Is anyone eating back most of their exercise calories?

cmriverside

becca1380461 wrote: »

I agree with cmriverside! This site is a tool to help us do what RD's have been doing for ages using pencil and paper! Measure your calories in and calories out. If that is what you use it for then you're going to be successful. Do your best to accurately log EVERYTHING (soda, coffee creamer, little bites here and there) and you're going to do great! Early on I found my will power kicking in and not eating something because I didn't want to have to log it! HA! I used that little inconvenience as a reason to say no!

I do eat back my exercise calories. I make it a point to over estimate calories consumed (1.5 pieces of bacon when I only eat 1) especially on calorie dense food like nuts (serving size is 28 grams but I measure to 25 nad yes I weigh my food). Then I underestimate my calories burned. If I run a mile at 5.5 mph on the treadmill I'll use that time (11min/mile) and put it into MFP at 5.0MPH. Or I usually swim a 2700 work out in 1hr 15 min but I put in a minute per 50meters and log 57 minutes instead and the lowest intensity. I wait table so MFP says I should set my activity at Active but I instead set it at lightly active. I've lost 22 lb (a little more than my 2lb/week goal) and still have a long way to go but it would be A LOT harder with out the MFP site and the tools they provide!

For my weight (currently 222) MFP's calories burned are higher than what the the treadmill says (set at calories for 150lb person). It takes a lot more calories to move 72 extra pounds and MFP accommodates that well!

This kind of made me chuckle. You are building in an error factor that isn't measurable...but that's what works for you. For me, it made sense to just use the numbers that were spit at me (after verifying food data.) Otherwise, I'm just still making stuff up.

I will say that there is a lot of room for fudging numbers if you have a lot of weight to lose, and those numbers really have to tighten up when you get within 10-15 pounds of your goal. It's easy to lose weight when you are holding a lot of extra weight, but it gets much trickier when you get close to goal.

When I got close to goal, I knew my numbers. I knew my numbers because I had used the same sources for eight months. When I was close to goal, I switched to eating XXXX number of calories a day and adding 200-300 on days I exercised 60 minutes. I don't log any exercise that isn't an hour's worth. I just call it "daily activity" if it isn't planned exercise. Those numbers continue to work for me, but I have been at the same weight (+- 10 pounds) for nine years now. It takes some amount of experimentation, and again - meticulous logging - over time.

MamaMc3

I use Fitbit to track all my exercise, and let it post the adjustment to MFP. If I am hungry, I eat the calories back. On workout days, I can usually tell that I need to eat a little more because I feel too fatigued if I don't.

Terpnista84

No. I eat a set 1,500 calories regardless of activity.

Afura

Machines lie, and MFP tends to over exaggerate for most of us, as the results are generic, and don't take your effort into account. I usually try to eat about 50-75% back.

cwolfman13

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?

When I did the MFP method I did...that's how you account for that activity with MFP.

StacyChrz

lemonychild wrote: »

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. When u stop losing, decrease the amount of cals consumed

I think this sums it up perfectly! You need to do what works best for you. I eat back most if not all of my exercise calories ( I do have a fitbit and I think it's pretty accurate) and I have had great success.

RWClary

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 always did and still do, but you must find that perfect zone when it comes to estimating calorie intake vs calories burned. Just relying on MFP numbers like it's stone-written truth can stifle progress with some.
Early in my journey, I was over estimating exercise calories and underestimating food calories and wondering why I could not lose weight.
I found my zone, and all went smooth after that.

shadowfax_c11

I usually eat back all or most of them.