Why don't people eat their exercise calories?
Rachiepie6
Posts: 423 Member
The whole aim of having a goal calorie limit and earning calories, is that you eat them?
I don't understand, and I know that I'm not perfect at eating all of mine, but some days I go over, so it kind of balances out.
If I'm exercising, I need to put more fuel in my body, don't other people?
I don't understand, and I know that I'm not perfect at eating all of mine, but some days I go over, so it kind of balances out.
If I'm exercising, I need to put more fuel in my body, don't other people?
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Replies
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i dont eat mine 9/10 simply because im just not hungry, if i am i will though.0
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Why are people on here so concerned with what everyone else is doing?0
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if im not hungry i dont eat, and alot of times, working out is the last thing I do before bed, so I dont want to eat and then have to stay up two more hours, If im hungry then I eat but most of the time Im not0
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I work out at night so trying to eat back the 600 calories i burned a couple of hours before bed doesnt work for me and im usually not hungry if i am ill eat some0
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Why ask why??? I personally think it is up to the individual how they want to run their diet unless they ask for advice. We are not cut out of the same cookie cutter. . so therefore what works for some doesn't work for others. . I think people need to find what works for them. .
Peace:flowerforyou:0 -
i wont eat if im not hungry, if i do ill only aim to have 100-200 cal snacks but thats it0
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Lack of time, lack of hunger, lack of need?
As long as people eat over 1200 I think they're probably fine, from what I've heard... At least people in the obese/overweight category seem to have enough excess calories ON them to not need to eat the extra, so the story goes.0 -
and the shot guns are about to come out0
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Why are people on here so concerned with what everyone else is doing?
Exactly. Just do what works for you.0 -
Cause they want to be skinnyfat
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because why workout and burn cals and then just put them back in your mouth. That would just be a waste of time when it comes to weight loss. They idea for most is that if you work out you will get ahead of the game by burning more cals then you were "supposed" to. Wanting to eat the cals back sounds like what got us in this situation in the first place. Lets look to get healthier not find ways to be able to eat more without guilt.0
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because why workout and burn cals and then just put them back in your mouth. That would just be a waste of time when it comes to weight loss. They idea for most is that if you work out you will get ahead of the game by burning more cals then you were "supposed" to. Wanting to eat the cals back sounds like what got us in this situation in the first place. Lets look to get healthier not find ways to be able to eat more without guilt.
LIKE0 -
some people lose weight better when not eating their exercise calories. I used to never eat my exercise calories, but for the past couple of months I started eating them and weight was SLLLLLLLLLOWLY coming off. I am currently in maintenance mode so I eat most of my exercise calories back and my weight has stayed dead even for 1 week, so i know if i would have always stuck to eating all my extra calories, then I would have not been able to lose 40lbs in 6months! I say whatever works for you doesn't always work for someone else so why judge!0
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because why workout and burn cals and then just put them back in your mouth. That would just be a waste of time when it comes to weight loss. They idea for most is that if you work out you will get ahead of the game by burning more cals then you were "supposed" to. Wanting to eat the cals back sounds like what got us in this situation in the first place. Lets look to get healthier not find ways to be able to eat more without guilt.
There is a lot more to exercising than just burning calories.
MFP already gives you the deficit required for the weight loss goal you choose. As PBJunky says you end up being skinnyfat - and also stuck eating low amounts of calories for the rest of your life because you don't have to muscle mass to burn off anything higher.
Me? I eat 2100-2400 calories a day and will continue to do so when i get to goal mmmm mmmmm0 -
Why are people on here so concerned with what everyone else is doing?
Isn't the purpose of MFP forums to provide support and to get answers to nutrition and fitness questions? Why are you concerned about why people are so concerned with what everyone else is doing?
I was curious about that same thing, as with my workouts, sometimes I get over 1000 "bonus calories" but that would put me up to almost 3000, and for me personally that's a lot of food to eat. If I need additional energy I'll have a snack like almonds, a banana, or yogurt but much more and I feel like I'm forcing it down.0 -
I never judged, just asked? And from some answers, thank you, as I now know why some people don't eat them back.
I know I shouldn't concern myself with what others do, but I do, it is a part of who I am to overthink things and worry about other people. That's how I am, I know it, I accept it, don't judge me for asking a question.
I understand the lack of hunger, in fact I am going through that at the moment, which is why it originally popped into my head, not because I was, for lack of a better word, judging others. I have swimming and netball tonight and I know that I need more food or I will be completely exhausted during netball.
But if your goal is to lose whatever amount per week then the MFP calculator tells you based on your age, height and weight how many NET calories you should aim for, not how many calories you should consume. The net calories that MFP suggests already has a defecit of calories to how much your body burns at rest.
I just don't think it's healthy to not at least TRY to eat them back.
xxquzme - if eating your workout calories back makes you put on weight, then you goal net calories per day must be wrong?0 -
^^thisbecause why workout and burn cals and then just put them back in your mouth. That would just be a waste of time when it comes to weight loss. They idea for most is that if you work out you will get ahead of the game by burning more cals then you were "supposed" to. Wanting to eat the cals back sounds like what got us in this situation in the first place. Lets look to get healthier not find ways to be able to eat more without guilt.
There is a lot more to exercising than just burning calories.
MFP already gives you the deficit required for the weight loss goal you choose. As PBJunky says you end up being skinnyfat - and also stuck eating low amounts of calories for the rest of your life because you don't have to muscle mass to burn off anything higher.0 -
Cause they want to be skinnyfat
And there you go ;D0 -
I was under the impression it helped lose weight faster...? Your base calories for the day are based on your BMR, basically how many calories you burn just by being awake, so if you were to eat that set number of calories you would still lose weight, just slowly. When you exercise you are obviously burning extra calories, so IF YOU WANT to you can eat the extra calories, especially since working out generally makes you feel hungry because you are 'depleting' your body. I try to stick to below my base BMR calorie intake, but if I do go over I make sure it stays under my BMR intake plus my exercise calories. For me my BMR is 1270, with exercise it is between 1600-1700, so I usually eat around 1000-1100 or if I go over I am generally around 1200-1300 with my exercise.0
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Most people don't understand how their calories are calculated and how they should be managing it, thus asking these types of question whether they should be eating their exercise calories back or not.
Here is the truth,
Lets use the formula that MFP use to calculate your calories
Mifflin-St Jeo (Quite inaccurate compared to Katch McArdle)
MEN: BMR = [9.99 x weight (kg)] + [6.25 x height (cm)] - [4.92 x age (years)] + 5
WOMEN: BMR = [9.99 x weight (kg)] + [6.25 x height (cm)] - [4.92 x age (years)] -161
For the sake of this post lets just fill in the blanks with test data
Weight = 80kgs
Height = 180cm
Age = 20
Men: BMR = [9.99 x 80] + [6.25 x 174] - [4.92 x 20] + 5
= 799.2 + 1087.5 - 98.4 + 5
= 1793.3
Great now we have our BMR
Normally you would multiply your BMR with your activity level as to compensate for the extra food you need for energy etc. MFP doesn't do this, instead they expect you to eat back your exercise calories which comes down to the same thing but probably a bit more accurate ...since you know what extra calories you burned and should be compensating for.
1.2 =Sedentary (Little or no exercise + desk job)
1.3-1.4 = Lightly Active (Little daily activity & light exercise 1-3 days a week)
1.5-1.6 = Moderately Active (Moderately active daily life & Moderate exercise 3-5 days a week)
1.7-1.8 = Very Active (Physically demanding lifestyle & Hard exercise or sports 6-7 days a week)
1.9-2.0 = Extremely Active (Hard daily exercise or sports and physical job)
Now since you have your BMR you need to decide whether you want to lose weight or gain weight...
1lb of fat = 3500 Calories
As always it is best to lose fat slow and steady to preserve as much muscle mass as possible so preferably you want to lose 1/2 lbs a week which equates to a deficit of 3500/7000 calories a week...doing if faster will only result in a sack of bones with hanging skin.
So lets say you want to lose 1lb a week then you now you should have a deficit of 3500 calories weekly, which makes a deficit of 500 calories a day. Take that BMR we had earlier and simply subtract the deficit of 500 and that should be your daily calorie intake.
Daily Calorie Intake = BMR - 500
= 1793.3 - 500
= 1293.3
So using MFP it is best to eat back your exercise calories or you will be losing more than just fat...precious muscle0 -
because why workout and burn cals and then just put them back in your mouth. That would just be a waste of time when it comes to weight loss. They idea for most is that if you work out you will get ahead of the game by burning more cals then you were "supposed" to. Wanting to eat the cals back sounds like what got us in this situation in the first place. Lets look to get healthier not find ways to be able to eat more without guilt.
LIKE
You realize there are many more benefits of exercise besides weight loss right? And that exercise plays a big part in body composition?0 -
because why workout and burn cals and then just put them back in your mouth. That would just be a waste of time when it comes to weight loss. They idea for most is that if you work out you will get ahead of the game by burning more cals then you were "supposed" to. Wanting to eat the cals back sounds like what got us in this situation in the first place. Lets look to get healthier not find ways to be able to eat more without guilt.
There is a lot more to exercising than just burning calories.
MFP already gives you the deficit required for the weight loss goal you choose. As PBJunky says you end up being skinnyfat - and also stuck eating low amounts of calories for the rest of your life because you don't have to muscle mass to burn off anything higher.
Me? I eat 2100-2400 calories a day and will continue to do so when i get to goal mmmm mmmmm
Exercising is an antidepressant to me, it makes me happy.0 -
I was under the impression it helped lose weight faster...? Your base calories for the day are based on your BMR, basically how many calories you burn just by being awake, so if you were to eat that set number of calories you would still lose weight, just slowly. When you exercise you are obviously burning extra calories, so IF YOU WANT to you can eat the extra calories, especially since working out generally makes you feel hungry because you are 'depleting' your body. I try to stick to below my base BMR calorie intake, but if I do go over I make sure it stays under my BMR intake plus my exercise calories. For me my BMR is 1270, with exercise it is between 1600-1700, so I usually eat around 1000-1100 or if I go over I am generally around 1200-1300 with my exercise.
you might for the first couple months but then your metabolism will shut right down, trust me.
up til couple weeks ago i didn't eat exercise cals, burnt about 6000 a week so I should have been losing close to 2lb with just exercise plus the deficit MFP gives me? Wrong. I was stuck losing only 0.2kg/0.4lb per week - if that!0 -
Most people don't understand how their calories are calculated and how they should be managing it, thus asking these types of question whether they should be eating their exercise calories back or not.
Here is the truth,
Lets use the formula that MFP use to calculate your calories
Mifflin-St Jeo (Quite inaccurate compared to Katch McArdle)
MEN: BMR = [9.99 x weight (kg)] + [6.25 x height (cm)] - [4.92 x age (years)] + 5
WOMEN: BMR = [9.99 x weight (kg)] + [6.25 x height (cm)] - [4.92 x age (years)] -161
For the sake of this post lets just fill in the blanks with test data
Weight = 80kgs
Height = 180cm
Age = 20
Men: BMR = [9.99 x 80] + [6.25 x 174] - [4.92 x 20] + 5
= 799.2 + 1087.5 - 98.4 + 5
= 1793.3
Great now we have our BMR
Normally you would multiply your BMR with your activity level as to compensate for the extra food you need for energy etc. MFP doesn't do this, instead they expect you to eat back your exercise calories which comes down to the same thing but probably a bit more accurate ...since you know what extra calories you burned and should be compensating for.
1.2 =Sedentary (Little or no exercise + desk job)
1.3-1.4 = Lightly Active (Little daily activity & light exercise 1-3 days a week)
1.5-1.6 = Moderately Active (Moderately active daily life & Moderate exercise 3-5 days a week)
1.7-1.8 = Very Active (Physically demanding lifestyle & Hard exercise or sports 6-7 days a week)
1.9-2.0 = Extremely Active (Hard daily exercise or sports and physical job)
Now since you have your BMR you need to decide whether you want to lose weight or gain weight...
1lb of fat = 3500 Calories
As always it is best to lose fat slow and steady to preserve as much muscle mass as possible so preferably you want to lose 1/2 lbs a week which equates to a deficit of 3500/7000 calories a week...doing if faster will only result in a sack of bones with hanging skin.
So lets say you want to lose 1lb a week then you now you should have a deficit of 3500 calories weekly, which makes a deficit of 500 calories a day. Take that BMR we had earlier and simply subtract the deficit of 500 and that should be your daily calorie intake.
Daily Calorie Intake = BMR - 500
= 1793.3 - 500
= 1293.3
So using MFP it is best to eat back your exercise calories or you will be losing more than just fat...precious muscle
This is why I love you0 -
It has never been my goal to eat back my calories but for a while .I did becasue I was really hungry for what seemed like all day every day.Then I would eat late or more to get the calories I " needed" and would get super full or feel uncomfortable when I was trying to sleep. Now I am working out more, adding weight training and cardio for 50 mins and am actually less hungry. I stick within 1200 calories loose weight and keep it off. If I feel like I need to eat more then I eat more I let my body tell me. I am trying to get rid of the " eat just becasue" mentality. Eating to reach a certain calorie goal when I am not hungry seems to defeat that purpose. I do get why people eat them back but, I also get why people dont.0
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I never judged, just asked? And from some answers, thank you, as I now know why some people don't eat them back.
I know I shouldn't concern myself with what others do, but I do, it is a part of who I am to overthink things and worry about other people. That's how I am, I know it, I accept it, don't judge me for asking a question.
I understand the lack of hunger, in fact I am going through that at the moment, which is why it originally popped into my head, not because I was, for lack of a better word, judging others. I have swimming and netball tonight and I know that I need more food or I will be completely exhausted during netball.
But if your goal is to lose whatever amount per week then the MFP calculator tells you based on your age, height and weight how many NET calories you should aim for, not how many calories you should consume. The net calories that MFP suggests already has a defecit of calories to how much your body burns at rest.
I just don't think it's healthy to not at least TRY to eat them back.
xxquzme - if eating your workout calories back makes you put on weight, then you goal net calories per day must be wrong?
I am glad that you asked...its giving me answer and answer and answers!! 0 -
I don't because when I ate back my calories (typically about 3/4 of them, entered based off of my HRM burn amounts) I gained weight steadily. After doing a lot of calculations and tracking every single days calories in, exercise calories and weight since March 2010 when I joined and also my actual calorie burn sine Feb 2011 when I got my BodyMedia Fit I discovered that eating my exercise calories left me with far too small of a deficit on a daily basis for where I was, weight vs goal wise.
Once I stopped that practice, I started losing again. If my caloric burn is high enough then I'll maybe dip into them for a hundred or so extra calories to eat. But I stay at a deficit of 800-1000 by not eating my exercise calories, which is exactly where I want to be right now. Once I get off the weight I gained by eating my exercise calories, and I'm closer to my goal again, I'll re-evaluate based on my weight, BMI, body fat and goal weight, along with what I'm burning at that time to see if I'll need to eat anything more to reduce my deficit a bit. But until then, I've been losing steadily since I stopped eating them and my overall burn while at rest has gone from being mostly 1 cal per minute to 1.1 cal per minute to 1.1 cal per minute to 1.2 cal per minute, so my metabolism actually seems to be increasing. Which means that I'm happy with my current choices.0 -
It has never been my goal to eat back my calories but for a while .I did becasue I was really hungry for what seemed like all day every day.Then I would eat late or more to get the calories I " needed" and would get super full or feel uncomfortable when I was trying to sleep. Now I am working out more, adding weight training and cardio for 50 mins and am actually less hungry. I stick within 1200 calories loose weight and keep it off. If I feel like I need to eat more then I eat more I let my body tell me. I am trying to get rid of the " eat just becasue" mentality. Eating to reach a certain calorie goal when I am not hungry seems to defeat that purpose. I do get why people eat them back but, I also get why people dont.
Obviously your priorities are different, mine is to reach my fullest potential in life and I would eat that damn calorie whether I have space for it or not. hehe0 -
As always it is best to lose fat slow and steady to preserve as much muscle mass as possible so preferably you want to lose 1/2 lbs a week which equates to a deficit of 3500/7000 calories a week...doing if faster will only result in a sack of bones with hanging skin.
i've lost over 50lbs in the last 4 months and my lean mass hasn't changed, so that's like 2.5lbs a week and im not enroute to skinnyfat...i think it is just a matter of getting at least 50-60% of calories from protein.0 -
It has never been my goal to eat back my calories but for a while .I did becasue I was really hungry for what seemed like all day every day.Then I would eat late or more to get the calories I " needed" and would get super full or feel uncomfortable when I was trying to sleep. Now I am working out more, adding weight training and cardio for 50 mins and am actually less hungry. I stick within 1200 calories loose weight and keep it off. If I feel like I need to eat more then I eat more I let my body tell me. I am trying to get rid of the " eat just becasue" mentality. Eating to reach a certain calorie goal when I am not hungry seems to defeat that purpose. I do get why people eat them back but, I also get why people dont.
Obviously your priorities are different, mine is to reach my fullest potential in life and I would eat that damn calorie whether I have space for it or not. hehe
I can see that POV especially if it is something that is working for you. I have a problem with binge eating so I need to limit, eating till I'm about to burst or eating when I am already full. It is not a good move for me and doing so could set me back. I eat healthy and clean with protein full diet and all. I workout well and have great energy so I feel like I am working at my fullest so I my priorities for my life are a o k.0
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