So do you eat your "earned" calories for the day?

carachel2
carachel2 Posts: 13
in Health and Weight Loss
::: confused:::: I enter my exercise for the day and then my calculations "give" me more calories.

So to be successful should I eat that extra to account for the energy burned or what >?

Replies

  • vallemic
    vallemic Posts: 278 Member
    Yes, eat them!
  • Willbenchforcupcakes
    Willbenchforcupcakes Posts: 4,955 Member
    As long as you set up your profile with your activity level not including exercise (not the goals for exercise, but your actual activity level), then yes, eat back at least a good portion.
  • ChassityDawn
    ChassityDawn Posts: 17
    is it harmful not to? I mean I want to burn it off for a reason. Why would I want to eat it back?
  • sharoncasey60
    sharoncasey60 Posts: 60 Member
    I agree, I am confused about this. It seems like we could go without the extra calories and lose more weight. I don't understand the reasoning.
  • AdrienneW18
    AdrienneW18 Posts: 4
    Just like in Weight Watchers - eat them - or at least part of them. You earned them and are no worse off for eating extra and your body needs add'l fuel and calories to burn while building muscle. Just try to make them good extra calories. Something healthful that you enjoy and look forward to but does not undermine your efforts. Make sense? I usually eat about 1/2 of what I earn - that way Im coming out way ahead. It has worked for me for 4 years since learning it in WW. Good Luck!
  • Audrey403
    Audrey403 Posts: 50 Member
    I spent months not eating back anything, and lost weight quickly. Now, I feel like my metabolism is shot.

    Eat your calories! It's worth it!
  • Kaitou
    Kaitou Posts: 50 Member
    The reason to make sure you eat enough of them is if you don't, you could slow your metabolism down to a crawl. You could also lose muscle mass. The amount of calories MFP gives you will still lose weight on.

    Myself, I think it's better to try and use it to form good habits. Like, 1500 or 1800 calories a day is sustainable; that's something I can carry out for a long time and keep off the weight I lost. If I lose it all on a 1200 a day plan, I may gain it back when I go up to more calories. So I don't know, I just see the weight lost from a higher calorie plan as safer. I can be more confident it won't go back on.

    Oh, and to answer the topic question, nope! I'm having a hard time eating as many calories as I supposedly need @_@ I'm not even touching the earned calories, unfortunately.
  • peachyxoxoxo
    peachyxoxoxo Posts: 1,178 Member
    This post needs to be stickied! It explains everything:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/383956-exercise-calories-explained
  • sukatx
    sukatx Posts: 103
    There were several weeks when I didn't eat the calories I earned from exercising, and I couldn't lose weight. I started eating some of those calories, I started losing weight again.

    So, it all depends on what works for you.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    I eat them if I am hungry. For me, it usually depends on how much protein I've had. When I have calories left over, it seems that I am short on protein that day.

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