Exercise calories on a crazy exercise day.

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Sara1978
Sara1978 Posts: 213 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I know that in theory, we are supposed to eat back the calories that we burn through exercise. A few times now, I've found myself in a position where it just isn't possible to do so. Today, my friends and I took a five hour hike up a mountain, covering about 8 miles with very significant elevation gain. I had a good breakfast before I left this morning, ate a sandwich, a whole baggie of baby carrots and a lot of fruit along the way, and then afterwards we tumbled into the nearest Olive Garden to gobble up everything in sight as per normal hungry hiker protocol. I sat down just now to input my day's calorie intake (1913) and exercise (+2162), and when all was said and done, the website has me at 1449 calories remaining for the day. Yikes! I don't even know how I could have possibly eaten more than what I did today-- I'm stuffed!

My question is-- if days occasionally happen where I'm just not able to eat back my exercise calories, is it going to severely impede my weight loss? Do I risk going into starvation mode when this happens? Or is it okay to occasionally have a day where the exercise calories are significantly above and beyond what I can consume? It certainly isn't something that I run into on a daily basis, but it has happened several times now.

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  • hiddensecant
    hiddensecant Posts: 2,446 Member
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    Check your hiking calories here: http://www.hikingdude.com/hiking-food.shtml#thescript ... might not be as much as you thought.
  • Sara1978
    Sara1978 Posts: 213 Member
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    Thank you for that calculator! The number it came up with seemed a lot more realistic than the number in MFP. It told me I burned just shy of 800 calories. That number + my 1200 base calories = 2000 calories, which is almost exactly what my body asked me to eat today. I'm sure that if I'd have really burned as much as MFP told me I had burned, I'd still be hungry right now. Thank you so much!
  • 1QueenB
    1QueenB Posts: 227 Member
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    I have been wondering the same thing. So I will stay tunef for your feedback!
  • hiddensecant
    hiddensecant Posts: 2,446 Member
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    No problem!

    MFP calculates by pure minutes and weight (and averages inclination and distance) so unless it was a quick hike with no breaks, there is A LOT of room for error in terms of estimating your caloric burn. Even a heart rate monitor wouldn't give you a very accurate reading during a long hike considering your heart rate wont be going at 60%+ the entire way (unless you were using something like a body bugg).

    So yeah, I love that site! It helps me pre-plan my meals and snacks during our weekly backpacking adventures.
  • Rhonnie
    Rhonnie Posts: 506 Member
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    It sounds like for this specific event you have your answer in that you didn't burn as much as MFP suggested. But for any future events, it will not put you in starvation mode or anything if you are occasionally not eating all of your exercise calories. :)
  • happy_jax
    happy_jax Posts: 289 Member
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    I wouldn't worry about it. I have no qualifications at all and don't want to be shot down in flames here...but I find that at weekends I usually wake up, do the 30 day shred, play a sport (badminton or something) then probably go for a bike ride in the afternoon...pretty active all day and burn 1500 - 2000 calories easily. Like you, there is no way I could eat all those back even if I was naughty!! :happy:

    As long as you're not doing it all the time - you're okay. In the week, I'd only do the Shred - some days the gym or C25K too - but normally eat closer to the 'target.'

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