calories

maxgagne

my name is Linda

I would like to know how important it is to eat more calories when excercising. if I burn say 300 calories in a workout should I eat the recommended number of calories that the fitness pal recommends to lose weight or stick to the 1200 ????

rileysowner

Yes you should eat them, that is how MFP works. Second, too big of a calorie deficit means losing more muscle that you would at a lower calorie deficit. Exercise increases the deficit since you 1200 calorie goal already includes the deficit for losing weight, so you should eat your exercise calories.

SarahSloth342634

I agree, easier this year I was on a 1200 diet, I lost weight quickly but when including a workout I was just starving! By not eating the excersise calories I found I got tired and lacked energy. So yes eat back your excersise calories, the body needs the fuel!

quiksylver296

Yes, eat them. But I would add that most machines overestimate calories burned. I would eat about 50% of them, not all.

Asher_Ethan

Depends how you are calculation how you burned those 300 calories. If the machine says it then eat back half. If you were running and your hrm says that's what you burned, then it's probably pretty accurate. If it's something like biking and you're using the mfp data base, probably cut that in half as well.

mbaker566

quiksylver296 wrote: »

Yes, eat them. But I would add that most machines overestimate calories burned. I would eat about 50% of them, not all.

yup

fiddletime

My Nordic Track stationary bike has a calorie burn. For 60 min it was about 520. MFP said, for an easy ride (which it wasn't but I put that in anyway) 320 calories. My Polar TR7 chest HRM said 280, so I went with that. There are huge variations in machines, aps, and monitors.

davert123

I agree, eat them. All calorie calculations are guesses. Your body is the most accurate calorie calculator for you there is. I would initially eat back everything less 10% but weigh yourself regularly and record everything. After a few weeks look at the rend in your weight loss and see how it compares with MFP's calculations. If you are dropping more weight than MFP says you should (honestly this may not be as good for you as it sounds) adjust the calories from you exercise upwards. If you are not dropping as much weight as MFP says then adjust your calories downwards :-)

davert123

Also if you are new around here, good luck. I would recommend you have a read of this http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

Yi5hedr3

I don't know WHY folks want to eat back the very calories they just worked so hard to get rid of! Blows my mind!