So, Why are we supposed to eat back our exercise calories?

i have been trying to figure this out all day today as well can't wait to see the results

So for those of you who say EAT BACK YOUR EXERCISE CALORIES..... What is the point in exercise? I mean... I am supposed to eat 1500 caloires a day. And that is to lose 2lbs a week. I can eat 1500 and be full all day long. So some people say to eat more, they exercise. Or if you go over your calories, do some exercise. But if you don't fall into either of those categories what is the point? I personally love to work out... but then if I have to eat those calories back, I feel like I am undoing all of my hard work. So part of me understands, and the other part doesn't.

says it all

The links are in my signature, lots of good information.

Have a look at how MFP is set up. Your DAILY calorie goal is given to you where you "could" lose your weight at your chosen rate of loss (0.5 lb 1lb 1.5lb or 2 lbs per week) before lifting a finger in exercise.

Exercising widens that deficit so here on MFP we're intended to eat them back to keep the deficit at a safe sustainable rate of loss.

Other sites "achieve" the same thing by giving you a higher daily calorie goal but expecting your exercise burn to create the deficit leading to the loss.

I find MFP more "realistic" that way because I certainly don't "achieve" working out daily or even the 3 days a week I set in the profile here, but as that number isn't used to "credit" me calories it's not a big deal

This. MFP has a deficit. You don't want the deficit to be too big because it becomes unsustainable and your body freaks out. Eating back your calories prevents this from happening.

All I know is, these last few days I started eating my exercise calories back, and I gained 3 lbs when I was dropping the weight before.

Can anyone tell me why that happened?

Go look at your sodium levels. Every time that happened to me in the past it was because even though I was eating my exercise calories back you don' t get more sodium.

If used correctly, 1500 cals are enough to eat quite a lot of (healthy) food. I don't eat my exercise calories back or only eat a little (sometimes I use them for a nice dinner at a restaurant, including dessert). I just use them to create an extra deficit that will allow me to get to my goal weight faster. So, even though I have set up a 1lbs/week, working out will give me another lbs and this way I get to lose my desired (almost) 1 kilo per week.

When you lose weight you lose it from a variety of places. Sadly it's not just fat but also muscle and bone that get lost. That's why it's important to do weight training and flexibility workouts to help keep our bodies strong and replace the muscle and reinforce our bones.

Cardiovascular work also improves the heart and works towards keeping our metabolisms up as we age. It keeps the body oxygenated for energy and increases endurance so that we can keep going stronger for longer periods of time.

Exercise is about SOOOOO much more than just weight loss and if you're only doing it to lose weight then there's a good chance that you won't keep it up once you get to your goal. If however, you embrace that exercise is essential to keeping your body strong and healthy -- and part of that is making sure your have the caloric intake to optimize your workouts so eating back calories with a high emphasis on protein -- then you are more likely to end up with the body that will stay younger, stronger and fitter for the rest of your life.

All I know is, these last few days I started eating my exercise calories back, and I gained 3 lbs when I was dropping the weight before.

Can anyone tell me why that happened?

When you first start working out your muscles hold on to water. Basically, when you're doing strength training you're ripping your muscles apart and then they rebuild themselves. That's why you don't work on the same muscle group two days in a row -- they need a day in between to repair. During the repair, especially if you're new to it, the muscle will hold on to water to help the process.

You should find the weight dropping rather rapidly in the next 3 days. Generally once your body has figured out what you're doing it'll stop retaining the water. Congrats on your new healthy lifestyle!

When i first came here i thought like the OP. Why bother exercising if you're just gonna eat it all back anyway?

However, I've learned a lot over the last 6 months. If you're exercising just to burn calories and lose weight you're doing it wrong! Exercise should be enjoyed, and the results will make you fitter, stronger, and overall healthier.

Also, you really shouldn't want to lose weight too fast. Would you rather lose 60lbs in a year and look and feel great, or lose it in 4 months, then in another 8 months you still have lots of loose skin and little muscle?

I was unable to lose a single lb (ok back and forth the same lb ) for 6 months. I was so upset and depressed and about to quit.
I began looking at those on my friends list who lost weight and kept losing and some even made goal weight in the time my scale stood completely still. I began asking them what they did, I kept hearing the same things over and over. I decided to try everything they said and seeing if it couldnt happen for me too. In just one week, it worked, I lost 6 lbs this week!

Here is what they did and what I now do (stubborn fool I could of been half way to my goal by now if I did this right off).

1. Drink your water! Lots and lots of water!
2. Exercise daily cardio most days and at least 3 times a week do strength training with weights
3. Sleep on a regular schedule if possible
4. Have a higher protein % and lower carb and fat % in your food settings
5. Eat smaller portions 5 to 6 times a day
6. Eat back exercise calories (YES!)

I didnt get it, I woulnt do it, and I thought it didnt make sense, it boggled my mind
I began doing it and I still didnt get it but was so at my last straw I would try anything
In one week I lost 6 lbs that I had not been able to lose a single lb in 6 months of all my trying ...why....
starvation mode as simple as that.

I had been eating my 1200 assigned mfp calories, I worked out 250 to 500 calories a day depending on what I did.
I was only having a net calories intake of 700 to 950 a day, thats not enough and your body will fight you on it.
Mine did. I felt I was the only person in the world a complete anomoly that I could not lose weight.
I didnt have to think this hard in my 20s, I didnt have to work this hard in my 30s.
It works if you put it all together. I wish I had not been so mentally stuck and stubborn on this point months ago.
So to each their own but I am going to keep eating mine back and I will keep losing weight cus my body will feel
its gonna all be okay.

You eat properly so your metabolism can function. Too little food = slow metabolism = fat person who works out and stays fat.

If you would like a fantastic explanation and example of this, click here:

700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing">http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing

blessings.

This has actually helped me a lot. I notice that I'm working out like crazy, but not losing (part of that might be WHAT I'm eating, not how much). I do eat my workout calories. I think I'll try to avoid those and see what happens. Not put down my workouts until I go to bed at night.

My take on exercise cals:

I eat my exercise calories and I still lose. I eat anywhere between 1800 to 2000 cal total and I net an average of 1490 calories a week. Here is what helped me understand "eating my exercise cals":

My activity level (excluding exercise; this is important) is sedentary because I work a desk job. MFP calculated my Total Daily Energy Expenditure to be 1760 calories. This means to maintain my current weight I must stay at 1760 calories.

Now I have set myself to lose 0.5lb per week because I'm getting pretty lean and I want to focus on reduce body fat while maintaining muscle. MFP assigned me 1490 calories per day. A deficit of 250 calories per day. Now I work out ALOT. 5-6 days a week for 1 to 2 hours. I can burn an additional 500 to 1000 calories on those days.

I use a Polar FT4 HRM and it has been a godsend because I can know for sure what I burn.

For example, I went to zumba yesterday and burned 554 calories. My total calorie burn is no longer 1760...it is now 2311 (1760+551). It is very important to me to maintain my deficit. I don't want to lose more than 0.5 lb per week. So my calorie goal for a 0.5 lb loss per week is now 2061 (2311-250). So in essence, I must eat back my "exercise calories". I really don't like how it sounds because it seems like you are eating away all your hard work but if you don't fuel your body properly you run the risk of stalling your weight loss. Now I always leave a little room for error. So I always leave about 100 to 150 calories for cushion.

I've been losing about 0.5 to 0.75 lbs per week. The key to making this work is making sure your activity level reflects your normal life not including exercise. Then you can add in exercise.

You can, as an alternative, set your activity level to include exercise. For example, active or very active with exercise. MFP will give more calories to eat. In this case you don't log your exercise and you wouldnt have to eat them back.

My settings are sedentary and I add in my exercise cals. I eat a average of 1800 to 1900 cals per day and burn an average of 400 calories per day through exercise (2800 cal per week). I net between 1400 to 1500.

BUT If I change my activity level settings to very active to include my exercise....MFP will give me 2152 as my TDEE and a calorie goal of 1902 to lose 1/2 per week. IN this case I wont "eat back my exercise cals". The math turns out to be the same.

Hope this helps

MFP already creates a deficit for you in your daily calorie allowance.
If you exercise and don't eat back those calories then you create a deficit that is too big

Read:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

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

AWESOME JOB WITH YOUR WEIGHT LOSS! I COULD USE YOU FOR MOTOVATION!! Please add me! lol

Exercise isn't all about just losing weight.