To Eat, or Not To Eat....

MistyNoble1987
MistyNoble1987 Posts: 42
edited November 9 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone!

Okay, I have been reading conflicting things on the whole eat your exercise calories or not to thing. My thing is, if we’re meant to eat our calories that we’ve burned off, what is the point of burning them off in the first place?

So, where I stand on it - don’t eat your exercise calories.

Where do you stand?
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Replies

  • JNick77
    JNick77 Posts: 3,783 Member
    Hi everyone!

    Okay, I have been reading conflicting things on the whole eat your exercise calories or not to thing. My thing is, if we’re meant to eat our calories that we’ve burned off, what is the point of burning them off in the first place?

    So, where I stand on it - don’t eat your exercise calories.

    Where do you stand?

    In before the war begins on this topic...

    Basically, from an educated point of view you can find experts that support eating and experts that do not support eating back exercise calories. I'm in the same boat as you if you setup a healthy calorie deficit then there's no need to eat back your calories. My nutritionist does not have me eat back my calories either. But like I said there are proponents of eating back your calories, you have to find what works for you. Personally... I would recommend starting by not eating your calories back and see how you do. If you are just dragging dead-*kitten* tired all the time, then eat a small percentage back, like 10% - 20% and go from there.
  • BecksFit88
    BecksFit88 Posts: 36
    Have you looked to see what your basal metabolic rate is, and what your daily energy expenditure/daily caloric needs?

    Here's my real life example. My BMR is 1957. That is how many calories I would need to maintain my current weight in a coma. I have a sedentary job, so using the Harris benedict equation, I need 2348 calories to sustain my weight just due to day-to-day activities. (waking up, going to work, doing household chores, etc).

    MFP calculates your weight loss off of your Daily Caloric Needs. MFP says I need to eat 1410 calories as a minimum. That works out to roughly 2 pounds/week (which is the high end of safe, sustainable weight loss)

    Now let's say I go work out and burn 450 calories during a workout. That dips me down to only 960 calories consumed for the day. You do too much of that and your body says "hey, I'm not getting food here", your metabolism slows, and your body shifts into starvation/sustenance mode.

    Even if you "eat back" your exercise calories, your are still running a deficit that will allow you to lose the weight you set as your goal loss per week.
  • imaginec
    imaginec Posts: 18 Member
    I don't eat mine. Works for me. :laugh:
  • marquesajen
    marquesajen Posts: 641
    Eat. I already have a calorie deficit, body needs to run on something. I could lose weight just by not eating as much, but my body isn't getting any stronger by not working out. My heart isn't getting any stronger by not running. I'd just weigh less and be flabby.

    Of course this is just me, blah blah blah disclaimer bs, anywho. I weighed 30 lbs less in high school than I do now and I still wasn't in shape, I didn't work out, so it was pretty blah.
  • dizzydi1968
    dizzydi1968 Posts: 564
    I'm no expert but have been relatively successful in my lifestyle change so will give my opinion on this.

    MFP already factors in a calorie deficit so if you then exercise and burn extra you create too high a deficit which in the long term is bad for your metabolism.

    Also please remember that exercise has more benefits that just to burn calories such as building muscle, improving cardio vascular fitness, increased stamina and those fabulous feel good endorphins.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,266 Member
    Bottom line is we deduct a reasonable amount of calories from our TDEE (total daily energy expediture) and for some reason that seems foreign to just about everyone. BMR should be stricken from the nutritional landscape.......it apparently confuses people pretty darn easily.
  • Hoakiebs
    Hoakiebs Posts: 430 Member
    I think it all depends on what your initial weight loss goals are. If you've planned a 500 cal. deficit (1 lb. per week) then, yeah you could still lose more than 1 lb. per week by not eating back your calories. But if you are already at a 1000 cal. Or more deficit (2+ lbs. per week, then you'd probably be better off eating at least half your exercise cal.s back. Anything more than 2.5 lbs. per week and you are most likely consuming your muscle tissue for energy.
  • PinkEarthMama
    PinkEarthMama Posts: 987 Member
    Short Story :

    I eat them.

    Long Story :

    Your body needs ( for example ) 1200 calories a day to breath and keep your heart beating. Your usual daily expenditure is 2000. If you eat less than 2000, you will lose weight. I want to eat 500 calories LESS than I use in 1 day, so that makes my total 1500.

    I exercise because I want my body to be strong. I eat my exercise calories back so that I have fuel for my workout.

    I can't expect my car to drive an extra 500 miles without filling the tank. Same goes for my body.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Eat them
  • lizard053
    lizard053 Posts: 2,344 Member
    Where I stand on this topic is don't eat them. The exercise is supposed to create an even larger deficit to help maintain the weight loss. Personal experience, if I eat them, I DO NOT lose weight. I suppose you have to find what works best for you.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    If you are hungry, eat. When you eat, eat a variety of healthy foods. Eat lots of plant foods. Exercise regularly.

    Those are really the only rules I followed while losing weight. There were occasions when I ignored all the rules for a few hours.
  • cee134
    cee134 Posts: 33,711 Member
    I eat back some, how much depends on how much I feel like eating. I read that unless you have a good heart rate monitor, the exercise you do is just an estimate. That being said, the reason people don't eat back there calories is because their diet usually doesn't allow for it. It seems relatively new to me that people are able to log their calories and exercise and know how much they need to be under their calorie goal for the week.

    But basically it seems like common sense to me. If you burn alot of calories exercising, then you need to eat, if you do a minor workout, you probably don't need to worry about it.

    If your not convinced you can eat back your calories, just look at athletes. Michael Phelps eats about 12,000 calories a day when training.

    I like to exercise more for the health benefits then losing weights because I lost 30 lbs by not exercising and just eating less.
  • onedayillbamilf
    onedayillbamilf Posts: 662 Member
    In my little world, the ONLY reason to exercise is to be able to eat more food!!!
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    http://shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com/

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/474-unofficial-mfp-faq
  • SimplyShanRunning
    SimplyShanRunning Posts: 885 Member
    http://shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com/


    tumblr_lxi417utla1r9zwqzo1_400.jpg
  • grinch031
    grinch031 Posts: 1,679
    Exercise is not an effective method to lose weight. You're right, eating back your calories simply cancels out the calories burned. But there are other benefits to exercise that can aid in your weight loss efforts.

    The thing that matters most is the diet. Quality is much more important than quantity, but obviously the quantity needs to work out such that a caloric deficit is created. But its easier to create that deficit with better quality foods because they will allow you to feel more energized and less hungry.
  • lizard053
    lizard053 Posts: 2,344 Member
    Exercise is not an effective method to lose weight. You're right, eating back your calories simply cancels out the calories burned. But there are other benefits to exercise that can aid in your weight loss efforts.

    The thing that matters most is the diet. Quality is much more important than quantity, but obviously the quantity needs to work out such that a caloric deficit is created. But its easier to create that deficit with better quality foods because they will allow you to feel more energized and less hungry.

    This is interesting... I can eat way less. Heck, I can go just shy of starving myself and gain weight. Without exercise I cannot lose weight. To curb hunger, I eat lots of protein and fiber. Not a lot of calories, but filling!
  • killagb
    killagb Posts: 3,280 Member
    MFP already has a calorie deficit built in to your day. Adding exercise increases this deficit, large deficits and fast weight loss are not healthy/sustainable, typically. That's about the most simple way to break it down.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    MFP already has a calorie deficit built in to your day. Adding exercise increases this deficit, large deficits and fast weight loss are not healthy/sustainable, typically. That's about the most simple way to break it down.

    ^ This!

    I eat mine back. I'm taking no chances .... I want to burn fat .... NOT muscle. I fuel my workouts. I want to keep all the muscle I can.
  • engineman312
    engineman312 Posts: 3,450 Member
    beatingadeadhorse.gif
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Exercise is not an effective method to lose weight. You're right, eating back your calories simply cancels out the calories burned. But there are other benefits to exercise that can aid in your weight loss efforts.

    The thing that matters most is the diet. Quality is much more important than quantity, but obviously the quantity needs to work out such that a caloric deficit is created. But its easier to create that deficit with better quality foods because they will allow you to feel more energized and less hungry.

    This would totally depend on what you were eating before you decided to lose weight. I didn't really adjust my diet at all. I eat the same now as I have for years. The only difference is that I exercise regularly now.
  • Panda_Path
    Panda_Path Posts: 86 Member
    I am just starting out, but I think I will keep some of my burned exercise calories in a "bank", and at the end of the week have an extra good-tasting but totally horrible-calories wise food to eat. So, my take is to do both :P. I don't walk to burn calories really, but to be active and have a chance to go outside when it isn't too cold. Just do what is best for YOUR body and YOUR lifestyle.
  • Stacyanne324
    Stacyanne324 Posts: 780 Member
    MFP is set up for you to eat your exercise calories. There is a lot of evidence to support it. That said I eat mine some days, some days I don't, and some days I eat a portion of them. I always try to net at least 1200 though unless I had a big calorie cheat day really recently.
  • grinch031
    grinch031 Posts: 1,679
    Exercise is not an effective method to lose weight. You're right, eating back your calories simply cancels out the calories burned. But there are other benefits to exercise that can aid in your weight loss efforts.

    The thing that matters most is the diet. Quality is much more important than quantity, but obviously the quantity needs to work out such that a caloric deficit is created. But its easier to create that deficit with better quality foods because they will allow you to feel more energized and less hungry.

    This would totally depend on what you were eating before you decided to lose weight. I didn't really adjust my diet at all. I eat the same now as I have for years. The only difference is that I exercise regularly now.

    If you are overweight and try to use exercise to lose weight without changing the diet or restricting calories, chances are you will simply compensate by eating more and never lose any weight.

    http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1914974-1,00.html
  • Natley
    Natley Posts: 58 Member
    I'm no expert but have been relatively successful in my lifestyle change so will give my opinion on this.

    MFP already factors in a calorie deficit so if you then exercise and burn extra you create too high a deficit which in the long term is bad for your metabolism.

    Also please remember that exercise has more benefits that just to burn calories such as building muscle, improving cardio vascular fitness, increased stamina and those fabulous feel good endorphins.

    i agree
  • kyrstensmom
    kyrstensmom Posts: 297 Member
    I sometimes eat mine back, but if so, only a percentage because even with a HRM you are only getting an estimate of calories burned. My loss is set to 1/2 lb a week, so if I am off even a little bit with my calorie estimations (both consumed and burned), then I end up not losing at all (which is what I am currently dealing with the past couple of weeks).
  • shaycat
    shaycat Posts: 980
    I think if you ate back all the calories you burned you would never lose any weight. Worse if you eat bad like cookies or fast food, then tried to burn those calories off, I think you would end up gaining, even if you did not go over your "goal"
    That is what I found with me, but maybe everyone is different.
  • mamagooskie
    mamagooskie Posts: 2,964 Member
    There is no set rule. I listen to my body and how I am feeling, If I am hungry I eat them, if I am not hungry I don't.
  • JNick77
    JNick77 Posts: 3,783 Member
    MFP is set up for you to eat your exercise calories. There is a lot of evidence to support it.

    There is also plenty of evidence to not support it. Evidence is in the eye of the beholder or better yet, in the eye of the person(s) supporting the research. Evidence isn't always evidence when it comes to research unfortunately. Too many people conducting research go into biased and do what they need to do to prove they're correct. Businesses do it too...

    Find what works best for you.

    Edit: One of my favorite nutritionists with a PH.D and significant experience in this field is Dr. John Berardi. He is actually pretty unbiased when he conducts his research and shows results. He most recently tested Intermittent Fasting, which he had been against for a while now. Google him when you have time, he discusses calorie output versus calorie intake too.
  • MistyNoble1987
    MistyNoble1987 Posts: 42
    Thanks so much for all the input! I will be listening to my body and if I'm hungry, I'll eat them,. If not, I'll let it be. Thanks again for all the good tips and input!
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