Question on eating back calories burned during exercise

I had the same question! It makes no sense to me to eat back the calories you are eating. I cant wait for an answer!

This website calculates how much you will need to eat WITHOUT working out, but still lose weight.

Other diets calculate how much you need to eat, INCLUDING working out.

MFP assumes you aren't going to work out, until you log that you worked out. So, you need to increase your calories to account for the working out. You will still lose the weight.

Most modern diets works this way. The old method of eat this much and workout that much is out the window. That's old school. New school is, the more you work, the more you get to eat. Even biggest loser talks about that concept.

The concept is that MFP already calculates a deficit for you of 500 calories based on your Basic Metabolic Rate (BMR) and that is your calorie goal. Exercise is viewed as a buffer to eat more food. Personally I only eat back half of mine and it has been working for me...

MFP already has you set in a deficit, so u can eat the exercise calories..people will argue both sides of the coin, some people eat them all, some eat some of them, some eat none..it's a big debate..what I suggest is see what works for you and go from there..experiment eating some of them..see how your weight loss does..keep in mind MFP can over-estimate those burns..good luck!

MFP already creates a deficit for you when it calculates your food goals. When you burn exercise calories, you create an ADDITIONAL increased deficit. You don't want to have that large of a deficit.

The great thing about this method is that it totally encourges you to work out, because you get more calories. I love it.

Here's the logic:

1 lb is equivalent to 3500 calories. When you set up your weight loss goals, it "builds in" a calorie deficit based on the estimation of your BMR; for example, if you set your goals to lose 1 lb/week, it builds in a 500 calorie/day deficit, so that by the end of the week, you'll have a 3500 calorie deficit.

When you exercise, you burn additional calories above and beyond the amount your body needs to just get you through a day. So, since your calorie goal is already set with the calorie deficit built in, some people eat back some/all of the additional calories burned through exercise. That would theoretically still leave you at the calorie deficit that was built in by MFP to achieve your weight loss goals and gives your body the fuel it needs to keep your metabolism going.

Whether or not that theory translates precisely like that into practice is a topic of great debate here on MFP! But hope that helps you understand the logic of those who eat back exercise calories. :flowerforyou:

I don't but that is me. From what I have read on here ppl will tell you that you should and ppl will say that you shouldn't. For me the weight comes off with not eating them back.Others say that they can't shed the weight unless they eat a certain amount in cals. My answer to this would be listen to your body. If you start to notice that your not shedding the weight with not eating them try eating half of them back and see what happens, then maybe try eating them all back. IMO it all depends on the body as to whether someone should eat them back or not. Hope that helps!

MFP determines your caloric intake based on the information you provided regarding what your goals are. For example, if you told MFP that you want to lose 2 lbs/week, it will calculate the number of calories you should be consuming, at whatever your current weight is, to lose the 2lbs, strictly with diet alone. That number does NOT include exercise. When you exercise, your body needs more calories, or you will eventually collapse because you are not fueling your body to perform the exercise you're attempting. Therefore, the number of calories you should consume increases as you exercise. Believe me. I've lost 10 pounds since January. It works.

/popcorn