Eating back exercise calories...

I try not to eat my exercise calories other wise whats the sense in exercising? Think it would work better and you would lose more weight if you stick to the calories you are supposed to eat and exercise more. can't figure it out but i joined in September 09 and have lost 13 pounds. whatever works for you.

I don't always eat my exercise calories it depends on how hungry I am. I have exercised more in a day knowind we were going out at night and I would be eating extra calories. I think you have to find what works for you! Good luck!

This post question usually generates a lot of debate. I agree with the earlier post that said whatever works for you. The site generates a daily food calorie deficit based on your goal (for me it is 500 cal a day which equals one pound per week). So if you only want to lose a pound a week and your deficit is set at 500 then you can eat back the exercise calories. If you want to lose more then you wouldn't eat them. Just make sure you are trying to lose weight in a healthy way (example trying to lose 7 lbs in a week probably isn't healthy or realistic). Welcome to the site.



Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Calculator

The calories that you consume normally (w/out working out) keep your body alive and processing properly. So when you workout and burn more calories, you need to put more in to keep it processing at an optimum level. Kinda like with your car. When you drive the speed limit you burn gas efficiently. But if you're constantly speeding (like me and reving your motor you will burn more gas so you need to replace it more often. If you don't replace the calories your body will start to hang on to everything it's given because it thinks it might be starving.

I personally eat back at least 75% of my exercise calories. It's usually in the form of a protein shake and carbs. That helps build up the muscles I tore down during my workout.

Hope this helps. There's tons of information out there (and here) on this. Just make sure you're not eating back the calories in the form of ice cream (although that would be great

Good luck!!

There are some good threads on that out there...but essentially as an overview:

If you put in that you weigh XXX pounds, that your goal is X pounds per week, then based on your level of activity it suggests that you eat say 1,200 calories. You need to net 1,200 calories to lose the weight you are trying to lose, and keep your body on sustainable nutrition so it doesn't slow down your metabolism to save itself (i.e. starvation mode). If you work out, and you burn 300 calories, then your net calories - those you have eaten, used for your normal biological existence, and now your exercise calories - will put your body into a mode of preservation - in this case your net calories is actually 900 (eat 1,200, burn 300). The calculation, however, to determine how many you need to lose the weight and keep your body functioning is the the 1,200. If you eat 1,200, exercise 300 off, you need to eat 300 more to ensure your body has substantial energy to continue to burn fat after you workout - otherwise your body will slow your metabolism down to preserve it's core functions.

That's the reason for eating your workout calories - your calculation of calories to eat already takes into account your normal activity, your rate of weight loss, and your bodies necessary energy level.