Are you supposed to eat back the calories you burn?

rayeofsun2017
rayeofsun2017 Posts: 18 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm just coming back from a two week long hiatus (vacation and medical issue). During this period I was active but not in my gym routine or eating like i normally do. I tried to track in the beginning but honestly it was so difficult (especially on vacation) i let it go (only gained .5 pounds during this period).

Well now I'm back in the game and need to lean out as much as possible over the next 3 weeks. Before this vacation I was working out 4-5 a week at Orangetheory burning between 500-600 calories according to my heart rate monitor. I'm getting back on it this week starting today. So my question is should i be eating back some if any of the calories I burn??

I start each day with 1200 calories. I was (and am now) weighing my food for every meal possible - even when I ordered out, I tried to only eat half so I could bring the other half home and weigh it lol. Before vacation I usually ate back about half the calories from my exercise. Since I started in January the scale hasn't budged at all but I'm measuring myself and losing inches so I know i'm making progress.

But to kick it up a notch should i not eat back the calories from exercise? I just worry I won't be getting enough calories. In addition to my calorie question, does anyone have any suggestions on helping myself lean out more? Also, I have cut out fried foods for the most part, and alcohol (not during vacation). And I try to drink a ton of water!

Thanks for your advice!

Replies

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    If your calorie goal comes from MFP, it's designed for you to eat back the calories you burn through exercise.

    If you truly are burning 500-600 calories per workout, that means your net would only be around 600 calories a day and that is too low.
  • rayeofsun2017
    rayeofsun2017 Posts: 18 Member
    Okay thank you @janejellyroll! I thought it'd be too low! I honestly cannot eat back 500 additional calories - i do a pretty good job staying full!
  • prettyb36
    prettyb36 Posts: 0 Member
    My exact questions awesome thanks
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    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
  • rayeofsun2017
    rayeofsun2017 Posts: 18 Member
    Thanks @kshama2001 - I would be very hesitant to eat back all my calories from a workout if i didn't have a heart rate monitor but I still am either way
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    rayeofsun2017 wrote: »
    Thanks @kshama2001 - I would be very hesitant to eat back all my calories from a workout if i didn't have a heart rate monitor but I still am either way

    I was going to suggest you eat at least 50% of your calories for at least a month and then adjust your calories according to how much weight you lost. However, you said something about three weeks in your OP. What happens in three weeks?

    Also, you might have a big post-vacation water weight loss whoosh that will mess things up.

    It's really best to acknowledge you are in this for the long haul and to be patient with the process.
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