Do you eat up all your calories burnt while exercising?

2

Replies

  • Nuke_64
    Nuke_64 Posts: 406 Member
    snowflake930 wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    snowflake930 wrote: »
    Honest question, if you are eating all of your exercise calories back, how do you calculate for sure how many calories you burned. The exercise machine, my fit bit, and my iphone all come up with different numbers for the calories burned.

    Pick one method/estimate that seems reasonable, stick with it consistently and adjust calorie balance based on actual results over time.

    What machine or what exercise will determine which method is most likely to be "reasonable".

    Think ahead to maintenance, you will have to account for exercise then so why not practice those skills now?

    I am in maintenance. Have been for over two years. When I gain (over 5# fluctuation) I eat less calories until I am back down.

    So you are probably underestimating how much food you eat. As this is working for you, I say stay with it. Underestimating on Calories in, while over estimating calories out (on the calories out side, overestimating a negative number would be that same as underestimating a positive number).

    I don't think you should recommend this to others as they will have hard time recreating your errors in estimations.

  • samciruolo
    samciruolo Posts: 20 Member
    I don't. I am still working on recomposition and weight loss. Trying to stay at 1500 cals/day. Besides cheat days are still a reality.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited February 2016
    mean_and_lean wrote: »
    Nuke_64 wrote: »
    Yes. If you burn a reasonable amount, you are putting yourself in a higher than expected deficit. Encouraging people not to eat back exercise calories could be encouraging a VLCD, depending on their normal calorie goal. As there are a lot of women hear shooting for 1200 calories and men, 1500, that would include a lot of people.

    How do you know your calorie burn is actually accurate? That is the whole reason why I don't eat back my exercise calories.

    Because zero is closer?

    I eat a reasonable estimation of exercise calories back. This is how MFP is designed. I feel that my number is reasonable because it fits with my weekly weight loss goals. If my weight were gradually going up I would eat less. If my weight is decreasing too fast, I would eat more. Just adjust as necessary.

    The reason I eat calories back.....a reasonable deficit helps my body support existing lean muscle mass. Faster weight loss doesn't lower your body fat percent by as much as moderate paced weight loss does.
  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/818082/exercise-calories-again-wtf/p1
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    I wait until I'm finished, otherwise I get peanut butter on the treadmill.
  • snowflake930
    snowflake930 Posts: 2,188 Member
    edited February 2016
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  • Osiris275
    Osiris275 Posts: 228 Member
    No because I always think it's overestimated. I eat around 25-50% of my exercise calories.
  • beemerphile1
    beemerphile1 Posts: 1,710 Member
    Some days I do, some days I don't, and some days I eat them all plus more. Why?
  • MommyMeggo
    MommyMeggo Posts: 1,222 Member
    edited February 2016
    Nah. I dont log or track exercise.

    Edit: I use TDEE method. Much easier.
  • williams969
    williams969 Posts: 2,528 Member
    Azdak wrote: »
    I wait until I'm finished, otherwise I get peanut butter on the treadmill.

    Lol, I've been known to eat while on my walks. And to the OP, yes, I eat my exercise calories. I did during weightloss, I did through maintenance and bulk, and I continue to do so for this cut.

    To those who eat none (because they don't trust the numbers), finding a better estimate is better than potential malnourishment and under fueling your training. Clearly, a body in motion burns more than sitting, so zero burn eaten back is the wrong answer.
  • Loperinnen
    Loperinnen Posts: 8 Member
    Wow, a lot of answers! Love it, allthough I am not getting any wiser :smile: :wink:
    I guess everyone will have to find their own way.., just worried I eat too few calories on my work out days.

    and yes; I better not start eating on the treadmill ;) Best advise ever! :smiley:
  • debradugas9
    debradugas9 Posts: 162 Member
    I try to never do that. I always just eat what my daily calorie goal is.
  • SingingSingleTracker
    SingingSingleTracker Posts: 1,866 Member
    Azdak wrote: »
    I wait until I'm finished, otherwise I get peanut butter on the treadmill.

    Finally somebody replied to the erroneous title of this thread!!!
  • Loperinnen
    Loperinnen Posts: 8 Member
    SingingSingleTracker wrote: »
    Azdak wrote: »
    I wait until I'm finished, otherwise I get peanut butter on the treadmill.

    Finally somebody replied to the erroneous title of this thread!!!

    Haha, ups, my bad!
  • leahcollett1
    leahcollett1 Posts: 807 Member
    nope i dont - as i do the tdee method also..
  • Josh_lol
    Josh_lol Posts: 317 Member
    I don't eat exercise calories. I just eat something a little before working out for energy. But as far as my exercise calories go, I don't try to eat them back if I'm not hungry.
  • Snow3y
    Snow3y Posts: 1,412 Member
    of course
  • mazdauk
    mazdauk Posts: 1,380 Member
    I eat back most of them - currently in maintenance. If I'm a bit heavier - I go by my clothes and the tape measure primarily - I cut back my total calories and aim to have a few left at the end of each day for a more relaxed weekend. But I never eat just because I've got some calories "spare", and on days when I'm exercising later (like today), then I put the "bonus" calories on to the next day, as I'm always hungrier then anyway.
  • ConicalFern
    ConicalFern Posts: 121 Member
    Posting because I seem to be in the minority - I pretty much always eat back my exercise calories and I find it very difficult on non exercise days to not go over my allowance. I get very similar calorie estimates from Trendweight and MFP, with the former only having my weight go on, so I don't think I'm under/over eating. For calorie expenditure I use HRM for gym workouts, Strava for bike ride and swimming watch with acceleromoters for swimming. I typically have pretty intense workouts and without proper nutrition I don't think I would be able to do them to the same intensity.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    leahcollett1 wrote: »
    nope i dont - as i do the tdee method also..

    So yes you do. TDEE includes exercise.

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