Do you eat your workout calories?

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  • cmeade20
    cmeade20 Posts: 1,238 Member
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    Can someone please explain what is meant by "my activity/workouts are already figured into my calorie budget" and consequently you would NOT eat back workout calories? I'm fairly new, and I want to make sure I understand the calculations. I assume it means that you don't actually add your workouts, but you consider yourself as active or extremely active...?
    Thanks in advance!


    Some people calculate their TDEE (the entire amount of calories they burn all day- BMR+exercise cals+ cals burned from daily activity+cals from digestion) and then subtract a certain percentage from that (ususually 10-20 percentis recommended) and eat that amount daily.

    So lets say you calculated your maintenance calories and it was 2500. You want to eat 20% less than that, so you eat 2,000 calories a day.
  • tamtamzz
    tamtamzz Posts: 142
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    Yes, most of the time, but on my long run days it's hard to eat them all because it can be 600 to 700 calories extra.

    No, it has not impacted my weight loss.
  • MurphysLawTD
    MurphysLawTD Posts: 310 Member
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    Do you eat your workout calories? What if you don't? Will that impact weight loss?

    I absolutely do, and treat my calorie tracker like a bank account! I've lost 16 lbs in 8 weeks in doing so and though I'm plateu-ing a bit now, I'm definitely maintaining.

    The only time I intentionally come under calorie goal is when I know I'm going over in the next day or 2 (parties, work dinners, BBQ, etc.) The key is to plan ahead, IMHO.

    Also, I round up with my food cals and down with work outs. That way, I don't have to take into account EVERY spoonful of sugar in my coffee or slab of butter on my bagel.

    Good luck!
  • vallemic
    vallemic Posts: 278 Member
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    Yes, always.
  • lmeasterling
    lmeasterling Posts: 139 Member
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    MFP tends to overestimate on the number of calories burned, so I'll usually eat some of them back, but definitely not ALL. :)
  • ladyofstyle
    ladyofstyle Posts: 28 Member
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    I try not to but most of the time to do. :(
  • MurphysLawTD
    MurphysLawTD Posts: 310 Member
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    Most of the time I do. MFP already takes a 500 calorie deficit off.

    Wait, what?? So I have a 500 cal leeway? So if what was "set" for me was 1,200 but I work out 4+x a week and there's a 500 cal defecit...I should be taking in much more, correct?

    I just HATE when the number turns red!!! LOL
  • raeleek
    raeleek Posts: 414 Member
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    I eat them all. Every day. If I don't, my weight loss slows immediately.

    This...

    BUT I will say to each their own. Some bodies react differently than others. Experiment! If your weight loss stalls trying upping calories. You have to find the groove that works for you! All the best!
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,134 Member
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    I eat some of them. My daily eating calorie goal is 2,000ish, so I eat until I hit that number and leave the rest. I don't bother about the Net number.
  • zaithyr
    zaithyr Posts: 482 Member
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    I usually do (sometimes not all of them if there are a lot and I'm just not that hungry). Even eating back your exercise calories, you'll still be at a deficit so why not?
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
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    It depends on how you have MFP set up. If you set it up the standard way (AKA not customizing it) then you should eat your calories back.

    It depends heavily on the size of your calorie deficit in relation to your weight loss goals and current weight.
  • CountryBoy65
    CountryBoy65 Posts: 908 Member
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    If you eat any of your workout calories...you will never lose any weight. At All. Even if you eat your workout calories, then work out some more, its too late. Workout calories are meant to be hoarded up like extra minutes on your cell plan, and rolled forward till the next day, week, month, so on. Workout calories never expire, but do not eat them. Save them up for the future when you are really starving....

    Work out for hours and hours every day, never eat any of your workout calories....and try to keep your intake to around 600-800 calories a day. Then, eventually you will lose the weight on the hospital food that you will end up eating.
  • nikmaack
    nikmaack Posts: 28 Member
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    I have my activity level set at sedentary, and I log all my exercise. I'm VERY active -- walking to and from work, walking my dogs, using an elliptical most mornings, often working out at lunch.

    When I was trying to lose weight, I would eat some but not all of my exercise calories.

    Now that I am trying to maintain weight loss -- yeah, I gobble up all those work out calories.

    I've lost over 90 pounds and I've kept it off for over a year.

    Also, my diary is open, if anyone wants to look. Most days I eat around 3500 calories, but the activity level I have means I can get away with it.
  • ShrinkinBootyB
    ShrinkinBootyB Posts: 7
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    When I was my weight would maintain. I am at that sticky last 10 - 15 mark. When i stopped eating them and maintained a constant eating schedule of every 2 - 3 hours and stopped eatting late at night with the exception of an afterwork out snack Ive started to lose weight. There are days that I will up my calories though. days when i hike, swim with the kids AND do my P90X, those days I go negative into my calorie intake and I feel weak the next day if I dont.
  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
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    Sometimes... or some of them... I usually have a deficit if I exercise. I aim at eating at least 1200 calories a day. I seem to be losing one pound a week. I weigh myself every other week... next weigh in is Monday. I should have lost another two pounds (crossing my fingers ;-))
  • raeleek
    raeleek Posts: 414 Member
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    The bottom line on this question is - Do you understand the numbers?

    If you are using MFP's set up as intended, and you enter a goal to lose weight, you are given a deficit at which to lose weight BEFORE exercising. If your goal is to lose 1lb/wk then MFP gives you a number, let's say 1500. You eat that, you have a deficit to lose 1lb/wk (which might not happen consistently, weight loss is not linear). You exercise and burn 500 calories. Now you have a bigger deficit. Sounds good, right? A bigger deficit = faster weight loss? Nope, not necessarily. The more weight you have to lose the bigger deficit you can have without it being too detrimental, but the less you have to lose the better it is to keep a smaller deficit (and a larger deficit with less weight to lose could actually result in a weight loss stall). So, you eat back those 500 calories, and you're right back at your deficit to lose 1lb/wk. (Although many people will suggest eating less than 100% of cals back in order to account for inaccuracies, which seems prudent, so maybe 75%).

    If you understand the numbers it makes sense. A lot of people will tell you to use TDEE or BMR as a baseline rather than MFP's numbers. That works too - I no longer use MFP's numbers myself (and later when you understand TDEE and have a set exercise routine - or lack thereof - that would be the way to go if MFP's numbers aren't working for you). Whatever.

    The most important thing, in my opinion - Just understand where the numbers come from and why you are eating the number of calories you are, and you should be able to figure out what works while getting proper nutrition, maintaining lean muscle, and really just finding a sustainable method of weight loss leading to maintenance. Start with what MFP gives you (as long as you have entered a reasonable goal - e.g. you're not trying to lose 2lb/wk when you only have 10 to lose), read and learn, and then change things up if needed.

    GOOD post!
  • Vonwarr
    Vonwarr Posts: 390 Member
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    Judging from the range of replies in this thread, the biggest take-away that you should have is:

    EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT. :)

    There is a margin of error in EVERYTHING... What works for someone will not work for others. Many people eat their exercise calories back and have great progress. Just as many swear that if they eat their calories back they don't lose anything. The more accurately you can measure your calories consumed and calories burned, the easier it is to project.

    Having said that, I tend to eat 50-75% of my exercise calories back (it's hard when it's over 1000 extra calories!). I'm trying to lose fat while minimizing muscle loss - so far, I'm at 17 pounds lost (my ticker says 14, but I officially weigh in Sunday), and only 0.5 lbs of it was lean mass.
  • verptwerp
    verptwerp Posts: 3,659 Member
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    Depends ......

    I usually go to the gym after work & before dinner ...... I'm starving by the time I get home, and will eat a pretty big dinner, but sometimes there are calories left over ......

    No big deal ..... and I'm still losing :drinker:
  • ShrinkinBootyB
    ShrinkinBootyB Posts: 7
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    Work out for hours and hours every day, never eat any of your workout calories....and try to keep your intake to around 600-800 calories a day. Then, eventually you will lose the weight on the hospital food that you will end up eating.

    wowsa. I would hope the poster isnt eating 600-800 calories a day. I eat 1200-1500 and do not eat my workout calories. I have more energy, spunk and less fat on me doing so.
  • yanafomina
    yanafomina Posts: 1
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    I try not to eat after 6PM and since I go to the gym in the evening, I dont "eat the workout calories". But I know if I really wanted to, I can eat a snack :)

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