When you have a set number of calories, say 1400, do you add the calories you burn back to your intake for the day? For instance, if you burn 200 calories on the treadmill then do you eat 1600 calories for the day?

Thanks for any insight.

Sorry guys. I didn't realize someone else just posted this question.

Heck no! I work too dang hard on that treadmill to burn those calories to just go and eat them back.

I agree aimeebell! I was just wondering from a healthy point of view. I don't want to throw my body into starvation mode by eating too few calories and wasn't sure if calories burned was counted.

Ok if you estimate daily calorie needs is based on low activity/ regular day - then yes, I would eat them back but what I do is take the number given on the machine and subtract 30% to get the "safe" amount I can eat back as most cardio machines way overestimate calories burned.

If when calculating daily calorie requirements, you entered "active excercise 2-3 times a week" - then no as the calculator already included extra calories that you might need for exercise.

For example by basic calorie requirements to loose wight is 1350 a day on a slow day but if into the calculator I enter that I exercise it would tell me to eat 1,600 cal so if on top of that I eat back - then I am doubling up , makes sense?

I use workouts to tome and in the same time to give me more calories to eat on days that I need them. Although if I am full I will not purposely eat them back just because.

Hope this helps.

So I have read a lot about this and have tried it both ways. I do think that if you know the acurate amount of calories you burn they you should eat them back. You want to make sure you net atleast 1200 calories a day. For example you eat 1300 calories and you burn 300 you want to eat 200 more. I This week I did a lot of exercise. I burned 2100 calories ( I have a heart rate monitor) and I only ate 1200-1300 calories a day making my net like 600 and that is not good. I needed to eat atleast 1200 net. I think I sent my body into shock and it is holding onto the food and I didnt loose anything this week. I am going to add some fruit, almonds, and greek yougurt to my breakfast and lunch to make sure I have 1500-1600 calories before I work out.

I usually eat around 1600 calories a day, and when I work out I don't eat back the calories I've burned. So I net around 1300 calories a day. It works for me.

So I guess just experiment and figure out what works for you. But don't go on an eating spree after you've worked out, that pretty much cancels out your workout.

Good luck with your weight loss!

I eat my daily target and just let my exercise increase the caloric deficit for the day.

I used to, and still lost doing that, but eventually stopped eating the calories I burned back.