Trusting MFP when eating back?

andresconejo

Hi!
I've been wondering if i should trust MFP about the calories i burn... and if i should eat them ALL back?
Help?

Thanks!

kbeech06

I don't eat them all back. I like to leave a little buffer because I don't always trust my Runtastic app or MFP calculations (or mine sometimes either). I do try to eat most of them back though.

sbrownallison

In general, I think the calories for exercise are way too generous. I do not eat mine back as a general rule. Sometimes I eat some of them back.

Cindyinpg

I believe that MFP often overestimates exercise calories so definitely be careful eating them ALL back. I bought a Bodymedia Fit and learned that, in my case, MFP was often doubling what I was actually burning.

SusanKKO

From what I've seen compared to my heart rate monitors, the calories that show-up here are way too high. Like 300-400 too high for an hours worth of exercise, so eat back with caution if you go by their calories.

kmshred

dont eat em back!

kezzola

I feel a lot safer with the exercise calories if I halve them. If I go for an hours brisk walk I just log it as 30 minutes and then I know I'm safe.

NathanFronk

Come up with a number and stick to it. For instance, no matter how many calories MFP says you have earned through exercise try to stay between 1700-1900 calories.

Up to you though.

LJGettinSexy

My suggestion.... if you want to lose weight, don't eat them back. What's the purpose of eating back all the calories you just burned off by eating them back. Waste of time to exercise. Don't let your all hard work be done in vain, don't eat back the calories and see if you lose, then again, just do what works for you.

tessi1993

does anyones elses moniter ask them for a level (1-5) of intensity?
if so what level do you use?

healthygreek

My suggestion.... if you want to lose weight, don't eat them back. What's the purpose of eating back all the calories you just burned off by eating them back. Waste of time to exercise. Don't let your all hard work be done in vain, don't eat back the calories and see if you lose, then again, just do what works for you.

considering I work out 2 hours a day, I would feel very hungry not eating some calories back! 1200 is way too low for an active person so I eat 1/2 to 2/3 of my calories back-sometimes more and I still lose or maintain. MFP is already set up to give you a deficit even without eating them back. If you don't want to fall off your plan-eat as many as you need back.

LiftAllThePizzas

My suggestion.... if you want to lose weight, don't eat them back. What's the purpose of eating back all the calories you just burned off by eating them back. Waste of time to exercise. Don't let your all hard work be done in vain, don't eat back the calories and see if you lose, then again, just do what works for you.

If you think exercise is hard work and the only purpose is to create or increase your calorie deficit, you're doing it wrong.

Zaniejane

If you must eat them back, just eat half. I think mfp overestimates. It also depends on your goals of course.

KellyyT

i think MFP's exercise calories are pretty accurate. when i go on sites to calculate how many cals i burn, according to my weight and age and height, they're about the same.

i eat back about 75% of my calories burned, because if i didn't, i'd probably be a big b**ch because i'd be starving! MFP's daily calorie estimate for you already takes into account weight loss, so it wants you to eat back everything you burn so you net that certain amount. i'm at 1200 cals per day, and i burn anywhere from 500-750 per workout. who in the world can survive off 600 cals net per day??

i set my program to lose 1.5 lbs/wk, and it gave me 1200 cals to work with. i put into MFP my exercise and how long and go from there. since i've been on here a little over 3 months, i've averaged 1.6 lb loss per week. which means something must be working, right?

comments about 1200 cals per day not being enough (blah blah blah) aren't needed either. that's an endless debate on here!

caly_man

it really boils down to how big a deficit you are carrying

large deficit and it wont matter, you'll still lose

small deficit and you could find yourself eating at maintenance without knowing it

that's why folks only like to eat back 50-70% of exercise cals, if that

Alicia_P_28

The extra calories burnt from exercise are there for me if I need them but I definitely don't make a habit of working out *just* so I can eat more. I plan on a 1200 calorie day, then if I get any exercise in I might have extra portions or an extra snack but I definitely never eat them ALL back...I believe MFP overestimates the burn..so much so that I also underestimate the time spent working out (if I walk 90 min I only log 60-75, 25 min of calisthenics gets logged at 10-15)

msjames1999

In general, I think the calories for exercise are way too generous. I do not eat mine back as a general rule. Sometimes I eat some of them back.

I agree.

Koldnomore

With the MFP estimates I used to eat back at least half - more if I was hungrier. I got a FitBit a while ago and I now eat back every single calorie and have been for months - still losing at a good rate so I will keep doing it until I don't anymore.

If you burn a LOT (more than 500) then eating 'some' back is a good idea otherwise your deficit will be too large and you might find yourself very hungry, tired, irritable and all that. If you need some extra energy then eat

Francl27

It really depends. For running or walking if you're sure of your speed, I'd eat 70% back, for dvd programs or zumba etc though there's just no way of knowing exactly how much you burned without a HRM.

Gwen_B

I have a hard enough time eating my original calories, so I never eat my exercise calories back!!

p0kers0ph

I eat back all of my calories, I'd be starving otherwise, I work out hard!

sijomial

They are very rough estimates based on little information. You might be lucky and find them accurate for you.
If you follow the MFP method then yes you should eat them back.

The key is to be consistent and then adjust your goal calories based on results over a reasonable period of time like 4 weeks.

toutmonpossible

I don't log exercise because I don't want MFP to adjust my calories. In addition, calorie reduction is the most important part of weight loss.

I would not eat additional calories if you feel good after exercise. If you have an exceptionally long or strenuous workout then you would eat a little extra.

SideSteel

For those of you saying "don't eat them back, what's the point of exercise then" you aren't likely understanding how MFP works.

MFP is unique in how it sets up intake recommendations when using it's default setup. You are supposed to eat them back*

Explanation here:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf


* However, they seem to be over-stated in terms of how many calories they assume you are burning. I think a reasonable recommendation would be to eat 50-75% back across the board, monitor results and adjust.

FearAnLoathingJ

ive noticed on my cardio days the number of calories burned on the machine are much lower than what mfp says,so I usually go with that.

LorinaLynn

For those of you saying "don't eat them back, what's the point of exercise then" I would urge you to get a clue.

MFP is unique in how it sets up intake recommendations. You are supposed to eat them back*

Explanation here:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf


* However, they seem to be over-stated in terms of how many calories they assume you are burning. I think a reasonable recommendation would be to eat 50-75% back across the board, monitor results and adjust.

This.

And trial and error. I lost exactly as predicted by eating almost all my exercise calories, using MFP estimates. Some of the entries are more accurate than others. Something like "running, 6 mph" is going to be pretty close, because it's going by your stats and pace. "Elliptical" is completely useless, with no variables for your pace or resistance, so it has as much chance of being accurate as a broken clock.

FearAnLoathingJ

My suggestion.... if you want to lose weight, don't eat them back. What's the purpose of eating back all the calories you just burned off by eating them back. Waste of time to exercise. Don't let your all hard work be done in vain, don't eat back the calories and see if you lose, then again, just do what works for you.

I don't see how people can exercise and not be hungry. it makes me ravenous

xjoseyx

i dont trust the calories burned on MFP. I trust what my heart rate monitor tells me. I generally dont eat my calories back because why did i do all that effort to burn them if im just going to eat them again? Unless, of course, i plan on having chinese food lol

oawalden

I have a BodyFit Media armband as well and I go by that instead of by MFP because, I too, think it shows a more accurate calorie burn for the day....yet I still make sure I don't eat them all back (just in case).

Also, as far as "eating back" the calories you burned.... when you do work out, you do need more "fuel/food" on those days so that your body can get you through your work out. Also, you burn for a while afterwards so you end up in the negative by the end of the day. I would suggest eating back most of the calories on the days that you work out so I can replenish the nutrients my body needs that I depleted during my workout and it wasn't until I started eating MORE that I started losing more consistently. I have not had a "regain" since I started doing this. Slow and steady wins the race. I didn't gain it overnight, not going to lose it overnight either.

Hope this helps. Everyone's body works differently so this is just my own personal journey of what is working for me.

sgk0411

I generally eat back some to most of the exercise calories because I don't have much wiggle room when it is set at 1/1.5lbs a week loss and I work out every day. When I was a lot bigger, I had a lot more wiggle room but now that I only have a few more lbs to lose, it sets me at 1300-1400 a day without working out. If i set it to .5lbs a week, it sets me up to 1600 calories a day. So really, if I burn 400 a day, no matter what, i'm not gaining extra by eating that much on days when I work out. My heart rate monitor pretty much matches mfp.

tiger4nikki

I am unsure if MFP is correct on the calories burned either, so I don't eat many of them back. If I have been really active that day, I might eat up to half back. If it's a "slower" exercise day, I don't generally eat them back.