Is anyone eating back most of their exercise calories?
jandsstevenson887
Posts: 296 Member
Because I am and it still seems to be working. I had no idea that I shouldn't be before coming on the boards. I have my activity set to lightly active and I eat back most (somedays all) of my exercise earned calories and still seem to be losing. Am I alone?
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jandsstevenson887 wrote: »Because I am and it still seems to be working. I had no idea that I shouldn't be before coming on the boards. I have my activity set to lightly active and I eat back most (somedays all) of my exercise earned calories and still seem to be losing. Am I alone?
Many times people overestimate their exercise calories, and this is why it is usually recommended to not eat all of them back. And many of MFP exercise entries are vague and require personal estimations, like moderate or vigorous effort etc, so it is common to overestimate. It sounds like you do not have this problem, so keep doing what you are doing
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Okay, I'm doing spin classes and I'm taking my calories from the bike after putting in my age, weight, etc. I'm also running and getting calories from Runkeeper who also has my profile. I feel like it is pretty accurate.0
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I found the machines to be totally inaccurate for me. However when I was hitting the gym 2-3 hours a day 7 days a week I absolutely ate back 80% (ish) of my exercise calories and I was losing fat and gaining muscle. I was NOT losing weight but weight loss was not/is not my primary goal.
I used a heart rate monitor and based calories estimates off of that (much less than machines). Hope this helps and good luck!0 -
I have always eaten back exercise cals, when o was losing and now that I'm in maintenance. I have a FitBit now but even before I went with MFP calorie burn estimates and didn't have an issue.
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If it ain't broke, don't fix it. When u stop losing, decrease the amount of cals consumed0
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I always did and never had an issue. 50-75% recommendation is for those who are initially scared I think.
And for some the estimates from MFP aren't that accurate.0 -
I know they probably aren't perfect, that's why I tweak them based on what my machine says and Runkeeper says. And I try to leave some gap in there. You can look at my diary and see that some days I have 200-300 left.0
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I have always eaten back most of my exercise calories (~80-100%); I have never had a concern. I don't accept MFP estimates, as they are all too high. But based upon heart rate monitor readings for cardio, I have what appear, based upon my results, to be very reasonable estimates.
People new to MFP who use the numbers on this site may get frustrated if they ate back all their calories because the estimates are so high.
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I always eat back my cals and it works fine for me.0
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jandsstevenson887 wrote: »I know they probably aren't perfect, that's why I tweak them based on what my machine says and Runkeeper says. And I try to leave some gap in there. You can look at my diary and see that some days I have 200-300 left.
Just so you are aware machines are known to be over by about 25-75% as well...can't guarantee those.0 -
I have always eaten back most of my exercise calories (~80-100%); I have never had a concern. I don't accept MFP estimates, as they are all too high. But based upon heart rate monitor readings for cardio, I have what appear, based upon my results, to be very reasonable estimates.
People new to MFP who use the numbers on this site may get frustrated if they ate back all their calories because the estimates are so high.
not always...when I first came (after I started using a food scale) I ate them all back based on MFP estimates and I lost the weight I want at the speed I wanted.0 -
I eat back most if not all of them. I know the estimations are exaggerated but I'm quite careful with my food logging, and since it seems to be working I will continue to eat them all back.0
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@SezxyStef
Re "Just so you are aware machines are known to be over by about 25-75% as well...can't guarantee those. "
No! Generalisation alert!
Some machines are going to be very accurate. e.g. those measuring power.0 -
@SezxyStef
Re "Just so you are aware machines are known to be over by about 25-75% as well...can't guarantee those. "
No! Generalisation alert!
Some machines are going to be very accurate. e.g. those measuring power.
True dat.
Exercise machines.0 -
Some exercise machines are going to be very accurate!
Often the clue is they tell you power output.
Or they may have been calibrated against a sample of people in a lab to produce calorie tables using weight/resistence/speed/incline etc. (e.g. some ellipticals)
Or they have been around so long there are decades of data to use (concept2 rower as an example).
Or they use standard and well proven formulas.0 -
Some exercise machines are going to be very accurate!
Often the clue is they tell you power output.
Or they may have been calibrated against a sample of people in a lab to produce calorie tables using weight/resistence/speed/incline etc. (e.g. some ellipticals)
Or they have been around so long there are decades of data to use (concept2 rower as an example).
Or they use standard and well proven formulas.
perhaps but I've read more than a few articles where the machine makers admitted to inflating the burn
Here is one
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/fitness/how-accurate-are-calorie-counters/article573069/0 -
Okay, maybe I will round down on my exercise calories by 25% or so.0
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I have difficulty changing my food intake to match a calorie goal that changes greatly from day to day. I don't intentionally eat my fitbit adjustments, but I accumulate them as a sort of buffer for the occasional donut.0
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Sometimes I do but usually I do not. In my mind it's like why work out if I'm just going to eat and put the same calories I lost back on me.
I'm just not real good at losing if I eat beyond what I am allotted. I guess because I'm so short and have less to lose maybe. 0 -
And I rarely put the correct amount on my calorie loss anyway. For instance, if I walk on the treadmill for an hour I will usually say 30-40 minutes instead of the 60 minutes. I think they are way too gracious in the amount of calories they say I burned. It's always a little more than what my treadmill tells me.0
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Some exercise machines are going to be very accurate!
Often the clue is they tell you power output.
Or they may have been calibrated against a sample of people in a lab to produce calorie tables using weight/resistence/speed/incline etc. (e.g. some ellipticals)
Or they have been around so long there are decades of data to use (concept2 rower as an example).
Or they use standard and well proven formulas.
perhaps but I've read more than a few articles where the machine makers admitted to inflating the burn
Here is one
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/fitness/how-accurate-are-calorie-counters/article573069/
That article doesn't actually support your original blanket assertion though.
Even the statement in the article "some use averages" means low for some, accurate for some, high for some.
If you had put "some machines over estimate" or "use machine estimates with caution/apply common sense" I would completely agree (ditto for HRM estimates as an aside).0 -
Some exercise machines are going to be very accurate!
Often the clue is they tell you power output.
Or they may have been calibrated against a sample of people in a lab to produce calorie tables using weight/resistence/speed/incline etc. (e.g. some ellipticals)
Or they have been around so long there are decades of data to use (concept2 rower as an example).
Or they use standard and well proven formulas.
perhaps but I've read more than a few articles where the machine makers admitted to inflating the burn
Here is one
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/fitness/how-accurate-are-calorie-counters/article573069/
That article doesn't actually support your original blanket assertion though.
Even the statement in the article "some use averages" means low for some, accurate for some, high for some.
If you had put "some machines over estimate" or "use machine estimates with caution/apply common sense" I would completely agree (ditto for HRM estimates as an aside).
I personally wouldn't trust an exercise machine calorie burn ever.
There are too many factors involved and they admitted to it...as a sales tactic.
Regardless of the formula used they admitted to inflating them.
And there is no way for them to be accurate based on data entered due to many variables.
But not gonna argue about it...I know what I've read and I know what I have seen.
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That's a shame as you are discarding and dismissing potentially the most accurate way of estimating calories for people outside of a sports science lab.Some exercise machines are going to be very accurate!
Often the clue is they tell you power output.
Or they may have been calibrated against a sample of people in a lab to produce calorie tables using weight/resistence/speed/incline etc. (e.g. some ellipticals)
Or they have been around so long there are decades of data to use (concept2 rower as an example).
Or they use standard and well proven formulas.
perhaps but I've read more than a few articles where the machine makers admitted to inflating the burn
Here is one
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/fitness/how-accurate-are-calorie-counters/article573069/
That article doesn't actually support your original blanket assertion though.
Even the statement in the article "some use averages" means low for some, accurate for some, high for some.
If you had put "some machines over estimate" or "use machine estimates with caution/apply common sense" I would completely agree (ditto for HRM estimates as an aside).
I personally wouldn't trust an exercise machine calorie burn ever.
There are too many factors involved and they admitted to it...as a sales tactic.
Regardless of the formula used they admitted to inflating them.
And there is no way for them to be accurate based on data entered due to many variables.
But not gonna argue about it...I know what I've read and I know what I have seen.
The variables using power as basis for the estimates are actually very few and just as likely to cause under estimation as over.0 -
I accept the calories from Runtastic and fit Bit as fairly accurate and as long as I was honest with my calorie estimates I would consistently lose weight (50 Pounds). I aim to be slightly under my goal and that worked for me. None of my calories are from machine estimates but I would use an estimate from MFP for weight lifting. I never use the best or highest calorie number when estimating. Same for foods, when estimating I never use the lowest calorie number.0
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I accept the calories from Runtastic and fit Bit as fairly accurate and as long as I was honest with my calorie estimates I would consistently lose weight (50 Pounds). I aim to be slightly under my goal and that worked for me. None of my calories are from machine estimates but I would use an estimate from MFP for weight lifting. I never use the best or highest calorie number when estimating. Same for foods, when estimating I never use the lowest calorie number.
Yes, I do the same with calories. I don't have the ability to weigh my food right now so I just guesstimate on the high side.0 -
I typically only eat half back, if that. I am not 100% trusting of the accuracy of the burn. I use numbers from MFP and such to provide a guesstimate on what I am doing, and judge ultimately based on the scale. If its moving down, great, going up then changes are made, staying the same, then slight tweaks.0
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I've consistently lost 1lb/week and that's what I have my settings on.0
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jandsstevenson887 wrote: »Because I am and it still seems to be working. I had no idea that I shouldn't be before coming on the boards. I have my activity set to lightly active and I eat back most (somedays all) of my exercise earned calories and still seem to be losing. Am I alone?
I try not to but I dont feel bad if I eat a little extra when I do
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HappyCampr1 wrote: »MFP is designed for you to be able to eat back your exercise calories. If it's working for you, then your activity level is set correctly and you're golden. I used to eat back all of my cardio calories, but I never claimed my strength training calories. That worked for me. Everyone is going to be different.
Generally the reason people suggest not eating back all of the exercise calories has to do more with the calories being overestimated, not because you shouldn't. If you're getting your calorie burns from a reliable source, there is no reason not to eat them all back.
I'm glad you've found what works for you.
I just wanted to say that you look great. Congratulations on your weight loss.0 -
Unfortunately, I often eat back all and sometimes more! of my exercise calories. Not because I want to but, exercise seems to make me super hungry- it is very frustrating.0
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