Earned calories from exercise
Replies
-
Seems to me, the entire point of exercising is to burn calories, so you can lose weight, unless you want to maintain your weight, or add weight, you are defeating the whole purpose of exercising by eating them back.
Since I started this program, I've lost over 35 pounds by keeping my calorie intake under/at my recommended goal to lose weight, whether I exercise or not. In fact, I don't even pay attention to how many calories I've "earned" by exercising other than as a personal goal.
When I decided to get in shape, I started out exercising for about 30 - 45 minutes a day of cardio. Now I'm up to 60 minutes a day of cardio, plus an additional 60 to 90 minutes of strength training a day, 5 days a week.
But as for calories, those have remained the same, but if I had been "eating back" the calories I burned by exercising, I would never have lost all that weight to begin with.
The way MFP is set up you lose weight without exercise. If your logging is as close to 100% accurate as possible, you'll still lose weight eating your exercise calories back.0 -
Seems to me, the entire point of exercising is to burn calories, so you can lose weight, unless you want to maintain your weight, or add weight, you are defeating the whole purpose of exercising by eating them back.
Since I started this program, I've lost over 35 pounds by keeping my calorie intake under/at my recommended goal to lose weight, whether I exercise or not. In fact, I don't even pay attention to how many calories I've "earned" by exercising other than as a personal goal.
When I decided to get in shape, I started out exercising for about 30 - 45 minutes a day of cardio. Now I'm up to 60 minutes a day of cardio, plus an additional 60 to 90 minutes of strength training a day, 5 days a week.
But as for calories, those have remained the same, but if I had been "eating back" the calories I burned by exercising, I would never have lost all that weight to begin with.
That's fine if you use tdee method to calculate your calories, but MFP doesn't so you run the risk of undereating doing what you're doing0 -
The way MFP is set up you lose weight without exercise. If your logging is as close to 100% accurate as possible, you'll still lose weight eating your exercise calories back.
You mean I've been doing it wrong all this time? No offense, but that doesn't make sense to me. I mean, it's impossible for people to be 100% accurate when it comes to logging food unless they are eating the same thing every day. I'm extra vigilant when it comes to logging what I eat, probably more than most people, but even I don't log everything I eat.
And let's face it, when it comes to exercising, that's not an exact science. When you log your exercising, it's impossible to get a 100% correct number as to how many calories you burned, as it depends on things like your age, body weight, height and how much effort you put into the exercise. So when you say you walked 30 minutes a day, you are only getting an estimation of how many calories you burned by walking, therefore, the calories you "earned" are only an estimation. MFP doesn't know if you walked swinging your arms back and forth (burning more calories) or if you walked while texting.
0 -
The way MFP is set up you lose weight without exercise. If your logging is as close to 100% accurate as possible, you'll still lose weight eating your exercise calories back.
You mean I've been doing it wrong all this time? No offense, but that doesn't make sense to me. I mean, it's impossible for people to be 100% accurate when it comes to logging food unless they are eating the same thing every day. I'm extra vigilant when it comes to logging what I eat, probably more than most people, but even I don't log everything I eat.
And let's face it, when it comes to exercising, that's not an exact science. When you log your exercising, it's impossible to get a 100% correct number as to how many calories you burned, as it depends on things like your age, body weight, height and how much effort you put into the exercise. So when you say you walked 30 minutes a day, you are only getting an estimation of how many calories you burned by walking, therefore, the calories you "earned" are only an estimation. MFP doesn't know if you walked swinging your arms back and forth (burning more calories) or if you walked while texting.
It doesn't have to be an exact science to work. Yes, our calories in is sometimes going to be less accurate than other times. So will our calories out. But it's still possible to get pretty close to what you're eating and what you're burning. It doesn't have to be accurate to the decimal point to result in weight loss.
MFP is designed to work this way and many of us have had success with this method (not that other people haven't also had success with their methods, but just saying that it can work).2 -
The way MFP is set up you lose weight without exercise. If your logging is as close to 100% accurate as possible, you'll still lose weight eating your exercise calories back.
You mean I've been doing it wrong all this time? No offense, but that doesn't make sense to me. I mean, it's impossible for people to be 100% accurate when it comes to logging food unless they are eating the same thing every day. I'm extra vigilant when it comes to logging what I eat, probably more than most people, but even I don't log everything I eat.
And let's face it, when it comes to exercising, that's not an exact science. When you log your exercising, it's impossible to get a 100% correct number as to how many calories you burned, as it depends on things like your age, body weight, height and how much effort you put into the exercise. So when you say you walked 30 minutes a day, you are only getting an estimation of how many calories you burned by walking, therefore, the calories you "earned" are only an estimation. MFP doesn't know if you walked swinging your arms back and forth (burning more calories) or if you walked while texting.
That's why I said "as close to 100%". There will always be discrepancies, but there are also ways of minimizing them, such as using a food scale.
Everything, including what MFP says, is an estimate. But I lost 60+ pounds while eating back most of my exercise calories.0 -
The way MFP is set up you lose weight without exercise. If your logging is as close to 100% accurate as possible, you'll still lose weight eating your exercise calories back.
You mean I've been doing it wrong all this time? No offense, but that doesn't make sense to me. I mean, it's impossible for people to be 100% accurate when it comes to logging food unless they are eating the same thing every day. I'm extra vigilant when it comes to logging what I eat, probably more than most people, but even I don't log everything I eat.
And let's face it, when it comes to exercising, that's not an exact science. When you log your exercising, it's impossible to get a 100% correct number as to how many calories you burned, as it depends on things like your age, body weight, height and how much effort you put into the exercise. So when you say you walked 30 minutes a day, you are only getting an estimation of how many calories you burned by walking, therefore, the calories you "earned" are only an estimation. MFP doesn't know if you walked swinging your arms back and forth (burning more calories) or if you walked while texting.
TDEE = BMR + activity level + exercise....then take a deficit
MFP uses NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) .....so it's basically BMR + activity level.....then take a deficit
When you add exercise you increase the deficit further. This makes it harder for your body to support existing lean muscle mass.
My guess is 50% of MFP's exercise calorie estimate is closer than ZERO. Besides when I log the estimate, I can figure out how close this is (eventually). I compare actual weight loss results to expected weight loss results & tweak as needed. Trying to keep a higher % of lean muscle is worth the effort (to me). I'm over 50 & have lost enough lean muscle already.0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »Seems to me, the entire point of exercising is to burn calories, so you can lose weight, unless you want to maintain your weight, or add weight, you are defeating the whole purpose of exercising by eating them back.
Since I started this program, I've lost over 35 pounds by keeping my calorie intake under/at my recommended goal to lose weight, whether I exercise or not. In fact, I don't even pay attention to how many calories I've "earned" by exercising other than as a personal goal.
When I decided to get in shape, I started out exercising for about 30 - 45 minutes a day of cardio. Now I'm up to 60 minutes a day of cardio, plus an additional 60 to 90 minutes of strength training a day, 5 days a week.
But as for calories, those have remained the same, but if I had been "eating back" the calories I burned by exercising, I would never have lost all that weight to begin with.
That's fine if you use tdee method to calculate your calories, but MFP doesn't so you run the risk of undereating doing what you're doing
Everything MFP does is an estimation. When you tell it how much you have exercised, it is estimating how many calories you've burned, or "earned." When you tell it how much you've eaten, it is estimating how many calories you have taken in.
So MFP is just one tool that one uses when it comes to losing weight. It's not the miracle answer, a cure-all. I have found it to be very helpful, but at the same time, I understand that it has its limits and that it will never replace common sense.0 -
The way MFP is set up you lose weight without exercise. If your logging is as close to 100% accurate as possible, you'll still lose weight eating your exercise calories back.
You mean I've been doing it wrong all this time? No offense, but that doesn't make sense to me. I mean, it's impossible for people to be 100% accurate when it comes to logging food unless they are eating the same thing every day. I'm extra vigilant when it comes to logging what I eat, probably more than most people, but even I don't log everything I eat.
And let's face it, when it comes to exercising, that's not an exact science. When you log your exercising, it's impossible to get a 100% correct number as to how many calories you burned, as it depends on things like your age, body weight, height and how much effort you put into the exercise. So when you say you walked 30 minutes a day, you are only getting an estimation of how many calories you burned by walking, therefore, the calories you "earned" are only an estimation. MFP doesn't know if you walked swinging your arms back and forth (burning more calories) or if you walked while texting.
TDEE = BMR + activity level + exercise....then take a deficit
MFP uses NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) .....so it's basically BMR + activity level.....then take a deficit
When you add exercise you increase the deficit further. This makes it harder for your body to support existing lean muscle mass.
My guess is 50% of MFP's exercise calorie estimate is closer than ZERO. Besides when I log the estimate, I can figure out how close this is (eventually). I compare actual weight loss results to expected weight loss results & tweak as needed. Trying to keep a higher % of lean muscle is worth the effort (to me). I'm over 50 & have lost enough lean muscle already.
I don't know what any of that means, but I guess if it works for you, then good for you! More power to you.
For me, I try to keep it simple. That works for me.0 -
The way MFP is set up you lose weight without exercise. If your logging is as close to 100% accurate as possible, you'll still lose weight eating your exercise calories back.
You mean I've been doing it wrong all this time? No offense, but that doesn't make sense to me. I mean, it's impossible for people to be 100% accurate when it comes to logging food unless they are eating the same thing every day. I'm extra vigilant when it comes to logging what I eat, probably more than most people, but even I don't log everything I eat.
And let's face it, when it comes to exercising, that's not an exact science. When you log your exercising, it's impossible to get a 100% correct number as to how many calories you burned, as it depends on things like your age, body weight, height and how much effort you put into the exercise. So when you say you walked 30 minutes a day, you are only getting an estimation of how many calories you burned by walking, therefore, the calories you "earned" are only an estimation. MFP doesn't know if you walked swinging your arms back and forth (burning more calories) or if you walked while texting.
That's why I said "as close to 100%". There will always be discrepancies, but there are also ways of minimizing them, such as using a food scale.
Everything, including what MFP says, is an estimate. But I lost 60+ pounds while eating back most of my exercise calories.
Well, it is kind of odd that MFP seems to leave it up in the air and leave it up to each user to decide for him/herself how to use the service. What's worked for me might not work for another person. When I first started using MFP, I just stumbled on it - I was looking for somewhere to keep track of my calories. I was using another site but it didn't have much of a data base so I thought I'd try this one and found it to be much better. I really didn't put much thought into it.
I was already keeping track of how much I exercised on a site called Heart360, but it didn't estimate how many calories you burned. When I started using MFP and saw that it estimated how many calories you burned, I thought what a great bonus!
So all can say is what worked for me. I am very pleased with the results I have achieved. I never thought at age 53 I would have lost over 35 pounds, actually not just lost it, but replaced much of it with muscle, in just 5 months.
Congratulations on losing 60+ pounds! Everyone is different so if it works for you, in the end, that's all that matters.0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »Seems to me, the entire point of exercising is to burn calories, so you can lose weight, unless you want to maintain your weight, or add weight, you are defeating the whole purpose of exercising by eating them back.
Since I started this program, I've lost over 35 pounds by keeping my calorie intake under/at my recommended goal to lose weight, whether I exercise or not. In fact, I don't even pay attention to how many calories I've "earned" by exercising other than as a personal goal.
When I decided to get in shape, I started out exercising for about 30 - 45 minutes a day of cardio. Now I'm up to 60 minutes a day of cardio, plus an additional 60 to 90 minutes of strength training a day, 5 days a week.
But as for calories, those have remained the same, but if I had been "eating back" the calories I burned by exercising, I would never have lost all that weight to begin with.
That's fine if you use tdee method to calculate your calories, but MFP doesn't so you run the risk of undereating doing what you're doing
Everything MFP does is an estimation. When you tell it how much you have exercised, it is estimating how many calories you've burned, or "earned." When you tell it how much you've eaten, it is estimating how many calories you have taken in.
So MFP is just one tool that one uses when it comes to losing weight. It's not the miracle answer, a cure-all. I have found it to be very helpful, but at the same time, I understand that it has its limits and that it will never replace common sense.
I don't think anybody is advocating for ditching common sense.0
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.6K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.3K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.5K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 431 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.6K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.8K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions