Do you eat back the calories you burn in exercise?

kekspantsdontfit
kekspantsdontfit Posts: 1 Member
edited October 3 in Fitness and Exercise
When you have an budget of 1400 calories for the day then you burn 300 in exercise and it then says you have 1700 calories for the day, do you eat 1700 or stick with the 1400?? I have asked friends and get different answers.

Thanks

Replies

  • haeden
    haeden Posts: 183 Member
    search for it on here.there is a TON of postings on it.and it gets pretty heated lol
  • DarleneT22
    DarleneT22 Posts: 224 Member
    MFP gives you a calorie deficit to begin with so yes I eat my calories back. If I burn 500 calories, I usually eat 200-300 back.
  • midnightbirch
    midnightbirch Posts: 19 Member
    No I don't because most of the time that adds sugar sodium and fat also. I believe the exercise burns off excess weight and it is counter-productive to eat just because.
  • deathstarclock
    deathstarclock Posts: 512 Member
    If you already have a deficit setup in your caloric intake, any additional calories burned through exercise is EXCESS and will affect your goal. So if you want to lose half a pound a week but you end up with a negative caloric balance more than 250 calories per day, you'll lose more than half a pound. If it's really excess, it might be contraindicated.
  • catwrangler
    catwrangler Posts: 918 Member
    I do but only if I am hungry for them, which I am most of the time, LOL.

    If you decide NOT to eat them and then experience a weight loss plateau, then start eating them. It works.
  • ShannonMarie81
    ShannonMarie81 Posts: 88
    Personally I try to not eat back my calories...after all the goal in losing weight is to take in less calories than we burn in a day. If I can burn an extra 500 or so calories and stick with my set calories I feel I am that much more ahead. Everyone is different...if you eat back the calories you burn in exercise but stay under the goal you will still lose the weight that you set (1/lb per week..or whatever it is) but if you DON'T eat back your calories you could lose the weight quicker. Hope this was helpful! =)
  • Amo_Angelus
    Amo_Angelus Posts: 604 Member
    I aim to eat a NET of whatever my goal is, which means eating back my calories. HOWEVER, if I'm full and my net count is over 1200 then I don't push myself to eat more.

    Also, not eating them back does NOT make you loose weight quicker, it gives you a greater defecit, which isn't always the same thing.
  • lisacandoit1965
    lisacandoit1965 Posts: 36 Member
    I do if I am hungry but I usually cant eat back that much :)
  • musicgirl88
    musicgirl88 Posts: 504 Member
    This question is asked a lot! I personally do not eat back mine, and a lot of people tend to bite my head off about it. But I think it really is a personal choice. I found that when I was eating back exercise calories, I actually gained weight. Some people said that I was just over-estimating my calories burned, but I actually always put in less than what my HRM said. Also, some people say to just eat back half of them. It all just depends on what works for YOU. Eating them back made me gain, so I don't. Others have lost an amazing amount of weight by eating all of them back. And still other have lost by eating back half of them. I personally will only eat them if I am very hungry at the end of the day! I hope this helps a little :)
  • musicgirl88
    musicgirl88 Posts: 504 Member
    This question is asked a lot! I personally do not eat back mine, and a lot of people tend to bite my head off about it. But I think it really is a personal choice. I found that when I was eating back exercise calories, I actually gained weight. Some people said that I was just over-estimating my calories burned, but I actually always put in less than what my HRM said. Also, some people say to just eat back half of them. It all just depends on what works for YOU. Eating them back made me gain, so I don't. Others have lost an amazing amount of weight by eating all of them back. And still other have lost by eating back half of them. I personally will only eat them if I am very hungry at the end of the day! I hope this helps a little :)
  • LAWIII
    LAWIII Posts: 50
    When you have an budget of 1400 calories for the day then you burn 300 in exercise and it then says you have 1700 calories for the day, do you eat 1700 or stick with the 1400?? I have asked friends and get different answers.

    Thanks
    That depends on your goal. If you are in maintenance mode, then you want to hit your caloric goal as consistently as possible. If you are trying to lose body fat, then coming under your caloric maximum in a healthy way is OK.

    Good luck!
    Anyone fee l free to add me if you like. I love to help and could use the help myself at times.
  • sunkisses
    sunkisses Posts: 2,365 Member
    I'm down to my last 4lb so I'm down to only 1,210 calories a day. You can bet I eat back all my calories.
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
    Honestly, everyone has their own opinion on what you should do. Do what works for you.

    I do not eat mine back unless I get hungry.
  • laney0821
    laney0821 Posts: 2
    I just talked with my trainer about this earlier this week. She said that if I have my caloric intake set at 1200/day and I burn 500 doing cardio or my workout that I should try to take in another 200 - 300 calories to get my closer to 1200. Anything under 1000 will put my body in to starvation mode which will make shedding the pounds more difficult (since my will think it is starving and hold on to anything that i put in). However, I do not force myself to eat...but if I get hungry I will take in more healthy calories (fruit/veggies). My trainer is an excellent source because she has lost 150 - 200 lbs in her life and looks phenomenal now. Also, she's a woman and our bodies work differently than males. Hope this helps!
  • dshiemke
    dshiemke Posts: 24 Member
    I just try to make it average out for the week. I'm a little over on calories when I don't exercise and a little under when I do. It works out the same, but it's easier for me not to have to vary my calories that much day by day.
  • tisamg
    tisamg Posts: 62 Member
    I was confused about that, too. At first I did not eat them back, but after a few weeks I had no energy. I run distance, so trying to prepare for a long run on no fuel left me unable to complete my exercise. From the other posts on this topic, there are definitely two thoughts on the subject. You will still lose weight if you eat all of the exercise calories. Good Luck!!:smile:
  • beccamh
    beccamh Posts: 85 Member
    Yes and no.

    I use some of those extra calories for my pre/post workout fuel. So if I burn 200 calories running I'll "eat back" 120 of them with a protein shake (which I wouldn't drink on a rest day). Just find what works for you and stick to it.
  • cdl8
    cdl8 Posts: 164 Member
    Your going to get waaaay more answers than you want here. You need to try both and do what's right for your body. I have found that out. I was at a major plateau and starting eating back all my exercise calories and it got me over the hump. Now I eat some of them, but if I ever need to, I will eat them all again! Good luck!!
  • deborah_albers
    deborah_albers Posts: 1
    If I burn 250 calories or more I get a glass of wine with dinner. For me a glass of wine is a privilege I earn with exercise.
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