I'm confused...why eat back burned calories???

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  • wackyfunster
    wackyfunster Posts: 944 Member
    I'll be honest with you...I do not eat back my calories. I have hypothyroidism and I know from past experience, if I want to lose weight, I have to cut my calories to a bare minimum. I have an allowance of 1240 calories and do an average of about 500 or more calories a day in exercise. I rarely eat much over 1200-1300. If I am wrong about this, someone please tell me what I should be doing. I have lost around 2 pounds a week since I started with MFP.
    If you are losing 2 lbs/week and still feeling healthy, then I'd say you're doing it right.
  • in1basket
    in1basket Posts: 2 Member
    I'm new to this too. I'm glad you asked it. I think that Shannonlastna gave a very good and clear answer as well. There were a few others near the top that I understood as well. However, there were a few answers that I thought sounded condescending and assumes that everyone has the same knowledge of nutrition and exercise. I thought the point of this community was to help and support not make someone feel bad or stupid for not knowing and asking. I would be hesitant to post a question of my own knowing I risk the chance of being responded to like that.
  • cari4jc1
    cari4jc1 Posts: 233
    Please don't let other condescending comments turn you off. If I wouldn't have asked I wouldn't have learned anything from the people that actually wanted to help and actually answered my questions. I try to take everything with a grain of salt, but I try to really consider all advice.

    Who knows, maybe a question you would ask would also help someone else. :)
  • kstallea
    kstallea Posts: 2
    Basically, you lose weight by comparing Calories in to Calories out. A very simple, but kind of vague way to see how many calories your body uses each day simply to function is to multiply your body weight by 10. So, if I weigh 200 lbs and layed on the couch all day, 2000 Calories per day would mean I am maintaining my weight. Calories in = Calories out. Lets say the next day I get out and exercise and burn 500 Calories, but eat the same number of Calories as the day before : 2000 Calories in vs. 2500 Calories out = 500 Calories defecit for the day. Then the next day, I lay on the couch all day again, but only eat 1500 Calories: 1500 in vs 2000 out = 500 Calorie defecit for the day. Third day I not only burn 500 Calories exercising, but eat only 1500 Calories: 1500 Calories in vs 2500 out = 1000 Calorie defecit. 3500 Calorie defecit for the week = losing 1 lb of fat that week.

    MFP calculates what your caloric intake should be to meet your weight loss goals, initially not including exercise. "Eating back" the calories you burn will simply mean you are still on pace to lose the weight at the same rate as if you did nothing and stuck with the original goal number. Should you burn any number of extra Calories and not feel like you are hungry to eat them back, that will increase the defecit and you'll lose weight faster so long as you aren't starving yourself. Starving yourself slows your metabolism way down, uses protein in your muscles for nutrients, which breaks down your muscles are more metabolically active in your body than fat, therefore they burn more calories while you do nothing.
  • scottywor
    scottywor Posts: 140 Member
    i use a TDEE calculator, that incorporates exercise into the equation, by using a multiplier.

    That way I manually enter my TDEE into MFP, and exercise is included in my total calories for the day. I only enter exercise to log that i have done it, and i put that I burned 1 calorie, this way MFP doesn't mess with your macros, and keeps things simple. This way you only see one number, and you don't have to guess how many cals you will burn, or eat back like 500-700 cals at 8pm.

    I find this way much easier and stress free...

    hope this makes sense, anyone else do this?
  • megsmom2
    megsmom2 Posts: 2,362 Member
    Eat those calories, or most of them. MFP is designed to work that way by building in a deficit when it sets your calories level. Not eating them is not healthy in the long run because you need enough fuel to function well..and that could take you down yo unhealthy levels. Not worth it in the long run to potentially damage the body you're working to improve. Just trust...it works!
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,908 Member
    You: Eat 1500 calories to lose 1lb a week WITHOUT exercise

    You: Eat 1500 calories to lose 1lb a week and if you exercise and eat back the calories you exercised, you STILL lose that 1lb

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    I have never heard of eating back your calories burned until MFP. I don't understand why you would do that if you're wanting to lose weight? If you do that then what's the point of working out? Don't they cancel eachother out basically?

    The goal of exercising, in and of itself, is to promote a healthier and stronger body. Unless you are using exercise to create or increase your caloric deficit it has little direct bearing on weight loss. Having said that, exercise that leads to an increase in lean muscle mass does increase your BMR (muscle is more metabolically "expensive" than fat).

    Lots of people lose lots of weight through calorie restriction alone. I like to exercise because, for me, it's more about improving my health than fixating on a number on a scale.

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