eat back burned calories?

devineh123
devineh123 Posts: 12
edited September 30 in Health and Weight Loss
Little question...
I've been on a 1200 cal diet for the past six days, and I've burned 600 calories every day. I've been eating back my calories, well at least 500 of them. So it's as if I've consumed around 1100 calories a day. But should I be eating back these calories?
I just assumed that if I wasn't eating them back, it would mean I was only consuming around 600 cals a day after working out, this seems far too low? Am I wasting time working out if I'm eating the cals back?
Bare in mind I've been dieting on healthy foods and a minimal carb intake.
Help!
Thanks :)
x

Replies

  • BeautyFromPain
    BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
    bump!
  • H_Factor
    H_Factor Posts: 1,722 Member
    yes, eat back those calories. you should net at least 1,200 calories/day ON AVERAGE so that your body does not go into starvation mode and store fat. I put the "ON AVERAGE" part in all caps because it would be okay if you netted 1,100 one day and 1,300 the next day.
  • littlemili
    littlemili Posts: 625 Member
    Do what you want to start with. If it works carry on. If it doesn't change it. A lot of people do eat back their calories and have successful weight loss, others don't have have equally successful weight loss. It depends on all sorts of things including metabolism, current weight, desired speed of loss etc.

    Personally I started by eating back all my calories, then went to half and now I rarely eat any back. My reasons each time for changing were simply that I stopped losing weight, and as a short person at a healthy weight my body needs fewer calories to function off than a) most people and b) it used to when I was 24lbs heavier.

    If I were you I would begin by eating back most of your exercise calories for at least 2 weeks consistently. If you see no weight change, you might want to consider changing that to eating back a maximum of half. But mostly, do what your body says and if you aren't hungry, don't force yourself to eat.
  • rschuurman
    rschuurman Posts: 32
    It's tricky isn't it! I find I have to eat back at least some of them otherwise my body feels weak and I feel worse after exercising. I generally aim to have 100 calories left over at the end of the day though.
  • haylz24
    haylz24 Posts: 225
    I burn around 200 cals a day and my daily allowance is 1400. I don't eat the 200 on top though like MFP says. I don't want to eat 1600 haha I can't stand big meals now
  • lp0007
    lp0007 Posts: 125 Member
    I eat back all exercise calories. I like my treats :happy:
  • placebomonkey
    placebomonkey Posts: 104 Member
    Hi : ) You don't mention wether or not you have been losing weight whilst eating back the calories? I was burning around 400 calories and eating them back and I gained weight : ( so I'm not eating them back at all now x
  • devineh123
    devineh123 Posts: 12
    I'm not sure yet! It's only been siz days so I'll weigh myself tomorrow morning. Hopefully I have, I 've been working so hard at the gym every day. I just feel quite weak after I exercise and need to eat. I usually consume around 1500 cals and burn around 500-600 at the gym. Should I only be consuming 1200 and still burning those cals at the gym?
    Thanks for the help!
    x
  • CARNAT22
    CARNAT22 Posts: 764 Member
    I eat back mine too - always have done - and lost 18lbs pretty qucikly.
  • devineh123
    devineh123 Posts: 12
    That's brilliant! And only 2lb to go?
    Well done :)
    Thanks for the help...xx
  • deankaydee
    deankaydee Posts: 6
    i'm very curious about this one too as i'd like to lose as much as possible in as little as possible due to extremely important personal reasons. Its tough for me to eat back calories since i go to the gym late 10pm and i burn on average 1500 calories there. And MFP suggests that I consume 1410 a day. so for Sunday and Monday I actually had a deficit of 1826 and 1737 at the end of the days. And on Tuesday I didn't work out and consumed 1814 calories. I.ve been reading that we need to consume a net of about 1200 calories a day, but what if i'd like to lose more than 2lbs a week even if it is not highly recommended?
  • somedayslowly
    somedayslowly Posts: 2
    Hey,
    I guess that's really up to you. I don't eat the calories back because for me that's how I lose the weight faster. But perhaps a treat could motivate you to work out more..haha
    All the best!
  • jasonp26
    jasonp26 Posts: 5
    Definatley eat back your cals even if its only a little but above all keep your daily intake above that "starvation" limit, once your over that added with your exercise you will loose at a safe and steady rate.

    I know you want to lose more than the 2lbs a week but if that is partly damaging your body "DON'T" do it. It's not worth it, these things take time so just roll with it and have fun.

    Don't forget that you will at some ponint notice that your not losing weight, this is because of Muscle build up due to your working out, this is a good thing just keep it going and then that needle will start to move again.
  • placebomonkey
    placebomonkey Posts: 104 Member
    If when you have weighed yourself you have lost some then I would continue to eat the calories back. It didnt work for me but we are all different and our bodies respond differently. Good Luck hope it's worked for you : ) x
  • lcarter25
    lcarter25 Posts: 286 Member
    I eat them back sometimes its all sometimes its not depending on how I feel but most times I eat some back

    I am not one of these people who are full of 1200 and having done a hard work out
  • mikeyrp
    mikeyrp Posts: 1,616 Member
    This is going to be pretty simple - two questions:

    1) Are you loosing weight at a sensible rate (In my opinion 1 lb a week is ideal, 2 possible, anything higher isn't sustainable unless you are extremely overweight to start with)

    2) Are you feeling tired or run down: If so you probably are not eating enough of the right foods - this is especially true for people on low carb diets: You need carbs to give you the energy to do the exercise... Personally I'd rather do 700 Cal than a 500 Cal work out because it means my fitness is getting better - NOT so that I can loose weight more quickly. Whatever you burn you need to eat!


    Notes: All calorie calculations are approximate - depending on the tool you are using the accuracy varies, but you could easily be 20% out - so eating 100 under probably isn't going to hurt you :) Just don't beat yourself up if you go over by 100 on another day!
  • Yooperm35
    Yooperm35 Posts: 787 Member
    I have just been making sure I net at least 1200. If I'm hungry, I'll eat back my calories, if not, I let it go. I don't stress over it anymore and I found that it is working for me
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