A little help needed please

Kate8628

I am trying to find out if people use their exercise calories or not? My calorie limit is just under 1300 a day and where I have linked my Fitbit I get so many more calories to use a day but not sure if that’s going to be detrimental to my weight loss if I use them.
Not very good at this

yvonne_beavis

Yes you are meant to use them, but you might want to experiment a bit. I only use 50% because I have heard that the MFP estimates are too high. I haven't tried eating all of them.

Rose18l

Most eat back between 50-75%. This is done because exercise calories are usually overestimated even with a fitbit. I would advise to start eating your calories back and see what your weight does. You can adjust your calorie intake from there.

MegaMooseEsq

I have found it easiest to average my calories by week - usually a little more on days I work out, a little less on other days, usually at least one day at maintenance over the weekend. I do count all of my exercise calories into that average and have found the numbers pretty accurate. I was using a Fitbit charge hr for a while and now I use an Apple Watch.

The important things to remember are that these numbers are estimates, not absolutes, and the only way to have any lasting success is to look at this as a long term project. Watch your numbers on the scale over time, don’t undereat, and be patient. Good luck - you can do this!

LivingtheLeanDream

Yes you are meant to eat your exercise calories back.

janejellyroll

If your calorie goal comes from MFP, it's given to you with the assumption that you'll be eating back exercise calories.

cmriverside

I always ate every single delicious one.

I would start out using the numbers this site gives. Log as accurately as possible and log and eat back the exercise calories. Do that for 4-6 weeks, and then adjust if you are getting results that don't reflect your numbers.

This whole thing is an experiment you have to run on yourself, like we all did.

As has been said, this site figures calories for weight loss based on NO exercise and expects you to add that in on exercise days, since you'll need more food to fuel more movement.

Kate8628

Ah ok. I normally average 10,000 steps a day as I walk everywhere possible.
I am finding that I am eating almost the same as before minus the chocolate etc so obviously my diet wasn’t that bad anyway.
I’ll see how things go. Thanks everyone

Merlotmom16

I average about 150 a day but I usually ignore them unless it is a cheat day. Then I rationalize that I can use them for that day. As long as the deficit is there and you are seeing results, do what works for you.

cheryldumais

I suspect one of the issues is that the activity level is confusing to some. I am sedentary without my regular exercise so I am set at sedentary. If I said well I walk or workout so I'm active and then ate back the calories for those activities I would be counting them twice. I do fine eating back about 75% of my exercise calories because I don't count them twice.