I dont eat my exercise calories...
juggalotus
Posts: 227
Alright so, i have seen a lot of arguments on here about whether or not you should eat all of your exercise calories back...I have been on MFP Since the beginning of August and i have not eaten my any of my calories back. I can say maybe once just for human error but, i normally don't ever eat my workout calories back. That seems like a lot! I honestly don't think I could even eat that much. For example, According to MFP, my daily caloric need is 1430. Today, i burned 727 calories (per my HRM) So that's a total of 2127 calories. There's NO WAY i want to eat that many calories! Shockingly enough, sometimes I have trouble eating 1400 calories. But I always make sure I get at least 1,200....My point is, I have lost a total of 15.8 lbs since Aug 3rd. (1.8 lbs not accounted for on here because weigh in day hasn't come around yet! so there might be more come Tuesday!) I guess it only works for some people? Others not so much? I don't know! Someone told me that, eating back your calories is for people who are maintaining, or for people who are closer to their goal weight. But Anyway, it's working for me, so i am going to keep it up! 
I am proud of what i have done because usually, i would "diet" for a week, then it would be done. I have kept this up for OVER a month and I couldn't be happier! This is my new life.
I am proud of what i have done because usually, i would "diet" for a week, then it would be done. I have kept this up for OVER a month and I couldn't be happier! This is my new life. 0
Replies
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Wow that is interesting I thought it was a bit pointless to eat the calories you worked off! I am totally with you on this one!0
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I don`t eat it back either,,0
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Wow that is interesting I thought it was a bit pointless to eat the calories you worked off! I am totally with you on this one!
Yeah i find it pointless as well. Seems like taking 10 steps back when you eat back the calories you just burned off!! Seriously. I don't know....And not to mention, i feel like **** when i eat when I'm not hungry. Im not going to force myself to eat all those calories back when I'm not even hungry in the first place....I hate feeling yucky like that.0 -
Figure it like that, your target is, let's say, 1500 cals to be able to loose 2 lbs per week WITHOUT exercise. SO you can, if you want to loose more and tone and be more healthy, exercise and then add up more cals to your daily intake.
You don't have to eat it all back but your body Needs fuel to be able to workout hard and also, you son't want to over starve yourself so that when you get back in maintain, you gain all the weight back because your body thinks he was starved for too long and now adds up all the fat he can to be ready for next starvation...
Am I making any sense here?
I am telling all this because I experienced it and lived it, and it is no fun at all!0 -
It really does depend on how much weight you need to lose. If you need to lose alot, then of course you shouldn't eat most of your exercise calories. But if you only have 5-15 lbs, then it's suggested that you do. It also depends on the person. For me, eating at least half back has been key for my weight loss. If I don't eat back half, then my weight loss stalls, even though I'm eating only 1200 to 1400 a day. It's a trial and error type of deal. Also, the more muscle you put on, the more calories you need. Muscle burns more calories at rest than fat does.0
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me neither0
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GASP!!!! neither do i, lol0
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I don't always eat them back. The way I see it, make sure you at LEAST hit your daily goal on the days you exercise. That way you know you're not depriving your body of what it needs. Then, if I'm hungry after a work out, I eat some more. I've lost 47 pounds, and I don't think I've ever eaten all of my exercise calories, it just seems like too much.0
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Well, it is true that the more weight you have to lose the higher deficit your body can handle.
That being said, I started out with a lot of weight to lose, but still ate back my exercise calories and still do to this day and I have lost 57 lbs.
I do think it is important to eat them back to fuel your workouts. It's not that you are just eating back what you just burned...it's more like you are eating more so that you can continue to work out harder and better for longer periods of time. And I mean over a long period of time. Like I said, higher deficits initially work, but once your body realizes you are not giving it enough fuel, well, that's where the problems start. Your metabolism may slow and no one wants that.0 -
Ok, some of you are making sense, but seriously...I honestly could not force myself to eat over 2,000 calories. If i am not hungry, i am not hungry...My body is NOT telling me it wants more food. It's telling me I am full and satisfied. i am not starving myself at all. I figure once i get closer and closer to my GW, i will slowly start to eat my calories back....not all of the sudden, gradually...you know what i mean? A nice, smooth transition....0
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Alright so, i have seen a lot of arguments on here about whether or not you should eat all of your exercise calories back...I have been on MFP Since the beginning of August and i have not eaten my any of my calories back. I can say maybe once just for human error but, i normally don't ever eat my workout calories back. That seems like a lot! I honestly don't think I could even eat that much. For example, According to MFP, my daily caloric need is 1430. Today, i burned 727 calories (per my HRM) So that's a total of 2127 calories. There's NO WAY i want to eat that many calories! Shockingly enough, sometimes I have trouble eating 1400 calories. But I always make sure I get at least 1,200....My point is, I have lost a total of 15.8 lbs since Aug 3rd. (1.8 lbs not accounted for on here because weigh in day hasn't come around yet! so there might be more come Tuesday!) I guess it only works for some people? Others not so much? I don't know! Someone told me that, eating back your calories is for people who are maintaining, or for people who are closer to their goal weight. But Anyway, it's working for me, so i am going to keep it up! I am proud of what i have done because usually, i would "diet" for a week, then it would be done. I have kept this up for OVER a month and I couldn't be happier! This is my new life.
people keep saying "There's NO WAY i want to eat that many calories! Shockingly enough, sometimes I have trouble eating 1400 calories" hate to break it to you, but the reason we are all here is because we have been eating way more than that for a long time..............0 -
Alright so, i have seen a lot of arguments on here about whether or not you should eat all of your exercise calories back...I have been on MFP Since the beginning of August and i have not eaten my any of my calories back. I can say maybe once just for human error but, i normally don't ever eat my workout calories back. That seems like a lot! I honestly don't think I could even eat that much. For example, According to MFP, my daily caloric need is 1430. Today, i burned 727 calories (per my HRM) So that's a total of 2127 calories. There's NO WAY i want to eat that many calories! Shockingly enough, sometimes I have trouble eating 1400 calories. But I always make sure I get at least 1,200....My point is, I have lost a total of 15.8 lbs since Aug 3rd. (1.8 lbs not accounted for on here because weigh in day hasn't come around yet! so there might be more come Tuesday!) I guess it only works for some people? Others not so much? I don't know! Someone told me that, eating back your calories is for people who are maintaining, or for people who are closer to their goal weight. But Anyway, it's working for me, so i am going to keep it up! I am proud of what i have done because usually, i would "diet" for a week, then it would be done. I have kept this up for OVER a month and I couldn't be happier! This is my new life.
people keep saying "There's NO WAY i want to eat that many calories! Shockingly enough, sometimes I have trouble eating 1400 calories" hate to break it to you, but the reason we are all here is because we have been eating way more than that for a long time..............
Well yeah, I know that....So why would i want to go back to my old habits? Maybe it's a mental thing but I honestly feel like **** If i eat even some of my exercise calories back...I don't want to feel that way at all.0 -
the reason we are all here is because we have been eating way more than that for a long time..............
True, but it is harder to pull it off eating relatively clean too. You could chow down 2000 calories in a value meal for lunch before. Doing it with fruits and veggies and lean meat takes a lot more work.0 -
Good for you and congrats on your success thus far. I do eat my exercise calories and do believe that it varies from person to person on just how many calories your body needs per day naturally. MFP isn't really a one size fits all program. If it is working for you, why change it? Just focus on your goals and do what seems to be working for you. If it something stops working, change it up.
But obviously there are so many misconceptions on this website regarding exercise calories and I won't even touch them. But for me, the reason I eat my exercise calories is because I am not strictly focused on losing weight. I care about my overall fitness as well. My goal is to be stronger, faster, and healthier. My free time is limited so my 3-4 weekly workouts are really intense just so I can get the most out of the little time I have. I wouldn't be able to work out as hard or as long if I didn't eat back my exercise calories. MFP already created the caloric deficit for me that I need to lose my 1lb per week. I could sit on my couch instead of going to the gym and still get that weight loss result, provided I stay under my calorie goal. But fitness and weight loss aren't the same thing. Everyone has different goals and I wish everyone all the success in the world in achieving them. But for me fitness and performance trumps weight loss...Every. Single. Day.0 -
Alright so, i have seen a lot of arguments on here about whether or not you should eat all of your exercise calories back...I have been on MFP Since the beginning of August and i have not eaten my any of my calories back. I can say maybe once just for human error but, i normally don't ever eat my workout calories back. That seems like a lot! I honestly don't think I could even eat that much. For example, According to MFP, my daily caloric need is 1430. Today, i burned 727 calories (per my HRM) So that's a total of 2127 calories. There's NO WAY i want to eat that many calories! Shockingly enough, sometimes I have trouble eating 1400 calories. But I always make sure I get at least 1,200....My point is, I have lost a total of 15.8 lbs since Aug 3rd. (1.8 lbs not accounted for on here because weigh in day hasn't come around yet! so there might be more come Tuesday!) I guess it only works for some people? Others not so much? I don't know! Someone told me that, eating back your calories is for people who are maintaining, or for people who are closer to their goal weight. But Anyway, it's working for me, so i am going to keep it up! I am proud of what i have done because usually, i would "diet" for a week, then it would be done. I have kept this up for OVER a month and I couldn't be happier! This is my new life.
people keep saying "There's NO WAY i want to eat that many calories! Shockingly enough, sometimes I have trouble eating 1400 calories" hate to break it to you, but the reason we are all here is because we have been eating way more than that for a long time..............
Well yeah, I know that....So why would i want to go back to my old habits? Maybe it's a mental thing but I honestly feel like **** If i eat even some of my exercise calories back...I don't want to feel that way at all.
doesn't make a difference to me, but if you are logging bother exercise and food accurately, you should eat the calories back. The website already has you at a deficit, mine for example is 1000 calories per day, to lose 2lbs per week (this is the max healthy amount of weight to lose) So, that means if i were to exercise and didn't eat the calories back then I would lose more than the max of 2lbs per week. To lose 1 lb per week you need a 500 calorie deficit every day. A deficit over 1000 is not good for you, at that point nutrition suffers and other tissues are lost, muscle, etc.0 -
It's an individual choice whether you want to eat them back or not, but I think a lot of people just don't understand how MFP is set up.
Your daily calorie allowance is calculated to give you a calorie deficit so you will lose weight without any exercise.
If you exercise and eat those calories, you will still lose weight. You have kept your calorie deficit at the same level.
If you exercise and don't eat those calories you have given yourself a larger (sometimes much larger) deficit.
Your body may respond well to a very big calorie deficit, especially if you are just starting out and have lots of weight to lose.
Or, it might think you are undereating and respond by slowing your metabolism to function on less calories.
So, it will be different for everybody. Personally I have always eaten my exercise calories because I didn't want to create a huge deficit. I wanted to get my body/metabolism used to eating a regular amount of food, and I know that I would not stick to a plan where I have to cut calories dramatically - I've done that in the past and always given up. This time, I've tracked my calories for 8 months, I'm close to goal and feeling like this is something I can keep going with.
And, I don't see the point in cutting calories more than you need to - you will just be hungry, risk missing out on important nutrition and aren't learning good habits for the long term.
So, it's your choice how you want to eat, just make sure you understand what is happening to your body and try for yourself to see how your body responds.0 -
I forgot to add that my mother lost about 100lbs over 5 years ago NOT eating her calories back ( i asked her) and she's kept it off ever since.0
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It's an individual choice whether you want to eat them back or not, but I think a lot of people just don't understand how MFP is set up.
Your daily calorie allowance is calculated to give you a calorie deficit so you will lose weight without any exercise.
If you exercise and eat those calories, you will still lose weight. You have kept your calorie deficit at the same level.
If you exercise and don't eat those calories you have given yourself a larger (sometimes much larger) deficit.
Your body may respond well to a very big calorie deficit, especially if you are just starting out and have lots of weight to lose.
Or, it might think you are undereating and respond by slowing your metabolism to function on less calories.
So, it will be different for everybody. Personally I have always eaten my exercise calories because I didn't want to create a huge deficit. I wanted to get my body/metabolism used to eating a regular amount of food, and I know that I would not stick to a plan where I have to cut calories dramatically - I've done that in the past and always given up. This time, I've tracked my calories for 8 months, I'm close to goal and feeling like this is something I can keep going with.
And, I don't see the point in cutting calories more than you need to - you will just be hungry, risk missing out on important nutrition and aren't learning good habits for the long term.
So, it's your choice how you want to eat, just make sure you understand what is happening to your body and try for yourself to see how your body responds.
That makes sense, but let me ask you this...would i be able to just ease into eating my calories back? Like, after iv'e gotten closer to my goal weight? Say when i hit 200lbs......can I slowly start to eat my calories back?0 -
Neither do I, unless I'm feeling hungry. If I'm not, I won't eat.0
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It's an individual choice whether you want to eat them back or not, but I think a lot of people just don't understand how MFP is set up.
Your daily calorie allowance is calculated to give you a calorie deficit so you will lose weight without any exercise.
If you exercise and eat those calories, you will still lose weight. You have kept your calorie deficit at the same level.
If you exercise and don't eat those calories you have given yourself a larger (sometimes much larger) deficit.
Your body may respond well to a very big calorie deficit, especially if you are just starting out and have lots of weight to lose.
Or, it might think you are undereating and respond by slowing your metabolism to function on less calories.
So, it will be different for everybody. Personally I have always eaten my exercise calories because I didn't want to create a huge deficit. I wanted to get my body/metabolism used to eating a regular amount of food, and I know that I would not stick to a plan where I have to cut calories dramatically - I've done that in the past and always given up. This time, I've tracked my calories for 8 months, I'm close to goal and feeling like this is something I can keep going with.
And, I don't see the point in cutting calories more than you need to - you will just be hungry, risk missing out on important nutrition and aren't learning good habits for the long term.
So, it's your choice how you want to eat, just make sure you understand what is happening to your body and try for yourself to see how your body responds.
That makes sense, but let me ask you this...would i be able to just ease into eating my calories back? Like, after iv'e gotten closer to my goal weight? Say when i hit 200lbs......can I slowly start to eat my calories back?
If that is the way you choose to do it, then yes. If you are not eating any cals back up until that point then I would definitely recommend doing it gradually. Add 100-200 for a couple of weeks and then keep doing it from there.
No one can make you eat your calories back, but the above poster is right in stating that MFP has you set up to lose weight even if you sat on the couch all day. Exercising is a bonus and not accounted for in your deficit.0 -
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That makes sense, but let me ask you this...would i be able to just ease into eating my calories back? Like, after iv'e gotten closer to my goal weight? Say when i hit 200lbs......can I slowly start to eat my calories back?
Yes, this would work fine. Just keep an eye on your weight loss and if you are losing at a steady rate then keep doing what you are doing. But, if you find you are just too hungry and are finding it too hard to stick to low calories or your weight loss slows down you might want to have a bit of a break and eat more. As long as you have a deficit you should keep losing weight, just not so fast. Though, lots of people find that when they eat a little bit more (healthy food!) they actually lose weight faster.
You should also check that your activity settings are set accurately (sedentary if you have a desk job, lightly active or active if you have a job where you are doing lots of standing/walking or are a stay at home mum).
And, as you get closer to your goal weight you will probably need to change your rate of weight loss (from 2 pounds a week to 1 pound or half a pound a week).
All of these things have an effect on your daily calorie allowance, the important thing is to find something that works for you and your body and that lets you continue to lose weight while staying healthy.0 -
Well...for one...i have read that drinking chocolate milk POST exercise helps with muscle recovery...so if you want, add a glass of low fat chocolate milk to your diet after a vigorous workout...you'll be fueling your body and eating back some of the calories
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i dont eat my calories either but then again I set my MFP to sedentary even though I am not sedentary.
For example, it says my caloric needs are 1650 and to lose some weight ( no matter if I enter 2lbs per week loss or 1 lbs per week loss) my minimum is 1200 leaving me only a 450 deficit so I try to make sure I have some calories left every day. So I can just lose 1 lbs per week, per my Bodymedia Fit, I burn an average of 1835 calories per day on a non-workout day, Still not that much of a deficit (635 cal) . I just make sure the amount remaining does not end up equally more than 1000 calories,
I hope that make sense0 -
Many people with a large amount to lose (100+ lbs) do not necessarily need to eat all of their exercise cals. When you have a lot of fat stores, the body can access those stores for energy much faster and more efficiently than it can for someone with 20 lbs to lose.
However, there are some risks to consider and larger deficits can cause other problems that you may not notice right away. And depending on the body for hunger signals when you are not in a healthy state is very risky, because the hormones that control appetite are out of whack when you are overweight/underweight and have had poor eating habits. May help to read these to understand experts recommend a moderate deficit, even for those with a lot of weight to lose.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/230930-starvation-mode-how-it-works
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/222019-60-lbs-in-60-days?hl=60+lbs
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/231636-the-eating-when-you-re-not-hungry-dilemma0 -
I was really confused on this subject as well. I joined in June and my calories were set at 1300 a day and sometimes it was hard to hit that. ( I too believe its a mental thing) Once I lost 10lbs it went to 1240 a day. I also some days have a hard time hitting 1200 calories a day. I never eat my workout calories back. After about a month or so I stop loosing weight. So I picked up and started eating some of my exercise cals back on some days and not on others and the weight loss picked up again.
I really believe it is dependable on the person.0 -
I forgot to add that my mother lost about 100lbs over 5 years ago NOT eating her calories back ( i asked her) and she's kept it off ever since.
Was she calculating her own calories? MFP setup can be confusing precisely because of the whole exercise calories thing - you are initially given a daily calorie allowance that should allow you to lose weight without exercise (ie a 500 calorie/day deficit for 1 pound a week). This calorie allowance is calculated to healthfully fuel your body for your regular daily activities. Once you add exercise, you are creating a larger fuel deficit than is healthy(it doesn't make sense health wise to create the biggest deficit you possibly can, that's why MFP won't allow daily calorie goals under 1200). Now your body does not have enough fuel to function optimally, you need to refuel it, almost like you could say it's running on fumes some of the time. How much fuel it needs might vary per person - especially if a person is not accurately counting calories or exercise calories are overestimated. It can be very frustrating when you are close to your goal weight (as in 20 pounds) to try to find the optimal number within your healthy calorie range - which is where I am now. But the point of eating your exercise calories back is to give your body the nutrition it needs to function properly because you have added an activity that is not accounted for in your daily calorie intake. If you understand that and choose not to eat any of them back, then obviously that is your choice. Just be healthy, and remember that sometimes our bodies don't tell us what they need. I was unintentionally chronically undereating for months, and I didn't feel hungry. We all have to make our own decisions, just make them with the understanding that MFP already gives you a deficit to lose weight before exercise and calories are about nourishing your body. Good luck!0 -
So a couple thoughts, but first I wanted to post a quote from SleepyTexan ( a memeber on this board) who has made one of the best quotes I have seen regading this subject.SleepyTexan
You may encounter many people who will tell you NOT to eat exercise calories, but when you encounter those people, check to see if those are people who are at goal and have been at goal for an extended period of time. Find out if they are athletes, or if they have been fit throughout their lives. Chances are, the people who will tell you not to eat exercise calories are in fact NOT fit and healthy, and unfortunately, they just don't understand.
Next, you have to be careful with larger than necessary deficits. When you create large deficits (especially over 1000 calories or when you fall below 1200 net calories) you can run into several problems. First, you may be losing weight, but I can almost guarentee you, it's a lot of muscle you are losing instead of fat. If you want to test this theory, get body calipers and test yoru body in 10 spots and write them down, then do your method for 90 days and then re test. See how much body fat you have lost. Now, the next 90 days, figure your caloric needs by utilizing basal metabolic rates and total daily energy expended. I bet the second method will provide better results.
Also, please check out the thread below, it has some good information in it. And lastly, just because something is provide results, doesn't mean it doesn't adversely affect others (such as metabolism, and brain/organ function). There are two things Iive by, food is fuel and muscle burns fat. It's the reason I can eat 3000 calories and still turn fat into muscle mass. And if you are having trouble getting calories, there are plenty of healthy ways to get more, such as; nuts, avocado, protein bars, protein powder, smaller meals more frequently. The way I look at it, you train your muscles to grow so why not train your stoamch to eat more.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/311640-confused-about-the-magic-12000 -
I don't eat mine back. If I happen to be a little extra hungry, I will eat some of them back as long as it's something whole and simple such as an apple or nectarine. Some find they are able to lose weight much better if they eat their exercise calories, while others find they lose weight better by not eating their exercise calories. I think it just depends on each individuals body. The important thing is that you are achieving your goals in a smart and healthy way. It sounds like you're doing a great job. Keep it up!0
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Very good arguement! My boyfriend is a personal trainer, and he says eating workout cals back is a no-no for us who want to shred that weight! If we want to maintain like you said, then yes we could use some for a nutrient dense snack!
Keep up the good work, and I hope I have the same success as you! 0 -
yummm... exercise calories taste the best!0
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