What is the purpose of eating back your exercise calories
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soon2beeskinny
Posts: 28 Member
I'm not understanding the purpose of eating back your exercise calories. It defeats the purpose of exercising if you are using it to burn more calories. If you eat them back you don't burn more calories. Your're in the same place you were before you started. Am I missing something here?
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Replies
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Exercise is for health. Calorie deficit is for weight loss. Also, most of us don't eat back every calorie marked as burned (partly to account for inaccuracies).
Some people also work out so that they can eat more. I'm on about 1,500 cals a day right now and if I did not eat back some of my calories from dance, I would be weak/eating below my BMR some days. Some days I have 4 hrs of HIITS-level dance classes. I can easily burn 400-500 calories. If I only ate 1,500 and burned 500, I would be fueling my body with only 1,000. I would crash and burn.12 -
I also like to exercise so I can eat more- because- I have less than 20 lbs to lose to goal-mfp only gives me 1230 calories- but when I exercise I can eat more food and still stay in a deficit. I don't eat back every calorie either- I usually eat back about half of the calories mfp gives me7
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If you are eating at maintenance (IE: not eating at a deficit already) then you're right, there is no purpose to eating them back if you want to lose weight and are using exercise to do it. However, if you are already at a deficit then you are supposed to eat back the accurate portion of those calories otherwise you simply increase your deficit, and in some cases increase it to an unhealthy amount.
For instance, my TDEE without exercise from my daily activity being 6'2" tall around 185lbs is around 2100 calories a day. If I eat that much, I don't gain or lose weight if I don't exercise. If I then exercise and don't eat back the calories I would lose weight because my net calories would drop below 2100. So if I did 500 calories per day of exercise, my net would be 1600/day and I would lose at a rate of roughly 1lb per week.
However, if I set my deficit at 1lb per week, and my daily calories were already set at 1600 so that I could lose 1lb per week, THEN did 500 calories of exercise my deficit would increase to 1000 calories a day if I did not eat back those exercise calories. I would then be losing at a rate of 2lbs per week, and my net intake would be about 1100 calories a day. That isn't enough calories to maintain muscle at my height/weight/activity level so my body would start burning fat faster, and it would also burn muscle and in some cases my organs once the muscle was gone or harder to burn. It would be unhealthy for me to lose weight at that rate. I'd risk getting weaker, possibly injuring myself, and getting sick.
That's why. It depends on how you are approaching your weight loss based on CICO.
I choose to do things a bit differently. I use a calculator like iifym.com's and calculate my TDEE with my exercise added in. I do this because I work out five days a week for a minimum of 90 minutes a day at a difficult intensity. I do it consistently and never waver from that schedule. So when I plug those numbers into iifym.com it sets me at a TDEE of around 2700 calories a day. That means I can eat 2700 calories a day and not lose or gain weight as long as I keep up the exercise schedule I mentioned. If I want to lose a pound a week, I need to subtract 500 calories a day, so I would eat at around 2200 calories a day and keep the same exercise schedule.
MFP is designed around the NEAT method. So it calculates your calories based on your daily caloric expenditure without exercise factored in. That's why it asks you what your daily activity level is. Always enter that without purposeful exercise factored in. Then, when you exercise you can eat back those calories and still lose weight at the rate you specified with MFP's wizard.
If, on the other hand, you don't exercise regularly, or don't do a lot of intense exercise (walking the dog once a day for 20 minutes or something similar) then yea, don't include it because honestly you don't burn much doing that unless you're running or walking that dog up a steep hill, etc. So not eating back exercise calories might not make sense to you, and it doesn't to me because I already factor it in, but it does to others.25 -
Mfp is set up so that you do eat back exercise calories, or at least a portion of them because it does not account for exercise when it allots you your daily calorie goal. If you were set to eat 1400 calories a day then burnt off 500 during a workout, it would basically be the equivalent of having eaten only 900 which is not especially healthy. The idea is to keep your net at 1200 or above basically. I have always eaten back most of mine and it has not negatively impacted my weight, although I do use a chest strap based HRM for my workouts. Certainly I would advise eating back some of them.6
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The calorie number MFP gives you already has a built-in deficit based on what you gave for your weight loss goals. It is based on your non-exercise activity level (NEAT). Yes MFP asks about exercise goals, but it does not use them in the calculation.
Assuming you don't exercise, you want to hit that goal for your desired weight loss. Now say you burn an added 250 cals from exercising. If you don't eat them back, you would be undereating for your goals and may be hurting yourself long term. You also may be underfueling for your exercise, so they suffer and you may also see a reduced NEAT if the reduced calories available make you more lethargic in your normal activities (too tired for a walk so you watch TV).
This is how MFP is designed to work.
If you are consistent in your weekly activity, a TDEE calculator may be easier to use. It would include the exercise and then calculate the deficit.
But yeah. Calories for weight loss and exercise for health.
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Because some people work out a lot but don't want a huge calorie deficit. For example, if I sit on my butt all day, I only burn about 1350 calories/day. But, I'm on my feet at work all day and I do a lot of walking so I end up burning about 2000 calories/day. A 650 calorie deficit is way too much for me at the moment, so I eat back ~150 of my exercise calories.
I also second what leggup said. I love ice cream and I will shamelessly hop on the treadmill for an hour just to be able to eat an extra scoop!7 -
soon2beeskinny wrote: »I'm not understanding the purpose of eating back your exercise calories. It defeats the purpose of exercising if you are using it to burn more calories. If you eat them back you don't burn more calories. Your're in the same place you were before you started. Am I missing something here?
A couple things -
IF you got your calorie goal from MFP, it didn't include exercise. When you have a large calorie deficit it's harder for your body to support existing lean muscle mass. Do you want fat loss? Do you want a lower body fat%?
Second - the purpose of exercise should NOT be to burn calories. Because if the sole purpose was to burn calories, then do cardio + cardio + more cardio (because it burns the most). Being healthy, being fit is more than "just" cardio. Strength training (along with adequate protein, and a moderate deficit) will help you retain lean muscle. That way you lower your body fat %.3 -
Providing the necessary fuel for working out.
It isn't healthy to create too great of a caloric deficit.6 -
You can lose weight if you consume fewer calories than you burn. You burn calories being alive. The more active you are in your life, the more calories you burn. Keeping yourself nourished and healthy requires that you eat. Losing your weight should be a pleasant and healthy time in your life. You should not suffer for this, ever.8
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soon2beeskinny wrote: »I'm not understanding the purpose of eating back your exercise calories. It defeats the purpose of exercising if you are using it to burn more calories. If you eat them back you don't burn more calories. Your're in the same place you were before you started. Am I missing something here?
Yes. There are many purposes for exercise. Fresh air, transportation, social time, scenery, fitness, more and yummier calories, etc.5 -
Mfp gives you a calorie goal with a set deficit (250, 500, 750 or 1000 calories). Mfp assumes you will do no exercise so if you are set to lose 1 pound per week (500 cal deficit) then your goal from mfp includes that deficit. If you exercise and burn an additional 300 calories you now have a deficit of 800 calories. Mfp expects you to eat back the exercise calories to get you back to your original 500 cal deficit. If you don't want to eat back exercise calories then you should use a TDEE calculator to get your goal. It will include exercise so a TDEE calculator will give you a higher daily goal than mfp. So if mfp gives you a goal of 1500 to lose 1 pound per week then you can eat 1500 to lose a pound. If you exercise and burn 300 calories your goal to lose 1 pound per week is now 1800. A TDEE calculator would probably give you a goal of approximately 1800 calories. The numbers won't be exact, but should be about the same if you are honest about your activity level and your exercise.0
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I'm in the minority here. I don't eat back exercise calories. First, I believe the MFP's exercise calorie database is way too generous on the number of calories it says you burn, and second, if I burn an extra few calories and I lose an extra half of a pound - I'm good with that!
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JeromeBarry1 wrote: »You can lose weight if you consume fewer calories than you burn. You burn calories being alive. The more active you are in your life, the more calories you burn. Keeping yourself nourished and healthy requires that you eat. Losing your weight should be a pleasant and healthy time in your life. You should not suffer for this, ever.
Oh I suffered. Not suffering is what got me overweight in the first place lol. Even today at doing slight cuts (I have been at my goal weight for a year and a half now +/- 10 lbs) there are times I want to eat and can't if I want to maintain my deficit. Sure, in a perfect world you could eat enough vegetables or lower calorie foods to create the bulk you need to not be hungry, but most of us got here in the first place because we like the stuff that is dense in calories. So I guess it depends on your definition of suffering. Being hungry doesn't have to be a consequence of losing weight, but it's going to be at some point for most of us. For me to be totally happy and satiated, I would eat about what I eat now, plus I'd snack at night on chips, sweets, and whatever I wanted. I'd also eat higher calorie foods for breakfast (doughnuts anyone? Fatty sausage and eggs?). I tend to not do those things now because I know that's what got me where I was, but for me to not suffer would be for me to eat what I want, and that is something completely different than what I eat today. Not saying I don't like what I eat today, but I had to change what I ate, and in some cases when I ate it in order to accomplish my goals. I'll have to do that forever to maintain my weight/health/fitness level, but I'm ok with it. Walking past the things I know I would enjoy eating and not buying them to me is suffering. But that's just me. I made a conscious decision to become healthier, fit, and a normal weight the rest of my life so I had to give those things up for the most part. Or at least limit when or how often I can have them.7 -
I'm in the minority here. I don't eat back exercise calories. First, I believe the MFP's exercise calorie database is way too generous on the number of calories it says you burn, and second, if I burn an extra few calories and I lose an extra half of a pound - I'm good with that!
So 0% of exercise calories is going to be more accurate than say....50%?
What if 50% of that extra half pound loss is lean muscle mass? Are you good with that? Google skinny-fat (only the scale looks good). There's a price you pay for too fast weight loss.13 -
Of course theoretically the calories you earn exercising need to be replaced for more energy. However, I don't usually eat back my exercise calories (unless I'm wanting a dessert or glass of wine on top of my daily calories). The reason for this is that because of my senior age, I have a low BMR and being sedentary more often than not so I'm only allowed 1200 calories per day, and there are not enough calories left over for me to reach my 2 lb. per week goal. I'd have to eat only around 900 calories which is unreasonable and unsafe. Therefore I eat my 1200 calories per day to maintain my metabolism, but use my 200-300 exercise calories to add to weight loss. I think most people have to right idea eating back half of them. For me the extra calories can serve as motivation sometimes to exercise so I know I can eat or drink something special that day, and I get the health benefit of exercise.5
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Fueling your fitness is important. Your calorie target is your calorie deficit WITHOUT any exercise...exercise activity isn't accounted for in your activity level. The more you move, the higher your energy requirements are...kinda like a car that has to commute 120 miles daily is going to need more gas than a car that just drives around the corner to the grocery store.
Not accounting for exercise activity can and usually does create a deficit that is too large from an overall health standpoint.
Also, it's nice that exercise burns some calories...but it's hardly the purpose of regular exercise.7 -
I'm in the minority here. I don't eat back exercise calories. First, I believe the MFP's exercise calorie database is way too generous on the number of calories it says you burn, and second, if I burn an extra few calories and I lose an extra half of a pound - I'm good with that!
So 0% of exercise calories is going to be more accurate than say....50%?
What if 50% of that extra half pound loss is lean muscle mass? Are you good with that? Google skinny-fat (only the scale looks good). There's a price you pay for too fast weight loss.
This. Also, people can put a little but of effort into getting pretty reasonable ideas of how many calories they're burning in many situations.7 -
NorthCascades wrote: »I'm in the minority here. I don't eat back exercise calories. First, I believe the MFP's exercise calorie database is way too generous on the number of calories it says you burn, and second, if I burn an extra few calories and I lose an extra half of a pound - I'm good with that!
So 0% of exercise calories is going to be more accurate than say....50%?
What if 50% of that extra half pound loss is lean muscle mass? Are you good with that? Google skinny-fat (only the scale looks good). There's a price you pay for too fast weight loss.
This. Also, people can put a little but of effort into getting pretty reasonable ideas of how many calories they're burning in many situations.
Especially when you consider that we can compare our estimations to our real life results and then make any adjustments that are necessary.6 -
I'm in the minority here. I don't eat back exercise calories. First, I believe the MFP's exercise calorie database is way too generous on the number of calories it says you burn, and second, if I burn an extra few calories and I lose an extra half of a pound - I'm good with that!
So you don't actually care about being healthy then? Just the number on the scale?
By the by, there are numerous ways to dial in your exercise calories and you don't have to use the MFP database or the numbers it spits out...you can manually override them.
If I didn't account for exercise and just ate the suggest calorie target without exercise that MFP gives me, and I went on a 30 mile ride, my net calorie intake would be around 800-900 calories...yup...sounds super healthy...5
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