success not eating back exercise calories

I lost 96 pounds last year(currently miantaing since late aug of 2011) and only ate back execise cals if really still hungry. My body took what it needed, and shed the weight it didn't need, and why eat if your not hungry??

I don't usually eat my exercise calories back unless I'm hungy. I figure I eat them all back on my once a week cheat meal!

In my opinion, it would be OK to eat back exercise cals up to your maintenance level of cals. Just as sort of a guideline. I think that even with an HRM and fitbit, we tend to OVERESTIMATE calories. I know that on a good day, where I have biked, jogged, rode my horse, and give to the gym, I might use up around 400 cals working pretty hard!

Especially for us lighter weight, and shorter women, saying that we used up 1000-2000 exercise cals in one day is just inflated.

Just my thoughts. I think everyone has success with different trial and error methods.

I listen to my body and eat back calories if I am hungry. I have also gone over my calories. Balance is the key.

I have just started slashing my exercise calories it says on her in half then typing that number in. Then only eating back that amount. I'm doing this mainly because I don't believe there estaments on how many calories I'm burning. On the other hand I'm also most likely not calculating portion sizes 100% correct either. So all considered that would throw it off. I feel its better to have a cushion that do all this work for nothing.

"that's because "eating exercise calories" is specific to MFP"

and that's the problem right there with eating back your calories.

First of all, it's not specific to MFP, Sparkpeople does it too - it's why I quit using the site.

And the fact is that "eating back your calories" is not a proven concept. There is absolutely no research or studies you can point to that shows that it works.

A friend of mine, who is a *real* Registered Dietician specializing in sports nutrition, and who also happens to be a Certified Personal Trainer (she was actually a martial arts instructor in the Israeli army) and is a triathlete herself says this concept is ludicrous.

And until I see empirical studies saying otherwise, I'm going to stick with the experts and NOT "eat back" my exercise calories.

I have lost 20 pounds since February, and I rarely eat back calories. If I do, it's maybe 100 calories back. It's been working for me so far!

I do if I'm hungry, if I'm not I dont worry about it.

this is the stance i'm taking!

"that's because "eating exercise calories" is specific to MFP"

and that's the problem right there with eating back your calories.

First of all, it's not specific to MFP, Sparkpeople does it too - it's why I quit using the site.

And the fact is that "eating back your calories" is not a proven concept. There is absolutely no research or studies you can point to that shows that it works.

A friend of mine, who is a *real* Registered Dietician specializing in sports nutrition, and who also happens to be a Certified Personal Trainer (she was actually a martial arts instructor in the Israeli army) and is a triathlete herself says this concept is ludicrous.

And until I see empirical studies saying otherwise, I'm going to stick with the experts and NOT "eat back" my exercise calories.

BUT, if you don't eat your exercise cals then you should choose a higher activity level so you get more cals everyday that would account for average exercise in a week. So if you ahve a sedenary job and workout 5 days a week, put in active as activity level and don't eat back the cals, but if you choose sedenatary you should eat them back.

Most sites and profecssionals include exercise in your daily caloric intak, MFP ignrores exercise and only adds it in once you do. What this means is MFP's intake is much lower then what others would suggest, and if you don't eat the cals back you are not fueling your body properly.

As an example say MFP gives you 1450 calories to lose 1 lb/week, and you plan on exercising 5x/week for an average of 400 cals per workout. well MFP will tell you to eat 1450 on the days you don't workout and 1850 on the days you do whereas a "professional" may tell you to eat 1700 everyday regardless if you workout.

So for the week MFP will have you eat 12,150 (1450*2+1850*5) whereas doing it the other way will have you eat 11,900 (1700*7) almost the same number of cals for the week (250 dif). The issue in not following MFP is if you don't workout the full 5 days or burn more or less than planned. If that is the case you may lose more or less than your goal, whereas MFP will have you lose your goal amount regardless how much you actually workout.

What many MFPers do is take the low 1450 and not eat back exercise calories which is wrong, if you are not eating them back then your daily activity level should reflect the higher burn with would be covered in the 1700/day above.

I eat most of mine back because I care about my body composition more than I do about my weight. I worked very hard to build strength and muscle and I don't want to lose it. So I guess it depends on how you define "success". I eat enough to maintain athletic performance, which includes eating some exercise calories.