eating exercise calories

antwanett419

I often wonder how many people eat their work out calories or does it even matter?

DuckReconMajor

It depends how the exercise calories are measured. It seems like FitBit users have had luck eating back most of their exercise calories since the calorie adjustments (provided that negative adjustments are enabled) tend to be accurate for the average user. MyFitnessPal's exercises within its database have generally higher calorie burns reported than is reality so if you're using those entries the general consensus seems to be eat 50% of those back.

The ideal situation is that your calories you eat and the calories you burn are somehow logged 100% accurately (not possible) and you eat back all of those calories. That's how it's supposed to work.

TeaBea

If you are using MFP as designed it matters. As you get closer to goal, it matters. MFP gave you a calorie deficit BEFORE exercise. That way people who can't exercise still lose weight.

MFP as designed....eating back calories gets you to your original deficit. However, calorie burns are estimates.

Some people use a method that includes exercise up front....TDEE less a % Because exercise is included....they technically eat their calories back.

Really large deficits make it hard for your body to support existing lean muscle. If you want a higher % of fat loss....moderate deficit is the way to go. This becomes more important as you get closer to goal.

antwanett419

That's what I figured. I have a 788 deficit due to my workout but my macros are perfect I was gonna leave it be but now I'll just figure out something else to eat at least 1/2 the remaining calories

Kalikel

Of course it matters - calories always matter when losing.

I cannot eat them back. If I'm not eating around 1200 and exercising, I just don't lose weight. Sad, but true.

If I could eat more and lose, I would.

Try eating them back. If you can't lose, try eating half of them back. Give both of those a few weeks to work.

Eat as much as you can while still losing. At some point, you're going to want to cut back and you want something you can cut!!

antwanett419

Very good way of looking at it. My problem has always been with carbs. I like carbs but they don't like me. As long as I eat clean I lose but thr minute u eat carbs I carry them straight away and they say there for a while. Which sucks because contrary to what people say about protein being more filling that's not true for me at all ...=(