Exercise calories - how many to eat back

Lola2248

Hi
Just a bit of general advice wanted really
I understand the site overestimates calories burned. When you exercise and log it, do you eat back a percentage of what you burned?
Or do you have a standard, i.e. 1200 calories non exercise day, 1500 calories exercise day - irrelevant how much exercise you do?
Thanks in advance

lmr0528

I don't focus on eating back or not eating back a certain amount. If I'm hungry and I have calories left, I eat.

DeguelloTex

My standard is to eat back zero (0) exercise calories.

brianpperkins

MFP is designed for you to eat back all exercise calories. The issue is the ability to accurately calculate that number ... overestimation is common.

nancypnurse

Depends on the day. Like DeguelloTex, I tend to not count my exercise calories back into my day. But on certain "holidays," I will pick up the pace and count in my extra workout calories- (hello, small slice of husband's birthday cake this morning!;) )

Lola2248

brianpperkins wrote: »

MFP is designed for you to eat back all exercise calories. The issue is the ability to accurately calculate that number ... overestimation is common.

So it is my overestimation rather than the sites? So if I know from a machine i am walking say at 2% incline for 20 minutes at 5 mph, the calories given by MFP would be fairly accurate?

DeguelloTex

Really the only way to know is to evaluate your actual weight loss as it relates to your actual intake deficit and see how much difference the exercise is making.

cwolfman13

Depends on how accurate your estimations are...mine were always fairly accurate so I ate back most of them.

brianpperkins

Lola2248 wrote: »

brianpperkins wrote: »

MFP is designed for you to eat back all exercise calories. The issue is the ability to accurately calculate that number ... overestimation is common.

So it is my overestimation rather than the sites? So if I know from a machine i am walking say at 2% incline for 20 minutes at 5 mph, the calories given by MFP would be fairly accurate?

Many calculators overestimate .... that includes those online, on machines, and HRMs. MFP is close on some activities, wildly off on others. Every make and model of machine offers a different level of mechanical advantage and resistance while they tend to use formulas based on generalities. The math behind HRMs is only applicable to a narrow range of activities ... they are not the end all of calorie estimation that you will see them touted as on MFP.

Even the Compendium of Physical Activities https://sites.google.com/site/compendiumofphysicalactivities/ is based on averaged information. It can get you to a close starting point but individual adjustments are required.

TimothyFish

The problem isn't so much that MFP overestimates, but the estimate is based on the so called average person. The numbers will be right for some people and some people it won't. Exercise machines usually overestimate by 15% to 20%. I use MapMyRide to calculate my exercise calories, but it also seems to be overestimating, on top of which, it doesn't remove BMR from the equation before adding it to MFP. I found an equation that is supposed to calculate the additional energy required while riding a bicycle. I changed my weight in MapMyRide so that it would spit out the same number. That number is 40% of what the activity charts that MFP uses would give me. I don't figure that is correct either, but I'm so close to my goal that I figure I can wait until I reach it before trying to figure out a more accurate number.

Leighkai76

I almost always eat my calories back unless I'm not hungry. I use my own calculations which are way less than MFP. For running I give myself about 90 cals for every 10 minutes. For Crossfit I usually give 200-250 depending on the day. For biking at a consistant hard effort about 80 cals for every 10 minutes. I wear a GPS HRM for the biking and running that is in line with my guesses.

ljcolasanto

My understanding is that chest-based HRMs are the best, with wrist-based trackers being decent, and MFP being all over the place on these? But yes, even HRMs are not completely accurate, though they are said to be the best from what I've read. For the record, I do not eat back my exercise calories and I have been losing weight. I also use a fitbit flex. For me, the value is that it is repeatable and I can easily compare my alleged calorie burn over time. You can then adjust it if you think it's too high or low, but at least using one device to track it will give you consistency.

joeboland

I don't generally use MFP to track my workouts.

zavislak

I would say you should eat back your calories if you are trying to maintain, cut by 10-15% if you are trying to lose. I use my smart watch to calculate my calories burned because if goes by my heart rate to calculate them. Also, you may not be eating enough if you are only eating 1200 calories on no workout days. I understand I have been there and did the same thing when I was trying to lose weight. 1200 calories is usually too low for most people. I work out 3 days a week and eat 1600 calories on non workout days and I eat all my calories on workout days. I have lost 30 lbs in the last 2 1/2 months. Make sure you get enough healthy fats and 1/2 your body weight in water. I have a few other tricks I have learned if interested.

Lola2248

zavislak wrote: »

I would say you should eat back your calories if you are trying to maintain, cut by 10-15% if you are trying to lose. I use my smart watch to calculate my calories burned because if goes by my heart rate to calculate them. Also, you may not be eating enough if you are only eating 1200 calories on no workout days. I understand I have been there and did the same thing when I was trying to lose weight. 1200 calories is usually too low for most people. I work out 3 days a week and eat 1600 calories on non workout days and I eat all my calories on workout days. I have lost 30 lbs in the last 2 1/2 months. Make sure you get enough healthy fats and 1/2 your body weight in water. I have a few other tricks I have learned if interested.

Any help is appreciated... so yes! Tell me more.

Asher_Ethan

I eat back half and it's working for me.

jemhh

I eat them all back.

My suggestion is to choose one method, whether it is eating them all or a portion. Stick with it for 3-4 weeks. If you are losing significantly slower than what you chose on your MFP profile, eat fewer exercise calories. If you are losing significantly faster (a rate that veers into the "too fast" territory), eat more exercise calories.

The MFP calculator, just like every single other calorie, BMR, RMR, TDEE, NEAT, etc. calculator can only give you an estimate. You need to take that number, look at the data you get from your own real life, and then adjust for the results you need. For every person on MFP who says that the numbers are overestimated, there are likely people for whom the numbers are right on or overestimated. There's no one size fits all answer to this.

brianpperkins

ljcolasanto wrote: »

My understanding is that chest-based HRMs are the best, with wrist-based trackers being decent, and MFP being all over the place on these? But yes, even HRMs are not completely accurate, though they are said to be the best from what I've read. For the record, I do not eat back my exercise calories and I have been losing weight. I also use a fitbit flex. For me, the value is that it is repeatable and I can easily compare my alleged calorie burn over time. You can then adjust it if you think it's too high or low, but at least using one device to track it will give you consistency.

Best for what?

Chest straps and some arm mounted optical HRMs are great at counting heart beats at rest and during activity. The wrist mounted ones tend to become inaccurate during activity. All HRM caloric estimates are based on formulas built around steady state cardio ... none do lifting, intervals (to include HIIT), Zumba, yoga, etc accurately.

DeguelloTex

ljcolasanto wrote: »

I also use a fitbit flex. For me, the value is that it is repeatable and I can easily compare my alleged calorie burn over time. You can then adjust it if you think it's too high or low, but at least using one device to track it will give you consistency.

This is what I am doing. My UP24 gives me an estimate of caloric burn. It might be right. It might be wrong. I don't have any reason to believe that it is meaningfully inconsistent, so I don't really care if it is wrong because it's still a consistent baseline.

I know what I "should" be losing based on the UP24's burn. I know what I "should" be losing based on diet. I track the two together and get what appears to be a pretty decent view as to how much exercise makes how much difference in my weight. I keep a rolling average of how much the UP24's estimate departs from my actual weight loss and use that difference to determine my actual TDEE. It seems to be working OK.

bennett180790

my fitness pal already has you in a deficit so if you did not exercise you would lose weight just from eating so you need to eat back half if not all your exercise cals. however if you worked out your cals from a site like iifym.com then this takes into account your exercise and you do not eat them back and just log your exercise as 0 or 1 calorie. my macros are 1928 ( i recently upped them from 1400 which was low and stupid for the amount of exercise i was doing and my net cals were only 500 per a day -- strupid !!) i have my cals set to 1600 and then eat back half my calories, i am doing this slowly to help repair my metabolism and will soon have my cals set as 1928 and only log exercise without a value. please go and read iifym.com as it literally puts a lightbulb in on your head. If your exercising you need to fuel your body. my maintenence calories are 2300ish cals. please dont undereat i was doing this felt like crap had no energy and barely lost ! if you want to track your exercise ocrrectly then buy a HRM tracker like a polar or garmin. again weightloss and macros isn't black and white. everyone will react differently and it is all trial and error but please do not inadvertently starve yourself. MFP has net calories for a reason and if you are already eating at a food deficit then you need to ensure you replinish what you exercise. i am 24, F, 159lbs btw and i exercise 6 times a week. 3 weight training sessions, 4/5 spin classes and cardio after weights. i was living on 1400 cals a day ! bloody stupid and i am now glad i have seen sense !

csgtdw

I may be the odd egg but I don't attempt to eat back the calories. Many days, especially exercise days, I am still hungry so I eat like Imr0528 said. Attempting to lose weight and restore my health so I try to keep a deficit of a couple hundred calories and pay close attention to the nutrients and in my case fat intake. I use run keeper and Withings gadgets and those are usually synced up numbers wise. Regardless of the gadgets and the figures, the MFP program is just supposed to be a guide for you to shape your own program. When I first started using it I saw how much crap I was eating and changed my food lifestyle. Now I feel better but I'm not actually losing fat anymore so I add a little more activity in thus changing my moods and building in a deficit into my day. Currently I'm fine tuning my diet (I shouldn't say that because I'm not eating less just changing foods) to see where I can cut things like sodium and cholesterol and thus killing a bit of bloat and water retention. So that's how I use the system, if you are concerned with the numbers just use your body as a co-guide. If you're not losing what you need then maybe don't eat back all of your calories, or perhaps you're losing lbs but not burning fat, then more activities and protein might be appropriate.