Should I eat my calories gained through exercise?
charpat58
Posts: 13 Member
Can anyone help me with this? In order to lose 2 pounds per week, MFP calculated I should eat 1350 calories per day. Lately I have been walking 7 to 8 km 3 or 4 days a week. Today I walked 7km in 49 minutes and basically I could eat an extra 1000 calories. I know that this is probably way more calories than I burned but even if I reduce that by half, should I eat those calories. I don’t want to lose more than 2 pounds a week but I also want my body to not go into starvation mode and thwart my weight loss goals.
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Replies
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You don't have to worry about starvation mode, as it's not a thing. But ideally yes you should be eating those exercise calories (I also would cut that amount down at least 50%). http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10503681/exercise-calories-do-i-eat-these-a-video-explanation5
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First of all great pace! 7km in 49 mins is ~ 5.2 mph is much faster than my average 3mph pace.
How are you tracking calories because even at that pace myfitnesspal for jogging at a 5.2 mph pace for 49 mins says it burns 435 calories. However I am not sure if it takes my age or weight into consideration when calculating because all it ask for is times spent exercising.
1000 does seem like alot so I would first double check that number for accuracy, by comparing it to other online walking calculators that use weight and height and age to see if you get the same number.
Either way eating back some exercise calories is definitely a good idea! Many people recommend about 50-70% given that you are accurately logging exercise, but really you should find a balance on what amount of food keeps you happy and energized for your next workout but still in a deficit.
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I walk around 8km a day - and 90% of the reason (ok, maybe 95%) is so I get more calories to eat, for the important stuff, like chocolate - because for me, a day without chocolate is a day without sunshine
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Yes, eat them back.
You already have an aggressive weight loss rate target (unless you are currently well over 200 pounds). MFP is designed in a way that it expects you to eat back exercise. Not doing so, when combined with aggressive weight loss targets, risks underfueling and possibly even undernutrition.
Losing too fast increases risk of losing unnecessarily large amounts of lean tissue alongside fat loss - including muscle tissue that for us, as women, is slow/hard work to regain, and that is vital to our independence and health as we age. (A healthy amount of lean tissue/muscle also improves appearance).
If you're worried that the calories are overestimated, start by eating back 50%, monitor for 4-6 weeks, then adjust based on actual weight loss results.
I ate every exercise calorie while losing 50+ pounds, and have continued to do so through 2+ years since of maintaining a healthy weight. It works.
Best wishes!7 -
First of all great pace! 7km in 49 mins is ~ 5.2 mph is much faster than my average 3mph pace.
How are you tracking calories because even at that pace myfitnesspal for jogging at a 5.2 mph pace for 49 mins says it burns 435 calories. However I am not sure if it takes my age or weight into consideration when calculating because all it ask for is times spent exercising.
1000 does seem like alot so I would first double check that number for accuracy, by comparing it to other online walking calculators that use weight and height and age to see if you get the same number.
Either way eating back some exercise calories is definitely a good idea! Many people recommend about 50-70% given that you are accurately logging exercise, but really you should find a balance on what amount of food keeps you happy and energized for your next workout but still in a deficit.
MFP uses the weight and age in your MFP profile settings when it estimates exercise calories. The more weight I lost
, the fewer calories I got for the same exercise 
.) 4 -
Does anyone else feel like a piggy trying to eat the calories back?! It is definitely a matter of me retraining my way of thinking. I was wondering why I have been so tired lately. I just started using this app, but didn’t realize how much I actively burned just at work. That’s not even counting my workouts. I usually earn an additional 1,500-2,000 on a work and gym day. Now, what do I do if I feel so full and feel like I can’t eat anymore, but it tells me I can???1
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sunderland_mich93 wrote: »Does anyone else feel like a piggy trying to eat the calories back?! It is definitely a matter of me retraining my way of thinking. I was wondering why I have been so tired lately. I just started using this app, but didn’t realize how much I actively burned just at work. That’s not even counting my workouts. I usually earn an additional 1,500-2,000 on a work and gym day. Now, what do I do if I feel so full and feel like I can’t eat anymore, but it tells me I can???
No, I don't feel like a piggy. I'm a hedonist; tasty food is pleasurable; pleasure makes me happy.
When full, and nutrition goals have been met, that's the perfect time for a maybe less nutrition dense, but certainly more calorie dense, treat . . . whatever a treat is for you!
Seriously: If you're dragging, definitely eat enough calories. Unless you're low-carbing, carbs might be the first thing to try, as they seem to affect energy level for many people . . . unless you're low on protein or fats, in which case filling out the low macro(s) might make more of a contribution.
Best wishes!5 -
Actually in order to lose 2 pounds per week, MFP calculated you should eat 1350 + exercise calories per day.
But that calorie burn sounds dreadfully exaggerated, how did you come by that estimate?
Starvation mode isn't a genuine thing in the sense you are using it.2 -
@AnnPT77, do you mean like...m&ms?!1
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Going by your profile which says you weigh about 250. and 7 km as 4.3 miles(roughly)
1. That's really brisk walking... Good on you. At that pace you're burning a bit more than the calculator below will give you.
2. 1000 is probably too high Use this instead https://www.runnersworld.com/peak-performance/running-v-walking-how-many-calories-will-you-burn
3. CALORIES/MILE .57 x wt in lbs =600ish calories.... at the pace you're walking you can safely eat all 600 of those calories.
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sunderland_mich93 wrote: »@AnnPT77, do you mean like...m&ms?!
Sure, that's certainly one option, if you enjoy them..
In similar circumstances, I might pick chocolate candy, something crispy & salty, or - who am I kidding? - craft beer. 6 -
sunderland_mich93 wrote: »Does anyone else feel like a piggy trying to eat the calories back?! It is definitely a matter of me retraining my way of thinking. I was wondering why I have been so tired lately. I just started using this app, but didn’t realize how much I actively burned just at work. That’s not even counting my workouts. I usually earn an additional 1,500-2,000 on a work and gym day. Now, what do I do if I feel so full and feel like I can’t eat anymore, but it tells me I can???
Instead of doing the "up and down" in calories based on what I did that day I instead average my workouts and calories over the week. I calculated the numbers in a different calculator and set my own goals rather than using the default MFP calculations. That way I don't feel like I'm starving on days I don't workout, and meals tend to be pretty similar, meaning I can meal plan a little better.1 -
HoneyBadger155 wrote: »sunderland_mich93 wrote: »Does anyone else feel like a piggy trying to eat the calories back?! It is definitely a matter of me retraining my way of thinking. I was wondering why I have been so tired lately. I just started using this app, but didn’t realize how much I actively burned just at work. That’s not even counting my workouts. I usually earn an additional 1,500-2,000 on a work and gym day. Now, what do I do if I feel so full and feel like I can’t eat anymore, but it tells me I can???
Instead of doing the "up and down" in calories based on what I did that day I instead average my workouts and calories over the week. I calculated the numbers in a different calculator and set my own goals rather than using the default MFP calculations. That way I don't feel like I'm starving on days I don't workout, and meals tend to be pretty similar, meaning I can meal plan a little better.
I basically do this. Most days I eat within about 200 calories above MFP, but on training days, I end up with a few hundred extra. I end up rungry, so I'll often eat a bit more after a run than on a non-training day, but I"ll still try to have that little buffer.2 -
sunderland_mich93 wrote: »Does anyone else feel like a piggy trying to eat the calories back?! It is definitely a matter of me retraining my way of thinking. I was wondering why I have been so tired lately. I just started using this app, but didn’t realize how much I actively burned just at work. That’s not even counting my workouts. I usually earn an additional 1,500-2,000 on a work and gym day. Now, what do I do if I feel so full and feel like I can’t eat anymore, but it tells me I can???
No....a calorie is just a unit of energy and I understand that my body needs a lot of energy just to perform basic bodily functions, never mind going about my day to day and exercise.
I'm an active guy...I require a lot of energy, even if I'm trying to cut weight.4 -
I have been using Map My Walk and syncing to MFP to track calories. I was 254 when I started in October and have lost 33 pounds. I was losing steadily until I started walking a few weeks ago. During the winter I was doing 30 to 60 minutes 5 days a week of cardio/ strength training at home using Jessica Smith tv. Now that I have started walking longer distances (Nordic walking) and sticking to my MFP calorie suggestion/ no eating of earned calories, I seem to have stalled. I don’t always make the 7km in 49 minutes....but I do enjoy walking briskly0
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Personally, I think it depends on if you feel you need those extra calories.
I try not to eat back my calories because
a) I knew the amount given was usually over estimated by lots
b) I wanted a buffer against under estimating my daily calories.
c) it helps me to know I have some calories in reserve for when "life" happens ie; going out for supper, special occasions, et.
Some days I need the extra fuel but most days I don't use them.
However I'm not in maintenance yet and am still in deficit mode. I'm looking forward to them once I hit goal.0 -
bikecheryl wrote: »Personally, I think it depends on if you feel you need those extra calories.
I try not to eat back my calories because
a) I knew the amount given was usually over estimated by lots
b) I wanted a buffer against under estimating my daily calories.
c) it helps me to know I have some calories in reserve for when "life" happens ie; going out for supper, special occasions, et.
Some days I need the extra fuel but most days I don't use them.
However I'm not in maintenance yet and am still in deficit mode. I'm looking forward to them once I hit goal.
I think the answer is somewhat nuanced. If one's workout is a brisk walk or a 30-minute Zumba class, it's not a huge calorie burn anyway (and often overestimated), and recovery/refueling concerns are pretty minimal, so eating those calories back or not is no big deal.
For somebody with an intense workout regimen which burns significant calories and imposes significant recovery demands, eating at least part of those calories back becomes more relevant. Somebody who's lifting hard in the gym 4-6 days a week or running 25-30 miles (or more) per week isn't going to sustain that for long on a deep deficit without crashing and burning.2 -
bikecheryl wrote: »Personally, I think it depends on if you feel you need those extra calories.
I try not to eat back my calories because
a) I knew the amount given was usually over estimated by lots
b) I wanted a buffer against under estimating my daily calories.
c) it helps me to know I have some calories in reserve for when "life" happens ie; going out for supper, special occasions, et.
Some days I need the extra fuel but most days I don't use them.
However I'm not in maintenance yet and am still in deficit mode. I'm looking forward to them once I hit goal.
I think the answer is somewhat nuanced. If one's workout is a brisk walk or a 30-minute Zumba class, it's not a huge calorie burn anyway (and often overestimated), and recovery/refueling concerns are pretty minimal, so eating those calories back or not is no big deal.
For somebody with an intense workout regimen which burns significant calories and imposes significant recovery demands, eating at least part of those calories back becomes more relevant. Somebody who's lifting hard in the gym 4-6 days a week or running 25-30 miles (or more) per week isn't going to sustain that for long on a deep deficit without crashing and burning.
Exactly. That's why I asked if she felt she needed to eat those calories after her walk.
Or at least that's what I meant to ask. 0 -
I eat a portion of calories lost during exercise. Like maybe half?0
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Thanks for your reply. I don’t feel like I need to eat the extra calories but I eat the 1350 allotted to me based on my stats and aim at 1.5to 2 pounds a week. My last walk clocked me in at 1000 calories which I know is way more than Incould have burned, but say it was just 500, thatnhas my body running on only 850 calories. That got me wondering if I was eating enough. I had a great balance of food in/calories burned in the winter months but now that I am walker longer and faster, I am trying to get a feel for my balance. I think I will eat a hundred more a day and see what happens.0
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To be honest, I don't really put much store in MFP exercise calories - many say they are inaccurate and way too high. If you feel ok not eating the calories back - don't do it - your plan to eat 100 back a day sounds good 0
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TheFlyOnTheWall wrote: »I walk around 8km a day - and 90% of the reason (ok, maybe 95%) is so I get more calories to eat, for the important stuff, like chocolate - because for me, a day without chocolate is a day without sunshine
Lol! I walk for wine!0 -
bikecheryl wrote: »Personally, I think it depends on if you feel you need those extra calories.
I try not to eat back my calories because
a) I knew the amount given was usually over estimated by lots
b) I wanted a buffer against under estimating my daily calories.
c) it helps me to know I have some calories in reserve for when "life" happens ie; going out for supper, special occasions, et.
Some days I need the extra fuel but most days I don't use them.
However I'm not in maintenance yet and am still in deficit mode. I'm looking forward to them once I hit goal.
I think the answer is somewhat nuanced. If one's workout is a brisk walk or a 30-minute Zumba class, it's not a huge calorie burn anyway (and often overestimated), and recovery/refueling concerns are pretty minimal, so eating those calories back or not is no big deal.
For somebody with an intense workout regimen which burns significant calories and imposes significant recovery demands, eating at least part of those calories back becomes more relevant. Somebody who's lifting hard in the gym 4-6 days a week or running 25-30 miles (or more) per week isn't going to sustain that for long on a deep deficit without crashing and burning.
Good answer!
Today my fitness pal logged 1847kcal exercise. I took my normal 3.5 mile walk with my dog. Came to be 650 or so. That was my dogs workout! Not mine. My workout was a 50 min back focused weightllifting session pullups/deadlift. Which was 680 or so. Then my S Health added in all my daily steps 500 something.
So there was some overlap probably between my step counter and the recorded workout calories. However. I already know from using other trackers, these number are highly inflated. I use a gear S3 watch to record thru UA record. But I know this. I ate a little over my target 2150 today. I'm 2180 or so with 1850 to go. And I don't feel hungry to eat any more food, so I'm not. However, I may partake a small bite of something an hour or so later or have a drink. Use your judgement. I lift weights, so I immediately take protein/fiber supplement right after lifting. Then a light dinner. And some wine after.0 -
mutantspicy wrote: »bikecheryl wrote: »Personally, I think it depends on if you feel you need those extra calories.
I try not to eat back my calories because
a) I knew the amount given was usually over estimated by lots
b) I wanted a buffer against under estimating my daily calories.
c) it helps me to know I have some calories in reserve for when "life" happens ie; going out for supper, special occasions, et.
Some days I need the extra fuel but most days I don't use them.
However I'm not in maintenance yet and am still in deficit mode. I'm looking forward to them once I hit goal.
I think the answer is somewhat nuanced. If one's workout is a brisk walk or a 30-minute Zumba class, it's not a huge calorie burn anyway (and often overestimated), and recovery/refueling concerns are pretty minimal, so eating those calories back or not is no big deal.
For somebody with an intense workout regimen which burns significant calories and imposes significant recovery demands, eating at least part of those calories back becomes more relevant. Somebody who's lifting hard in the gym 4-6 days a week or running 25-30 miles (or more) per week isn't going to sustain that for long on a deep deficit without crashing and burning.
Good answer!
Today my fitness pal logged 1847kcal exercise. I took my normal 3.5 mile walk with my dog. Came to be 650 or so. That was my dogs workout! Not mine. My workout was a 50 min back focused weightllifting session pullups/deadlift. Which was 680 or so. Then my S Health added in all my daily steps 500 something.
So there was some overlap probably between my step counter and the recorded workout calories. However. I already know from using other trackers, these number are highly inflated. I use a gear S3 watch to record thru UA record. But I know this. I ate a little over my target 2150 today. I'm 2180 or so with 1850 to go. And I don't feel hungry to eat any more food, so I'm not. However, I may partake a small bite of something an hour or so later or have a drink. Use your judgement. I lift weights, so I immediately take protein/fiber supplement right after lifting. Then a light dinner. And some wine after.
After reading the first few sentences of your post, I was relieved for you when I read the bolded part. Especially the underlined part.
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