Exercise Calories

daringxdreamer

Hi All!

Are you supposed to “eat back” the calories that you burn through exercise if your goal is to lose weight?

TeaBea

Yes - if you got your calorie goal from MFP. If you used another calculator that included an exercise estimation (like TDEE) then no. Exercise calories are estimations, many people start by eating back 50% and tweak that number after several weeks of actual results.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10503681/exercise-calories-do-i-eat-these-a-video-explanation/p1

sijomial

daringxdreamer wrote: »

Hi All!

Are you supposed to “eat back” the calories that you burn through exercise if your goal is to lose weight?

They wouldn't get added otherwise!
Your calorie goal is plus exercise, otherwise the you are undercutting the goal you selected.
Same applies at maintenance or when gaining weight, the more you do the more you need to eat to stay on track.

daringxdreamer

Thanks to you both for clarifying!

AnnPT77

That's how MFP is designed to work. Your basic calorie goal already includes the calorie reduction, so that you should lose weight even if you don't exercise. When you exercise, you eat more, to keep the same expected loss rate.

Some people worry about overestimating exercise, so start by eating back part (often 50%), go with that for 4-6 weeks, then adjust based on results.

I ate back all my (conservatively estimated) exercise calories while losing about 1/3 of my body weight, and have done the same while maintaining a healthy weight for the nearly 2 years since. But 50% is a good, conservative starting point.

Best wishes!

daringxdreamer

AnnPT77 wrote: »

That's how MFP is designed to work. Your basic calorie goal already includes the calorie reduction, so that you should lose weight even if you don't exercise. When you exercise, you eat more, to keep the same expected loss rate.

Some people worry about overestimating exercise, so start by eating back part (often 50%), go with that for 4-6 weeks, then adjust based on results.

I ate back all my (conservatively estimated) exercise calories while losing about 1/3 of my body weight, and have done the same while maintaining a healthy weight for the nearly 2 years since. But 50% is a good, conservative starting point.

Best wishes!

Great advice about only eating 50% at first. That exactly what I was concerned about especially since after I work out I’m left feeling accomplished but hungry. I didn’t want to overeat after all my hard work.

JillianRumrill

I try not to, but if I'm super hungry, I'll exercise extra so I have calories in my bank to be able to eat back. I like seeing my numbers in the green at the end of the day tho.

tracymegan

I don't. I have that function turned off. I think these devises overestimate the steps and calories. It is impossible for them to be accurate. I put in my exercises, and steps, but don't allow it to add extra calories to my daily amounts. Since I am on a macronutrient program, I have a very precise number of macros I need

SezxyStef

tracymegan wrote: »

I don't. I have that function turned off. I think these devises overestimate the steps and calories. It is impossible for them to be accurate. I put in my exercises, and steps, but don't allow it to add extra calories to my daily amounts. Since I am on a macronutrient program, I have a very precise number of macros I need

not sure you totally understand.

OP wasn't asking about a fitness tracker but only about exercise calories.

For example if you run a 5k and burn 300 calories should you eat them.

and the answer is at least some of them because that is how MFP is designed.

As for you being on a macro program...macros are for health not weight loss...the only thing you need to do for weight loss is ensure your calories in are less than calories out....

corinasue1143

It's up to you. Yes, that's the way mfp was designed to work, but you can tweak it to work for you. That is, you can set it to lose 1/2 pound a week, then exercise enough to lose another 1/2 pound a week. Just a different way to try to lose a pound a week.