Eating back exercise calories

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deadgirl81
deadgirl81 Posts: 412 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok, so I've been to see my local GP's practice nurse for some advice on losing weight - Not much to offer me but carry on what I'm doing but maintain portion control, up the exercise and watch out for carbs/sugars in food.

I did however ask her about eating back exercise calories, and she advised against it as she said it defeats the object if you're given x amount of calories on top of what you've actually allocated yourself for the day, its only ok if you're trying to maintain weight - not lose it!

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  • now_or_never12
    now_or_never12 Posts: 849 Member
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    This website is set up in such a way where you eat your exercise calories back so you don't run with too high of a deficit.

    If you were eating based on TDEE minus 20% than you wouldn't eat your exercise cals back as they are already factored in. They aren't factored in here and the calorie goal you have already has a deficit built in which is why it has you eat them back. Eating too little can harm you in the long run.

    If you are going off the numbers this site gives you I'd only eat about 1/2 of them back as it overestimate calories burns.
  • lesliefb
    lesliefb Posts: 88 Member
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    I like my sister in law's rule of thumb. I asked her if she eats back her exercise deficit and she said, "Not usually. But if I'm hungry, I do!" If you're eating healthy foods with whole grains, fruits and veggies, etc. then your body will tell you when it's hungry for real. (Unlike the "I just ate an entire bag of potato chips and I still want more" fake hunger... not that I'd know anything about that... ROFL)
  • aliciagudino
    aliciagudino Posts: 59 Member
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    That's what I do! If I am still hungry I will eat because I have the exercise cals, but I don't ever eat them all back. My doctor as well, said the same thing. That it defeats the purpose of losing weight, that if you are an "athlete" and burn crazy calories regularly, then it's okay if you are maintaining and don't have weight to lose. I am going by this simply because when I took her advice (I was always eating back all my exercise cals) I started to lose weight. And, I'm convinced it makes more sense if you're trying to lose weight, to exercise and burn calories, not eat them back. But everyone is different :)

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