Do YOU personally eat back your workout calories?

124

Replies

  • B_Plus_Effort
    B_Plus_Effort Posts: 311 Member
    hell to the no, why work out if you're gonna undo it all
  • littlegreenparrot1
    littlegreenparrot1 Posts: 694 Member
    Yes.
    Not eating them would make it more difficult for my body to repair, it will affect progress and performance.

    It would also make me hungry and miserable which is not fun or sustainable.

    If this is going to be how I live my life I have to feel good along the way, for me it's not just about how quickly I can reach a number. I'll get there eventually, in the meantime there are other goals to be met that need feeding.
  • LiftandSkate
    LiftandSkate Posts: 148 Member
    No. My daily calorie goal assumes I workout 4-5 times/week, so no need to add calories for exercise. However, if I do a high-intensity, long (90 minute+) workout, a race, or something equivalent, I will add a few hundred calories on that day to compensate.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    No. My daily calorie goal assumes I workout 4-5 times/week, so no need to add calories for exercise. However, if I do a high-intensity, long (90 minute+) workout, a race, or something equivalent, I will add a few hundred calories on that day to compensate.

    Excellent way to explain the difference.

    But if you think about it - in actuality you are eating back the exercise calories because you are accounting for them as part of your daily burn, weekly amount average out daily.

    You just accounted for them before taking a deficit and making an eating goal.

    MFP accounts for them after taking a deficit and making an eating goal - which then changes when you do exercise.

    The question is always about MFP's method of doing it.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Ok, who owes who a coke? and I only do diet if it matters.


    @BABeautifulBadass - that TDEE method you do is also what confuses some people that don't understand what's going on - since if the exercise is skipped you could lose a deficit and not lose weight, it's what causes some to think exercise is required for weight loss.
  • breefoshee
    breefoshee Posts: 398 Member
    I really think it depends on the person. I do sometimes and I don't sometimes.

    MFP forum veterans are sticklers for weighing and measuring every morsel of food. So much so that if a person isn't losing weight and asks for advice, everyone jumps on them to open their diary so that they can prove that that person is not logging accurately and therefore eating too many calories.

    What is funny to me is that those same people will go crazy over people saying that they are not eating exercise calories back or if someone is eating at 1200 calories. If you have already established that most people are eating more-- enough to where they aren't losing weight, then why does it matter if they choose not to eat calories back and create a small deficit there instead?

    The reality is that many people won't be exact in logging. And they probably ARE eating more than they think... which means they probably won't see the results they want if they eat back all of their calories.

    If you are really great at measuring and tracking, then you can probably eat them back and be fine. If you aren't so great at it, don't want the hassle, and find that you aren't seeing the results you want, don't eat them back and see if that helps.
  • 1poundatax
    1poundatax Posts: 228 Member
    No- I find that I lose about 5 pounds per month on average. That is right within the goal I have set for myself. I look at exercise as something I do for my health, eating in a calorie deficit I do for weight loss. I am happy with my progress, it works for me so I am going to continue along this path.
  • LiftandSkate
    LiftandSkate Posts: 148 Member
    heybales wrote: »
    Ok, who owes who a coke? and I only do diet if it matters.


    @BABeautifulBadass - that TDEE method you do is also what confuses some people that don't understand what's going on - since if the exercise is skipped you could lose a deficit and not lose weight, it's what causes some to think exercise is required for weight loss.

    You are correct. I habitually work out 5-6 days/week and dont skip, so I can set my daily calories assuming that to be the case. The 1-2 days/week I might not workout, and therefore eat basically at maintenance, do not stall my weight loss. If someone doesn't work out religiously, then fewer daily calories and adding more for exercise probably makes more sense.

    The method I use has helped me end an unhealthy relationship with cardio and helped me focus on eating for weight loss and exercising for health. Obviously it may not be right for everyone.
  • breefoshee
    breefoshee Posts: 398 Member
    Lietchi wrote: »
    breefoshee wrote: »
    I really think it depends on the person. I do sometimes and I don't sometimes.

    MFP forum veterans are sticklers for weighing and measuring every morsel of food. So much so that if a person isn't losing weight and asks for advice, everyone jumps on them to open their diary so that they can prove that that person is not logging accurately and therefore eating too many calories.

    What is funny to me is that those same people will go crazy over people saying that they are not eating exercise calories back or if someone is eating at 1200 calories. If you have already established that most people are eating more-- enough to where they aren't losing weight, then why does it matter if they choose not to eat calories back and create a small deficit there instead?
    .

    A bit of a caricature. Aside from inaccurate logging (which, let's be honest, is often discovered when looking at the posters diary, but not always), forum veterans also cite inflated calorie burns (exercise calories and fitness trackers) for not losing weight at the desired rate (starting to eat back a part of exercise/activity calories and looking at the weight trend to eat back less or more) and the simple fact that not everyone conforms to the statistical average.

    Some people are actually not losing weight or losing it more slowly because their deficit is too aggressive - for example by not eating back their exercise calories on top of an already aggressive weight loss rate. Water retention wreaking havoc, low energy levels, etc.
    So yeah, it does matter whether or not people eat back their exercise calories.
    For some it compensates for inaccurate logging, for others it means they are sabotaging their weight loss because they are running themselves into the ground.

    I think it matters for the individual, but the advice given to many is the same. Weigh and measure, eat your calories back..... sorta. Many in this thread spoke about how Myfitnesspal was meant to be used and how you are supposed to eat your calories back. But if myfitnesspal inflates calorie burns, then do we disregard how myfitnesspal was supposed to be used?

    And for the weighing and measuring... while a calorie deficit is necessary for weight loss, accurate calorie counting is not. People lose weight all the time without counting a single calorie. For some who love the numbers and the control, it is great. For others, perfect measuring may not be a sustainable reality and they just log on the fly.

    I wish that there were more diverse responses for those people. I get that it is simple math and a deficit. I get that you can guarantee (mostly) the deficit by weighing and measuring. But some people just are not going to do it and I hate that it is so cut and dry because those people can still lose weight.
  • breefoshee
    breefoshee Posts: 398 Member
    breefoshee wrote: »
    I really think it depends on the person. I do sometimes and I don't sometimes.

    MFP forum veterans are sticklers for weighing and measuring every morsel of food. So much so that if a person isn't losing weight and asks for advice, everyone jumps on them to open their diary so that they can prove that that person is not logging accurately and therefore eating too many calories.

    What is funny to me is that those same people will go crazy over people saying that they are not eating exercise calories back or if someone is eating at 1200 calories. If you have already established that most people are eating more-- enough to where they aren't losing weight, then why does it matter if they choose not to eat calories back and create a small deficit there instead?

    The reality is that many people won't be exact in logging. And they probably ARE eating more than they think... which means they probably won't see the results they want if they eat back all of their calories.

    If you are really great at measuring and tracking, then you can probably eat them back and be fine. If you aren't so great at it, don't want the hassle, and find that you aren't seeing the results you want, don't eat them back and see if that helps.

    If someone isn't losing weight when they're supposedly in a calorie deficit, the general most obvious answer is that they're accidentally eating more than they think you are. We're less "jumping" on people than offering help to people who are frustrated and asking for advice. What do you suggest - that we ignore what repeatedly been demonstrated to be the most likely cause of their frustration?

    I have not seen a post where someone has gone "crazy" because someone isn't eating back their exercise calories. I'll defer to your experience here since you're claiming to see the same people do this repeatedly. I do see people recommending it to people who have very low calorie goals or are suffering from extreme hunger or lack of energy. Again, these are people asking for advice. If someone is eating much less than they need and asking for advice to deal with the consequences, I don't know what you would have people recommend other than "hey, you can eat back some of calories you're leaving on the table!"

    I have been a myfitnesspal forum lurker for like 10 years (I've had some other accounts besides the one I have now.) What I have often seen is cut and dry, matter of fact, often condescending answers to people who oppose people with more than 1,000 comments next to their name. This isn't EVERY person-- I have seen many really kind and helpful people too.

    But it almost never fails that people who ask "what am I doing wrong?" or "should i eat more than 1200 calories" or "I'm eating really clean"... will be met with some snark and a heavy does of "measure, measure, measure". I get that people are asking for this advice... but if someone is giving advice that isn't "measure" or "eat back your calories" then those responses are dismissed right away.

    Personally, I have never been able to be as perfect as what the forums have recommended to me. After years of calculating TDEE, rearranging macros, and weighing every single thing, attempting heavy lifting, I've actually never been successful at doing those things. What's more is that I became so obsessed with numbers and control that I developed a full blown eating disorder (that thankfully, I no longer struggle with). I was actually more successful at weight loss and overall health, before I joined MFP and started obsessing over the numbers.

    I wish someone would have told me 10 years ago that I didn't have to do all that to lose weight.

    You can tell if you are in a deficit if you are losing weight over time. If you aren't, then look at how much you are eating and your patterns. If measuring isn't your thing, then make conscious decisions to eat less and observe the results. Losing too much? Eat more.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,843 Member
    breefoshee wrote: »
    Lietchi wrote: »
    breefoshee wrote: »
    I really think it depends on the person. I do sometimes and I don't sometimes.

    MFP forum veterans are sticklers for weighing and measuring every morsel of food. So much so that if a person isn't losing weight and asks for advice, everyone jumps on them to open their diary so that they can prove that that person is not logging accurately and therefore eating too many calories.

    What is funny to me is that those same people will go crazy over people saying that they are not eating exercise calories back or if someone is eating at 1200 calories. If you have already established that most people are eating more-- enough to where they aren't losing weight, then why does it matter if they choose not to eat calories back and create a small deficit there instead?
    .

    A bit of a caricature. Aside from inaccurate logging (which, let's be honest, is often discovered when looking at the posters diary, but not always), forum veterans also cite inflated calorie burns (exercise calories and fitness trackers) for not losing weight at the desired rate (starting to eat back a part of exercise/activity calories and looking at the weight trend to eat back less or more) and the simple fact that not everyone conforms to the statistical average.

    Some people are actually not losing weight or losing it more slowly because their deficit is too aggressive - for example by not eating back their exercise calories on top of an already aggressive weight loss rate. Water retention wreaking havoc, low energy levels, etc.
    So yeah, it does matter whether or not people eat back their exercise calories.
    For some it compensates for inaccurate logging, for others it means they are sabotaging their weight loss because they are running themselves into the ground.

    I think it matters for the individual, but the advice given to many is the same. Weigh and measure, eat your calories back..... sorta. Many in this thread spoke about how Myfitnesspal was meant to be used and how you are supposed to eat your calories back. But if myfitnesspal inflates calorie burns, then do we disregard how myfitnesspal was supposed to be used?

    And for the weighing and measuring... while a calorie deficit is necessary for weight loss, accurate calorie counting is not. People lose weight all the time without counting a single calorie. For some who love the numbers and the control, it is great. For others, perfect measuring may not be a sustainable reality and they just log on the fly.

    I wish that there were more diverse responses for those people. I get that it is simple math and a deficit. I get that you can guarantee (mostly) the deficit by weighing and measuring. But some people just are not going to do it and I hate that it is so cut and dry because those people can still lose weight.

    Eating 100% of the MFP exercise calories may not be the right number for some people. But why then argue that 0% is the right number? That's why the suggestion is often to start at 50% and readjust as needed.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,843 Member
    breefoshee wrote: »
    breefoshee wrote: »
    I really think it depends on the person. I do sometimes and I don't sometimes.

    MFP forum veterans are sticklers for weighing and measuring every morsel of food. So much so that if a person isn't losing weight and asks for advice, everyone jumps on them to open their diary so that they can prove that that person is not logging accurately and therefore eating too many calories.

    What is funny to me is that those same people will go crazy over people saying that they are not eating exercise calories back or if someone is eating at 1200 calories. If you have already established that most people are eating more-- enough to where they aren't losing weight, then why does it matter if they choose not to eat calories back and create a small deficit there instead?

    The reality is that many people won't be exact in logging. And they probably ARE eating more than they think... which means they probably won't see the results they want if they eat back all of their calories.

    If you are really great at measuring and tracking, then you can probably eat them back and be fine. If you aren't so great at it, don't want the hassle, and find that you aren't seeing the results you want, don't eat them back and see if that helps.

    If someone isn't losing weight when they're supposedly in a calorie deficit, the general most obvious answer is that they're accidentally eating more than they think you are. We're less "jumping" on people than offering help to people who are frustrated and asking for advice. What do you suggest - that we ignore what repeatedly been demonstrated to be the most likely cause of their frustration?

    I have not seen a post where someone has gone "crazy" because someone isn't eating back their exercise calories. I'll defer to your experience here since you're claiming to see the same people do this repeatedly. I do see people recommending it to people who have very low calorie goals or are suffering from extreme hunger or lack of energy. Again, these are people asking for advice. If someone is eating much less than they need and asking for advice to deal with the consequences, I don't know what you would have people recommend other than "hey, you can eat back some of calories you're leaving on the table!"

    I have been a myfitnesspal forum lurker for like 10 years (I've had some other accounts besides the one I have now.) What I have often seen is cut and dry, matter of fact, often condescending answers to people who oppose people with more than 1,000 comments next to their name. This isn't EVERY person-- I have seen many really kind and helpful people too.

    But it almost never fails that people who ask "what am I doing wrong?" or "should i eat more than 1200 calories" or "I'm eating really clean"... will be met with some snark and a heavy does of "measure, measure, measure". I get that people are asking for this advice... but if someone is giving advice that isn't "measure" or "eat back your calories" then those responses are dismissed right away.

    Personally, I have never been able to be as perfect as what the forums have recommended to me. After years of calculating TDEE, rearranging macros, and weighing every single thing, attempting heavy lifting, I've actually never been successful at doing those things. What's more is that I became so obsessed with numbers and control that I developed a full blown eating disorder (that thankfully, I no longer struggle with). I was actually more successful at weight loss and overall health, before I joined MFP and started obsessing over the numbers.

    I wish someone would have told me 10 years ago that I didn't have to do all that to lose weight.

    You can tell if you are in a deficit if you are losing weight over time. If you aren't, then look at how much you are eating and your patterns. If measuring isn't your thing, then make conscious decisions to eat less and observe the results. Losing too much? Eat more.

    Look, if someone said, "I have an eating disorder and calorie counting hurts my brain" I wouldn't insist they count calories. I would refer them to their treatment team, or suggest they get one if they don't.

    But otherwise, for people who are using MFP, I think the best advice is help on using MFP correctly.
  • breefoshee
    breefoshee Posts: 398 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    breefoshee wrote: »
    Lietchi wrote: »
    breefoshee wrote: »
    I really think it depends on the person. I do sometimes and I don't sometimes.

    MFP forum veterans are sticklers for weighing and measuring every morsel of food. So much so that if a person isn't losing weight and asks for advice, everyone jumps on them to open their diary so that they can prove that that person is not logging accurately and therefore eating too many calories.

    What is funny to me is that those same people will go crazy over people saying that they are not eating exercise calories back or if someone is eating at 1200 calories. If you have already established that most people are eating more-- enough to where they aren't losing weight, then why does it matter if they choose not to eat calories back and create a small deficit there instead?
    .

    A bit of a caricature. Aside from inaccurate logging (which, let's be honest, is often discovered when looking at the posters diary, but not always), forum veterans also cite inflated calorie burns (exercise calories and fitness trackers) for not losing weight at the desired rate (starting to eat back a part of exercise/activity calories and looking at the weight trend to eat back less or more) and the simple fact that not everyone conforms to the statistical average.

    Some people are actually not losing weight or losing it more slowly because their deficit is too aggressive - for example by not eating back their exercise calories on top of an already aggressive weight loss rate. Water retention wreaking havoc, low energy levels, etc.
    So yeah, it does matter whether or not people eat back their exercise calories.
    For some it compensates for inaccurate logging, for others it means they are sabotaging their weight loss because they are running themselves into the ground.

    I think it matters for the individual, but the advice given to many is the same. Weigh and measure, eat your calories back..... sorta. Many in this thread spoke about how Myfitnesspal was meant to be used and how you are supposed to eat your calories back. But if myfitnesspal inflates calorie burns, then do we disregard how myfitnesspal was supposed to be used?

    And for the weighing and measuring... while a calorie deficit is necessary for weight loss, accurate calorie counting is not. People lose weight all the time without counting a single calorie. For some who love the numbers and the control, it is great. For others, perfect measuring may not be a sustainable reality and they just log on the fly.

    I wish that there were more diverse responses for those people. I get that it is simple math and a deficit. I get that you can guarantee (mostly) the deficit by weighing and measuring. But some people just are not going to do it and I hate that it is so cut and dry because those people can still lose weight.

    Eating 100% of the MFP exercise calories may not be the right number for some people. But why then argue that 0% is the right number? That's why the suggestion is often to start at 50% and readjust as needed.

    I didn't argue for 0%...I said it would be different for each person. But it could be 0% if a person isn't losing weight and does not want to weigh and measure.
  • breefoshee
    breefoshee Posts: 398 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    breefoshee wrote: »
    breefoshee wrote: »
    I really think it depends on the person. I do sometimes and I don't sometimes.

    MFP forum veterans are sticklers for weighing and measuring every morsel of food. So much so that if a person isn't losing weight and asks for advice, everyone jumps on them to open their diary so that they can prove that that person is not logging accurately and therefore eating too many calories.

    What is funny to me is that those same people will go crazy over people saying that they are not eating exercise calories back or if someone is eating at 1200 calories. If you have already established that most people are eating more-- enough to where they aren't losing weight, then why does it matter if they choose not to eat calories back and create a small deficit there instead?

    The reality is that many people won't be exact in logging. And they probably ARE eating more than they think... which means they probably won't see the results they want if they eat back all of their calories.

    If you are really great at measuring and tracking, then you can probably eat them back and be fine. If you aren't so great at it, don't want the hassle, and find that you aren't seeing the results you want, don't eat them back and see if that helps.

    If someone isn't losing weight when they're supposedly in a calorie deficit, the general most obvious answer is that they're accidentally eating more than they think you are. We're less "jumping" on people than offering help to people who are frustrated and asking for advice. What do you suggest - that we ignore what repeatedly been demonstrated to be the most likely cause of their frustration?

    I have not seen a post where someone has gone "crazy" because someone isn't eating back their exercise calories. I'll defer to your experience here since you're claiming to see the same people do this repeatedly. I do see people recommending it to people who have very low calorie goals or are suffering from extreme hunger or lack of energy. Again, these are people asking for advice. If someone is eating much less than they need and asking for advice to deal with the consequences, I don't know what you would have people recommend other than "hey, you can eat back some of calories you're leaving on the table!"

    I have been a myfitnesspal forum lurker for like 10 years (I've had some other accounts besides the one I have now.) What I have often seen is cut and dry, matter of fact, often condescending answers to people who oppose people with more than 1,000 comments next to their name. This isn't EVERY person-- I have seen many really kind and helpful people too.

    But it almost never fails that people who ask "what am I doing wrong?" or "should i eat more than 1200 calories" or "I'm eating really clean"... will be met with some snark and a heavy does of "measure, measure, measure". I get that people are asking for this advice... but if someone is giving advice that isn't "measure" or "eat back your calories" then those responses are dismissed right away.

    Personally, I have never been able to be as perfect as what the forums have recommended to me. After years of calculating TDEE, rearranging macros, and weighing every single thing, attempting heavy lifting, I've actually never been successful at doing those things. What's more is that I became so obsessed with numbers and control that I developed a full blown eating disorder (that thankfully, I no longer struggle with). I was actually more successful at weight loss and overall health, before I joined MFP and started obsessing over the numbers.

    I wish someone would have told me 10 years ago that I didn't have to do all that to lose weight.

    You can tell if you are in a deficit if you are losing weight over time. If you aren't, then look at how much you are eating and your patterns. If measuring isn't your thing, then make conscious decisions to eat less and observe the results. Losing too much? Eat more.

    Look, if someone said, "I have an eating disorder and calorie counting hurts my brain" I wouldn't insist they count calories. I would refer them to their treatment team, or suggest they get one if they don't.

    But otherwise, for people who are using MFP, I think the best advice is help on using MFP correctly.

    I wouldn't have asked in that way because I didn't have an eating disorder then. I developed one as I become obsessed with the numbers and frustrated with my results.

    You say that the best advice is to "use MFP correctly"... but above you said that you should eat 50% of your calories instead of all of your calories... which MFP was designed to do.

    I agree with you--that you should access what is going on and figure out how much to eat. But "using MFP correctly" isn't so cut and dry. There are many wonderful ways to use MFP and make it customizable for the individual. Eating or not eating back excercise calories is just one of them.