Eating back my exercise calories?

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Ms_Blondie
Ms_Blondie Posts: 26 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I know a lot of people say when you exercise you should eat back those calories burned but anytime I do eat them back, I dont seem to be losing weight. So I usually dont eat them back if I do exercise but there's nights where I'll burn calories off and then want to eat. I'm eating 100% better then I did before but do you really need to eat back your exercise calories?

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  • ajbeans
    ajbeans Posts: 2,857 Member
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    If you don't have a heart rate monitor, you may be overestimating your calorie burns. And if you're not measuring your food correctly, you may be underestimating what you're eating. Those factors might be why you don't lose when you eat your exercise calories.

    My opinion is that you should eat them, at least enough to bring your net up to 1200 each day. If you feel that it's not working for you, don't do it, but then if your weight loss stalls, try eating them for a bit to see if it helps. There is no consensus on what's the right answer here, so just do what's working and then if/when it stops working, change it.
  • Sara7Taylor
    Sara7Taylor Posts: 112 Member
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    When I exercise I only eat part of my exercise calories back. I don't think we need to eat all of them back, if we did what would be the point of exercising to burn calories? It would just defeat the whole purpose of exercising.
  • brittanyjeanxo
    brittanyjeanxo Posts: 1,831 Member
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    There's a website for that. I'd recommend messaging the user Taso42. He's really good at explaining these sort of things.
  • Jessb1985
    Jessb1985 Posts: 264 Member
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    Exactly what Sara said above.
    I asked my dietitian about eating them all back and she said she wouldn't eat all of them if she wasn't hungry, as then there is no point of exercising in the first place.
  • bry_all01
    bry_all01 Posts: 3,100 Member
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    There's a website for that. I'd recommend messaging the user Taso42. He's really good at explaining these sort of things.


    omfg!!!!! ROFLMFAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
  • DreamLittleDarling
    DreamLittleDarling Posts: 800 Member
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    There's a website for that. I'd recommend messaging the user Taso42. He's really good at explaining these sort of things.

    I concur.
  • ajbeans
    ajbeans Posts: 2,857 Member
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    Exactly what Sara said above.
    I asked my dietitian about eating them all back and she said she wouldn't eat all of them if she wasn't hungry, as then there is no point of exercising in the first place.

    So heart health, muscle tone, and energy aren't important? What about slow, healthy weight loss that will be more easily maintained?
  • Run4UrHealth
    Run4UrHealth Posts: 348 Member
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    I have struggled with this too....my husband thinks it is ridiculous to eat them back if you are not hungry. He fusses at me every time I say something about earning calories. I lost 45 lbs once eating under 1000 cals and exercising. I will just try to find what works for me. I am not starving myself so I don't really know what to do.
  • Autumn15
    Autumn15 Posts: 213
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    I try to meet the 1200 because it seems to be working for me and I agree it seems pointless to exercise if your going to just eat more to burn up those calories. You don't want to go under 1200 though because starvation mode will cause your body to hang onto what ever you put in it and you will end up gaining weight. However on days when I do lots of extra things to earn calories I will use up some of my calories but usually only to around 1400 at most. Hope this helps.
  • terrisimani
    terrisimani Posts: 5
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    :-)
  • EvaJanes
    EvaJanes Posts: 37 Member
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    It seems like every time that this question comes up everyone seem to forget that if you have MFP set properly then it already has you at a 500 calorie deficit per day to lose 1 lbs per week. If you don't eat the calories back then you might actually go below your minimum daily calorie intake to keep you functioning at a healthy level.
  • mynameiscarrie
    mynameiscarrie Posts: 963 Member
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    When I exercise I only eat part of my exercise calories back. I don't think we need to eat all of them back, if we did what would be the point of exercising to burn calories? It would just defeat the whole purpose of exercising.

    MFP already factors in a deficit for you...if your calorie goals are 1200 a day it means you should really be eating 1700 a day and MFP subtracted 500 for a 1 lb per week loss...so no, it doesn't defeat the purpose of exercising

    HOWEVER, i don't eat all my exercise calories back every day. some days i do, some days i don't. if i burn a TON of calories, i usually don't just because i'm not hungry, if i don't burn much, i usually eat them back. Listen to your body. If you have lots of extra calories but aren't very hungry have a glass of milk :) it's good for you and is good for using up those calories. (i do this if i have like 1000+ left around 5pm...)
  • monicainacoma
    monicainacoma Posts: 84 Member
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    You should eat back at least enough to keep your net calories at 1200.. otherwise, it can be unhealthy. However, if you're really just not hungry.. don't bother.
  • jpamplin28
    jpamplin28 Posts: 76 Member
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    I also don't eat all of mine back but make sure I net around 1200. If I don't the weight won't budge!

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