Do you eat Your Exercise Calories
mpkpbk2015
Posts: 766 Member
Do you eat back your exercise calories even when your stomach/body is telling you your full for the day.
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Replies
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I work to my weekly goal, and eat all my exercise calories, just maybe not all on the same day.
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thisvickyruns wrote: »I work to my weekly goal, and eat all my exercise calories, just maybe not all on the same day.
Thanks for sharing, I was just wondering since it seems like your supposed to eat back the calories you get from exercising and when ever I do that I am either too full or gain that week.0 -
I don't eat back all my exercise calories, but I do have some as long as the macros stay balanced, or as balanced as I can get them1
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mpkpbk2015 wrote: »Do you eat back your exercise calories even when your stomach/body is telling you your full for the day.
My stomach/body rarely tells me I'm full for the day. It's really easy for me to add calorie with high calorie low volume foods, ice-cream is one of my favorites after I've done a run for example. Or I might also have a larger dinner than usual after a high exercise day.
I do eat back all of my exercise calories, as calculated by my Garmin, because my experience has shown me that it's accurate. (I don't necessarily eat them back the same day, I might leave some for the next day for example.) But depending on the source of the calculation, the estimated calorie burn might be inflated, so that's something to take into consideration when deciding how many calories to eat back.
Shorter term weight gain isn't necessarily fat gain, it could also be some water retention from the exercise or extra food waste in your system from eating more.2 -
If eating your exercise calories makes you gain weight (when you've set your goal to lose), then something is off in your overall calculation, most likely that you're underestimating what you're eating or overestimating the calories you've burned through exercise. It's also possible that your initial calorie goal is off (either because you've overestimated your base activity level or because you're one of the few people who just burn fewer calories than estimated).7
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I use the TDEE method...so essentially, yes...I do eat back exercise calories in that they are already included in my total activity level and I take my cut from TDEE. I don't use the MFP method of setting activity level to day to day stuff and logging exercise separately...but when I did, it pretty much worked out to be 6 of 1, half dozen of the other.
With MFP I had 2000 calories to lose about 1 Lb per week...with logging exercise I was eating around 2300-2500 gross calories per day to lose 1 Lb per week. With TDEE I eat the same...pretty much 2300-2500 calories per day to lose 1 Lb per week...the only difference is that my exercise is included in my activity level and thus my base calorie target is higher than it is with MFP...but after exercise gross calories are pretty much the same.
If you're not losing weight and/or gaining weight from eating back exercise calories as MFP intends, then something else is off...logging is off...erroneous entries...inaccurate serving sizes...over-estimation of exercise calories, etc.2 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »I use the TDEE method...so essentially, yes...I do eat back exercise calories in that they are already included in my total activity level and I take my cut from TDEE. I don't use the MFP method of setting activity level to day to day stuff and logging exercise separately...but when I did, it pretty much worked out to be 6 of 1, half dozen of the other.
With MFP I had 2000 calories to lose about 1 Lb per week...with logging exercise I was eating around 2300-2500 gross calories per day to lose 1 Lb per week. With TDEE I eat the same...pretty much 2300-2500 calories per day to lose 1 Lb per week...the only difference is that my exercise is included in my activity level and thus my base calorie target is higher than it is with MFP...but after exercise gross calories are pretty much the same.
If you're not losing weight and/or gaining weight from eating back exercise calories as MFP intends, then something else is off...logging is off...erroneous entries...inaccurate serving sizes...over-estimation of exercise calories, etc.
I had a very similar experience and have seen much more success via the TDEE method than when trying to quantify/measure my exercise output. My logging accuracy needed to improve as well but with neither side of the equation right it's hard to make any sort of informed adjustments.1 -
I eat back my exercise calories . . . sooner or later. Usually the same day, but not always. If I didn't eat back my exercise calories close to consistently, I'd lose weight. I'm generally in maintenance, have been losing a few vanity pounds super slowly by intention . . . but as a generality, I have to eat back my exercise calories eventually, mostly, or I'll lose weight I don't want, need or intend to lose.
I routinely encourage people to figure out how they intended to maintain their weight at goal, before they actually reach goal, and experiment to dial in those habits while they still have a bit of deficit as a cushion in case of oopsies. If their maintenance plan includes continued logging, and includes separately logging exercise, it would be good to practice that routine for a while during weight loss, to work the bugs out.
I like that I can manage my weight (maintain or lose) quite predictably, whether I'm exercising or not. That's an outcome of figuring out how to estimate exercise, within reasonable tolerances, for me.
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mpkpbk2015 wrote: »Do you eat back your exercise calories even when your stomach/body is telling you your full for the day.
My stomach/body rarely tells me I'm full for the day. It's really easy for me to add calorie with high calorie low volume foods, ice-cream is one of my favorites after I've done a run for example. Or I might also have a larger dinner than usual after a high exercise day.
I do eat back all of my exercise calories, as calculated by my Garmin, because my experience has shown me that it's accurate. (I don't necessarily eat them back the same day, I might leave some for the next day for example.) But depending on the source of the calculation, the estimated calorie burn might be inflated, so that's something to take into consideration when deciding how many calories to eat back.
Shorter term weight gain isn't necessarily fat gain, it could also be some water retention from the exercise or extra food waste in your system from eating more.
Okay it was obviously my misunderstanding that you were suppose to eat them back on the day you received them from exercising as I am seeing from several post that is not the case. thanks for clarifying. Have a great evening.1 -
janejellyroll wrote: »If eating your exercise calories makes you gain weight (when you've set your goal to lose), then something is off in your overall calculation, most likely that you're underestimating what you're eating or overestimating the calories you've burned through exercise. It's also possible that your initial calorie goal is off (either because you've overestimated your base activity level or because you're one of the few people who just burn fewer calories than estimated).
Not sure generally when it happened I was going by what the app said I burn doing the exercise. I very almost to the point of being OCD weigh and measure all my food. And my calories were determined through a metabolism test given by my doctor. The reason for my post was to see what other people's experience was with eating back their exercise calories since that's a basic premise of this program. thanks for sharing.
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cwolfman13 wrote: »I use the TDEE method...so essentially, yes...I do eat back exercise calories in that they are already included in my total activity level and I take my cut from TDEE. I don't use the MFP method of setting activity level to day to day stuff and logging exercise separately...but when I did, it pretty much worked out to be 6 of 1, half dozen of the other.
With MFP I had 2000 calories to lose about 1 Lb per week...with logging exercise I was eating around 2300-2500 gross calories per day to lose 1 Lb per week. With TDEE I eat the same...pretty much 2300-2500 calories per day to lose 1 Lb per week...the only difference is that my exercise is included in my activity level and thus my base calorie target is higher than it is with MFP...but after exercise gross calories are pretty much the same.
If you're not losing weight and/or gaining weight from eating back exercise calories as MFP intends, then something else is off...logging is off...erroneous entries...inaccurate serving sizes...over-estimation of exercise calories, etc.
I've lost all my weigh 100 pounds and I am starting the maintenance phase and wanted to know others experience with eating back calories - I carefully weigh and measure and log everything that goes in my mouth to the point sometimes of being OCD. I used MFP numbers for exercise calorie burn so that might have been what was off. So I don't eat back my calories - my calorie needed for a given day was calculated via a metabolism test done by my doctor's office what's on MFP which was higher for my age, height and beginning weight. Just checking other users experience - Thanks for sharing.1 -
I eat back my exercise calories . . . sooner or later. Usually the same day, but not always. If I didn't eat back my exercise calories close to consistently, I'd lose weight. I'm generally in maintenance, have been losing a few vanity pounds super slowly by intention . . . but as a generality, I have to eat back my exercise calories eventually, mostly, or I'll lose weight I don't want, need or intend to lose.
I routinely encourage people to figure out how they intended to maintain their weight at goal, before they actually reach goal, and experiment to dial in those habits while they still have a bit of deficit as a cushion in case of oopsies. If their maintenance plan includes continued logging, and includes separately logging exercise, it would be good to practice that routine for a while during weight loss, to work the bugs out.
I like that I can manage my weight (maintain or lose) quite predictably, whether I'm exercising or not. That's an outcome of figuring out how to estimate exercise, within reasonable tolerances, for me.
thanks for the maintenance advice - that's what I am trying to do is work out the bugs. So all my hard work doesn't go down the drain now. Appreciate your share.1 -
mpkpbk2015 wrote: »my calorie needed for a given day was calculated via a metabolism test done by my doctor's office what's on MFP which was higher for my age, height and beginning weight. Just checking other users experience - Thanks for sharing.
Bear in mind your resting metabolism is just part of your total daily needs.
Two people with the same RMR can have very different activity and exercise which results in very different total calorie needs.
If you tell people what your exercise is then it is entirely possible that the exercise database here isn't the best way to get decent estimates.
My experience is that I'm lucky that my main exercise is easy to get good estimates for, I must take my large exercise burns into account or I'd waste away to nothing. Very roughly my exercise averages out to 600cals / day but with massive variations day on day, week on week, even season by season.1 -
Maybe this is a bad habit, but If I anticipate a meal that has a lot of calories, I tend to kick up my exercise for that day to balance it out. I'm no expert in the subject so my thoughts could be totally wrong. The one thing I have found out on MFP is that my induced hunger has significantly reduced when I record my daily intake and I stopped eating after 6pm.0
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I only eat them back if I am hungry, or to fit in something that I may not otherwise have room for. I also go by the activity calories from my fitness tracker and not mfp or machine based exercise calories. For ME, it seems to be fairly accurate.0
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Maybe this is a bad habit, but If I anticipate a meal that has a lot of calories, I tend to kick up my exercise for that day to balance it out. I'm no expert in the subject so my thoughts could be totally wrong. The one thing I have found out on MFP is that my induced hunger has significantly reduced when I record my daily intake and I stopped eating after 6pm.
I call that "good planning"
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mpkpbk2015 wrote: »my calorie needed for a given day was calculated via a metabolism test done by my doctor's office what's on MFP which was higher for my age, height and beginning weight. Just checking other users experience - Thanks for sharing.
Bear in mind your resting metabolism is just part of your total daily needs.
Two people with the same RMR can have very different activity and exercise which results in very different total calorie needs.
If you tell people what your exercise is then it is entirely possible that the exercise database here isn't the best way to get decent estimates.
My experience is that I'm lucky that my main exercise is easy to get good estimates for, I must take my large exercise burns into account or I'd waste away to nothing. Very roughly my exercise averages out to 600cals / day but with massive variations day on day, week on week, even season by season.
thanks I will keep that in mind as I go forward. Thanks again. Have a great day.
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Maybe this is a bad habit, but If I anticipate a meal that has a lot of calories, I tend to kick up my exercise for that day to balance it out. I'm no expert in the subject so my thoughts could be totally wrong. The one thing I have found out on MFP is that my induced hunger has significantly reduced when I record my daily intake and I stopped eating after 6pm.
I find that I sleep better also if I stop eating and drinking after 6 too. Have a great day. Thanks for sharing.1 -
callsitlikeiseeit wrote: »I only eat them back if I am hungry, or to fit in something that I may not otherwise have room for. I also go by the activity calories from my fitness tracker and not mfp or machine based exercise calories. For ME, it seems to be fairly accurate.
thank you for your share - have a great day. I am seeing MFP is probably painting a broad stroke to encompass all the users - so It's probable an average of what the burn of the exercise is.0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »Maybe this is a bad habit, but If I anticipate a meal that has a lot of calories, I tend to kick up my exercise for that day to balance it out. I'm no expert in the subject so my thoughts could be totally wrong. The one thing I have found out on MFP is that my induced hunger has significantly reduced when I record my daily intake and I stopped eating after 6pm.
I call that "good planning"
I agree sounds like good planning to me too.0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »I use the TDEE method...so essentially, yes...I do eat back exercise calories in that they are already included in my total activity level and I take my cut from TDEE. I don't use the MFP method of setting activity level to day to day stuff and logging exercise separately...but when I did, it pretty much worked out to be 6 of 1, half dozen of the other.
With MFP I had 2000 calories to lose about 1 Lb per week...with logging exercise I was eating around 2300-2500 gross calories per day to lose 1 Lb per week. With TDEE I eat the same...pretty much 2300-2500 calories per day to lose 1 Lb per week...the only difference is that my exercise is included in my activity level and thus my base calorie target is higher than it is with MFP...but after exercise gross calories are pretty much the same.
If you're not losing weight and/or gaining weight from eating back exercise calories as MFP intends, then something else is off...logging is off...erroneous entries...inaccurate serving sizes...over-estimation of exercise calories, etc.
I had a very similar experience and have seen much more success via the TDEE method than when trying to quantify/measure my exercise output. My logging accuracy needed to improve as well but with neither side of the equation right it's hard to make any sort of informed adjustments.
Thank you for your insight - I am going to read up on TDEE it seems to be more accurate based on what I am seeing in everyone's responses. Have a great day.0 -
mpkpbk2015 wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »If eating your exercise calories makes you gain weight (when you've set your goal to lose), then something is off in your overall calculation, most likely that you're underestimating what you're eating or overestimating the calories you've burned through exercise. It's also possible that your initial calorie goal is off (either because you've overestimated your base activity level or because you're one of the few people who just burn fewer calories than estimated).
Not sure generally when it happened I was going by what the app said I burn doing the exercise. I very almost to the point of being OCD weigh and measure all my food. And my calories were determined through a metabolism test given by my doctor. The reason for my post was to see what other people's experience was with eating back their exercise calories since that's a basic premise of this program. thanks for sharing.
Depending on the type of exercise, the app can over-estimate how many calories you're burning. At the end of the day, it's just an estimate. You compare it to your real life results and adjust from there.1 -
janejellyroll wrote: »mpkpbk2015 wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »If eating your exercise calories makes you gain weight (when you've set your goal to lose), then something is off in your overall calculation, most likely that you're underestimating what you're eating or overestimating the calories you've burned through exercise. It's also possible that your initial calorie goal is off (either because you've overestimated your base activity level or because you're one of the few people who just burn fewer calories than estimated).
Not sure generally when it happened I was going by what the app said I burn doing the exercise. I very almost to the point of being OCD weigh and measure all my food. And my calories were determined through a metabolism test given by my doctor. The reason for my post was to see what other people's experience was with eating back their exercise calories since that's a basic premise of this program. thanks for sharing.
Depending on the type of exercise, the app can over-estimate how many calories you're burning. At the end of the day, it's just an estimate. You compare it to your real life results and adjust from there.
How very true, thank you and have a great day.0 -
mpkpbk2015 wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »I use the TDEE method...so essentially, yes...I do eat back exercise calories in that they are already included in my total activity level and I take my cut from TDEE. I don't use the MFP method of setting activity level to day to day stuff and logging exercise separately...but when I did, it pretty much worked out to be 6 of 1, half dozen of the other.
With MFP I had 2000 calories to lose about 1 Lb per week...with logging exercise I was eating around 2300-2500 gross calories per day to lose 1 Lb per week. With TDEE I eat the same...pretty much 2300-2500 calories per day to lose 1 Lb per week...the only difference is that my exercise is included in my activity level and thus my base calorie target is higher than it is with MFP...but after exercise gross calories are pretty much the same.
If you're not losing weight and/or gaining weight from eating back exercise calories as MFP intends, then something else is off...logging is off...erroneous entries...inaccurate serving sizes...over-estimation of exercise calories, etc.
I had a very similar experience and have seen much more success via the TDEE method than when trying to quantify/measure my exercise output. My logging accuracy needed to improve as well but with neither side of the equation right it's hard to make any sort of informed adjustments.
Thank you for your insight - I am going to read up on TDEE it seems to be more accurate based on what I am seeing in everyone's responses. Have a great day.
It's inherently LESS accurate.
With the TDEE method you are assuming in advance what you plan to do you actually do, but you might do less duration or more. You might do different types of exercise or different intensity.
The exercise descriptions are extremely broad, three sessions a week for example. This week one of my sessions will be under an hour and probably 200cals and one was four hours and 1936 cals. 3 x 200 and 3 x 1936 would be very different!
At least with logging and estimating after the event you have actually done it, know what kind of exercise you did, what duration, what intensity.
The big advantage of TDEE method is you just have one number to adjust based on your weight trend over time. That's a more likely reason for some people finding it successful. Successful weight control and accuracy are not the same thing, consistency and adjusting based on results also works.
Tends to work well for people with regular and predictable exercise routines. Not so well if your exercise is varied or long enough duration to require specific fuelling.
One of the better TDEE calc is here - https://www.sailrabbit.com/bmr/
(Some are extremely vague and/or use outdated formulae.)4 -
mpkpbk2015 wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »I use the TDEE method...so essentially, yes...I do eat back exercise calories in that they are already included in my total activity level and I take my cut from TDEE. I don't use the MFP method of setting activity level to day to day stuff and logging exercise separately...but when I did, it pretty much worked out to be 6 of 1, half dozen of the other.
With MFP I had 2000 calories to lose about 1 Lb per week...with logging exercise I was eating around 2300-2500 gross calories per day to lose 1 Lb per week. With TDEE I eat the same...pretty much 2300-2500 calories per day to lose 1 Lb per week...the only difference is that my exercise is included in my activity level and thus my base calorie target is higher than it is with MFP...but after exercise gross calories are pretty much the same.
If you're not losing weight and/or gaining weight from eating back exercise calories as MFP intends, then something else is off...logging is off...erroneous entries...inaccurate serving sizes...over-estimation of exercise calories, etc.
I had a very similar experience and have seen much more success via the TDEE method than when trying to quantify/measure my exercise output. My logging accuracy needed to improve as well but with neither side of the equation right it's hard to make any sort of informed adjustments.
Thank you for your insight - I am going to read up on TDEE it seems to be more accurate based on what I am seeing in everyone's responses. Have a great day.
TDEE isn't more accurate than NEAT, it's just different. Some people prefer the simplicity of having just one number day-to-day. But it's still accurate on people having a relatively accurate estimation of how many calories they're using. If NEAT isn't working for someone because they're over-estimating how many calories they're using, TDEE is going to have the exact same set of problems.2 -
mpkpbk2015 wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »I use the TDEE method...so essentially, yes...I do eat back exercise calories in that they are already included in my total activity level and I take my cut from TDEE. I don't use the MFP method of setting activity level to day to day stuff and logging exercise separately...but when I did, it pretty much worked out to be 6 of 1, half dozen of the other.
With MFP I had 2000 calories to lose about 1 Lb per week...with logging exercise I was eating around 2300-2500 gross calories per day to lose 1 Lb per week. With TDEE I eat the same...pretty much 2300-2500 calories per day to lose 1 Lb per week...the only difference is that my exercise is included in my activity level and thus my base calorie target is higher than it is with MFP...but after exercise gross calories are pretty much the same.
If you're not losing weight and/or gaining weight from eating back exercise calories as MFP intends, then something else is off...logging is off...erroneous entries...inaccurate serving sizes...over-estimation of exercise calories, etc.
I had a very similar experience and have seen much more success via the TDEE method than when trying to quantify/measure my exercise output. My logging accuracy needed to improve as well but with neither side of the equation right it's hard to make any sort of informed adjustments.
Thank you for your insight - I am going to read up on TDEE it seems to be more accurate based on what I am seeing in everyone's responses. Have a great day.
It's inherently LESS accurate.
With the TDEE method you are assuming in advance what you plan to do you actually do, but you might do less duration or more. You might do different types of exercise or different intensity.
The exercise descriptions are extremely broad, three sessions a week for example. This week one of my sessions will be under an hour and probably 200cals and one was four hours and 1936 cals. 3 x 200 and 3 x 1936 would be very different!
At least with logging and estimating after the event you have actually done it, know what kind of exercise you did, what duration, what intensity.
The big advantage of TDEE method is you just have one number to adjust based on your weight trend over time. That's a more likely reason for some people finding it successful. Successful weight control and accuracy are not the same thing, consistency and adjusting based on results also works.
Tends to work well for people with regular and predictable exercise routines. Not so well if your exercise is varied or long enough duration to require specific fuelling.
One of the better TDEE calc is here - https://www.sailrabbit.com/bmr/
(Some are extremely vague and/or use outdated formulae.)
Thanks for the link- and your insight. Really appreciate it. Have a great day.1 -
janejellyroll wrote: »mpkpbk2015 wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »I use the TDEE method...so essentially, yes...I do eat back exercise calories in that they are already included in my total activity level and I take my cut from TDEE. I don't use the MFP method of setting activity level to day to day stuff and logging exercise separately...but when I did, it pretty much worked out to be 6 of 1, half dozen of the other.
With MFP I had 2000 calories to lose about 1 Lb per week...with logging exercise I was eating around 2300-2500 gross calories per day to lose 1 Lb per week. With TDEE I eat the same...pretty much 2300-2500 calories per day to lose 1 Lb per week...the only difference is that my exercise is included in my activity level and thus my base calorie target is higher than it is with MFP...but after exercise gross calories are pretty much the same.
If you're not losing weight and/or gaining weight from eating back exercise calories as MFP intends, then something else is off...logging is off...erroneous entries...inaccurate serving sizes...over-estimation of exercise calories, etc.
I had a very similar experience and have seen much more success via the TDEE method than when trying to quantify/measure my exercise output. My logging accuracy needed to improve as well but with neither side of the equation right it's hard to make any sort of informed adjustments.
Thank you for your insight - I am going to read up on TDEE it seems to be more accurate based on what I am seeing in everyone's responses. Have a great day.
TDEE isn't more accurate than NEAT, it's just different. Some people prefer the simplicity of having just one number day-to-day. But it's still accurate on people having a relatively accurate estimation of how many calories they're using. If NEAT isn't working for someone because they're over-estimating how many calories they're using, TDEE is going to have the exact same set of problems.
Thank you so much, appreciate the clarification - I misunderstood what you said initially. Have a great day. 👌👌0 -
Isn't the point of exercising to burn calories? Why would I eat them back after all of the work???
So no, I do not eat mine back. I don't even log what I burn.1 -
middleagegirl wrote: »Isn't the point of exercising to burn calories? Why would I eat them back after all of the work???
So no, I do not eat mine back. I don't even log what I burn.
No that's not the point of exercise.
Are you planning on stopping exercising when you get to goal weight?4
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