should I deduct calories when I exercise?

StrayAlien

This may be a stupid question but as you know we burn calories when we sleep, just say I burn 80 calorie every hour I sleep for example. Should I deduct those calories from every hour I workout on a treadmill? Because I will be burning 80 calories even if I don't work out on the treadmill?

MysticRealm

I would just log 50-75% of the cals it tells you, most estimate your burn at much higher than it actually is.

Metazoick

Adding together calories you burn just by living and those burnt by exercising is one of the big reasons a lot of calculators can be so... off. Working it out manually for each workout would take a while, and would only be useful if the number it gives you is accurate to start with, when it's probably overestimating anyway. Try eating 50% of the calories it tells you you burnt off - if weight loss stalls decrease that % and if you're feeling hungry etc try increasing it till you find what works for you.

benjaminhk

I never take into account my resting metabolic rate when tracking calories but I track exercise just so I understand my "net consumed" calories since my calorie goal is all relative to my RMR anyway. I hope that made sense. It is late here.

RebelDiamond

No, the amount of calories you burn by simply living is already factored in.

Khukhullatus

I think it depends on the piece of equipment you are using to measure it. I've noticed that my run watch does add in the base calories I would have been burning sitting around, but the app I use on my phone doesn't

No matter what you use, I think it's a good idea to figure they are over reporting. I don't know why, but every single meter I've ever used, phone, run watch, tread mill estimate, MFP calculator, have all seemed extremely high to varying degrees.

There is an elliptical at my gym that is nuts. If It was accurate, I could spend a few hours on it in the morning each day then eat Crisco with a spoon at every meal and still run a deficit.

dlvuyovich

I stopped logging/tracking calories, even from working out, as it started turning into a false sense of security to eat more and justify the ice cream, wine, nachos, etc.

I give myself the 1200-2000 calorie range, keeping my macros (fat/car/protein) in order. On non workout days, I try to stay near 1200, and for the most part, even on workout days, reach 1600-1800. A good workout is a good workout which you will feel by the end or shortly after. Hope that helps.

yusaku02

dlvuyovich wrote: »

I stopped logging/tracking calories, even from working out, as it started turning into a false sense of security to eat more and justify the ice cream, wine, nachos, etc.

This, if you're looking for an excuse to eat extra then you have the wrong mindset.

granturismo

RebelDiamond wrote: »

No, the amount of calories you burn by simply living is already factored in.

This. @OP, when you set up your profile, mfp asked you to assign an activity setting of 'sedentary' to 'active' - this will take into account the basic calories burnt by the body on the essentials such as sleeping.

njitaliana

No, because the amount of calories you burn while sleeping and being awake is already factored into your calorie allotment.

The only time I eat back a portion of my exercise calories is when I work up such a huge sweat that I have to keep wiping my face and neck with a towel. If I don't work out to that point, I don't eat back my calories. I never eat back more than 1/2 of my exercise calories.

AllanMisner

All of the calorie in/calorie out is an estimate. So don’t lose yourself in trying to come up with an “accurate” burn. Put an estimate in there, monitor your weight and measurements over time and tweak as you go.

When I track, I bump up the food calorie counts a bit and bump down the cardio calorie burn a bit. After a few weeks, if I’m losing more than 2 lbs per week, I up my calories. I cut them down if I’m not losing 1 lb per week.