Not Eating My Exercise Calories!!

2

Replies

  • cheshirechic
    cheshirechic Posts: 489 Member
    I've lost steadily by eating them back, and am currently kind of stuck. This is most likely because I wasn't eating enough--trying to lose one lb. per week. I just decreased my deficit (to lose only .6 lbs. per week) to hopefully stop the plateau. I only have 8 lbs. to go until my goal.

    If you don't have a lot more to lose, you definitely should eat them back. MFP has a built in deficit. And I find that if I don't I'm VERY hungry (which usually equals grumpy, too). I'd say "listen to your body," but my body and mind still aren't communicating effectively, so I rely on the MFP calculations to make sure I'm eating enough.

    Good luck!
  • wozzy38
    wozzy38 Posts: 137 Member
    Thats a good idea..just experiment a little bit and see what happens..I am eating a percentage but just started so not sure what my results will be yet :) Good Luck!
  • thisismynewmindset
    thisismynewmindset Posts: 273 Member
    I ate my exercise cals for 3 weeks once in an experiment for myself and gained so i never eat them now, maybe 100 odd time but usually none at all and im losing still, your best off ignoring all advice, like i did, try for yourself and see what works for you, some of my friends eat half and still lose, try it was a few weeks and see what happens xx

    We are not saying that you will not lose weight if you don't eat back your exercise calories - of course you are! Probably faster than those of us who do eat back exercise calories. BUT THE MAIN POINT OF THIS DEBATE IS THAT ONCE YOU HAVE REACHED YOUR GOAL IT WILL BE EASIER TO MAINTAIN IF YOU EAT BACK YOUR EXERCISE CALORIES DURING YOUR DIET!!!!!

    I hate hearing "I don't eat back my exercise calories and I still lose weight" - I KNOW YOU ARE LOSING WEIGHT!! We are just trying to help you KEEP IT OFF!!!!!!!!

    Actually everyone does say you will stop losing weight if you dont eat your exercise calories

    Sorry you are right - there is also a possibility that your metabolism will get screwed if you don't eat your exercise calories back, especially if by not doing so you net under 1,200 calories a day, hence going into starvation mode, hence plateauing. However this might not happen (you might not plateau) and therefore you might have a false belief that not eating your exercise calories is the way to go - only to find out you were wrong once you reached your goal weight only to gain it all back.

    I eat back my exercise calories - My weight loss might be a little slower than those who don't, but at least I am doing it the healthy, sustainable way for once in my life. I have learned this to be the best way through experience and research. Trust me it's still hard for us who eat back the exercise calories - we are not guaranteed not to plateau - heck I did a couple weeks ago (and when I did I seriously considered stopping eating back my exercise calories) but I zigzagged calories a bit instead and got right out of my plateau.
  • gimedatnow
    gimedatnow Posts: 173 Member
    Eat back MOST bUT NOT ALL of your exercise calories!! There is an amazing post about it here: http://caloriecount.about.com/eating-back-exercise-calories-ft35823

    The most important point from the linked article is that WHENEVER YOU LOG EXERCISE, YOU ARE OVERLOGGING YOUR CALORIES! Here is a direct quote:

    Mistake #2: Overreporting the "extra" calorie expenditure of exercise

    Most people count the calories they spend exercising as "extra" calories. There is a difference between calories burned while exercising and "extra" calories burned exercising. Here is an example: you burn 300 calories on the treadmill instead of your usual activity (watching TV at home); in reality, you have to subtract the calories you would have spent watching TV from these 300 calories to calculate how many additional calories you burned. Let's say that watching TV, you would have burned 80 calories. In this specific case, you have expended 300 calories while exercising, and 220 "extra" calories.

    Calorie counters mindlessly add the calories burned exercising as "extra" and in some cases, this practice can significantly influence the calorie calculations. Hence, calorie software counts the part of your usual activities that overlaps with the extra activities twice.



    There is more info in the link about how to actually calculate real "extra" calories. So, beware of eating too much back! It will hurt in the long run (as I found out, gaining weight eating 1800 kcal and working out to burn "600" a day. -_-)
  • daniran
    daniran Posts: 233 Member
    I ate my exercise cals for 3 weeks once in an experiment for myself and gained so i never eat them now, maybe 100 odd time but usually none at all and im losing still, your best off ignoring all advice, like i did, try for yourself and see what works for you, some of my friends eat half and still lose, try it was a few weeks and see what happens xx

    We are not saying that you will not lose weight if you don't eat back your exercise calories - of course you are! Probably faster than those of us who do eat back exercise calories. BUT THE MAIN POINT OF THIS DEBATE IS THAT ONCE YOU HAVE REACHED YOUR GOAL IT WILL BE EASIER TO MAINTAIN IF YOU EAT BACK YOUR EXERCISE CALORIES DURING YOUR DIET!!!!!

    I hate hearing "I don't eat back my exercise calories and I still lose weight" - I KNOW YOU ARE LOSING WEIGHT!! We are just trying to help you KEEP IT OFF!!!!!!!!

    Huh! Could you write this a little clearer? I'm not getting it....
  • daniran
    daniran Posts: 233 Member
    Eat back MOST bUT NOT ALL of your exercise calories!! There is an amazing post about it here: http://caloriecount.about.com/eating-back-exercise-calories-ft35823

    The most important point from the linked article is that WHENEVER YOU LOG EXERCISE, YOU ARE OVERLOGGING YOUR CALORIES! Here is a direct quote:

    Mistake #2: Overreporting the "extra" calorie expenditure of exercise

    Most people count the calories they spend exercising as "extra" calories. There is a difference between calories burned while exercising and "extra" calories burned exercising. Here is an example: you burn 300 calories on the treadmill instead of your usual activity (watching TV at home); in reality, you have to subtract the calories you would have spent watching TV from these 300 calories to calculate how many additional calories you burned. Let's say that watching TV, you would have burned 80 calories. In this specific case, you have expended 300 calories while exercising, and 220 "extra" calories.

    Calorie counters mindlessly add the calories burned exercising as "extra" and in some cases, this practice can significantly influence the calorie calculations. Hence, calorie software counts the part of your usual activities that overlaps with the extra activities twice.



    There is more info in the link about how to actually calculate real "extra" calories. So, beware of eating too much back! It will hurt in the long run (as I found out, gaining weight eating 1800 kcal and working out to burn "600" a day. -_-)

    Thanks! This makes sense....
  • akaChuck
    akaChuck Posts: 233 Member
    If you don't have a lot more to lose, you definitely should eat them back. MFP has a built in deficit. And I find that if I don't I'm VERY hungry (which usually equals grumpy, too). I'd say "listen to your body," but my body and mind still aren't communicating effectively, so I rely on the MFP calculations to make sure I'm eating enough.

    Good luck!

    That's what I do as well.
  • thisismynewmindset
    thisismynewmindset Posts: 273 Member
    I ate my exercise cals for 3 weeks once in an experiment for myself and gained so i never eat them now, maybe 100 odd time but usually none at all and im losing still, your best off ignoring all advice, like i did, try for yourself and see what works for you, some of my friends eat half and still lose, try it was a few weeks and see what happens xx

    We are not saying that you will not lose weight if you don't eat back your exercise calories - of course you are! Probably faster than those of us who do eat back exercise calories. BUT THE MAIN POINT OF THIS DEBATE IS THAT ONCE YOU HAVE REACHED YOUR GOAL IT WILL BE EASIER TO MAINTAIN IF YOU EAT BACK YOUR EXERCISE CALORIES DURING YOUR DIET!!!!!

    I hate hearing "I don't eat back my exercise calories and I still lose weight" - I KNOW YOU ARE LOSING WEIGHT!! We are just trying to help you KEEP IT OFF!!!!!!!!

    Huh! Could you write this a little clearer? I'm not getting it....

    I am basically trying to point out that by eating back your exercise calories, you will prevent yourself from going into starvation mode, which may result in plateauing or gaining back the weight fast once you have reached your goal due to your body not being able to properly metabolize regular foods (that is, IF YOU ARE ALREADY IN A DEFICIT - which most of us on this site are).

    I am sorry I know this is very high level - I could get into a lot more detail but I am actually about to leave to go grocery shopping. There are MANY posts and articles on why going into starvation mode can hurt your metabolism. I recommend reading them!
  • swaymyway
    swaymyway Posts: 428 Member
    I ate my exercise cals for 3 weeks once in an experiment for myself and gained so i never eat them now, maybe 100 odd time but usually none at all and im losing still, your best off ignoring all advice, like i did, try for yourself and see what works for you, some of my friends eat half and still lose, try it was a few weeks and see what happens xx

    We are not saying that you will not lose weight if you don't eat back your exercise calories - of course you are! Probably faster than those of us who do eat back exercise calories. BUT THE MAIN POINT OF THIS DEBATE IS THAT ONCE YOU HAVE REACHED YOUR GOAL IT WILL BE EASIER TO MAINTAIN IF YOU EAT BACK YOUR EXERCISE CALORIES DURING YOUR DIET!!!!!

    I hate hearing "I don't eat back my exercise calories and I still lose weight" - I KNOW YOU ARE LOSING WEIGHT!! We are just trying to help you KEEP IT OFF!!!!!!!!

    Huh! Could you write this a little clearer? I'm not getting it....

    I am basically trying to point out that by eating back your exercise calories, you will prevent yourself from going into starvation mode, which may result in plateauing or gaining back the weight fast once you have reached your goal due to your body not being able to properly metabolize regular foods (that is, IF YOU ARE ALREADY IN A DEFICIT - which most of us on this site are).

    I am sorry I know this is very high level - I could get into a lot more detail but I am actually about to leave to go grocery shopping. There are MANY posts and articles on why going into starvation mode can hurt your metabolism. I recommend reading them!

    Different things work for different people - there's no 'definite' about any thing when it comes to weight loss. Rather than demanding people do things a particular way all we can do is offer advice, explain the science behind different methods and then let people work out what actually works for them.
  • daniran
    daniran Posts: 233 Member
    I ate my exercise cals for 3 weeks once in an experiment for myself and gained so i never eat them now, maybe 100 odd time but usually none at all and im losing still, your best off ignoring all advice, like i did, try for yourself and see what works for you, some of my friends eat half and still lose, try it was a few weeks and see what happens xx

    We are not saying that you will not lose weight if you don't eat back your exercise calories - of course you are! Probably faster than those of us who do eat back exercise calories. BUT THE MAIN POINT OF THIS DEBATE IS THAT ONCE YOU HAVE REACHED YOUR GOAL IT WILL BE EASIER TO MAINTAIN IF YOU EAT BACK YOUR EXERCISE CALORIES DURING YOUR DIET!!!!!

    I hate hearing "I don't eat back my exercise calories and I still lose weight" - I KNOW YOU ARE LOSING WEIGHT!! We are just trying to help you KEEP IT OFF!!!!!!!!

    Huh! Could you write this a little clearer? I'm not getting it....

    I am basically trying to point out that by eating back your exercise calories, you will prevent yourself from going into starvation mode, which may result in plateauing or gaining back the weight fast once you have reached your goal due to your body not being able to properly metabolize regular foods (that is, IF YOU ARE ALREADY IN A DEFICIT - which most of us on this site are).

    I am sorry I know this is very high level - I could get into a lot more detail but I am actually about to leave to go grocery shopping. There are MANY posts and articles on why going into starvation mode can hurt your metabolism. I recommend reading them!
    Awh! Thanks! You're so sweet.... It was soo "very high level" and waaaayy over my head. Have a great day!
  • preacher_lady
    preacher_lady Posts: 39 Member
    I ate my exercise cals for 3 weeks once in an experiment for myself and gained so i never eat them now, maybe 100 odd time but usually none at all and im losing still, your best off ignoring all advice, like i did, try for yourself and see what works for you, some of my friends eat half and still lose, try it was a few weeks and see what happens xx


    I agree with you. Don't listen to advice because as you can see, nobody agrees. lol I did the same thing. I tried eating at least some of mine back and I started gaining weight. I have lost 39 lbs. since the beginning of the year. I weighed over 180 lbs and I now weigh 140.8. My goal is 130 and I'm not far away. I do not eat my exercise calories. When I went for my physical, my doctor was very happy with the way I look, my health in general, and encouraged me to keep doing what I'm doing. I talked to her about the calories, exercise calories, and net calories. She told me not to worry about any of that .... just eat between 1,000 - 1,200 calories a day, exercise, AND LISTEN TO MY BODY. She said if I am not getting enough calories, my body will tell me. She also told me DO NOT LISTEN TO ALL OF THE ADVICE THAT PEOPLE TRY TO GIVE YOU. That's what I'm sharing with you .... that last line! Good luck! Listen to your body and do what works for you!
  • ambermichon
    ambermichon Posts: 404 Member
    try some protein shakes when you workout hard paired with a healthy carb/sugar like a banana
  • l3ugjuice
    l3ugjuice Posts: 233
    Yes, you need to eat back your exercise calories! That is the healthiest!

    No, you dont. From a calorie standpoint, it's pretty much counterproductive to do so.


    /more popcorn

    You're an idiot.


    family-guy-ring-tone---victory-is-mine-7.jpg
  • FuffaGirl
    FuffaGirl Posts: 28 Member
    Need to start making some protein shakes, haven't got a clue about which brands or even recipies to use, got any websites or recipies you could recommend?

    Cheers :)
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    I ate my exercise cals for 3 weeks once in an experiment for myself and gained so i never eat them now, maybe 100 odd time but usually none at all and im losing still, your best off ignoring all advice, like i did, try for yourself and see what works for you, some of my friends eat half and still lose, try it was a few weeks and see what happens xx

    i agree. i generally eat some of mine back. i am 1 pound off my goal so i am trying to eat more to get used to maintaining, so my rule now is to make sure i net 1300.
  • wish21
    wish21 Posts: 602 Member
    I ate my exercise cals for 3 weeks once in an experiment for myself and gained so i never eat them now, maybe 100 odd time but usually none at all and im losing still, your best off ignoring all advice, like i did, try for yourself and see what works for you, some of my friends eat half and still lose, try it was a few weeks and see what happens xx


    I agree with you. Don't listen to advice because as you can see, nobody agrees. lol I did the same thing. I tried eating at least some of mine back and I started gaining weight. I have lost 39 lbs. since the beginning of the year. I weighed over 180 lbs and I now weigh 140.8. My goal is 130 and I'm not far away. I do not eat my exercise calories. When I went for my physical, my doctor was very happy with the way I look, my health in general, and encouraged me to keep doing what I'm doing. I talked to her about the calories, exercise calories, and net calories. She told me not to worry about any of that .... just eat between 1,000 - 1,200 calories a day, exercise, AND LISTEN TO MY BODY. She said if I am not getting enough calories, my body will tell me. She also told me DO NOT LISTEN TO ALL OF THE ADVICE THAT PEOPLE TRY TO GIVE YOU. That's what I'm sharing with you .... that last line! Good luck! Listen to your body and do what works for you!

    I think I'll do what you said. I done todays workout adding about 675 cals into my daily 1200 and that put me eating in the1800s. I didnt like the look of it after doing all my logging. So tmrw I will stay between 1200-1400 instead of 1800.
  • Rilke
    Rilke Posts: 1,201 Member
    My goodness, there's a lot of rabble here.

    Log your exercise. If you are hungry / fatigued / really really craving a cupcake, eat back some calories. If you are not, don't.
  • Ilovedrinkingtea
    Ilovedrinkingtea Posts: 597 Member
    I think you need to net at least 1,200 cals a day to survive and stay well. When I was not eating back my exercise cals I was regularly minus 900cals, and still the weight wasn't really shifting, this cannot be good for anyone. xx
  • Articeluvsmemphis
    Articeluvsmemphis Posts: 1,987 Member
    http://shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com/

    oh and to answer your question, I try to eat protein after my workouts, so like a whey protein shake (from walmart will do) if you're low maintenance like me. they have a variety I drink 2percent milk with Jillian M. chocolate shake.

    nuts of any kind, love almonds

    cooked eggs

    plenty water

    i love spinach/strawberries/sunflower seeds together (with the spray dressing) 1 calories a spray type deal

    or a protein bar, like cliff body builders (you don't have to be a body builder to eat them) lol, but usually if i do a strength training session i will eat them or something similar
  • iPhone4fotos
    iPhone4fotos Posts: 28
    bump
  • iPhone4fotos
    iPhone4fotos Posts: 28
    I only eat my exercise calories twice a week (those are my cheat days...yes, I have two cheat days). Everyday, I plan my daily menu ahead of time and then figure out what my workout will be and how many cals I need to burn in order to leave a 500-700 cal deficit...with the exception of my cheat days but those are planned carefully as well in conjunction with my exercise and my social activities for the week.

    45 mins before my workout, I ALWAYS eat a bowl of cheerios (2 servings) and a single scoop of my protein powder (Gnc - Pro Performance Amp Amplified Wheybolic Extreme 60 Chocolate) with both with skim milk and within 30 mins after my workout I drink another single scoop of my protein powder (again with skim milk). If I'm finding it hard to fill cals...I drink 1 full serving of my protein powder (3 scoops but dependent on how many cals I need to fulfill, I'll either use 12oz of H2O or 12oz of skim milk). I also will eat hard boiled eggs for snacks (yes, I eat the yolk part too) but no more than two a day. I also eat pasta (usually once but sometimes twice a day...watch the amounts tho. Obviously I don't shy away from carbs like many people do but I find since I do so much cardio, I need the carbs for energy and it really helps with my running.

    Good luck to you!
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    The bottom line is that you have to maintain a healthy calorie deficit (assuming you are trying to lose weight). If you are regularly under your daily goal by 1000 calories, then yes, you should be eating them back. If you are ending up 400-500 cals under, then you're fine.

    There is no absolute rule to eating back your exercise calories. If you go out and burn 1500 cals doing a half marathon, then you're much more likely to want to eat them back than if you burn 50 cals walking the dog. A little perspective and some common sense goes a long way here (and is something that is lost on a lot of people on the boards).

    Look at your net calories over a longer stretch of time, say a week. If you are under your goal by more than 3000 or so, then you should probably be eating back at least some/half your calories.


    .
  • Elle_Jamaicangirl81
    Elle_Jamaicangirl81 Posts: 418 Member
    I hardly ever eat my exercise cals back... if i'm hungry, i'll eat a good meal and if it goes into my exercise cals then so be it.
    i'm not going to force myself to eat (or eat a lot) if i'm not hungry.
  • PSUgrl921
    PSUgrl921 Posts: 368 Member
    There's no easy way to answer this and those that don't eat back their exercise calories will lose weight (obviously), however, it will plateau. Not to mention the fact that eating 1200 calories and then burning anything is not enough for your body. It is not healthy and, depending on how much you are burning, could put you in a disordered eating category. I am no nutritionist, don't get me wrong but I did have a friend who was doing exactly that. Eating 1200 calories and then burning them off-- and she was diagnosed with Anorexia. My thinking is then that it can't be healthy.

    You don't have to eat back all of your calories every day. But if you are hungry. Eat. Sometimes when I was really low on calories for the day I would have a piece of multigrain toast with peanut butter. That would put me back on track. A handful of Almonds is good. Low fat chocolate milk. String cheese. You want something with protein to help start to rebuild the muscles you just worked.

    Nicole
  • Elle_Jamaicangirl81
    Elle_Jamaicangirl81 Posts: 418 Member
    Thanks for all the replies guys, I am definitely going to eat back at least 1/2 of my exercise calories because I have not enough energy the following day to run or train as the same level as the day before. But I'll let everone know if it has a positive effect or if I gain weight (nervous laugh)

    cheers

    u have to listen to your body though... if u're feeling tired and such, then yes u should be eating a bit more. make good decisions when u are eating as well... eg.. dont be eating an entire pizza or something, just cause u have the cals.
  • Lozze
    Lozze Posts: 1,917 Member
    I'm on 1600 cals and it's a day to day thing on whether I eat them back or not. Some days I'm ravenous so I 100% eat them back. Other days I get to the end of the day and have 400 cals left and am not hungry so i don't eat them. It's listening to your body.

    If I do go down to 1200 cals I will eat them back. 1200 is the minimum you should be netting a day. Going under occasionally is OK but it's not a good habbit to have.
  • BreakOnThru
    BreakOnThru Posts: 66 Member
    Eat them back, but know that it's easy to overdo this. For instance, you probably don't need to refuel after an easy 20 minute jog. People tend to go a little nuts because they feel they've earned it. Also time your calories right. Eating after a workout is better than before. And quality counts--lean proteins, lots of veggies, and good carbs like whole grains that'll fill you up more.
  • AnninStPaul
    AnninStPaul Posts: 1,372 Member
    Yes, you need to eat back your exercise calories! That is the healthiest!

    No, you dont. From a calorie standpoint, it's pretty much counterproductive to do so.


    /more popcorn


    I always ate back my exercise calories. I lost 60 pounds so....it works lulz

    How about, "it depends". If your net is <1200, you should eat enough calories back to hit 1200.

    For example, if your recommended intake is 1400, and you "earn" 600 calories through exercise, 1400 - 600 = 800, eating back at least 400 calories would probably be a good thing to keep your body fueled.

    On the other hand, if your recommended intake is 1800, and you exercise for 300, 1800 - 300 = 1500, eating back is less important.
  • withervein
    withervein Posts: 224 Member
    So, this is what happens when you feed the trolls, kids.
  • LuciLawless
    LuciLawless Posts: 16 Member
    I haven't made my calorie thing once since i've been on here, i've always been under, and I snack too. I just can't seem to eat as much as they want me to. My doctor told me that that's a good thing because You should only eat when you're hungry and if it's under the calorie goal and i'm full then there's no risks.
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