Eating back exercise calories

caroline_g
caroline_g Posts: 201 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm just wondering what people's experiences are with eating or not eating back exercise calories? Does anyone find that if they eat them back, they don't lose? Or if you don't eat them back, you don't lose?

I know the science and reasoning behind it all so I'm not asking for advice on whether or not you should eat your exercise calories back. I'm not trying to start an argument or debate either. I'm just interested to hear different people's experiences with it.

Replies

  • LATeagno
    LATeagno Posts: 620 Member
    IMHO, the best thing to do is eat them back if you're hungry, but otherwise, don't.

    You shouldn't eat when you're not hungry, right? :)
  • LATeagno
    LATeagno Posts: 620 Member
    IMHO, the best thing to do is eat them back if you're hungry, but otherwise, don't.

    You shouldn't eat when you're not hungry, right? :)
  • koosdel
    koosdel Posts: 3,317 Member
    I recently increased mine by a considerable amount, in order to gain, and I lost three pounds in two weeks.
  • Shyloh1
    Shyloh1 Posts: 422 Member
    I'm just wondering what people's experiences are with eating or not eating back exercise calories? Does anyone find that if they eat them back, they don't lose? Or if you don't eat them back, you don't lose?

    I know the science and reasoning behind it all so I'm not asking for advice on whether or not you should eat your exercise calories back. I'm not trying to start an argument or debate either. I'm just interested to hear different people's experiences with it.


    I eat most of my exercise calories back and having been loosing about 1 lb per week. It's been working for me.

    It took me awhile to figure out what worked for me though.

    Try eating your exercise calories back,do it for a couple weeks and see how your body responds!
  • lottywood
    lottywood Posts: 55 Member
    I am not eating them back unless i am actually hungry, as said above. I know what people say about "starvation zone" but i don't see the point in force feeding myself. If i'm hungry i eat more, if i'm not i don't :)

    I do make sure to eat a meal with plenty of protein after excercising though.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    You shouldn't eat when you're not hungry, right? :)

    Not necessarily, hunger is not the best indication of the body's nutritional requirements. So it is fine to eat when you are not hungry, as long as you are not eating above your allotted caloires.
  • bgeer34
    bgeer34 Posts: 135 Member
    I am not eating them back unless i am actually hungry, as said above. I know what people say about "starvation zone" but i don't see the point in force feeding myself. If i'm hungry i eat more, if i'm not i don't :)

    I do make sure to eat a meal with plenty of protein after excercising though.

    Same here... in fact, I have rarely eaten them back, but I have had plenty of weight to lose so this may change for me the closer I get to goal weight.. but for now, I eat when I am hungry and make sure I am eating a balanced diet... :)
  • mcdonl
    mcdonl Posts: 342 Member
    I try and leave some calories on the table, and I try to eat anything extra right after my exercise.
  • stephanie8625
    stephanie8625 Posts: 119 Member
    I am still trying to figure this out -- I have been here 22 days, have lost 4.8 pounds -- most of the time I am eating my exercise calories back -- but some days, fall shor about 150 calories, but that is only on days that I exercise. If you do not exercise, make sure that you eat all your calories. Good luck and add me as friend, we can compare what works and not works since we are fairly new to this -- :flowerforyou:
    10344221.png
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter
  • amfaery
    amfaery Posts: 267 Member
    i eat some if I am having a "hungry day" but some days I don't. I try not to during the week if I know I am going out to dinner on the weekend and stuff. when I do eat all of them back some weeks I dont lose as much
  • freew67
    freew67 Posts: 348 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/331787-who-does-not-eat-back-exercise-calories?hl=Eating+back+exercise+calories&page=5#posts-4449874

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/290763-do-not-eat-back-exercise-calories?hl=Eating+back+exercise+calories&page=3#posts-3846602

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/286905-started-eating-back-exercise-calories-and-gained?hl=Eating+back+exercise+calories#posts-3790268

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/281519-eat-back-exercise-calories?hl=Eating+back+exercise+calories#posts-3784108

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/285027-eating-back-exercise-calories-vs-not-eating-them-back?hl=Eating+back+exercise+calories#posts-3767679

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/228205-does-eating-back-exercise-calories-actually-work?hl=Eating+back+exercise+calories#posts-3011268

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/143365-finding-it-hard-to-eat-back-exercise-calories?hl=Eating+back+exercise+calories#posts-1956268

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/335996-eating-back-exercise-calories?hl=Eating+back+exercise+calories#posts-4510154
  • delmore1
    delmore1 Posts: 40 Member
    I found that when I was eating mine back or at least most of them that I was not losing. I have stopped eating them back and I have started losing again. I've found for myself that is what works, however if I happen to go over some with what I've eaten that day I don't get to upset.
  • lp0007
    lp0007 Posts: 125 Member
    I have always eaten my exercise calories and have enjoyed every single one of them!:happy:
  • VeganGal84
    VeganGal84 Posts: 938 Member
    IMHO, the best thing to do is eat them back if you're hungry, but otherwise, don't.

    You shouldn't eat when you're not hungry, right? :)

    This! Although, I'm almost always hungry for most or all of them, so I usually DO eat mine. And I lose about like MFP tells me I will (about a half pound a week is what I'm set at right now, and last week I lost .8)
  • caroline_g
    caroline_g Posts: 201 Member
    I agree personally with those that say if they're not hungry, don't eat them. If I'm completely full, I won't force myself. I think it works for some people to eating them and for some people it works not to.

    For the person who gave me a bunch of links, thanks but they're not really related. That's people asking what should I do, what's the point etc. I just wanted to see who does and who doesn't.
  • Gay11nell
    Gay11nell Posts: 166 Member
    For me I've found eating them back I do not lose any weight. I just stick to the alloted calories amount, my exercise schedule is usaully in the evening so I end up exercersing before I eat anyway - no time left after that to eat.
  • Lizzy_Sunflower
    Lizzy_Sunflower Posts: 1,510 Member
    you can find a wealth of information here:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/23912-links-in-mfp-you-want-to-read-again-and-again

    I particularly like the one titled your bodies thoughts on calories

    Good luck on your journey and happy reading!

    :drinker:
  • Will_is_the_Power
    Will_is_the_Power Posts: 10
    I sometimes eat future exercise calories as well!

    :ohwell:
  • baisleac
    baisleac Posts: 2,019 Member
    You shouldn't eat when you're not hungry, right? :)

    I wasn't hungry all day yesterday. Does that mean I shouldn't have eaten anything yesterday?

    Of course not. I forced myself to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner... and probably still under ate (taking the month off from logging).


    To the OP - I eat my exercise calories. I may not be losing as fast as some others on the site, but I'm losing steadily and safely.
  • koosdel
    koosdel Posts: 3,317 Member
    You shouldn't eat when you're not hungry, right? :)

    I wasn't hungry all day yesterday. Does that mean I shouldn't have eaten anything yesterday?

    Of course not. I forced myself to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner... and probably still under ate (taking the month off from logging).


    To the OP - I eat my exercise calories. I may not be losing as fast as some others on the site, but I'm losing steadily and safely.

    ...while maintaining muscle mass.
  • baisleac
    baisleac Posts: 2,019 Member
    To the OP - I eat my exercise calories. I may not be losing as fast as some others on the site, but I'm losing steadily and safely.

    ...while maintaining muscle mass.

    Truth! Actually gained some LBM over the last two months of beginner lifting. :bigsmile:
  • Rajrand
    Rajrand Posts: 13
    so, to everyone who says they do not eat back their calories - what percentage of their maintenance are they talking about. For me MFP has given close to 480 cals deficit from maintenance and when i workout i burn anywhere between 500 to 600 cals. So, if i do not eat back my calories then my real deficit is around 1000 cals per day - so, if i eat my allocated 1800 cals. ONLY and let these 1000 in deficit will you not go into starvation mode. Now, on most days i am not able to eat all of them but since i have made some effort to eat them i have started to see weight loss. So, if you constantly stay lower then you will have to eat high atleast one day a week to restore your harmonal balance - - correct me if i am wrong
  • ilookthetype
    ilookthetype Posts: 3,021 Member
    You shouldn't eat when you're not hungry, right? :)

    I wasn't hungry all day yesterday. Does that mean I shouldn't have eaten anything yesterday?

    Of course not. I forced myself to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner... and probably still under ate (taking the month off from logging).


    To the OP - I eat my exercise calories. I may not be losing as fast as some others on the site, but I'm losing steadily and safely.

    This ^ if I didn't make myself eat even when I didn't want to or wasn't hungry I would be back sitting in my ED. The above is solid, and I like how it's said.
  • SexyCook
    SexyCook Posts: 2,249 Member
    Totally Agree with works for some and not others...I always eat most of my calories back including those exercise calories...I try only to leave no more than 400 on those days I am not hungry...Some people body needs the fuel back...
  • shenise734
    shenise734 Posts: 5 Member
    I try not to eat more because 8 feel like it defeats the whole purpose of my exercising!
  • Scorpioangel
    Scorpioangel Posts: 951 Member
    I am always confused on this but at times I do eat them back just because that day is a big eating day or something (parties, etc.) or I am just hungry. I don't make it a point to eat them back although maybe I should?
  • alantin
    alantin Posts: 621 Member
    I try not to eat more because 8 feel like it defeats the whole purpose of my exercising!


    What is the purpose of your exercising?
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
    I eat them because without them I

    A) am starving - especially right after the gym.

    B) gain weight when I don't consume enough calories in a day. No, it doesn't happen if I'm under one or two days, but if I start doing it for 3, 4, or more days - then I see a slow gain.
  • WeimingLi2979
    WeimingLi2979 Posts: 7 Member
    In my opinion, if you are already creating a calorie deficit through your food intake already. Especially its a big deficit like 500. I think you definitely need to eat back your calories. If your exercise burns about 500 calories and you are not eating it back. Your deficit per day is at 1000. This is detrimental to your body in the long term because there is not enough nutrition to recover and protect your body.

    However if you are eating at maintenance and you are trying to create a deficit through exercise then it is reasonable for you not to eat back those calories. To a certain extent.

    Not eating back your calories that you burned through exercise because of fear of tracking it wrongly is not the right thinking. Why not take this opportunity to learn how to track properly and improve yourself? This way you can understand your own body at a even deeper level.

    Losing weight is important and we all want to do it as fast as possible but feeding our body properly for recovery and nutrition is needed for long term health benefits as well.

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