easy tool to track my macros, not for guidance.

    Okay - so you're not trying to lose weight.....that's different.

    Everyone who is trying to lose weight needs to manage calories.

    You can be focused on losing weight and watching macros at the same time. Honestly that is the most healthy way to do it. I don't find the calorie recommendations this app makes to be the best for most people and sometimes it suggests dangerously low amounts of calories to people. For example, it suggested 1200 calories to me per day and in reality that number is 300 calories below my BMR and I can eat up to 1841 calories on an average day and still lose weight every week.

    That said, the program (if you follow it) is designed with the idea that you eat those calories back. Assuming that OP is following the calories recommended by the app, the only responsible answer is yes, eat them back or at least eat some back.



  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Also do you only log intentional work outs? I personally will eat back some but usually have a few hundred calories left unless i didn't work out. I stopped logging exercise unless it's an intentional work out because the scale wasn't moving. Now its moving again. 45 more pounds to go.

    Not sure what you mean by "intentional". I always log (what I consider to be) actual exercise - no matter whether it is a part of my daily exercise plan (such as the gym) or a hike in the woods. I don't log things like mowing the lawn, or cleaning the house, or sex (LOL). Is that what you meant?


    And no - I never "eat back" my exercise calories. I am trying to lose weight, so that would not be beneficial to me.

    If you're using exercise to create your deficit, it wouldn't be beneficial. If you are already at a deficit through diet, eating back exercise calories (or at least some of them) can be an important part of avoiding excessive hunger, maintaining energy, and reaching body composition goals.

    It's something that isn't necessarily important if your deficit is smaller or you aren't that active, but for people with larger deficits or are more active, it can be really important.
  • fitmom4lifemfp
    fitmom4lifemfp Posts: 1,572 Member
    edited January 2017
    If you're using exercise to create your deficit, it wouldn't be beneficial. If you are already at a deficit through diet, eating back exercise calories (or at least some of them) can be an important part of avoiding excessive hunger, maintaining energy, and reaching body composition goals.

    It's something that isn't necessarily important if your deficit is smaller or you aren't that active, but for people with larger deficits or are more active, it can be really important.

    For ME, it's important to not to eat back the calories that I have burned off, in a normal day. If I have run a half marathon, or done a 10 mile hike up a mountain, then obviously my calorie consumption would be higher. But for normal daily exercise, no - I never count up how much I burned, and then go find that many calories to eat. It's counter productive, in my situation.
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