Can someone please tell me??

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missconceitedme
missconceitedme Posts: 26
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm a little confused as to why it is suggested to eat back the calories we have burned.. It seem kind of counter productive to me.. Wouldn't that cause a maintenance in weight instead of loss?? Sorry if I sound stupid (I really dont mean to), I just really need to know.. Also, even though it is suggested, does it really matter? Will it slow/speed weight loss?
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  • aimeeinohio
    aimeeinohio Posts: 301 Member
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    Im not sure I get it entirely. But I listened to a Fat2Fit Radio podcast tonight and they said NOT to eat the calories back.

    I look at it as a bit of a safety net- if I've worked out then I have those extra calories I an eat if I'm starved. :bigsmile:
  • lifesazoo
    lifesazoo Posts: 118
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    I think the idea is to avoid throwing your body into starvation mode, where it retains fat. I'm not eating mine back until I hit a plateau. I am trying to eat a lot more protein and less carbs. If I'm starving, I'll eat some dried berries or veggies and try to push towards my calorie limit.
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
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    The specific reason is as follows:

    When MFP calculates your intake recommendation, it asks you some questions about your activity and it asks you how much you want to lose per week. It then calculates an intake to lose that much per week BEFORE EXERCISE is factored in.

    When you exercise, you create a larger calorie deficit than MFP originally assumed you would create, so it asks you to eat back the calories you burned to bring you back to the goal weightloss that you specified.


    External TDEE calculators will typically assume that you are factoring in an aggregate of exercise expenditure when you tell it your activity level.
  • ZiggyJeanne
    ZiggyJeanne Posts: 4
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    I don't eat them back but I know they are there if I need a little room for something I like to eat. I try to make healthier food choices. I know we want to avoid starvation mode so even if I am not hungry I try to eat something healthy every few hours if possible (yogurt, grapes, cucumber, something like that).
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    it's only maintenance if you already figure your exercise level into your activity level that you give MFP.

    when i first joined, MFP suggested i eat 1200 calories a day + my exercise calories.

    my TDEE was around 2700 (counting exercise) so if i burned 1000 calories a day in exercise. i'd be eating 2200 which would still mathematically mean a 1 pound fat loss for me.
  • missconceitedme
    missconceitedme Posts: 26
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    Im not sure I get it entirely. But I listened to a Fat2Fit Radio podcast tonight and they said NOT to eat the calories back.

    I look at it as a bit of a safety net- if I've worked out then I have those extra calories I an eat if I'm starved. :bigsmile:

    Thanks for responding! I absolutely understand using the calories burned as a safety net, as that makes sense..
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    Im not sure I get it entirely. But I listened to a Fat2Fit Radio podcast tonight and they said NOT to eat the calories back.

    I look at it as a bit of a safety net- if I've worked out then I have those extra calories I an eat if I'm starved. :bigsmile:
    fat2fit uses a different system though where you factor your exercise into your TDEE and then it subtracts from that.. so comparing that to MFP is like comparing donuts and tuck tires

    if you're going to use the fat2fit formula (i do ) then you need to manually change your calorie goals and log your exercises as burning 1 calorie or something nominal like that
  • Contrarian
    Contrarian Posts: 8,138 Member
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    The specific reason is as follows:

    When MFP calculates your intake recommendation, it asks you some questions about your activity and it asks you how much you want to lose per week. It then calculates an intake to lose that much per week BEFORE EXERCISE is factored in.

    When you exercise, you create a larger calorie deficit than MFP originally assumed you would create, so it asks you to eat back the calories you burned to bring you back to the goal weightloss that you specified.


    External TDEE calculators will typically assume that you are factoring in an aggregate of exercise expenditure when you tell it your activity level.

    This.
  • veganbaum
    veganbaum Posts: 1,865 Member
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    Im not sure I get it entirely. But I listened to a Fat2Fit Radio podcast tonight and they said NOT to eat the calories back.

    I look at it as a bit of a safety net- if I've worked out then I have those extra calories I an eat if I'm starved. :bigsmile:

    Thanks for responding! I absolutely understand using the calories burned as a safety net, as that makes sense..

    No! This podcast is in all probability NOT using the method MFP uses but rather the method that already factors in exercise (using TDEE). Read what sidesteal wrote.
  • julieh391
    julieh391 Posts: 683 Member
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    The specific reason is as follows:

    When MFP calculates your intake recommendation, it asks you some questions about your activity and it asks you how much you want to lose per week. It then calculates an intake to lose that much per week BEFORE EXERCISE is factored in.

    When you exercise, you create a larger calorie deficit than MFP originally assumed you would create, so it asks you to eat back the calories you burned to bring you back to the goal weightloss that you specified.


    External TDEE calculators will typically assume that you are factoring in an aggregate of exercise expenditure when you tell it your activity level.

    ^^This! I eat about 80% of mine back and consistently lose 1-2lbs/week.
  • RealWomenLovePitbulls
    RealWomenLovePitbulls Posts: 729 Member
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    i think ur goal calories are already set for weight loss, so when u brun more, u need more... does that make sense.
  • irisheyez718
    irisheyez718 Posts: 677 Member
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    I eat my exercise calories back, and I'm losing just fine. Why make it any harder than it needs to be?
  • fhsjewfro
    fhsjewfro Posts: 101 Member
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    i swear this question gets asked a few times every week

    search for these things people, it gets repetitive saying the same things over and over and over
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
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    i think ur goal calories are already set for weight loss, so when u brun more, u need more... does that make sense.

    YES! I eat mine back - always have - and it works perfectly the way MFP sets it up. MFP is ALREADY set for a deficit, so when you burn more cals through exercise, you are going BELOW what you need to go to lose. Your body needs you to eat at least some of those back in order to repair and recover after exercise. :flowerforyou:
  • HollyInBalance
    HollyInBalance Posts: 10 Member
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    To lose 1 lb a week you need to have a deficit of 500 calories per day. Here's the math: 500 cal deficit each day for 7 days = 3,500 calorie deficit which = 1 lb.

    So at the the end of the day you want your "Remaining" calories to be 500+ in order to drop 1lb a week.

    If you aren't looking to lose but rather to maintain your weight go ahead and consume all your daily calories allowed.

    Be sure to google BMR Calculator- a lot of people forget that you burn calories every single day just by being alive! :happy: Granted it's not enough to lose weight but I'll take calories burned anyway I can!!

    I hope this helps you! Good luck in your journey!!
  • purpleipod
    purpleipod Posts: 1,147 Member
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    Im not sure I get it entirely. But I listened to a Fat2Fit Radio podcast tonight and they said NOT to eat the calories back.

    I look at it as a bit of a safety net- if I've worked out then I have those extra calories I an eat if I'm starved. :bigsmile:

    Does that method have you already eating at the deficit intended for you to lose the amount you said you wanted to lose? MFP already has you at the calorie deficit you need to be at before even adding exercise. I wouldn't compare this to something else.
  • missconceitedme
    missconceitedme Posts: 26
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    The specific reason is as follows:

    When MFP calculates your intake recommendation, it asks you some questions about your activity and it asks you how much you want to lose per week. It then calculates an intake to lose that much per week BEFORE EXERCISE is factored in.

    When you exercise, you create a larger calorie deficit than MFP originally assumed you would create, so it asks you to eat back the calories you burned to bring you back to the goal weightloss that you specified.


    External TDEE calculators will typically assume that you are factoring in an aggregate of exercise expenditure when you tell it your activity level.

    Thank you so much for your explination as you made me see what I wasn't seeing :-) The main reason I was asking is because when I consulted my Dr. about losing weight, all he said was cut calories to between 1200-1500 and walk.. Nothing more, nothing less lol..
  • irisheyez718
    irisheyez718 Posts: 677 Member
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    To lose 1 lb a week you need to have a deficit of 500 calories per day. Here's the math: 500 cal deficit each day for 7 days = 3,500 calorie deficit which = 1 lb.

    So at the the end of the day you want your "Remaining" calories to be 500+ in order to drop 1lb a week.

    If you aren't looking to lose but rather to maintain your weight go ahead and consume all your daily calories allowed.

    Be sure to google BMR Calculator- a lot of people forget that you burn calories every single day just by being alive! :happy: Granted it's not enough to lose weight but I'll take calories burned anyway I can!!


    I hope this helps you! Good luck in your journey!!
    I think you intend well but that you don't understand how MFP is set up. There is already a deficit figured in by MFP when you tell it how much you want to lose a week. You definitely DO not need to have 500 plus calories remaining, and in most cases, shouldn't.
  • Bob314159
    Bob314159 Posts: 1,178 Member
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    i think ur goal calories are already set for weight loss, so when u brun more, u need more... does that make sense.

    Why not make it easier - exercise less and you don't have to waste time exercising and cooking the extra calories. You would save a ton of time.

    Now I would agree that exercise is good, so you should not give that up. But I see people who are working out hard for an hour in the morning and the evening, unless you are training for a marathon that really seems pointless.
  • missconceitedme
    missconceitedme Posts: 26
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    i swear this question gets asked a few times every week

    search for these things people, it gets repetitive saying the same things over and over and over

    Sorry, I wasn't trying to be repetitive.. I've been surching forums for the past 2 days that I have been here and have NOT seen anyone ask this question.. Hence the reason I asked.. I don't ask for special attention when it's not needed..

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