Eat the calories?

I set my goals realistically for my normal daily activity. Then I added my exercise calories and ate every one of them. I had to, I tried it the other way and just felt awful.

I started at 220, now at 142 - eating exercise calories all the way.

It's kind of your experiment to run. At your weight you still have enough body fat that what you're currently doing will work for a while longer, but you need to keep good records of your calories in and out and your weight and take into consideration how you feel. Too low calories leads to feeling fatigued, grumpy, irritable, depressed and eventually to physical problems like dry skin, hair loss, etc. Is it worth it? Keep good records adjust when necessary.

MFP uses the NEAT method, and as such this system is designed for exercise calories to be eaten back. However, many consider the burns given by MFP to be inflated and only eat a percentage, such as 50%, back.

My FitBit One is far less generous with calories than the MFP database and I comfortably eat 100% of the calories I earn from it back.

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

Your target loss rate is about as aggressive as you should want to be, to stay strong & healthy while losing. Therefore, yes, eat back at least some of your exercise calories.

The idea of eating back 50%, monitoring your loss rate, and adjusting - that's a good plan. If you're actually losing an average of more than two pounds a week after 3-4 weeks or so of this, eat more calories. If you're just starting weight loss, you could see a bigger downward jump in the first week or two from changes in water weight and average weight of digestive system contents, so it's probably OK to ignore the first week or two's rate as long as you feel strong & energetic.

I estimated my exercise carefully/conservatively while losing 60+ pounds in a bit under a year, but ate back nearly all of them.

brittany_ wrote: »

Thank you very much for the input...I log my calories burned straight off my elliptical. I did notice MFP tends to over estimate 20-30 more than I actually do.

So it's considered unhealthy if I end up losing 2.5 to 3 lb a week? (NOT that id want to...im happy losing 2) Is this because I'm less likely to keep it off? Or would it physically be harmful?

The faster we lose, the bigger the risk of losing unnecessary amounts of lean tissue along with fat, or suffering other health consequences like fatigue, hair loss, etc. One's body can only metabolize so much fat per day, and losing too fast can also cause one's body to slow down less survival-essential processes to conserve energy. Losing no more than 1% of body weight weekly is a common rule of thumb to be conservative.

brittany_ wrote: »

Hi everyone! I've been using MFP for over a year now, successfully lost 50 lbs! I recently bought an elliptical machine to help boost my loss...im at 220 and My goal is 160 So I've still got a lot of work to do. My daily goal is 1330 (2 lbs a week)

Should I eat back my calories? Most of them? Should I change my activity level? Seems like lots of people have mixed opinions about it. At my weight since im heavier, I'm wondering if it will help or hinder.

Here's where some of the mixed opinions come from..........

Not understanding that this is how MFP is designed

Higher weight loss expectations than are realistic.....I signed up for 2 pounds a week & that doesn't happen unless I eat 1200 calories & exercise like crazy. Only larger people can expect 2 pounds a week.

Assuming all weight loss = fat, or that fast weight loss is healthy. Fast weight loss often sacrifices a larger % of existing lean muscle mass. 1330 is already a deficit.....don't pile on more.

Inaccurate logging. Some people swear they can't lose while eating at goal + 50% of exercise calories......other people swear that they can.

brittany_ wrote: »

Thank you very much for the input...I log my calories burned straight off my elliptical. I did notice MFP tends to over estimate 20-30 more than I actually do.

So it's considered unhealthy if I end up losing 2.5 to 3 lb a week? (NOT that id want to...im happy losing 2) Is this because I'm less likely to keep it off? Or would it physically be harmful?

I think is more where the mixed opinions come in... All machines (treadmill, elliptical) still tend to overestimate the amount of calories burned (even if you input your age and weight), so most people only eat a percentage back to prevent inadvertent overeating. It takes some trial and error to figure out how much your particular elliptical is overestimating your burn, so start eating back a certain percentage and see how it affects your weight loss--if you start losing more quickly, eat more back; if your weight loss stalls, eat less back.

xmichaelyx wrote: »

I don't eat back calories. That would be just one more layer of needless complication in what's a pretty simple activity.

Find TDEE -> Choose calorie goal -> Eat that much consistently -> Adjust as needed

OP - this is method includes exercise......so technically he eats them back.

But TDEE is a good alternative if your exercise is going to be consistent.

xmichaelyx wrote: »

I don't eat back calories. That would be just one more layer of needless complication in what's a pretty simple activity.

Find TDEE -> Choose calorie goal -> Eat that much consistently -> Adjust as needed

When you post this, can you please add that you understand this is NOT how MFP is designed and you are doing something different than intended?

I get that you are not wrong, but this advice is inappropriate for anyone using MFP as designed.