Eating Back Calories...

Tryin2LiveFree
Tryin2LiveFree Posts: 9 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have seen on several posts people discussing the good and bad regarding eating back calories from exercise. Can anyone elaborate specifically what the logic behind eating back calories? Being now to MFP, I am not familiar with the concept.

I have always thought in order to loose weight, you need to burn more calories than you intake. Therefore, creating a deficit of sorts to burn the fat you have stored. I know you can attack weight loss by a controlled diet, exercise or managing both. I plan to manage both for the optimal results.

Thoughts.. Comments. Thanks.

Replies

  • gpstrucker
    gpstrucker Posts: 930 Member
    The concept is simple if debatable. Your MFP profile is set up for a specific calorie deficit (number of pounds per week of loss). Exercise burns extra calories and eating them back maintains that specific calorie deficit.

    For me it works, others have different ideas. Do what works for you.
  • AllDIVA
    AllDIVA Posts: 45 Member
    OK.. you have set up your profile and goals. You have a certain amount of calories you are allowed each day. when you add the exercise on your log, the system increases the number of calories you can consume. My trainer told me not to eat more because MFP says I can due to the exercise. calories in vs calories out.
  • Tryin2LiveFree
    Tryin2LiveFree Posts: 9 Member
    Thanks a bunch. That makes sense. I think I'll try it out and see what works.
  • 78brownie_wechanged
    78brownie_wechanged Posts: 291
    It was recommended to me that I dig into my extra calories as needed. Not sure which way is correct "/
  • ladybug1620
    ladybug1620 Posts: 1,136 Member
    When you set up your goals in MFP, the calories it gives you to eat per day ALREADY includes the deficit. Meaning you should lose weight if you eat those calories without exercising. When you exercise, you create an even bigger deficit. For some people (depending on what your calorie goal is set at) this could mean if you don't eat them back you'll have consumed too few calories. For example, if you're set at 1200 calories and exercise and burn off 500, that would mean you're functioning on 700 calories per day which is not healthy for most people. It would be the same thing as only eating 700 calories in theory. Make sense?
  • gpstrucker
    gpstrucker Posts: 930 Member
    It was recommended to me that I dig into my extra calories as needed. Not sure which way is correct "/

    I don't think it's a matter of "correct" as much as in what works for YOU. We are all different. Some people have a real hard time with portion sizes and often underestimate what they really ate. For them, not eating back those calories acts as a sort of hedge against that. For others, who do better at such things, eating them back works.

    The MFP plan works for me. I set my activity level at sedentary because I spend a lot of time driving. I use a FitBit to monitor my physical activity and let it add in my activity calories. I've been losing weight this way. It works for me. May not work for someone else.
  • Tryin2LiveFree
    Tryin2LiveFree Posts: 9 Member
    I have about 40 lbs to loose to reach my initial goal but, I also want to remain healthy. This is my second time around trying to loose this amount of weight and I'd like to keep it off. I track my portions pretty well however, I have a work in an office setting therefore, I am pretty sedentary all day. I am trying to work out at least an hour 3 times a week. I think I'll try to track both ways and see what works. Thanks for the comments.
  • 78brownie_wechanged
    78brownie_wechanged Posts: 291
    Thank you. You're correct. I haven't actually tried to intentionally eat back any calories I've burned. If I have it was only by a hair. I would be willing to try to eat/ drink some of those calories. With this, I'll have a better understanding as to what actually works best for me.
    It was recommended to me that I dig into my extra calories as needed. Not sure which way is correct "/

    I don't think it's a matter of "correct" as much as in what works for YOU. We are all different. Some people have a real hard time with portion sizes and often underestimate what they really ate. For them, not eating back those calories acts as a sort of hedge against that. For others, who do better at such things, eating them back works.

    The MFP plan works for me. I set my activity level at sedentary because I spend a lot of time driving. I use a FitBit to monitor my physical activity and let it add in my activity calories. I've been losing weight this way. It works for me. May not work for someone else.
  • ronnio_ron
    ronnio_ron Posts: 61
    most of time i'm under my "added up calorie goals, because I just cant eat my exercise calories. Till now I hv had no issues at all and i suggest if you can consume about 70-80% of your added on "final" calorie value, that shud be a good start.

    Lotsa water also kills some of my appetitie
  • racerchick48
    racerchick48 Posts: 23 Member
    For me, eating back exercise calories (or exercising to burn off calories when I overeat) is working. I'm not losing very quickly, but I figure I didn't put the weight on overnight, and if I lose it too quickly I'm afraid I'll gain it all back! What works is not the same for everyone, of course, so I would suggest trying both ways, and see what works for you. Good luck on your weight loss journey!

    Oh, I also wanted to mention, the calories burned through exercise that MFP lists tend to run very high for me. I don't own a HRM, but when I work out at the gym I use the calorie counts from the machines, and assume they aren't 100% accurate as well. If I'm doing something where I don't have a machine to tell me my calories burned, I put it into MFP and subtract 50-100 calories, depending on what it's saying I burned and how winded I am! So if you choose to eat back exercise calories, keep this in mind :-)
  • johnsonjohn
    johnsonjohn Posts: 6
    I say base it all on the type and amount of excercise you are doing. If you are burning over what your daily calorie burn should be I would suggest eating back some of your calories just to get the carbs and protien in your system. The last thing you want to do is start losing muscle tissue which will only slow down your metabolism. The days I work large muscle groups with weight training(legs, back, chest) I tend to like to eat back some extra carbs earlier in the day and extra protien in the evening. Days of smaller muscle groups and just cardio I try to stay as close to my daily goal as possible but am not scared to go a little over.
  • MikeDaMotivator
    MikeDaMotivator Posts: 1,144
    I have seen on several posts people discussing the good and bad regarding eating back calories from exercise. Can anyone elaborate specifically what the logic behind eating back calories? Being now to MFP, I am not familiar with the concept.

    I have always thought in order to loose weight, you need to burn more calories than you intake. Therefore, creating a deficit of sorts to burn the fat you have stored. I know you can attack weight loss by a controlled diet, exercise or managing both. I plan to manage both for the optimal results.

    Thoughts.. Comments. Thanks.

    I never eat mine back. It makes me feel like its counterproductive when I do. I eat light on the days that I dont excercise and I eat all of my calories that I start with at the beginning of the day, if possible. I never eat my excercise calories back though.
  • gpstrucker
    gpstrucker Posts: 930 Member
    I have about 40 lbs to loose to reach my initial goal but, I also want to remain healthy. This is my second time around trying to loose this amount of weight and I'd like to keep it off. I track my portions pretty well however, I have a work in an office setting therefore, I am pretty sedentary all day. I am trying to work out at least an hour 3 times a week. I think I'll try to track both ways and see what works. Thanks for the comments.

    One thing I might suggest is that you pick one or the other and give it a try for several weeks. Switching back and forth won't really tell you what you need to know.
  • Tryin2LiveFree
    Tryin2LiveFree Posts: 9 Member
    I say base it all on the type and amount of excercise you are doing. If you are burning over what your daily calorie burn should be I would suggest eating back some of your calories just to get the carbs and protien in your system. The last thing you want to do is start losing muscle tissue which will only slow down your metabolism. The days I work large muscle groups with weight training(legs, back, chest) I tend to like to eat back some extra carbs earlier in the day and extra protien in the evening. Days of smaller muscle groups and just cardio I try to stay as close to my daily goal as possible but am not scared to go a little over.

    That makes perfect sense and seems like a good method for those days I'm working out. Thanks for sharing.
  • KaidaKantri
    KaidaKantri Posts: 401
    There are many varied answers to this. I find that I don't necessarily try and eat my exercise calories back. The way I do it, Is if I get hungry, I use them. If I'm not hungry, I don't use them. This works pretty well for me. If I have a rest day, no working out, I'm perfectly fine with my allotted 1390 calories that I'm set at. However, If I exercise, I find that I get hungry and need more food. Usually when this happens I still don't get close to eating all my exercise calories back. My main problem has always been portion size and binge eating. I have been able to keep this under control, and so I focus on listening to my body and only eat when I'm hungry, and not any time else. If I don't eat all my exercise calories, as long as I'm not hungry, I'm fine. I'm losing weight with this method. However, your body might be different. Play around and see what works for you.
  • jakiram
    jakiram Posts: 25 Member
    My body will go on survival mode if I don´t eat back the burnt calories or at least most of them. I hope to lose weight slowly and excercise to keep as much of my muscles as possible. No matter how slowly you lose weight some muscle is always lost as well.

    By eating enough I keep my metabolism going, prior joining MFP I did the mistake that I didn´t eat lost calories and my weight didn´t drop for months. Also I believe in that I´m not actually on a diet, I have changed my way of eating and plan on eating smartly for the rest of my life. As the weight slowly comes off I hope it also stays off better.

    Oh, and I must add that you should really figure out what you really burn by exercising. A heart rate monitor that shows the calories burnt is necessary to for you. I burn only 45-60% of the calories that a person my age, weight etc. burns according to several charts. So this is very individual as well.
  • vonsay
    vonsay Posts: 31
    It was recommended to me that I dig into my extra calories as needed. Not sure which way is correct "/

    I don't think it's a matter of "correct" as much as in what works for YOU. We are all different. Some people have a real hard time with portion sizes and often underestimate what they really ate. For them, not eating back those calories acts as a sort of hedge against that. For others, who do better at such things, eating them back works.

    The MFP plan works for me. I set my activity level at sedentary because I spend a lot of time driving. I use a FitBit to monitor my physical activity and let it add in my activity calories. I've been losing weight this way. It works for me. May not work for someone else.

    Ok so my mfp is set to 1280. How do I set it so that it will give me 1200 cals a day? I'm very nervous about eating back calories and I think that if its lower I will feel better because of the cushion. I have my activity set to lightly active or something like that.
  • vonsay
    vonsay Posts: 31
    I also feel like because I am never hungry if I eat 1280 that my body is getting enough food. It this a bad way of looking at it?
  • nicmacc
    nicmacc Posts: 35 Member
    there are SO MANY posts on this subject ? Why the confusion? You have summed it up perfectly - they should use your explanation in the "HOW TO" area!
  • nicmacc
    nicmacc Posts: 35 Member
    talkin bout ladybug's comment/explanation
  • Kmelim
    Kmelim Posts: 26
    I am afraid to eat back the calories I burn after I work out. I have been losing weight so I'm not complaining about that but it seems that the intake needs to be less than the outgo in order to lose.
  • angelcurry130
    angelcurry130 Posts: 265 Member
    I'm new...and was also really confused about "eating back" the calories. All the info provided has helped, thanks! I'm still pretty wary of eating more, though. I'm trying to maintain low carb intake for health reasons, and a lot of the options I have to replenish what I've worked off tend to be extremely high in fiber or fats. I'm sure you all know what happens with too much fiber, and I try to avoid unhealthy fats when I can. If I start plateauing again, I'll give eating back a shot, but I'm fairly comfortable with smaller portions. :)
  • gpstrucker
    gpstrucker Posts: 930 Member
    OK, I'll put my thoughts on this as simply as possible. Use the MFP system and see what happens. Try to be as close to your goal, including exercise, as possible and see how it works for you. This system really does work if you use it correctly.

    And no, I don't work for MFP.

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