Do we eat more calories if we exercise!

debrapivko

If I'm supposed to eat 12oo calories a day but I work out and burn 400 calories does that mean I'm supposed to eat 600 calories or still only 1200.

Ready2Rock206

You should eat 1600 calories today. Or at least 1400 (half the exercise calories)

sijomial

Your goal is base calories + exercise calories.

People frequently advise to estimate low but that's based on concerns exercise calories can be easily over-estimated.
In fact this whole numbers game is a collection of estimates so be prepared to monitor your progress over time and make appropriate adjustments if required.

This is well worth the time reading....
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/818082/exercise-calories-again-wtf/p1

cwolfman13

That is the way the tool is designed as exercise activity is not included in your activity level. If you're eating 1200 and burn off 400, you're only leaving your body 800 calories to work with...to make your heart pump, your lungs work, etc...and that doesn't even include daily general operations.

The more active you are, the higher your calorie requirements are...1200 is already a huge deficit from maintenance...I'd wager you told MFP you wanted 2 Lbs per week...1200 is the floor so it won't go any lower than that, but basically it's estimating your non exercise maintenance calories to be, let's say 1,800 calories per day (as an example)...you could play with the app and figure it out more accurately.

So if we do the math, you have a 1,800 - 1,200 = 600 calorie deficit. Now you exercise...let's say 400 calories...you could eat those calories back (provided they are accurate) and till maintain a 600 calorie deficit...so you could eat 1,200 + 600 = 1,600 and still maintain a 600 calorie deficit because with the additional activity your maintenance would have moved to 1,800 + 400 = 2,200 and 2,200 - 1,600 = 600 calorie deficit still.

LAWoman72

I feel MFP is a bit optimistic about calories burned for some types of exercise, unless there's just something weird about my body. Regardless, I don't tend to eat all my workout calories back. If I do eat them all I stop losing weight. I would say: start by eating them all back. If you stall, eat back all but 100...still no success? Eat back a bit less than that...etc. Keep going until you find your sweet spot.

FoxyBaha

To be safe, I only use about half my calories burned. I find that if I eat all I've burned, I gain a pound or two. Weird!

luckylennas

I found this C25K spreadsheet online. It's really helpful at giving good calories burned guide even if you are not doing that program
https://fs01n4.sendspace.com/dl/3ee585806349f14d0cb09b4e6772b43c/587849887a52374d/3sty7d/c25kcalsburned.xls