
But the reasons not to eat back exercise calories extend beyond convenience.

Sounds complicated, no? Without meaning to, we’ve just highlighted one reason not to use this approach-it’s a huge pain in the ass. People who do this are effectively basing their daily calorie needs on BMR + TEF + NEAT, and then adding TEA calories in direct proportion to how many they burned. That said, it’s become common (partly due to apps like MyFitnessPal) for dieters to eat less on days they don’t work out, earning back calories based on estimated energy expenditure during exercise (TEA). While exercise has so many amazing health benefits-ranging from disease prevention to socialization to improved mental health-studies show that it’s not as effective as diet for weight loss. This is mostly accomplished through diet. Weight loss occurs when you consistently burn more calories than you take in. This is what we are talking about when we say, “eating back exercise calories.”

Your basal metabolic rate, which is the amount of energy you burn just by existing.Your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) is determined by four factors: To understand why exercise calories matter in the context of nutrition, it’s helpful to know how we calculate calorie needs. What Does it Mean to Eat Back Exercise Calories? However, it’s best not to adjust calories to reflect your energy expenditure during exercise if you want to lose weight.

As a foodie, I’d love it if had a good reason to indulge in more the foods I enjoy. Are you among the half of all Americans who use an activity tracker? Do you use an app like MyFitnessPal to track food and exercise? If so, you may wonder if you should be eating back exercise caloriesīelieve me, I get why it’d be appealing to do so.
