Eating Exercise Calories

kajishah

Hi

I know there have been a few posts about the above but I'm really confused as to what it means to eat back your exercise calories and how that works if you are trying to lose weight and are trying to maintain a calorie deficit.

For example, on MFP, it's set to lose 0.5kg weekly and being lightly active. It says that my daily goal is 1600 calories. Is that already with the calorie deficit accounted for. I have been eating around 1100-1200 calories to accommodate for a 400-500 calorie deficit daily.

So an example of my confusion is this. The daily goal is 1600, I have eaten 1004 calories and gained 1088 calories through exercise so I had a remainder of 1684. What does this mean? On my Fitbit, it says that I burnt 2495 for that whole day. How does it all tie in together? Does that mean that even though the FitBit says I burnt 2495 during the day, that I've actually only burnt 84 more calories than I've consumed?

Any advice appreciated.

malibu927

The deficit is already accounted for when MFP gives you your goal, so you should be eating 1600 net calories.

kajishah

Thanks for that, I hadn't realised that it already accounts the deficit.

What does it mean it terms of my other questions about exercise calories and overall daily calories burnt.

TeaBea

kajishah wrote: »

Thanks for that, I hadn't realised that it already accounts the deficit.

What does it mean it terms of my other questions about exercise calories and overall daily calories burnt.

MFP as designed:

Eat 1600 to lose 1/2 pound a week (no exercise included). Add exercise of 400.

MFP gives you 400 + 1600 ....or 2,000 calories for the day. You should still lose 1/2 pound a week.

However, calorie burns are estimates. Many MFP users eat back 50-75% of exercise calories to account for estimation error. Try something like 1600 + 200 to lose 1/2 pound a week.