Do you compensate calories you burn in exercise?

glennagael

Say you're sticking to a calorie deficit. If you burn an extra 200, will you eat an extra 200, even if you ate your allotment otherwise? Not sure what the best practice is there. Thanks!

JaiDessaT

Eat half back. That's the general consensus.

glennagael

JaiDessaT wrote: »

Eat half back. That's the general consensus.

Oh my gosh a great rule of thumb. Thank you!

CafeRacer808

I generally try to eat back 50-70% but if I'm being honest, I usually eat them all back. This hasn't affected my weight loss progress in the slightest, but your mileage may vary.

This video by member @SideSteel does an excellent job of explaining exercise calories and why you should eat back at least a portion of them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67USKg3w_E4

estherdragonbat

I keep mine as a cushion in case my estimations were off when I was out and had no access to a scale. (Also, my scale is old and occasionally gives me a different weight for the same item if I take it off and put it back on. Not a big deal if I'm weighing green beans. Pasta, on the other hand?) So far, I'm not hungry.

I should point out that my exercise is coming from long leisurely walks when I have errands to run and, on days when I can't get out, 30 minutes on a ski machine. I'm exercising more than I was before MFP, but it's definitely not marathon training.

lulalacroix

I eat back a portion, usually not all. I'm always concerned that my estimated burn is too high.

bbell1985

I don't because I never do cardio, and if I do it's not intense...and it probably just compensates for any lazy day I have. No really, I don't do "exercise".

SCoil123

I eat back 50-100% depending on how intense the work out was and how hungry I am. MFP is designed with the expectation you eat them back. It often over estimates the burn amount though which is why most people only eat back about half.

SusanMFindlay

I eat them all back - but use my FitBit's numbers not the MFP database ones.

Lolalikeslolagets

I'm not eating any back because I'm mostly weight training and I don't trust mfp numbers on calorie burn- probably any inaccuracies in my logging will balance out exercise cal (I'm loosing slowly so figure it's ok)

jamierobinson12

Don't eat exercise. Your workouts improve your deficit thus getting you to your goals faster.

suzesvelte

Depends what you've done. MFP certainly offeres the top-end figures for any exercises I've ever looked up so I would never eat them all back. I log less than MFP suggests and eat back some of them. Never all, simply to account for any inaccuracies in the food tracking too.

tinkerbellang83

I eat probably between 50-75% back, because I am not too sure how accurate the tracker I am currently using is. I am still losing week in, week out. Hoping to have more accurate readings when I get my new Garmin watch.

KANGOOJUMPS

save it for wine.

mazdauk

I use most of them - generally for wine - or save a bit up for the weekend/going out. I find eating them is a great incentive to exercise - I know people say "you shouldn't exercise just to eat" but I figure its better than not exercising at all!

PAV8888

jamierobinson12 wrote: »

Don't eat exercise. Your workouts improve your deficit thus getting you to your goals faster.

And exceeding your deficit goals is always good because?

glennagael

Thanks, everyone! Even a little nuanced the general consensus is clear. (: Really I asked because after meal prepping I didn't want to go to the trouble of cooking an extra meal after workouts... Gotta get my laziness in somewhere, haha. Thank you again!

janejellyroll

jamierobinson12 wrote: »

Don't eat exercise. Your workouts improve your deficit thus getting you to your goals faster.

This is ridiculous blanket advice. A bigger deficit isn't always better. If someone has a large deficit or is doing serious exercise, eating back at least a portion of exercise calories is key for meeting nutritional needs, avoiding hunger, maintaining energy, and avoiding unnecessary muscle loss.

Reaverie

I havent been. But I havent felt hungry enough since adding more protein. I just hope it means faster weight loss..

SideSteel

jamierobinson12 wrote: »

Don't eat exercise. Your workouts improve your deficit thus getting you to your goals faster.

Please watch the video linked in this thread. MFP is a bit unique in it's caloric estimation tools it uses to give intake recommendations.

TimothyFish

janejellyroll wrote: »

jamierobinson12 wrote: »

Don't eat exercise. Your workouts improve your deficit thus getting you to your goals faster.

This is ridiculous blanket advice. A bigger deficit isn't always better. If someone has a large deficit or is doing serious exercise, eating back at least a portion of exercise calories is key for meeting nutritional needs, avoiding hunger, maintaining energy, and avoiding unnecessary muscle loss.

Exactly. Some of us frequently burn more than a thousand calories while exercising. That rate alone would result in two pounds lost per week and if there were added on top of a deficit it could be four pounds. Some people are even more active. If you deplete your glycogen while exercising and don't replace it you could fall into a coma or even die. If you put in more than 90 minutes of exercise you need to have a plan for fueling your workout. If you're putting in two hours and aren't eating, you're putting yourself in danger.