Should I eat back my exercise calories?

jmath0303
jmath0303 Posts: 71 Member
edited November 26 in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Ghjj

Replies

  • 1BlueAurora
    1BlueAurora Posts: 439 Member
    Try eating about 75% of your earned exercise calories for a couple weeks and see how you do.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    Yes, eat most of them back. Try 50% for starters and if you are losing too much then you can safely eat more :smile:
  • jestog63
    jestog63 Posts: 86 Member
    I set my diet at maintenance calories, with high protein, mid range fat and then enough carbs for daily workout energy. I consume 90% of my carbs before daily workout my calories in addition to fat and protein and then eat the rest of my daily calories after I work out and before I log my work out at the end of the day. I do not back eat but use these as my loss for the day. Using this method I am cutting just under 1% body fat per week but not losing massive pounds or muscle mass. Over last 5 weeks down 4.5% body fat but only three total pounds body weight.
  • maybe1pe
    maybe1pe Posts: 529 Member
    Yes, at least a portion until you know they're accurate.

    If my normal maintenance calories for my activity level at 2000 and I do 200 calorie workout I will absolutely eat those calories back. That's how MFP is set to work.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10503681/exercise-calories-do-i-eat-these-a-video-explanation/p1
  • ritzvin
    ritzvin Posts: 2,860 Member
    Yes - at least some of them. The MFP goal is calculated before any exercise, and you want to fuel your activity. However, be mindful of whether the numbers are likely to be accurate. Things like step trackers with HR monitors have a tendency to ridiculously over-estimate calories, including resting time or over-estimating exertion level when logging an activity, stuff like aerobics is a complete wildcard, etc.. which is why many people suggest only eating back a fraction. Logging walking/running based on mileage (or distance & average speed) will usually be pretty spot-on though.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    I always do. I need to fuel my workouts and I earned those calories. Starving myself would not be sustainable in the long term. I've been eating back most of my exercise calories for over 7 years now with success in both losing and maintaining.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    If you want to maintain weight then you must eat back all your exercise calories burned.
    (But your actual burn and your estimated burn may not be the same.)
  • daniellewhiteliving
    daniellewhiteliving Posts: 67 Member
    I'm eating 1200 calories a day...I'm 12 stone and 5'7 .I started running today so I'm earning quite a lot..I don't want to hinder my weight loss
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,333 Member
    I'd do it at maintenance ..why wouldn't you? In reduction, yes if you're hungry or want to eat more. But so near goal...i'm not eating them back...i want to lose faster.
  • reneew62
    reneew62 Posts: 13 Member
    I am trying to maintain and lost more so I plan on eating some this week.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    reneew62 wrote: »
    I am trying to maintain and lost more so I plan on eating some this week.
    @reneew62
    But you need to eat ALL of your actual exercise burns or you will continue losing.

    If you are having trouble getting reasonable estimates then maybe use the common net calorie formula for walking as that looks to be your predominate exercise....

    Bodyweight in lbs x distance in miles x 0.30
  • reneew62
    reneew62 Posts: 13 Member
    That is terrifying going to have to experiment a bit at a time
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
    catsareevil wrote: »
    Usually when this question is asked, the answer is a disappointing no. Calories burned are never accurate, so if say your fitbit and MFP integration said you burned 560 cals, chances are you didn't actually burn this much. The way I look at it is if I'm absolutely STARVING then I'll have something extra in say the 100-200 cal range max when I have that exercise "deficit but not really a deficit". Also exercising so you can eat more is an unhealthy mindset to get into, it can actually turn into a disorder called exercise bulimia.

    My FitBit underestimates my calories by about 200 per day. If I were using MFP numbers, it would be appropriate to eat ALL of the adjustment calories.

    Hopefully, OP has it figured out by now as to what works for him.
  • SPR86
    SPR86 Posts: 10 Member
    In my opinion, it’s yes and no.

    For example, if I burn 400cals on a cycle, I wouldn’t necessarily think of it as 400extra but I would see it as a buffer if I crept over my allowance.

    Sometimes, I’m just not hungry and won’t eat for the sake of it but if I went over my allocation and had the extra, it wouldn’t bother me. I also would not want to use the entire amount, maybe 50% of it but that’s only down to accuracy of the calories burnt.
  • comptonelizabeth
    comptonelizabeth Posts: 1,701 Member
    I eat them back but I suspect they're over estimated.
    If I don't eat them back, I lose weight and my goal, having successfully gained weight, is to maintain
  • Dilvish
    Dilvish Posts: 398 Member
    the calories earned through exercise are a guesstimate. Calories burned doing exercise are different for everybody and most amounts listed as exercise per hour are estimated.

    I personally ignore the calories earned portion in MFP as do I ignore the "if every day were like today..." because it is not accurate.

    Then again counting calories isn't exactly 100% accurate either. The key is to adjust based on your needs. Just eat healthy, eat wholesome, eat reasonable portions and exercise as much as you can!
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