Do I need to eat back the calories I've burned exercising?

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  • sunshinegirl2012
    sunshinegirl2012 Posts: 52
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    I don't...I think one of the main points of exercising is to burn calories, so why would I want them back? I make sure I eat a looot of protein and veggies in my diet and limited fats/sugars. so far so good, I don't feel deprived, I'm seeing results at a good pace, and my body has gotten a lot stronger from working out. (:
  • LuckyLeprechaun
    LuckyLeprechaun Posts: 6,296 Member
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    Thanks for the help everyone. I was just hoping to speed things up, but a pound a week isnt too bad. At least I'll get to indulge a little. Anybody that's looking for more friends, please add me.

    Treating yourself once in a while is recommended, but don't take that to mean that because your eliptical machine said that you burned 500 calories, you should eat 500 calories of chocolate cake. First make sure that the amount of calories you're said to have burned is accurate with a heart monitor. Secondly, replace the calories burned with calorie dense foods that help your body like fruit, nuts & nut butters, whole grains and lean meats & cheeses. This isn't an excuse to fill up on chocolate or white pasta!!
    actually, please feel free to use your exercise calories on chocolate OR white pasta. Or BOTH.

    Calories in minus calories out folks.....
  • DrumlineGirl
    DrumlineGirl Posts: 178 Member
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    EXAMPLE:

    How many calories should you be eating to MAINTAIN? 1800
    How many calories should you be eating to LOSE 1 LB a day? 1500 (made up number by me for example)
    How many calories did you eat today? 1800
    How many calories did you burn off today? 600
    What is your net? 1200

    which means you are under your calories to lose weight and can eat back 300 of the calories you burned to go back to 1500, and still lose a pound a week since your net would be 1500. Just eat back to hit your losing calorie number and not your maintenance number if you want to lose weight.
  • duckpond11
    duckpond11 Posts: 197 Member
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    depends. For example, today I took a circuit training class at the gym, and logged it. Came back claiming I burned 800+ calories. I wish. There is no way I burnt that much, and the battery went out on my HRM so I couldn't tell you what I really burnt. Probably 300-500. I don't put too much stock into what MFP calculates for exercise cals.
  • DrumlineGirl
    DrumlineGirl Posts: 178 Member
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    Your body needs at least 1200 to function. If you eat 1200, and burn off 1200, you are at 0 calories for the day, then your body will start to shut down as you are starving it. But 1200, for most people, would be WAY below your maintenance, so you will lose.
  • amberpickens
    amberpickens Posts: 149 Member
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    I've heard that you are supposed to eat the calories you burn, in order to lose weight. I can see doing that if you want to maintain your weight. I thought in order to lose weight you need to burn more calories than you eat, so I don't get it. But I would really love to know!!

    you have to have a net intake of 1200 or more or your body will save fat to help it keep you going. the reason you want to eat the calories you burned is because it helps with your energy level and everything...take me for example when i had my son i gained 20 + pounds when i ate my burn calories i lost all of it and more with in a year(i didnt work out all the time) and ive been back on this since dec 26th and i have lost almost 5lbs it does work
  • staceyb_2003
    staceyb_2003 Posts: 396 Member
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    its all about seeing whats right for you eatting back exercise cals works for some people some people find only eatting half back and other people find they cant eat them back and lose i am the last one unfortunatley :-(
  • twhitney
    twhitney Posts: 65 Member
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    I'm having the same dilemma. I've decided to not eat them back. Felt I was consuming too much food. I feel that it defeats the purpose of working out. Guess I'll find out when I weigh myself!
  • amberpickens
    amberpickens Posts: 149 Member
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    Yes, eat them so that your net calories ( calories consumed minus exercise) does not go below 1200! I exercise so I can eat more :laugh:
    same here i have started to work out more so i can eat more
  • SarahSurf
    SarahSurf Posts: 1
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    You know, I asked my nutritional counsellor the same thing - and if you are trying to lose - then definately no.
  • espence30
    espence30 Posts: 116 Member
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    I just don't log my calories and log a 1250 calorie day with food..been working for me
  • amyoliver85
    amyoliver85 Posts: 353 Member
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    Hi simple clarification.

    The MFP system already deducts calories for you so you are losing weight. If you are eating 1200 calories a day on MFP, then you are going to lose weight whether you exercise or not. Because your body burns more than that to keep you alive each day.

    You need to eat a minimum of 1200 calories NET every day. That means, AFTER exercise. So if you eat 1500 calories, then burn 700 calories, you have only consumed a net of 800 calories. You'll need to eat 400 more just to fuel your body. If you don't eat 1200 NET then your body will go into starvation mode and you will gain weight.

    So the answer is NO and YES.

    YES if your exercise puts you below 1200 net calories per day.

    NO if your exercise does NOT put you below 1200 net calories per day.

    However, you should invest in a high end heart rate monitor to keep really close track so you actually know what you are doing. The estimates on MFP are often VERY WRONG because they may be based on another individual's burn rate and not on your own.
  • amyoliver85
    amyoliver85 Posts: 353 Member
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    You know, I asked my nutritional counsellor the same thing - and if you are trying to lose - then definately no.

    That's NOT correct and your nutrition counselor is NOT giving you healthy information. ALWAYS ALWAYS eat a minimum of 1200 calories per day. Are you sure your nutrition counselor is certified? Because I don't think a certified nutritionist would tell you to not eat exercise calories back when you're already on a reduced-calorie diet. The only reason you would ever not eat exercise calories back is if you weren't on a diet to begin with and you were eating 2500+ calories per day to justify a heavy amount of exercise.
  • amyoliver85
    amyoliver85 Posts: 353 Member
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    I'm having the same dilemma. I've decided to not eat them back. Felt I was consuming too much food. I feel that it defeats the purpose of working out. Guess I'll find out when I weigh myself!

    twhitney...it will work for a while, but you'll end up gaining more fat, losing a ton of muscle, and then you'll be worse off than you were to start with. Just eat the calories back when you exercise.

    MyFitnessPal has already calculated a lower calorie intake for you so you can lose weight simply by the way you eat. You needn't starve yourself.
  • amyoliver85
    amyoliver85 Posts: 353 Member
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    depends. For example, today I took a circuit training class at the gym, and logged it. Came back claiming I burned 800+ calories. I wish. There is no way I burnt that much, and the battery went out on my HRM so I couldn't tell you what I really burnt. Probably 300-500. I don't put too much stock into what MFP calculates for exercise cals.

    duckpond11, agreed. I don't trust the calculations on MFP because they are based on other people's burn rate and not my own. I just lost the watch on my FT4...going crazy tearing my house apart looking for the darn thing.

    But if you know your body, like you appear to know yours, then it's okay for a few days to just guesstimate. I would guess my burn rate around the same as yours for the same activity,
  • GeoJenna223
    GeoJenna223 Posts: 68 Member
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    The age old question.

    Exercise for physical fitness.
    Diet/watch what you eat for weight loss.

    The problem that most MFP'ers get into is that they go for the 1200 calorie goal AND exercise. 1200 calories is the minimum caloric consumption for someone not exercising. That being said, if you are on the 1200 plan and then exercise 900 cals worth, yes you need to "eat back" your exercise calories, but that is because 1200 for someone who is exercises is simply too low. I was advised to always eat 1600 to 1700 cals per day with regular vigorous exercise. 130g carbos max. This diet exercise plan has afforded me a 16lb weight loss in the last 5.5 weeks (over christmas and new years which i "went crazy" for a few weekends).

    Advice passed on from multiple appointments with a registered dietician/lifestyle nutritionist.
  • engineman312
    engineman312 Posts: 3,450 Member
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    you don't have to eat them. i prefer to drink them in the form of a protein shake.
  • melissalangelage
    melissalangelage Posts: 12
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    I am a chronic over-exerciser and yesterday was a really "good" day in my opinion, but after reading this I think I might have been a bit naughty...

    Goal: 1200
    Ate: 1234
    Exercised: 1243
    Net: -9

    Oooops... :(
  • amyoliver85
    amyoliver85 Posts: 353 Member
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    Thanks for the help everyone. I was just hoping to speed things up, but a pound a week isnt too bad. At least I'll get to indulge a little. Anybody that's looking for more friends, please add me.

    mnishi, I know it's hard to look at the scale and see only 1 pound a week, but seeing your current photo, I would tell you that 1 lb a week is what's probably healthy for your body. And btw, it's my understanding that the slower you lose weight, the longer you are likely to keep it of because the habits you learn while losing become regular habits.

    So don't worry about it. And btw...get off the dang scale. Don't worry so much about the number on that thing. First of all, BONES have weight. Water has weight. Muscle has weight. And these are all things you can't really get rid of. And the last thing is something you want more of which means you may actually gain a little weight as you gain muscle.

    Instead, measure yourself regularly. I have to say...my weight did not change for 8 weeks while I was off MFP. But my measurements sure did...and boy I am sorry for trusting the scale for all that time when I knew that I shouldn't. Fat accumulates without much weight to it. And that also means that when you lose a ton of fat, it won't amount to a large number on your scale. So darlin', pull out a measuring tape and hide that scale in the closet.
  • amyoliver85
    amyoliver85 Posts: 353 Member
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    I am a chronic over-exerciser and yesterday was a really "good" day in my opinion, but after reading this I think I might have been a bit naughty...

    Goal: 1200
    Ate: 1234
    Exercised: 1243
    Net: -9

    Oooops... :(

    Melissa,....I think your body will forgive you -9 NET. Like body will forgive me +12 NET. Let's add them together and call it even.

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