Should I eat my workout calories

clodagh1982 · June 2012

Hi

I have just started working out regularly and was wondering should I eat the calories gained by exercise?
When I was at weight watchers the group leader advised against it, not sure what to do

mrykyldy2 · June 2012

Do not eat teh exercise calories if you are trying to lose weight. You want to burn more calories than you are eating.

josiereside · June 2012

I would say yes to eat them or at least a good percentage of them. How many calories are you eating a day?

linnamae · June 2012

So many people don't even put in their daily exercise because they don't want to eat more. They think it is cheating and they will gain weight, but they will just store it as fat because their body doesn't know when the next meal is. I have seen it and done it myself. Your right, we need to fuel our bodies before and after exercise so we will have enough energy for the next workout. VERY VERY important!

Flaming_Reef · June 2012

Myfitnesspal is based off of you eating them back.Often it can depend on how you are measuring those calories. MFP, for instance, tends to overestimate so you might not want to eat all of them back. I use a polar heart rate monitor with a strap which is known to be pretty accurate. I eat every exercise calorie back.

My sister and mom are on weight watchers and they are supposed to eat back their exercise calories too.

gjulie · June 2012

I try to stick to 1500 cals a day and I usually do I could have earned up to 400 cals with exercise but I dont use them I eat 6 times a day,dont go hungry thats the biggest mistake you will make!

TeaBea · June 2012

Do not eat teh exercise calories if you are trying to lose weight. You want to burn more calories than you are eating.

What?

Your body needs a basic minimum # of calories for bodily functions .... heart, lungs, kidneys .... I could go on. If your net calories (that's calories eaten vs. calories burned) goes too low .... you body will burn fat AND muscle.

Also - people with very low calories are more subject to plateaus .... not fun.

YES eat your calories back ...... just make sure your exercise calorie burns are not inflated (machines & MFP over state).

wild_wild_life · June 2012

Do not eat teh exercise calories if you are trying to lose weight. You want to burn more calories than you are eating.

Let's address this misconception. This would only be true if MPF had set your calories to maintenance. However, MFP sets your calorie goal based on a deficit, the amount of which is determined by how fast you told it you want to lose weight. 1 lb per week is a 500 daily deficit and 2 lbs per week is a 1000 calorie deficit. This is before any exercise is entered. If you exercise and don't eat it back, you are increasing your deficit. Too big a deficit is bad for both weight loss and health.

Short answer: in most cases, unless you are very careful and know your total deficit including exercise is less than 1000 or so, eat them, or at least most of them.

jofjltncb6 · June 2012

*facepalm*

Does this site not have a search function?

(Sorry OP, not trying to be mean, but this is easily the #1 most controversial and most discussed topic in MFP. If this goes the same as those like it before, will quickly devolve into anarchy and chaos and will be locked within the hour. Good luck.)

(EDIT: Oh, and I almost forgot...prepare for a possible avalanche of broscience too.)

wild_wild_life · June 2012

*facepalm*

Does this site not have a search function?

(Sorry OP, not trying to be mean, but this is easily the #1 most controversial and most discussed topic in MFP. If this goes the same as those like it before, will quickly devolve into anarchy and chaos and will be locked within the hour. Good luck.)

This is true and I have no idea why it's controversial. MFP tells you to eat them by adding more calories to your goal. Why don't people just use MFP the way it is set up?

myfitnessnmhoy · June 2012

Hi

I have just started working out regularly and was wondering should I eat the calories gained by exercise?
When I was at weight watchers the group leader advised against it, not sure what to do

The site is designed so you are already set up with a caloric deficit that will allow you to lose weight at the pace you set, generally no more than 2 pounds per week.

This is not Weight Watchers, it's based on different principles.

You are an adult and may choose to use the site in the manner of your choosing. My past results (and those of many others) are that not eating your exercise calories or at least most of them results in faster weight loss initially, generally followed by reduced energy levels and a loss of effectiveness of workouts, a lower calorie burn as a result, and a disheartening plateau just about the time you're at your worst mood due to undereating.

Some people have reported great success by not eating back exercise calories, however. I am most certainly not one of them, and my experiments with fast dieting have always ended in tears and very rapid weight gain as soon as I give up in frustration.

Experiment. I'd suggest experimenting with the site as it's designed to be used, but as I said - you're an adult, you get to choose.

Good luck.