Do you lose more when you eat back exercise cals?

Yes you should eat them back. For example, if MFP sets up your net at 1500, that is what you need to lose weight. Just trust it. I see a lot of people not losing because they are eating 1000 calories a day and working out. Your body needs fuel. So at least eat the majority back, never try to go under 1200 net.

It's not about just losing weight, its also about increasing fitness. Can't do that in a severe deficit. Also, an excessive deficit will eventually slow your metabolism which will slow weightloss.

Yes you should eat them back. For example, if MFP sets up your net at 1500, that is what you need to lose weight. Just trust it. I see a lot of people not losing because they are eating 1000 calories a day and working out. Your body needs fuel. So at least eat the majority back, never try to go under 1200 net.

Even if some of my stuff is in the red?

You're going to have to adjust the type of foods you eat, to meet your caloric goals without over doing it in specific areas.

I've tried both ways, and I do not lose the weight if I DO eat back my exercise calories. That being said, I believe food logs tend to be underestimated, so I believe I eat more than I actually do ( +-100 calories, so nothing extreme). That is the way my body responds. I also make sure that if I do not eat back my exercise calories, all of my calories are as clean and nutritious as possible to make sure my body gets what it needs.

I always eat back my exercise calories and I've been losing consistently. I do try to over estimate what I eat and under estimate my calories burned so there is a buffer.

Right now your net is 816, so technically you should eat back 400 calories. But remember, do not always focus on everyday, but more weekly. Maybe one day a week, have a higher calorie day to make up for some deficits.

I am literally racking my brain trying to figure this out. Help me out, MFP friends!

Right now this is the calorie breakdown:

1300 is my goal and I've had 560 in exercise cals, I've got 484 cals remaining. Are those calories to be eaten back? I don't understand. Do I aim to have a low number of calories remaining at the end of the day?

Here is a post of mine from another similar thread:

OK. I'm gonna give this a shot. I am an avid lifelong athlete. I have never been overweight, however, I used to eat too few calories (without knowing it), and a couple years ago, I actually GAINED weight bc of having slowed my metabolism to the point that every little extra treat I ate caused a weight gain, even though overall my calories were too low. THIS DOES HAPPEN.

It is also the reason so many fat people stay fat. They restrict their calories so low, slow their metabolisms, binge (even a little), gain weight, restrict more . . . . and so on and so on. But they are still fat.

It is also the reason most people can't lose that last 10-20 lbs. For real.

1. MFP has a deficit built in. Let's say you're trying to lose 1 lb/ week. That is a 500/day deficit from your BMR (the amount of calories your body needs to complete basic functions.

2. You exercise and burn 500 calories. Now you are at a 1000 deficit. If you eat back those 500 exercise calories, you refuel your body and you still have a 500 deficit for that 1 lb loss. If you DON'T eat back those calories, you have too little fuel. This is bad. This is too much of a deficit for basic functions. If you do this for a long time, you will STOP LOSING WEIGHT. Why? bc your metabolism will slow down -- it's like a brownout--not quite enough electricity to make the whole city (your body) run, so it has to slow down some things. You will probably start being tired a lot, your skin and hair might start to look worse, and you might even gain weight. But you might NOT be hungry -- your body is getting used to fewer calories. That's bad.


That's when you start to gain weight. Let's say you're running along, eating 1200 calories a day, and exercising 400 calories a day, so net is 800. You're losing, you think this is great. You keep doing it, but after a while you stop losing. hmmmmm. One weekend you go out to a special event and have a slice of pizza and a beer. 1 slice of pizza and 1 beer. So you ate maybe 2000 calories that day and exercised off 400, so net 1600. BOOM! You gain 3 lbs! What?!

Next, you freak out and restrict yourself down to 1000 calories a day and work out extra hard, burning 500 calories. Great, netting 500 now. You don't lose any weight, but you sure feel tired. Better get some red bull.

Are you getting the picture?

EDIT: When you work out, you need fuel. Food is fuel. If you don't eat back those exercise calories, you will not only have a big calorie deficit, you will have an ENERGY deficit. Remember, the calorie deficit for weight loss is built in when you use MFP. Exercising basically earns you more calories because you must refuel.
--

There are many people who will tell you not to eat exercise calories. Before you take their advice, you might want to see whether they are at goal, have EVER been at goal, or have ever been able to maintain at goal. If anyone says to you 'THE LAST TIME I LOST WEIGHT", just stop listening right there.

Ask some athletes whether or not they replenish their bodies with food equal to the calories they burn. Ask people who are fit and have achieved and maintained a healthy weight for some years. Don't ask people who count walking across a parking lot as exercise.

Here's an interesting case study about how to stay fat while consuming only 700 calories a day. Take a moment, you'll be glad you did:

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

blessings.

I looked at your diary, and your macros are actually pretty good. MFP sets protein a little low. You can always go over on protein. And while you are over on carbs, it's not bad at all! You're still under 200 right now. And fiber is good, so don't ever worry about going over on fiber.

If you're having problems eating exercise calories, eat something right after you work out. Something with good protein and carbs (chocolate milk is great for this).

I think everyone is different, I tried the eating them back and I did nothing but gain. My doctor told me to not eat them back, and since I stopped doing that, I've lost. It depends on where you are I really believe. I'm waiting for a Plateau to kick in, and I'm sure it'll happen soon. I naturally have a low metabolism. So it's different for everyone, what works for me, might not work for you.

I am literally racking my brain trying to figure this out. Help me out, MFP friends!

Right now this is the calorie breakdown:

1300 is my goal and I've had 560 in exercise cals, I've got 484 cals remaining. Are those calories to be eaten back? I don't understand. Do I aim to have a low number of calories remaining at the end of the day?

It's all about your NET intake. On the home page in the big box where it says "Calories Remaining," it lists your "net" for the day on the right hand side. MFP has told you yours should be around 1300, it can be under on some days, but you usually want to make sure it's always at least 1200, otherwise your body is not getting what it needs.

I hope this helps! In my head I get it, but it doesn't always come out in words that are easy to understand :laugh:

Keep an eye on your sugar and your carbs. I try to keep my calories within a 100 negative or positive and i'm ok with that but i manually adjusted my sugar & carbs after reading Jorge Cruise's book (The Belly Fat Cure). I love using MFP but they give me too much leeway on carbs & sugar and not enough protein. I always drink a good protein shake after my workout (Complete Nutrition has some great ones for women!) and then I eat about an hour after my work out. Also, check yourself if you are eating too close to bed. Complete Nutrition told me do NOT eat ANY carbs after dinner...none whatsoever! These are just some other things to think about why you may not be losing like you want. But yes, you definately want to eat back your calories.

I rarely eat back all my exercise calories unless there is a reason to, like a special event or something. For the most part I have days where I eat them and other days I do not. That being said I don't plan to eat them just because they are there and my body has responded fine to either situation. I think you have to find what works for you. This question is asked all the time and some people are believers of eating them all back, others never eat them back, another set of people do sometimes and dont other times. Find what your body responds too.

My only advice is don't allow yourself to be hungry. Eat if you are hungry, period!

Spot on. Best response I've read on this never-ending question. Rarely in life does one size fit all. I'm always put back a bit when folks preach to others and say you must do this or must do that. The truth is it is up to you and how it makes your body feel. I workout hard and burn heavy calories each week. If I tried to consistently eat them all back my stomach would hurt. I go by how my body feels and if it tells me to eat more when I workout heavy I do. Some days it tells me all is good and just rest. Only you know your body.