Eating back what you work out?

Brief and excellent video on the topic: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10503681/exercise-calories-do-i-eat-these-a-video-explanation/p1

It depends.

Your logging accuracy will impact things.

However creating to large of a deficit might get you to your scale goal faster, but it will also mean that you will lose more lean body mass. Losing lean mass will make it harder to reach the “toned” look you are after.

Now if you have some logging inaccuracies then “not” eating back the exercise calories might actually be providing you a buffer that allows you to continue losing at a sustainable rate.

So evaluate your weight loss.
With 20 lbs left to lose you want to aim for 0.5-1 lb per week or a max of 1% bodyweight loss per week.

Alarmed_one wrote: »

kami3006 wrote: »

Brief and excellent video on the topic: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10503681/exercise-calories-do-i-eat-these-a-video-explanation/p1

Ok so eating about half is reasonable. But what would happen if I decided to just not eat them? Like if I’m just not hungry? Am I ok?

You can always balance by the week and use them on a day where you are hungrier than normal or when you have a special event.

Alarmed_one wrote: »

shadow2soul wrote: »

Alarmed_one wrote: »

kami3006 wrote: »

Brief and excellent video on the topic: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10503681/exercise-calories-do-i-eat-these-a-video-explanation/p1

Ok so eating about half is reasonable. But what would happen if I decided to just not eat them? Like if I’m just not hungry? Am I ok?

You can always balance by the week and use them on a day where you are hungrier than normal or when you have a special event.

Like a roll over plan? Lol I mean weekends are pretty brutal so I guess I might eat a couple 100 more... I’m really good at measuring and I have a food scale so if I’m not accurate I’m almost 100% accurate.

Some people eat 100 fewer per day during the week and have an extra 500 for the weekend for example. Or under 150 today, over 150 tomorrow. As long as your week balances out, it's fine.

Alarmed_one wrote: »

kami3006 wrote: »

Brief and excellent video on the topic: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10503681/exercise-calories-do-i-eat-these-a-video-explanation/p1

Ok so eating about half is reasonable. But what would happen if I decided to just not eat them? Like if I’m just not hungry? Am I ok?

The answer is that it depends.

If you're running a slight deficit and your workouts are like 300 calories burned, then you're likely okay not eating them.

If you're running a huge deficit (trying to lose 2 pounds/week or more) and burning 700 calories per workout, then you're probably not going to stay okay without eating at least some of them.

If you're running a big deficit and also an ultra-marathoner then you'd better eat them back.

What might happen if you don't eat them is really dependent on your circumstances. Without a lot of details, you're less likely to achieve a toned look, since bigger deficits risk more muscle loss and it's the muscle mass that gives the toned look. You're more likely to bonk out at some point if you aren't eating them back and just have workouts utterly fail somewhere down the line. That's something most people try to avoid. And you're more likely to overeat on those days when you aren't paying as much attention to your calories when the body starts to try and sneak more calories in because it needs them.

But it really depends on your particular circumstances and we don't have a lot of details.