Should I eat back my excersis calories?

As many post the site relate, MFP gives you a calorie goal that already includes a deficit for you that will result in your targeted weight loss (based on a few assumptions, some adjustment may be necessary for you as you continue on and learn more where your actually calorie burn/results land). If you exercise and burn 500 calories, you will be increasing your deficit for the day by that much. So if you said a pound a week loss, this will be 500 deficit... Add to that your exercise and you're at a 1000 deficit... The concern is that a deficit too large will cause havoc with our metabolism. People will say to eat your calories back - and I certainly have - because you do need to ensure your body is getting enough calories.

This isn't a case of "if a few less calories is good, than a lot less is better" it is best to keep your deficit more reasonable to maintain your weight loss momentum.

So to the second part of your question: why do the work to exercise?

A few points i'd make, and there are experts here who can add lots of details, exercise will help to retain muscle as you have a deficit (otherwise your body may take both fat and some muscle in the weight loss) (this is more true with weight work) Who wants to lose muscle? It is a it portion of the stuff that burns your calories! Exercise can also improve your overall cardiovascular health. who wants a heart attack? There are other benefits - one very practical one that I run across from time to time.... Exercising may provide me the calories I need to eat the meal I'd like to have - instead of the lower calorie meal I'd need to have without it.

I try not too, since I am trying to lose. Maybe once I'm at a place where I can maintain I would.

Bad idea.

MFP gives you a caloric intake to lose your goal amount of weight assuming no exercise. When you exercise your body requires more fuel and in order to lose your goal amount of weight, you must eat them back to ensure you have the proper caloric deficit.

FYI: Eating 1200 calories and burning 500, is the same as eating 700 (1200-500) on days you don't workout. and 700 calories is not enough for anyone.

Too large of a deficit will lead to the loss of a large % of lean muscle, not just the fat you are looking at losing. The more lean muscle you lose the slower your metabolism will be.

Yes...MFP has already created a deficit for you. You need to fuel your body for it to burn the fat and metabolize properly.

I eat up to 80% of my exercise calories back, with the exception of calories burnt on gym exercise machines where I eat back 200 calories for every 30 mins worked.

In the past I never ate back my exercise calories, consequently I was always hungry, I was too tired to work out properly, my weight would stall after being on a diet for a few weeks, and I would end up giving up and putting the weight back on that I had lost (plus some more).

I try not too, since I am trying to lose. Maybe once I'm at a place where I can maintain I would.

Then maybe set your MFP to maintenance and then do not eat your workout calories. I had MFP set at lose 1lb/week AND then I was exercising. I was confused about eating back workouts and NET, so I asked questions.

Then I decided to set MFP to maintenance and then I let my workout be my deficit.....so that way you are not eating back your workout. So, some days, I have a 500 calorie deficit and other days I have a 100 calorie deficit. So, most days, I eat 1600-1800 calories.

This is THE best tip I've ever gotten on here. Thanks!

I try not too, since I am trying to lose. Maybe once I'm at a place where I can maintain I would.

Bad idea.

MFP gives you a caloric intake to lose your goal amount of weight assuming no exercise. When you exercise your body requires more fuel and in order to lose your goal amount of weight, you must eat them back to ensure you have the proper caloric deficit.

FYI: Eating 1200 calories and burning 500, is the same as eating 700 (1200-500) on days you don't workout. and 700 calories is not enough for anyone.

Too large of a deficit will lead to the loss of a large % of lean muscle, not just the fat you are looking at losing. The more lean muscle you lose the slower your metabolism will be.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^this!

I try not too, since I am trying to lose. Maybe once I'm at a place where I can maintain I would.

Then maybe set your MFP to maintenance and then do not eat your workout calories. I had MFP set at lose 1lb/week AND then I was exercising. I was confused about eating back workouts and NET, so I asked questions.

Then I decided to set MFP to maintenance and then I let my workout be my deficit.....so that way you are not eating back your workout. So, some days, I have a 500 calorie deficit and other days I have a 100 calorie deficit. So, most days, I eat 1600-1800 calories.

This is THE best tip I've ever gotten on here. Thanks!

Thanks! I did it because when I had it set to lose 1lb and I was to eat 1300 calories. If I ate 1400 calories, it had that big red 100, meaning that I was over calorie goal...when really, I was still 400 under! I know it is a little lame to let that red number bother me, but it did!! haha! Also, it is just easier for me to keep up with what I put into my mouth and not the NET calories.

great information....up until yesterday I kept myself on strict 1200 cal a day without eating my exercise calories back and i have NOT lost in almost two weeks..
after looking at the link where folks ate their calories back I am going to do it too...if it makes it easier to lose the weight then why not?

I nearly always eat most of my calories back.... and it works for me, I like to know that I have them should I need them too.

I attempted a little experiment, not sure how accurate it was, but it convinced me to eat back at least some of my exercise calories. To start, my daily calories is set to 1690 for a 1.5 lbs loss per week. When I was eating back my exercise calories, I was consistanly losing at least 1lb a week. I think the half pound difference was because I was over estimating my calories burned. I had a rough couple of weeks & gained a couple of pounds back. So I worked my booty off to creat that much more of a gap between the calories I ate & the calories I burned, but I wouldn't eat any of the exercise calories back. I couldn't lose the couple of pounds that I gained back. Once I started eating some of my exercise calories back, I dropped the couple of pounds that my body was holding onto. So it's just a preference of mine to eat back at least half of the calories that I burn off during my workouts.

Thanks! I did it because when I had it set to lose 1lb and I was to eat 1300 calories. If I ate 1400 calories, it had that big red 100, meaning that I was over calorie goal...when really, I was still 400 under! I know it is a little lame to let that red number bother me, but it did!! haha! Also, it is just easier for me to keep up with what I put into my mouth and not the NET calories.

I'm switching right now! I never log my workouts on here anyway so this will be perfect for me.
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I hope that it works for you!

I do the same as Tink .... I eat between 1800 - 2000 daily, then workout. I don't eat the exercise calories back, so depending on the workout my net is between 1400 - 1700. I'm still losing and I get to eat a lot .

Me too...I feel like I eat all day and I am never hungry. And, I keep losing too!