Eating Back Exercise Calories

Options
kelsbeckins
kelsbeckins Posts: 26 Member
in Motivation and Support
I know this has been rehashed over and over on the boards, but I had to add in my success! I was extremely doubtful about eating back exercise calories. The principle of more calories burned than calories eaten kept me from wanting to eat back any of the calories. I just figured it was a way to eat more.

I WAS WRONG!!

I started eating back my exercise calories about 4 days ago. After a couple weeks of no scale movement, I dropped 4 pounds! I'm a true believer! I haven't been eating all of the calories, just making sure I didn't have a huge deficit. I'm so excited!

Anyone looking to shed that last couple pounds or to get their weight loss really moving, eat back your exercise calories! It works I promise! Just make sure you're eating healthy calories, not binging on 800 calories of ice cream!

Thanks for all the support! I love MFP!

Replies

  • abcerc
    abcerc Posts: 58
    Options
    Eating back claories is a really confusing concept to me. I've read all kinds of discussions, but I still can't wrap my brain around it. HA! If I have a 1200 calorie goal, and I burn 800 calories with exercise, am I supposed to eat 2000 calories to make up for it? If I do that, then what is the difference in just sticking with 1200 calories and skipping the exercise?
  • Dexy_
    Dexy_ Posts: 593 Member
    Options
    Eating back claories is a really confusing concept to me. I've read all kinds of discussions, but I still can't wrap my brain around it. HA! If I have a 1200 calorie goal, and I burn 800 calories with exercise, am I supposed to eat 2000 calories to make up for it? If I do that, then what is the difference in just sticking with 1200 calories and skipping the exercise?

    The difference is your fitness. You can sit on your *kitten*, eat 1200cals a day and lose weight. But if you exercise, and eat back exercise cals, you will not only become thinner, but fitter :)
  • rockerbabyy
    rockerbabyy Posts: 2,258 Member
    Options
    Eating back claories is a really confusing concept to me. I've read all kinds of discussions, but I still can't wrap my brain around it. HA! If I have a 1200 calorie goal, and I burn 800 calories with exercise, am I supposed to eat 2000 calories to make up for it? If I do that, then what is the difference in just sticking with 1200 calories and skipping the exercise?
    theres not a difference, which is kind of the point.
    Here is how it works, in a simplified manner:

    You tell MFP: I want to lose 1lb per week.

    MFP says: Okay, you need to eat X calories per day in order to lose 1lb/week, without exercise.

    You do what MFP says, but then you decide to exercise and you burn an additional 400 calories. MFP then says "Hey, I told you to eat X per day to lose 1lb/week without exercise. You exercised, now you're going to lose it too fast and that's not ideal. Now I want you to eat X+400".

    you can lose weight without exercise. if you want a better looking body, youll want to exercise along with losing weight.
  • kelsbeckins
    kelsbeckins Posts: 26 Member
    Options
    It's nice to have the exercise to fall back on in case you can't stick to a strict 1200 calorie a day diet. For instance days with Garlic bread.

    Diet makes you look good with clothes on. Exercise makes you look good naked.

    In my experience, losing weight has to include both diet and exercise.
  • Kyliechristie
    Kyliechristie Posts: 85
    Options
    Mmm - this is an interesting topic and I'm not quite ready to jump in just yet. I originally set my calorie goal as only 1000 cals per day (my BMR is only 1300 ) so I figured I needed a bigger deficit than 100 cals to lose weight. Well, I was doing that for about 6 weeks and hardly any weight lost. The last week I upped to 1200 and have lost 1 pound in 3 - 4 days! So I am just going to stick with this for a while and when I am brave will try eating my exercise calories.

    The hard part is going to not waste those extra calories on junk because I am quite satisfied at 1000 - 1200 cals per day if I make really simple whole food choices.
  • Dexy_
    Dexy_ Posts: 593 Member
    Options

    Diet makes you look good with clothes on. Exercise makes you look good naked.

    Very well said.
  • kelsbeckins
    kelsbeckins Posts: 26 Member
    Options
    I'm having the same problem! I never thought I'd see the day when I had to force myself to eat more!
  • abcerc
    abcerc Posts: 58
    Options
    Ok- because I'm already at a deficit with 1200 calories, and I don't want to drop below that- eating back exercise calories doesn't mean that I'm "blowing it" because I'm replacing the calories that I just burned... but that I'm staying within my "goal" range while also building muscle and strength. Right? Thank you for the "light bulb" moment. ;o)
  • Dexy_
    Dexy_ Posts: 593 Member
    Options
    Ok- because I'm already at a deficit with 1200 calories, and I don't want to drop below that- eating back exercise calories doesn't mean that I'm "blowing it" because I'm replacing the calories that I just burned... but that I'm staying within my "goal" range while also building muscle and strength. Right? Thank you for the "light bulb" moment. ;o)

    You got it :) You EARN more calories by exercising! Hence why if I'm feeling more peckish, I will exercise more :) Whereas days I am not all that hungry, I won't exercise as much.
  • kelsbeckins
    kelsbeckins Posts: 26 Member
    Options
    Exactly! I never understood that before either. It took a little while for it to click. It's kind of like you have three choices:

    1. You set your goal weight loss, figure out how much of a deficit below the calories you normally burn in a day, and eat that many less.

    2. You set you goal weight loss, figure deficit, burn the calories you need for the deficit while eating as you normally would.

    3. To combine both, you figure out your weight loss goal, figure out the daily calories you should eat, exercise, eat back some or all of the exercise calories while still maintaining a deficit. You've just burned more calories that day so you have to eat more to maintain the same original deficit.

    Hope that helps anyone thats confused. I hadn't figured that out till recently!
  • bigd65
    bigd65 Posts: 171 Member
    Options
    that was the most awesome reply i have seen on this sight straight forward and to the point and o so true.becoming fit should be a goal also
  • dnt4gethextras
    dnt4gethextras Posts: 1
    Options
    If you don't eat enough calories, your body starts to burn muscle to use as fuel throughout the day. So losing weight too quickly often means that you're losing muscle, not fat. If you want to ensure that you lose fat, going at it slowly is your best bet. Focus on losing inches, not so much on weight- especially if you exercise a few times/week. Muscle is denser than fat so if you're wondering why the pounds aren't shedding but you're losing inches, you're doing something right. You're losing fat and from you're exercise and proper eating, you've gained muscle.
  • Ashlea82
    Ashlea82 Posts: 191
    Options
    Exactly! I never understood that before either. It took a little while for it to click. It's kind of like you have three choices:

    1. You set your goal weight loss, figure out how much of a deficit below the calories you normally burn in a day, and eat that many less.

    2. You set you goal weight loss, figure deficit, burn the calories you need for the deficit while eating as you normally would.

    3. To combine both, you figure out your weight loss goal, figure out the daily calories you should eat, exercise, eat back some or all of the exercise calories while still maintaining a deficit. You've just burned more calories that day so you have to eat more to maintain the same original deficit.

    Hope that helps anyone thats confused. I hadn't figured that out till recently!

    for the first time eating back calories actually made sence thankyou for that

Categories