is eating workout calories back important???

mellynat
mellynat Posts: 345 Member
edited October 5 in Food and Nutrition
I don't get it why is do you have to eat your workout calories back? Or is it better not too? Would I lose weight faster that way???

Replies

  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    http://shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com/
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/390145-should-i-eat-my-exercise-calories
  • _Peacebone_
    _Peacebone_ Posts: 229 Member
    Honestly, I think it depends on the person. For me, I have to eat my exercise calories back or I feel worn down and tired and miserable.
  • kelseybutt
    kelseybutt Posts: 1
    I have been trying to figure that out myself! I eat more calories then my goal allows but then I usually always make them back (plus some) from exercise. but, i don;t seem to be losing any weight.
  • hottottie11
    hottottie11 Posts: 907 Member
    I don't get it why is do you have to eat your workout calories back? Or is it better not too? Would I lose weight faster that way???

    You will at first then your weight loss will stall, if you continue having a large deficit (also depends on your starting weight, larger people can get away with a larger deficit)
  • mellynat
    mellynat Posts: 345 Member
    sorry i didn't see that it waas posted before. I just finished working out for 60 minutes and thinking how can i possible eat 700 more calories and still lose weight??
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I think when you first start, especially if you have a lot to lose, it's not as important to eat all your exercise calories back as it is to eat enough food so that you don't get hungry. But you want to make sure you eat enough to keep your energy levels up so that you are not tempted to slack off your workouts or binge eat.
  • Tujitsu56
    Tujitsu56 Posts: 392 Member
    Because this is about NET calorie deficit. After entering your data into MFP, based on your goals you are giving a suggested calorie intake. This intake does not take into your energy expenditure (unless you picked a high level of daily activity, i picked 1 because I have a desk job).... So, MFP then calculates your calorie target w/a certain deficit already included to allow for healthy weightloss. YOUR GOAL SHOULD BE TO HIT THAT TARGET ON THE NOSE..... When you exercise, you will notice that your target calories increase. So because of your exercise, you now have more calories to consume (basically fuel for energy and organs) to hit your target, but keep in mind that this target already includes your deficit to loose weight.
  • rosem1124
    rosem1124 Posts: 17
    I try not to eat those calories burn back unless i am really hungry then i wont feel guilty or have to worry about going over
  • shortandfeisty
    shortandfeisty Posts: 38
    I started back in August and have lost 18 pounds so far WITHOUT eating those calories back. Once in awhile I eat part of them, but generally speaking, I do not and it seems to be working for me. I think everyone is different, though.
  • timingsands
    timingsands Posts: 83
    I only eat about a quarter to a third of my exercise calories back to take into consideration margin of error. Calculating every single calorie accurately, even with a food scale can be difficult. Also, I have noticed that MFP over estimates the number of calories burned.

    I end up eating about 1500 to 1700 calories a day, with exercise (ranging from 20 to 60 min of cardio daily) and I have been losing weight at a steady rate of two pounds per week.
  • horror_hamster
    horror_hamster Posts: 278
    you're going to get about 1 million different answers to this question and it alllllll boils down to this: MFP is set up to encourage you to eat back those calories, the system is set up so that your net caloric intake is your 1000/500/250 cal deficit. HOWEVER, since every person's body is different and every person's body needs different things, it all depends on how your body wants to lose weight.

    If you're not sure which way would work best for you, try them both for a couple weeks each.

    Listen to your body. If you're hungry, eat them, if you're not, it's ok not too. Do what YOUR body needs.

    EDIT: I do not eat back my calories (except once on thanksgiving) and have lost 21lbs in 40 days.
  • CMmrsfloyd
    CMmrsfloyd Posts: 2,380 Member
    I think that the more weight you need to lose and the higher your calorie goal is, the less of a 'big deal' it is. But if you're like me and already back into a healthy weight range/BMI with a fairly small amount of weight left to lose and have a low calorie goal (MFP suggested 1200 but I bumped it up to 1350), it might be a good idea to eat those exercise calories so your body doesn't freak out over not having enough energy. If you have like a 2000 goal set by MFP for weightloss, I feel like you probably have some wiggle room there to not eat your exercise calories if you don't feel like it. But if you have a 1200 goal, if that's all you eat and then you exercise a lot on top of that, it might stress your body out. So it's not a set-in-stone answer for everybody, since we all have different calorie goals and different amounts of weight that we are trying to lose.
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    I would STARVE if I didn't eat my exercise calories back! I try to eat every single last one:))
  • horror_hamster
    horror_hamster Posts: 278
    You will at first then your weight loss will stall, if you continue having a large deficit (also depends on your starting weight, larger people can get away with a larger deficit)

    Everyone's weight loss stalls, it's called a "plateau". Some stall early, some stall late, but it's completely natural and i'd say 90%+ people who are losing weight will experience the plateau at one time or another. Each person is different.
  • emcohen
    emcohen Posts: 46
    I'll start with everybody's caveat that it depends on the specific individual. This is true...but:

    If your calorie deficit becomes too large (i.e. you don't ever eat back your exercise calories) your body will go into starvation mode and slow down your metabolism greatly. Then you'll be dealing with a frustrating plateau where you aren't eating as much but aren't losing weight.

    You don't HAVE to eat back all the calories, but keeping your body fueled is important.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories