Eating Exercise Calories

Jarosz79
Jarosz79 Posts: 7
edited September 30 in Food and Nutrition
I am a little more than confused lately. I have always read that you should not eat back your exercise calories or you would gain weight, or maintain your weight. I have 80lbs to lose and I always seem to be under my calorie goal for the day (typical me). Now I have started reading new stuff saying that you should eat back exercise calories otherwise your body will store all fat making weight loss that much harder. So I ask; should I be eating back my exercise calories, or not??? Any help would be amazing at this point, as I don't seem to be losing anything!

Replies

  • fastbelly
    fastbelly Posts: 727 Member
    You should eat your exercise calories, or at least part of them.
  • ceschwartz
    ceschwartz Posts: 240 Member
    There are exceptions to the rule, but on MFP you should eat them back.
  • LJCannon
    LJCannon Posts: 3,636 Member
    :flowerforyou: This is a Hot Issue.
    I do believe most MFP Members agree that you should eat at least part of the Exercise Calories back in order to lose weight. The Main Thing is to be sure that your "Net Calories" are at least 1200 per day, I think.
  • Kat0310
    Kat0310 Posts: 341
    There's going to be a lot of opinions on this topic, that being said I do not eat them back.
  • woja9640
    woja9640 Posts: 450 Member
    As someone else said, your NET calories you eat for the day should be 1200 AFTER you exercise.
  • Heatherbledsoe
    Heatherbledsoe Posts: 106 Member
    well, youre going to get a lot ofmixed reviews-clearly. I had 90 pounds to lose, i ate 1200 calories...even if i burned just as much at the gym, i never ate them back...now im down 48 pounds this year so far, and i have 42 to go...now that i started weight training which was about 6 weeks ago, ive had to increase from 1200 to 1450 pretty much...now maybe even higher since i came off a 6 week pleatue when i started the weight training, lost about ten pounds..i recently gained 2 back, were thinking water weight, but ive been stuck for about 2 weeks in the same 2 pound range...usually that means its time to start eating a little bit more...and imean like, an extra apple a day, not a full meal or anything. When you up your workout to crazy weight training liek that though, its a lot different than just straight cardio...also everyone keeps telling me to forget about the number on the scale cause i burned off 1% body fat in 3 weeks...i dont even know what that means but they seemed to think it was a big deal lol
  • Heatherbledsoe
    Heatherbledsoe Posts: 106 Member
    stupid computer, double post :mad:
  • Schwiggity
    Schwiggity Posts: 1,449 Member
    Eat them or don't, learn to use the Search function maybe?
  • GenerationD05
    GenerationD05 Posts: 93
    I try not to eat them all. Even with working out and eating what I do, I'm eating over 1200 calories (at least I think I am... seems like it) But it's a matter of preference probably and like the others have said everyone will have an opinion on it.
  • Jarosz79
    Jarosz79 Posts: 7
    To Schwiggity: I have been researching and that is why im asking for what works for others. I thought I knew what I was doing but its stopped working for me. Then I stared reading stuff that contradicted everything I thought I knew. So hence my post. Im not sure what hou mean by your post but this is a forum for advice and tips on health questions so I am polling the opinions of the many people on here so I can make an informed decision before trying something new.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    This is a question that has been asked thousands of times on this forum, hence a search would've turned up a thousand threads just like this one.

    To answer the question in short, it depends. It depends who you ask, it depends on your calorie settings, it depends on your diet plan. If you are following MFP's calorie suggestion, then yes, eat them back, because that's how MFP was designed. It factors in a calorie deficit for weight loss without exercise, and if you exercise, you need to add those calories back in order to maintain safe levels. If you are basing your calories off of your BMR, then your exercise calories are creating the necessary deficit, so you won't be eating them back.

    So really, without knowing how you are setting up your daily calorie goal, nobody can answer that question for you.

    I eat my exercise calories back, and I lose a steady 1.5-2 pounds a week.
  • Jarosz79
    Jarosz79 Posts: 7
    Thank you. The confusion was set off reading the posts on here. I read one from years ago explaining whole make up of the thing, but my over tiredness was not allowing me to let it sink in, so I went for the easiest possible route. Ask the 'dumb' question get the straight forward response. Yours explains it perfectly so I thank you for that. I am going to eat back my exersice calories until i ma hitting a min of 1200 and for sure not going over my goal. Thank you everyone for your responses, they are all very appriciated!:wink:
  • Liquid741
    Liquid741 Posts: 292 Member
    imo, its what works for you....the race is only against yourself, and as long as your in the race is what matters. i know, i eat about 1/2 of the calories that i exercise, and usually end up with about 200 to 300 uneaten calories when my day is done.

    there is nothing wrong with your trying a couple different methods for a few weeks here and there and see what works for you, the important part is that your thinking of it and actually going through with your transition.
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