Exercise calories

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  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/818082/exercise-calories-again-wtf
  • MarcyKirkton
    MarcyKirkton Posts: 507 Member
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    I certainly don't own expensive trackers. I use the data provided on the system, and do my best to choose the right levels, etc.

  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
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    JaredEBrooks wrote: »
    amswein1 wrote: »
    JaredEBrooks wrote: »
    Hi folks - I'm working with a personal trainer to get in shape and lose 50 lbs. I post my cardio and have MFP set to add steps via my iPhone. Working with the trainer has increased my condition but I don't seems to be losing weight, matter of fact I might be gaining a little due to increase in muscle tone. With what I have read on this thread I should stick with my cal goal which is 1720 and not "eat" the additional cardio or steps cal additions. Do I have this right?


    Correct. you do not eat back your exercise calories to lose weight.
    If you do in fact get hungry after an intense workout and you have to eat, then a snack can help. A protein smoothie, or protein in general like Hard boiled eggs, jerky, steamed veggies will help with the feeling of fullness.

    Excellent, I made the change in my settings. Appreciate the confirmation and information.

    @JaredEBrooks - Actually it depends on the method your using.

    MFP is designed so you lose weight without exercising. For this reason it bases your calorie goal off of what you would burn without exercise and your desired rate of loss per week. Then when you exercise and log them, they get added as calories you can consume so that your deficit doesn't get too large. Too large of a deficit can lead to more lean mass loss than necessary and even has the chance of causing you to binge.

    Example:
    MFP estimates I burn 1850 calories per day.
    My calorie goal for 1 lb per week loss is 1350 per day.
    Lets say one day my Fitbit tracks my calorie burn to be 2508.
    This gives me an adjustment of 658 calories that is added in my exercise diary to be consumed.
    If I don't eat them, my deficit becomes 1158. That's over what is needed for 2 lbs per week loss and I am less than 10 lbs from my goal. The recommended max deficit without doctor supervision is 1000 calories per day for 2 lbs per week loss. 2 lbs per week is aggressive for how little I have to lose and over 2 lbs is just a recipe for trouble.
    If I eat them back, my deficit stays at 500 calories for 1 lb per week loss.

    ~I do eat my exercise calorie burns and I have since I have been using MFP.


    Now, if you are using say the TDEE method (requires you to manually change your calorie goal), than your exercise is already included and spread evenly across your week. With this method you wouldn't want to add any extra calories on top of your goal.
  • fifiman
    fifiman Posts: 34 Member
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    I personally work out 4 days a week and burn lots of calories. I generally eat back 75% (or more) of those calories. I have lost 10 lbs in the last month alone doing it this way and I have gained noticable muscle in my arms and legs. In my opinion, it would be stupid to not eat the exercise calories back, at least partially, because you would be at too low of a deficit and it would be counterproductive. Sure, you may lose faster for a while, but in the long run, you will not be getting enough calories to thrive and you will likely be starving and sabotaging yourself in the end. Think about it...if your calorie allowance for the day is 1500, and you burn 1000 calories at the gym or on a run and you still only eat 1500 for that day, that is a net of only 500 calories, which is unsafe for anyone to do for extended periods of time.

    Don't follow bad advice and don't be afraid to eat! Good luck. :)
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
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    MarcyKirkton wrote: »
    I certainly don't own expensive trackers. I use the data provided on the system, and do my best to choose the right levels, etc.

    Many people don't, and do rely on the calorie counts provided by machines, and MFP. Which is why we advise to only eat back 50-75% of calories burned if using that methodology, and watching scale movement over a 6-8 week period. Then make adjustments as needed.
  • MonkeyMel21
    MonkeyMel21 Posts: 2,395 Member
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    I eat back my calories. Sometimes half sometimes all. My calories are set at 1390 and I have an extremely hard time eating that little. Eating back my exercise calories makes my life bearable, lol. And I still lose at an appropriate rate.
  • ebouchie
    ebouchie Posts: 124 Member
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    christinev297 wrote: »
    I don't understand why people spend hundreds of dollars on the latest fitness trackers/gadgets, and then turn around and say they don't trust the numbers it's given them..

    Perhaps it is because there are so many and they estimate burns differently. The point I was trying to make is that I do trust my Apple Watch more than just the MFP excercise catalogue because it does capture my heart rate. However, I don't yet trust it enough to eat back most of my calories. And, for what it's worth, I won the Apple Watch at a conference. So perhaps you should be a little less judgy.
  • superhockeymom
    superhockeymom Posts: 2,000 Member
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    I don't eat my exercise calories back unless I am hungry. Just don't need them.
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
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    superhockeymom wrote: »
    I don't eat my exercise calories back unless I am hungry. Just don't need them.

    Just because you don't feel hungry doesn't mean your body doesn't need the calories. If you are too large of a deficit (exercise calorie burn added to the built-in MFP deficit) you will lose lean muscle mass on top of fat. Do if for a long time and you can lose hair, damage skin and nails, and even your internal organs.

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