Why do I have to 'eat back' the calories I burn during exerc

rissanddan
rissanddan Posts: 14
edited October 4 in Health and Weight Loss
I thought the whole idea of exercise was to burn calories that had taken up permanent residence on say, my tummy! Why do I exercisecand then eat those calories back I worked hard to burn? Am new at this so just trying to understand how it all works :)

Replies

  • shovav91
    shovav91 Posts: 2,335 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/383956-exercise-calories-explained?hl=exercise+calories#posts-5254879

    I hope these help! Best of luck! :D
  • Bubs05
    Bubs05 Posts: 179 Member
    Your body needs fuel. Liken it to a car, it won't run if it does not have any fuel.
    You will find many different opinions on eating back calories...should I eat back all of them, half of them, etc.? MFP already builds in a calorie deficit for you so eating back exercise calories will not negatively affect your weight loss.
    Welcome and good luck!
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    I thought the whole idea of exercise was to burn calories that had taken up permanent residence on say, my tummy! Why do I exercisecand then eat those calories back I worked hard to burn? Am new at this so just trying to understand how it all works :)


    Simplified version (I'm choosing arbitrary numbers here in this example):

    You: "Hey MFP, I'd like to lose 1lb/week"
    MFP: "Ok, based on your stats and without considering exercise, I'd like you to eat 1600 calories to lose 1lb/week"

    You do this but then you decide "Hey, I should exercise because it's healthy"

    You exercise and log in your exercise. MFP sees this and says:

    MFP: "Great job working out, you burned 400 calories. However, I told you to eat 1600 calories to lose 1lb/week. Since you burned another 400 calories, I'd like you to eat those back so we stay at your 1lb/week goal"


    Now having said all of that, MFP tends to be a little too generous with exercise calories. I would recommend that you eat a percentage of them back, probably in the neighborhood of 50 to 75% depending.
  • newarkco05
    newarkco05 Posts: 240
    I thought the whole idea of exercise was to burn calories that had taken up permanent residence on say, my tummy! Why do I exercisecand then eat those calories back I worked hard to burn? Am new at this so just trying to understand how it all works :)


    Simplified version (I'm choosing arbitrary numbers here in this example):

    You: "Hey MFP, I'd like to lose 1lb/week"
    MFP: "Ok, based on your stats and without considering exercise, I'd like you to eat 1600 calories to lose 1lb/week"

    You do this but then you decide "Hey, I should exercise because it's healthy"

    You exercise and log in your exercise. MFP sees this and says:

    MFP: "Great job working out, you burned 400 calories. However, I told you to eat 1600 calories to lose 1lb/week. Since you burned another 400 calories, I'd like you to eat those back so we stay at your 1lb/week goal"


    Now having said all of that, MFP tends to be a little too generous with exercise calories. I would recommend that you eat a percentage of them back, probably in the neighborhood of 50 to 75% depending.

    Great explanation! I think that is what confused most people... They don't realize MFP already calculates a calorie deficit.
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
    MFP assigns you a calorie deficit1 based on your weekly goal2. So if you burn 2000 calories a day and you want to lose a pound a week, MFP tells you to eat 1500. When you exercise you burn more than your 2000 calories a day. Say you burn 500. Suddenly you are burning 2500 calories a day. If you do not eat your exercise calories your deficit becomes 1000 calories. If you do eat your exercise calories your deficit remains at 500 calories.

    Having too large of a calorie deficit can create problems. First, and most simply, it makes things harder, makes you hungry, gives you little energy, makes it harder to stick with your diet in the long run. Second, it might slow your metobolism (although this takes times) and slow your weight loss. Third, it makes the transition to maintenance difficult. Lastly, large calorie deficits can start to effect your health if you sustain them too long. Your hair can fall out, your nails crack, your period can stop (if you are female obviously). Your brain stops working at optimal levels, and other things. The more weight you have to lose however, the bigger calorie deficit you can handle. Some people say they aren't hungry enough to eat their exercise calories. We need to realize that sometimes our hunger signals aren't the best thing to trust. If they were no one would be over or under weight.

    Additionally having a large calorie deficit will lower you milk supply.

    The End.



    1. Deficit = calories you eat - calories you burn all day to live

    2. One pound (of fat) = 3500 calories. If you want to lose a pound a week (2lbs a week is possible but hard) you need to eat 500 calories because 3500/7 = 500.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    Simplified version (I'm choosing arbitrary numbers here in this example):

    You: "Hey MFP, I'd like to lose 1lb/week"
    MFP: "Ok, based on your stats and without considering exercise, I'd like you to eat 1600 calories to lose 1lb/week"

    You do this but then you decide "Hey, I should exercise because it's healthy"

    You exercise and log in your exercise. MFP sees this and says:

    MFP: "Great job working out, you burned 400 calories. However, I told you to eat 1600 calories to lose 1lb/week. Since you burned another 400 calories, I'd like you to eat those back so we stay at your 1lb/week goal"


    Now having said all of that, MFP tends to be a little too generous with exercise calories. I would recommend that you eat a percentage of them back, probably in the neighborhood of 50 to 75% depending.

    Love this! :heart:

    I'd also add...

    "But MFP, didn't I already tell you that I was going to exercise 30 minutes 5 days a week?"

    "Yes, but I didn't believe you. If you saw as many people fib about how much they're going to exercise as I do, you wouldn't believe everyone, either. So I don't factor that into your calories until you do it."
  • shakybabe
    shakybabe Posts: 1,578 Member
    lol!... i have to admit I stopped logging exercise cos it confused me with the numbers I wasn't sure if I should be looking at the net number or what.

    It said I only need 1200 so I just eat around that and on the days I do manage some exercise I have a few treats like add a jacket potato or chips for a change (normally low carb), a bacon butty with gluten free bread, a choc brownie or packet of crisps or brandy and coke (not all on the same day!) .. just so my body doesn't know what to expect.

    Usually ona rest day I stay very low carb if not exercising but occasionally I have an high cal rest day just to mix things up, or do several days in a row of 5am 2 hour workouts, if I'm having a good run of energy, one day rest, several more.. or a longer rest period with just 30 min pilates sessions in day.

    This seems to be working for me and I'm losing steadily for now. :happy:
  • rissanddan
    rissanddan Posts: 14
    Ok, so do I have this right?

    I want to lose 25 lb. I am a stay at hone mum of a toddler and 3 month old baby and plan to exercise about 5 days a week for 30 mins a day. So I put my activityblevel at 'Active'. I also plan tonlose a pound a week. This gives me 1700 calories a day, which alreadybtakes into account the caloriesbi burn during exercise (about 300 calories every time I exercise). So, I don't need to add this daily exercise as it is already included in my daily calories recommended. However, if I also play the odd game if football, I can add that in as extra exercise? BUT, eat back those calories, otherwise I am not meeting my calorie intake. IF on that day I play sport instead of my standard exercise, then I just leave it.

    If I setbthe activity level to lightly active, which is less calories a day and I DO exercise more, I add those exercises in but still eat them back.

    Let's stir it up: I also exclusively breastfeed...which burns about 500 calories. I need to eatbthem back too. So, now, instead if the 1700 calories, it is 2200 calories.
  • rissanddan
    rissanddan Posts: 14
    Just need to apologize for the terrible spelling with the extra 'b' thrown in between so many words! This iPad keyboard is a bit funny!
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
    Ok, so do I have this right?

    I want to lose 25 lb. I am a stay at hone mum of a toddler and 3 month old baby and plan to exercise about 5 days a week for 30 mins a day. So I put my activityblevel at 'Active'. I also plan tonlose a pound a week. This gives me 1700 calories a day, which alreadybtakes into account the caloriesbi burn during exercise (about 300 calories every time I exercise). So, I don't need to add this daily exercise as it is already included in my daily calories recommended. However, if I also play the odd game if football, I can add that in as extra exercise? BUT, eat back those calories, otherwise I am not meeting my calorie intake. IF on that day I play sport instead of my standard exercise, then I just leave it.

    If I setbthe activity level to lightly active, which is less calories a day and I DO exercise more, I add those exercises in but still eat them back.

    Let's stir it up: I also exclusively breastfeed...which burns about 500 calories. I need to eatbthem back too. So, now, instead if the 1700 calories, it is 2200 calories.

    Even though you tell MFP you are going to exercise, it doesn't include that in your calories. I'd set it to lightly active, 1 pound a week (or a half pound might even be better), then eat ALL exercise calories, and ALL breastfeeding calories. So yeah, sometimes you might be up above the 2200 calories. When I was nursing I was trying for 2500 a day.
  • vs1023
    vs1023 Posts: 417 Member
    I thought the whole idea of exercise was to burn calories that had taken up permanent residence on say, my tummy! Why do I exercisecand then eat those calories back I worked hard to burn? Am new at this so just trying to understand how it all works :)


    Simplified version (I'm choosing arbitrary numbers here in this example):

    You: "Hey MFP, I'd like to lose 1lb/week"
    MFP: "Ok, based on your stats and without considering exercise, I'd like you to eat 1600 calories to lose 1lb/week"

    You do this but then you decide "Hey, I should exercise because it's healthy"

    You exercise and log in your exercise. MFP sees this and says:

    MFP: "Great job working out, you burned 400 calories. However, I told you to eat 1600 calories to lose 1lb/week. Since you burned another 400 calories, I'd like you to eat those back so we stay at your 1lb/week goal"


    Now having said all of that, MFP tends to be a little too generous with exercise calories. I would recommend that you eat a percentage of them back, probably in the neighborhood of 50 to 75% depending.

    Love this explanation. I don't always eat mine back simply because I'm so busy during the week it's hard to get it in and I use a HRM so i think my calories burned are pretty accurate. Great explanation!
  • vs1023
    vs1023 Posts: 417 Member
    Ok, so do I have this right?

    I want to lose 25 lb. I am a stay at hone mum of a toddler and 3 month old baby and plan to exercise about 5 days a week for 30 mins a day. So I put my activityblevel at 'Active'. I also plan tonlose a pound a week. This gives me 1700 calories a day, which alreadybtakes into account the caloriesbi burn during exercise (about 300 calories every time I exercise). So, I don't need to add this daily exercise as it is already included in my daily calories recommended. However, if I also play the odd game if football, I can add that in as extra exercise? BUT, eat back those calories, otherwise I am not meeting my calorie intake. IF on that day I play sport instead of my standard exercise, then I just leave it.

    If I setbthe activity level to lightly active, which is less calories a day and I DO exercise more, I add those exercises in but still eat them back.

    Let's stir it up: I also exclusively breastfeed...which burns about 500 calories. I need to eatbthem back too. So, now, instead if the 1700 calories, it is 2200 calories.

    Even though you tell MFP you are going to exercise, it doesn't include that in your calories. I'd set it to lightly active, 1 pound a week (or a half pound might even be better), then eat ALL exercise calories, and ALL breastfeeding calories. So yeah, sometimes you might be up above the 2200 calories. When I was nursing I was trying for 2500 a day.


    Huh, good to know. My issue is I really can only workout 1-2 days a week right now, but I also don't get much time to eat either. I have a 9 month old with some additional needs so I'm always busy, plus work from home, 6 year old, dog, etc.

    So when I can I do back to back workout sessions totaling about 2 hours long 1-2 days a week. My HRM tells me I'm burning around 1200 cals when I do this (BodyPump/BodyCombat) - so far I'm still losing weight ok, but I'm wondering if eventually my lack of eating enough will hinder me. I hope by then I'll just have more time and consistency in my life that it'll even out. I do try to eat clean/primal so I think the nutrients all there for the most part.
  • Scorpioangel
    Scorpioangel Posts: 951 Member
    I never quite understood this even after reading the articles so I usually don't and it has worked for me. On occasion I will eat them back and not feel guilty about it though :)
  • 707janette
    707janette Posts: 77 Member
    Simplified version (I'm choosing arbitrary numbers here in this example):

    You: "Hey MFP, I'd like to lose 1lb/week"
    MFP: "Ok, based on your stats and without considering exercise, I'd like you to eat 1600 calories to lose 1lb/week"

    You do this but then you decide "Hey, I should exercise because it's healthy"

    You exercise and log in your exercise. MFP sees this and says:

    MFP: "Great job working out, you burned 400 calories. However, I told you to eat 1600 calories to lose 1lb/week. Since you burned another 400 calories, I'd like you to eat those back so we stay at your 1lb/week goal"


    Now having said all of that, MFP tends to be a little too generous with exercise calories. I would recommend that you eat a percentage of them back, probably in the neighborhood of 50 to 75% depending.

    Love this! :heart:

    I'd also add...

    "But MFP, didn't I already tell you that I was going to exercise 30 minutes 5 days a week?"

    "Yes, but I didn't believe you. If you saw as many people fib about how much they're going to exercise as I do, you wouldn't believe everyone, either. So I don't factor that into your calories until you do it."

    Thank you for this additional explaination. I was confused about telling MFP that I was exercising X number of times per week. I am glad to have a conformation that MFP does not believe me until I actually tell it I did do the exercise. In my case it is very good the MFP does not believe me as I do not exercise nearly as often as I plan.
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