Do you always eat back your exercise cals?

themotto
themotto Posts: 15 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm wondering what the protocol is on this. I actually lost 11 lb over a week by sticking to the 1,700 cal plan that was recommended to me, eating low carb, and working out 5-6 days. I didn't log the workouts, but if I did, I know the cal numbers would have gone up and I could have eaten more.

Now I'm 2 weeks in and still at the weight I was last week :/. What do you guys think, how do you treat it?

Replies

  • chickybuns
    chickybuns Posts: 1,037 Member
    I would try eating at least some of them back and see how that goes!
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    http://shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    It depends on how your calorie goal was estimated. If it accounts for exercise, then no, you don't need to eat them back. If it doesn't, then yes you should.

    As far as following a plan that was recommended to you, and now posting on MFP... I'm not sure who recommended you the plan, or what your goals/difficulties are currently, but mixing advice from multiple sources is a bad idea.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    I've stopped considering it "eating back" or "not eating back".
    I eat enough calories to not be hungry, and to lose weight, and to meet all my macros (120+ grams of protein,30-35 grams of protein).

    In fact, before joining this site I'd never heard the phrase "eating back my exercise calories".
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I do not always eat them. If I'm hungry I eat them, which means I usually eat them.
  • SPBROOKS68
    SPBROOKS68 Posts: 561 Member
    Only if I am hungry
  • dlwyatt82
    dlwyatt82 Posts: 1,077 Member
    I eat most of them back. Some days I wind up netting over my target, and some days I'm under, but I try not to be under by more than 200 calories, which would still be a reasonable, healthy deficit (assuming all my estimated values for calorie burn and consumption are correct).
  • LeenaRuns
    LeenaRuns Posts: 1,309 Member
    I always eat them, and I lost 12 lbs (and reached my goal weight) in less than three months.
  • XXXMinnieXXX
    XXXMinnieXXX Posts: 3,459 Member
    depends how over weight you are. i am 244lbs and I've been told by dietitians and doctors to not eat them back, unless im hungry then eat some, until i become a lot slimmer then i will have to start eating more back! x
  • vettle
    vettle Posts: 621 Member
    Yes. MFP does not include calories burned in your daily total. Any other site would give you the full amount of daily calories with the activity level chosen.

    I ate 1700 cals and my exercise cals and I lost 42 pounds and have been at my goal weight since Nov.
  • workout_junkee
    workout_junkee Posts: 473 Member
    It depends on the day. If I burned 300-400 yes. On a high calorie burn day (700+) I usually only eat part back. A girl can only eat so much.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Yes. MFP does not include calories burned in your daily total. Any other site would give you the full amount of daily calories with the activity level chosen.

    I ate 1700 cals and my exercise cals and I lost 42 pounds and have been at my goal weight since Nov.
    If you let MFP set your goals. Congrats on the loss! And maintaining!
  • themotto
    themotto Posts: 15 Member
    It depends on how your calorie goal was estimated. If it accounts for exercise, then no, you don't need to eat them back. If it doesn't, then yes you should.

    As far as following a plan that was recommended to you, and now posting on MFP... I'm not sure who recommended you the plan, or what your goals/difficulties are currently, but mixing advice from multiple sources is a bad idea.

    I'm using the 1,700 calorie plan that MFP recommended.

    Below is what I told the calculator...

    http://cl.ly/35050v1U1D3T1M0Y2J0R

    It spit out 1,700 cals but if I log a workout, it adds more cals in.

    And I second that, I'd never heard of "eating your workout cals back" before coming to this site either.

    My goal is to get back to 165-175 lbs. I was at 205. I'm down to 195.
  • Prettylittlelotus
    Prettylittlelotus Posts: 239 Member
    If you are eating at a calorie deficit, than you should eat back your exercise calories. If you are eating at maintenance, than you don't need to.
  • delilah47
    delilah47 Posts: 1,658
    If you are on a low carb diet, such as Atkins, and you are in ketosis (usually less than about 20-40 carbs per day), it doesn't matter how many calories you eat as long as you maintain your low carb status.

    And.. the first week on almost any diet will result in a big water-weight loss.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    It depends on how your calorie goal was estimated. If it accounts for exercise, then no, you don't need to eat them back. If it doesn't, then yes you should.

    As far as following a plan that was recommended to you, and now posting on MFP... I'm not sure who recommended you the plan, or what your goals/difficulties are currently, but mixing advice from multiple sources is a bad idea.

    I'm using the 1,700 calorie plan that MFP recommended.

    Below is what I told the calculator...

    http://cl.ly/35050v1U1D3T1M0Y2J0R

    It spit out 1,700 cals but if I log a workout, it adds more cals in.

    And I second that, I'd never heard of "eating your workout cals back" before coming to this site either.

    My goal is to get back to 165-175 lbs. I was at 205. I'm down to 195.

    Assuming the "lightly active" setting does not cover your exercise/workouts, then yes... you should be eating them back.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    All -

    There actually is some science/reason to all this... it's not just about whether or not you're hungry or anything so arbitrary.

    And the reason a lot of people haven't heard the term is because most (at least "most" from my experience, but certainly many) plans/trainers account for exercise when giving you your daily caloric goal. Meaning if they want you to net 1500cals daily, and they know that based on the exercise program they have given you you are going to burn 400cals daily, then they tell you your daily calorie goal is 1900.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    All -

    There actually is some science/reason to all this... it's not just about whether or not you're hungry or anything so arbitrary.

    And the reason a lot of people haven't heard the term is because most (at least "most" from my experience, but certainly many) plans/trainers account for exercise when giving you your daily caloric goal. Meaning if they want you to net 1500cals daily, and they know that based on the exercise program they have given you you are going to burn 400cals daily, then they tell you your daily calorie goal is 1900.
    And to me this makes sense. What I see on here is that folks consider those "exercise calories" very differently than folks who've built them in...does that make sense? They seem like a "bonus" or some such thing. Or something to be "stocked up" for a trip to TGIF...
  • themotto
    themotto Posts: 15 Member
    It depends on how your calorie goal was estimated. If it accounts for exercise, then no, you don't need to eat them back. If it doesn't, then yes you should.

    As far as following a plan that was recommended to you, and now posting on MFP... I'm not sure who recommended you the plan, or what your goals/difficulties are currently, but mixing advice from multiple sources is a bad idea.

    I'm using the 1,700 calorie plan that MFP recommended.

    Below is what I told the calculator...

    http://cl.ly/35050v1U1D3T1M0Y2J0R

    It spit out 1,700 cals but if I log a workout, it adds more cals in.

    And I second that, I'd never heard of "eating your workout cals back" before coming to this site either.

    My goal is to get back to 165-175 lbs. I was at 205. I'm down to 195.

    Assuming the "lightly active" setting does not cover your exercise/workouts, then yes... you should be eating them back.

    Well I'm not very active other than in the gym. I work out 5-6 times a week, but i'm stuck at a desk job. So I don't know what it would be best for me to do. I'm eating at 1700 now.
  • themotto
    themotto Posts: 15 Member
    If you are on a low carb diet, such as Atkins, and you are in ketosis (usually less than about 20-40 carbs per day), it doesn't matter how many calories you eat as long as you maintain your low carb status.

    And.. the first week on almost any diet will result in a big water-weight loss.

    Because of fruit, there's no way for me to stay 20-40 carbs per day. I'd say I'm around 65-80.
  • rininger85
    rininger85 Posts: 131
    If you are eating at a calorie deficit, than you should eat back your exercise calories. If you are eating at maintenance, than you don't need to.

    agreed, I put in I want to lose 2 lbs per week which MFP set me at something like a 900 calorie defecit so my goal is 1600 calories per day, so I should eat the calories I burn because MFP has already set the defecit and it gives credit for the calories burned, but I'm only eating what I need to not be hungry... in just a couple of weeks of doing this my body has mostly adjusted to being used to the 1600 calories so I'm not hungry all the time... so I don't always eat the extra cals that exercise allows me.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    If you are on a low carb diet, such as Atkins, and you are in ketosis (usually less than about 20-40 carbs per day), it doesn't matter how many calories you eat as long as you maintain your low carb status.

    And.. the first week on almost any diet will result in a big water-weight loss.

    Wait, what??? Are you saying that total cals are irrelevant as long as carbs stay under 40g per day? That's absurd. Excess cals, regardless of type of cal, WILL lead to weight gain.

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