Exercise = earned calories?
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Rebecca0224 wrote: »nosebag1212 wrote: »I ignore it for two reasons:
a) I'm not a dog. I don't "earn" calories like treats.
b) MFP's calculations are frequently inaccurate at best. I can guarantee a 30-minute 5K does not burn 400 calories.
a) Tell that to a 4'11 sedentary female who would have to cut daily intake to something ridiculous like 800-1000 if she didn't eat any exercise calories back.
b) Yes it absolutely does.
As a 4'11" woman I support this. My activity varies daily and my activity is set to sedentary but because of activity I need an extra 200 to 800 calories a day and if I don't eat those calories I feel weak and can't preform activities properly.
I'm the same... I'm a 5ft 2" female who has 1200 calories per day... I've only not eaten back exercise calories a few times. If I don't have them I'm grumpy and sluggish
A diet shouldn't feel like a punishment and although those calories are not a 'treat' as such... I get them because I worked hard for them! 
You get them because you need them because you worked hard.0 -
GrumpyHeadmistress wrote: »Gotta disagree with the majority here. I'm not sure it's a healthy relationship for me to have with food if I associate it with reward. That if I've been "good" I can have some food.
To me food is both an essential, normal part of life and also a joy. Treating it as something to reward myself with seems wrong somehow.
But I'm happy to accept that the majority may have a different view.
I appreciate your honesty and modesty here. If you have particular issues with food, that's a legitimate concern.
Instead of looking at is a reward, though, have you thought of it as part of having a healthy relationship with food? Arbitrarily sticking to a preset amount of calories, independent of how much you work or exercise, isn't healthy either. Exercise calories are part of your body's needs. It's not a reward - it's an authentic requirement.
Maybe it doesn't make a lot of difference if you do small amounts of exercise. But what if you are doing a lot of exercise? I frequently burn 1000 kcal per day - if I didn't eat that back I would be starving myself.
Thanks. I'm absolutely in agreement that we should eat back (at least a portion) of exercise calories - that's the way MFP is set up to work. I exercise a lot (4 swims, 3 5kms runs and 2 strength sessions with a PT a week) and I eat back 100% of those calories.
But I don't think of that as rewarding myself, merely replacing what I've burned.
To me a reward would be "I've done all the ironing so I'll have a candy bar as a reward". It sort of...devalues the food.5 -
GrumpyHeadmistress wrote: »Gotta disagree with the majority here. I'm not sure it's a healthy relationship for me to have with food if I associate it with reward. That if I've been "good" I can have some food.
To me food is both an essential, normal part of life and also a joy. Treating it as something to reward myself with seems wrong somehow.
But I'm happy to accept that the majority may have a different view.
I don't see it as a reward I see it as needed to fuel my body. Properly fueling my body is not a treat or reward it's what is healthy.3 -
Rebecca0224 wrote: »GrumpyHeadmistress wrote: »Gotta disagree with the majority here. I'm not sure it's a healthy relationship for me to have with food if I associate it with reward. That if I've been "good" I can have some food.
To me food is both an essential, normal part of life and also a joy. Treating it as something to reward myself with seems wrong somehow.
But I'm happy to accept that the majority may have a different view.
I don't see it as a reward I see it as needed to fuel my body. Properly fueling my body is not a treat or reward it's what is healthy.
Absolutely agree!1 -
Personally I don't eat them back because I hate exercise but if I did a really big work out then I would eat more that day.3
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Rebecca0224 wrote: »Rebecca0224 wrote: »nosebag1212 wrote: »I ignore it for two reasons:
a) I'm not a dog. I don't "earn" calories like treats.
b) MFP's calculations are frequently inaccurate at best. I can guarantee a 30-minute 5K does not burn 400 calories.
a) Tell that to a 4'11 sedentary female who would have to cut daily intake to something ridiculous like 800-1000 if she didn't eat any exercise calories back.
b) Yes it absolutely does.
As a 4'11" woman I support this. My activity varies daily and my activity is set to sedentary but because of activity I need an extra 200 to 800 calories a day and if I don't eat those calories I feel weak and can't preform activities properly.
I'm the same... I'm a 5ft 2" female who has 1200 calories per day... I've only not eaten back exercise calories a few times. If I don't have them I'm grumpy and sluggish A diet shouldn't feel like a punishment and although those calories are not a 'treat' as such... I get them because I worked hard for them!
You get them because you need them because you worked hard.
I am allowed to think of these as I like ☺️ I know I need them. Not sure why you felt the need to point that out but thanks0 -
GrumpyHeadmistress wrote: »Gotta disagree with the majority here. I'm not sure it's a healthy relationship for me to have with food if I associate it with reward. That if I've been "good" I can have some food.
To me food is both an essential, normal part of life and also a joy. Treating it as something to reward myself with seems wrong somehow.
But I'm happy to accept that the majority may have a different view.
I don't look at it as a reward...I look at is as fuel and properly fueling my activity. Fitness requires fuel for both performance and recovery. Fit, lean, and healthy people eat and train...they eat to support their training among other things. It's not "reward."
The more active you are, the higher your calorie requisites will be. As a sedentary person with no exercise activity, I maintain on about 2300-2400 calories per day which means I would lose about 1 Lb per week on 1800-1900 calories per day.
As it is, I'm pretty active outside of my work...I cycle 4-5 days per week, lift 2-3x per week, usually do some rock climbing once per week...do some hiking, swimming, etc. My maintenance calories are closer to 3000 per day which means I lose about 1 Lb per week eating 2500 rather than the 1900...it's not "reward"...it's properly fueling my body. If I only ate the 1800-1900 I would be running a very steep deficit of about 1200 calories which would be completely inappropriate for me.6 -
GrumpyHeadmistress wrote: »GrumpyHeadmistress wrote: »Gotta disagree with the majority here. I'm not sure it's a healthy relationship for me to have with food if I associate it with reward. That if I've been "good" I can have some food.
To me food is both an essential, normal part of life and also a joy. Treating it as something to reward myself with seems wrong somehow.
But I'm happy to accept that the majority may have a different view.
I appreciate your honesty and modesty here. If you have particular issues with food, that's a legitimate concern.
Instead of looking at is a reward, though, have you thought of it as part of having a healthy relationship with food? Arbitrarily sticking to a preset amount of calories, independent of how much you work or exercise, isn't healthy either. Exercise calories are part of your body's needs. It's not a reward - it's an authentic requirement.
Maybe it doesn't make a lot of difference if you do small amounts of exercise. But what if you are doing a lot of exercise? I frequently burn 1000 kcal per day - if I didn't eat that back I would be starving myself.
Thanks. I'm absolutely in agreement that we should eat back (at least a portion) of exercise calories - that's the way MFP is set up to work. I exercise a lot (4 swims, 3 5kms runs and 2 strength sessions with a PT a week) and I eat back 100% of those calories.
But I don't think of that as rewarding myself, merely replacing what I've burned.
To me a reward would be "I've done all the ironing so I'll have a candy bar as a reward". It sort of...devalues the food.
I agree with the point you're making here and I apologize if I misread you earlier. Food = fuel. I think it's okay if food feels like a 'treat' in as much as what you choose to consume is delicious and maybe even decadent from time to time
.
I appreciate that you feel like rewarding normal activity with food isn't the healthiest relationship; I've fallen into that trap myself in the past. Once I changes how I think of food - even the candy bars- I stopped rewarding myself. Now, if I want the candy, I look at my nutrition for the day and if it fits, I have it. That's easier to do if I've been super active that week. It's still a 'treat', but not a 'reward'.2 -
GrumpyHeadmistress wrote: »GrumpyHeadmistress wrote: »Gotta disagree with the majority here. I'm not sure it's a healthy relationship for me to have with food if I associate it with reward. That if I've been "good" I can have some food.
To me food is both an essential, normal part of life and also a joy. Treating it as something to reward myself with seems wrong somehow.
But I'm happy to accept that the majority may have a different view.
I appreciate your honesty and modesty here. If you have particular issues with food, that's a legitimate concern.
Instead of looking at is a reward, though, have you thought of it as part of having a healthy relationship with food? Arbitrarily sticking to a preset amount of calories, independent of how much you work or exercise, isn't healthy either. Exercise calories are part of your body's needs. It's not a reward - it's an authentic requirement.
Maybe it doesn't make a lot of difference if you do small amounts of exercise. But what if you are doing a lot of exercise? I frequently burn 1000 kcal per day - if I didn't eat that back I would be starving myself.
Thanks. I'm absolutely in agreement that we should eat back (at least a portion) of exercise calories - that's the way MFP is set up to work. I exercise a lot (4 swims, 3 5kms runs and 2 strength sessions with a PT a week) and I eat back 100% of those calories.
But I don't think of that as rewarding myself, merely replacing what I've burned.
To me a reward would be "I've done all the ironing so I'll have a candy bar as a reward". It sort of...devalues the food.
I agree with the point you're making here and I apologize if I misread you earlier. Food = fuel. I think it's okay if food feels like a 'treat' in as much as what you choose to consume is delicious and maybe even decadent from time to time.
I appreciate that you feel like rewarding normal activity with food isn't the healthiest relationship; I've fallen into that trap myself in the past. Once I changes how I think of food - even the candy bars- I stopped rewarding myself. Now, if I want the candy, I look at my nutrition for the day and if it fits, I have it. That's easier to do if I've been super active that week. It's still a 'treat', but not a 'reward'.
Absolutely! Makes sense to me.2 -
Rebecca0224 wrote: »Rebecca0224 wrote: »nosebag1212 wrote: »I ignore it for two reasons:
a) I'm not a dog. I don't "earn" calories like treats.
b) MFP's calculations are frequently inaccurate at best. I can guarantee a 30-minute 5K does not burn 400 calories.
a) Tell that to a 4'11 sedentary female who would have to cut daily intake to something ridiculous like 800-1000 if she didn't eat any exercise calories back.
b) Yes it absolutely does.
As a 4'11" woman I support this. My activity varies daily and my activity is set to sedentary but because of activity I need an extra 200 to 800 calories a day and if I don't eat those calories I feel weak and can't preform activities properly.
I'm the same... I'm a 5ft 2" female who has 1200 calories per day... I've only not eaten back exercise calories a few times. If I don't have them I'm grumpy and sluggish A diet shouldn't feel like a punishment and although those calories are not a 'treat' as such... I get them because I worked hard for them!
You get them because you need them because you worked hard.
I am allowed to think of these as I like ☺️ I know I need them. Not sure why you felt the need to point that out but thanks
Some people might view the "worked hard" statement as it being a reward for working hard.0 -
JeromeBarry1 wrote: »I started by ignoring my exercise calories. After a few months I started eating a few of my exercise calories. Then I started eating most of my exercise calories. Then I started exercising more after overeating. I keep losing weight in any mode because I stay in a calorie deficit most of the time.
(I've only bought a box of Klondike bars once. My wife ate all of it in one day.)
I didn't eat my exercise calories when I started. But when I started I was a sedentary, 254-lb woman, standing 5'3". And my main exercise was a once-a-week 2-hour walk with a bundle buggy to do the grocery shopping. MFP started me at 1710 calories to lose 1lb/week. I decided to step up my activity by walking 25 minutes minimum every day. Which gave me about 150-175 exercise calories. I didn't eat those back. I used them as a buffer. Back then, I was still doing most of my portioning with measuring cups. My kitchen scale wasn't digital; it was an old one like this: http://room-design-ideas.com/best-kitchen-scale and its calibration was starting to fail. I figured it was better to use my exercise calories to offset any logging inaccuracies.
And then...- As I lost weight, MFP cut my daily calories
- As I got used to exercising, I increased the time, added other types of exercise, and increased intensity
So now I'm on 1380 before exercise. I typically walk 1-2 hours daily or do an hour on a fitness glider or do a cardio-dumbbells interval workout that takes about 50 minutes. And I do a full-body strength training workout (primarily dumbbells and body-weight exercises) three times a week.
I... can't fuel that sort of activity on 1380. I typically eat back about 50%. It's not rewarding myself. It's not being 'good'. It's recognizing that if I want to stay active and not be constantly hungry and tired (and almost definitely shedding muscle), then I need to take in more energy.
3 -
Rebecca0224 wrote: »Rebecca0224 wrote: »Rebecca0224 wrote: »nosebag1212 wrote: »I ignore it for two reasons:
a) I'm not a dog. I don't "earn" calories like treats.
b) MFP's calculations are frequently inaccurate at best. I can guarantee a 30-minute 5K does not burn 400 calories.
a) Tell that to a 4'11 sedentary female who would have to cut daily intake to something ridiculous like 800-1000 if she didn't eat any exercise calories back.
b) Yes it absolutely does.
As a 4'11" woman I support this. My activity varies daily and my activity is set to sedentary but because of activity I need an extra 200 to 800 calories a day and if I don't eat those calories I feel weak and can't preform activities properly.
I'm the same... I'm a 5ft 2" female who has 1200 calories per day... I've only not eaten back exercise calories a few times. If I don't have them I'm grumpy and sluggish A diet shouldn't feel like a punishment and although those calories are not a 'treat' as such... I get them because I worked hard for them!
You get them because you need them because you worked hard.
I am allowed to think of these as I like ☺️ I know I need them. Not sure why you felt the need to point that out but thanks
Some people might view the "worked hard" statement as it being a reward for working hard.
And if that's what I'm doing then so be it.... I reward myself for working hard! It doesn't make my relationship with food an unhealthy one, it doesn't make me a dog, it makes being on a diet a little easier for ME 6 -
Rebecca0224 wrote: »Rebecca0224 wrote: »Rebecca0224 wrote: »nosebag1212 wrote: »I ignore it for two reasons:
a) I'm not a dog. I don't "earn" calories like treats.
b) MFP's calculations are frequently inaccurate at best. I can guarantee a 30-minute 5K does not burn 400 calories.
a) Tell that to a 4'11 sedentary female who would have to cut daily intake to something ridiculous like 800-1000 if she didn't eat any exercise calories back.
b) Yes it absolutely does.
As a 4'11" woman I support this. My activity varies daily and my activity is set to sedentary but because of activity I need an extra 200 to 800 calories a day and if I don't eat those calories I feel weak and can't preform activities properly.
I'm the same... I'm a 5ft 2" female who has 1200 calories per day... I've only not eaten back exercise calories a few times. If I don't have them I'm grumpy and sluggish A diet shouldn't feel like a punishment and although those calories are not a 'treat' as such... I get them because I worked hard for them!
You get them because you need them because you worked hard.
I am allowed to think of these as I like ☺️ I know I need them. Not sure why you felt the need to point that out but thanks
Some people might view the "worked hard" statement as it being a reward for working hard.
And if that's what I'm doing then so be it.... I reward myself for working hard! It doesn't make my relationship with food an unhealthy one, it doesn't make me a dog, it makes being on a diet a little easier for ME
It's awesome that you can have that relationship with food. Something for me to aspire to!1 -
Rebecca0224 wrote: »Rebecca0224 wrote: »Rebecca0224 wrote: »nosebag1212 wrote: »I ignore it for two reasons:
a) I'm not a dog. I don't "earn" calories like treats.
b) MFP's calculations are frequently inaccurate at best. I can guarantee a 30-minute 5K does not burn 400 calories.
a) Tell that to a 4'11 sedentary female who would have to cut daily intake to something ridiculous like 800-1000 if she didn't eat any exercise calories back.
b) Yes it absolutely does.
As a 4'11" woman I support this. My activity varies daily and my activity is set to sedentary but because of activity I need an extra 200 to 800 calories a day and if I don't eat those calories I feel weak and can't preform activities properly.
I'm the same... I'm a 5ft 2" female who has 1200 calories per day... I've only not eaten back exercise calories a few times. If I don't have them I'm grumpy and sluggish A diet shouldn't feel like a punishment and although those calories are not a 'treat' as such... I get them because I worked hard for them!
You get them because you need them because you worked hard.
I am allowed to think of these as I like ☺️ I know I need them. Not sure why you felt the need to point that out but thanks
Some people might view the "worked hard" statement as it being a reward for working hard.
And if that's what I'm doing then so be it.... I reward myself for working hard! It doesn't make my relationship with food an unhealthy one, it doesn't make me a dog, it makes being on a diet a little easier for ME
I eleaborated on your statement it wasn't meant as anything negative. Good luck with your goals1 -
GrumpyHeadmistress wrote: »Rebecca0224 wrote: »Rebecca0224 wrote: »Rebecca0224 wrote: »nosebag1212 wrote: »I ignore it for two reasons:
a) I'm not a dog. I don't "earn" calories like treats.
b) MFP's calculations are frequently inaccurate at best. I can guarantee a 30-minute 5K does not burn 400 calories.
a) Tell that to a 4'11 sedentary female who would have to cut daily intake to something ridiculous like 800-1000 if she didn't eat any exercise calories back.
b) Yes it absolutely does.
As a 4'11" woman I support this. My activity varies daily and my activity is set to sedentary but because of activity I need an extra 200 to 800 calories a day and if I don't eat those calories I feel weak and can't preform activities properly.
I'm the same... I'm a 5ft 2" female who has 1200 calories per day... I've only not eaten back exercise calories a few times. If I don't have them I'm grumpy and sluggish A diet shouldn't feel like a punishment and although those calories are not a 'treat' as such... I get them because I worked hard for them!
You get them because you need them because you worked hard.
I am allowed to think of these as I like ☺️ I know I need them. Not sure why you felt the need to point that out but thanks
Some people might view the "worked hard" statement as it being a reward for working hard.
And if that's what I'm doing then so be it.... I reward myself for working hard! It doesn't make my relationship with food an unhealthy one, it doesn't make me a dog, it makes being on a diet a little easier for ME
It's awesome that you can have that relationship with food. Something for me to aspire to!Rebecca0224 wrote: »Rebecca0224 wrote: »Rebecca0224 wrote: »Rebecca0224 wrote: »nosebag1212 wrote: »I ignore it for two reasons:
a) I'm not a dog. I don't "earn" calories like treats.
b) MFP's calculations are frequently inaccurate at best. I can guarantee a 30-minute 5K does not burn 400 calories.
a) Tell that to a 4'11 sedentary female who would have to cut daily intake to something ridiculous like 800-1000 if she didn't eat any exercise calories back.
b) Yes it absolutely does.
As a 4'11" woman I support this. My activity varies daily and my activity is set to sedentary but because of activity I need an extra 200 to 800 calories a day and if I don't eat those calories I feel weak and can't preform activities properly.
I'm the same... I'm a 5ft 2" female who has 1200 calories per day... I've only not eaten back exercise calories a few times. If I don't have them I'm grumpy and sluggish A diet shouldn't feel like a punishment and although those calories are not a 'treat' as such... I get them because I worked hard for them!
You get them because you need them because you worked hard.
I am allowed to think of these as I like ☺️ I know I need them. Not sure why you felt the need to point that out but thanks
Some people might view the "worked hard" statement as it being a reward for working hard.
And if that's what I'm doing then so be it.... I reward myself for working hard! It doesn't make my relationship with food an unhealthy one, it doesn't make me a dog, it makes being on a diet a little easier for ME
I eleaborated on your statement it wasn't meant as anything negative. Good luck with your goals
Good luck and thanks 1 -
The biggest realization I've had since starting my weight loss journey (WW before starting MFP) is that I'm NOT actually sedentary even though I have a desk job and don't go to the gym. 10,000+ steps is not sedentary and I need to account for that with my CICO equation. Eating exercise calories for me is not a reward - it's necessary. If I do not eat back my exercise calories I guarantee the next day I'll feel fatigue and headaches. Making sure my deficit is appropriate for me is necessary to my journey and it's sustainability.
If I chose to ignore all my exercise calories (as I did on WW), then everyday I would feel like keeling over and crawling back to bed. Pay attention to how your body feels and fuel it as needed.4 -
I ignore it for two reasons:
a) I'm not a dog. I don't "earn" calories like treats.
b) MFP's calculations are frequently inaccurate at best. I can guarantee a 30-minute 5K does not burn 400 calories.
Dogs need to breathe air or they'll die. You need to breathe air or you'll die. Maybe "this happens to dogs so it doesn't apply to me" it's bad logic.4 -
NorthCascades wrote: »I ignore it for two reasons:
a) I'm not a dog. I don't "earn" calories like treats.
b) MFP's calculations are frequently inaccurate at best. I can guarantee a 30-minute 5K does not burn 400 calories.
Dogs need to breathe air or they'll die. You need to breathe air or you'll die. Maybe "this happens to dogs so it doesn't apply to me" it's bad logic.
You know, of all the aphorisms that get tossed out about weight loss - journeys, lapping everyone on the couch, moment on the hips, etc. - the "not a dog one" bothers me the most. I'm not sure exactly why. Maybe because it denigrates anyone who does have treats, maybe because it contains an element of self-loathing ("you stupid dog"), or maybe because it aspires toward what I think is an unrealistic attitude toward food.
If I buy my kids ice cream for a treat, does that mean I'm treating them like dogs? Our department provides donuts on Friday - does that mean they are treating us dogs? I usually allow myself a craft beer every night. It's a treat. Should I not be allowed to have it?10 -
GrumpyHeadmistress wrote: »Gotta disagree with the majority here. I'm not sure it's a healthy relationship for me to have with food if I associate it with reward. That if I've been "good" I can have some food.
To me food is both an essential, normal part of life and also a joy. Treating it as something to reward myself with seems wrong somehow.
But I'm happy to accept that the majority may have a different view.
I look at it as refueling and repairing my body. I have no interest in losing lean muscle mass by underfeeding. If I work out, I need to give back.3 -
GrumpyHeadmistress wrote: »Gotta disagree with the majority here. I'm not sure it's a healthy relationship for me to have with food if I associate it with reward. That if I've been "good" I can have some food.
To me food is both an essential, normal part of life and also a joy. Treating it as something to reward myself with seems wrong somehow.
But I'm happy to accept that the majority may have a different view.
I look at it as refueling and repairing my body. I have no interest in losing lean muscle mass by underfeeding. If I work out, I need to give back.
To add on to this, exercise (to me) is an essential, normal part of life. It's also a joy. It isn't something "good" I do in order to earn food. It's a loop -- I exercise so I can eat so I can exercise so I can eat. One isn't "good" while the other is "bad," they are both pleasurable and essential parts of my life. The extra calories aren't a "reward," they're something I need to keep living my best life.6
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