Eating Exercise Calories

Ravazza

Do you all eat your Exercise calories or just a portion/percentage? Please comment as I'm not sure if I should. I'm just starting out again and my calories are set to 1510 per day (1.5 lbs/week goal), so if I don't eat any of my exercise points, I feel really deprived.

TavistockToad

MFP is designed for you to eat them back

AnvilHead

Take a couple minutes to watch the video in the first post of this thread, I think you'll find it very helpful: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10503681/exercise-calories-do-i-eat-these-a-video-explanation/p1

sijomial

Put a little effort into selecting the right calorie estimating tool(s) for your particular exercise routine and then eat them all back. If you want suggestions on tools or methods then tell people what exercise you do.

Always seems weird to me the idea of using a poor or unsuitable method of estimating and then take a completely random percentage off that already poor data based on guesswork.


PS - feeling "deprived" isn't helpful to your chances of long term adherence and success.

dunkind45

I only eat half, sometimes I do not touch them at all. It really depends on the day.

knotgood77

On average I probably eat back about 50% of them.....this is not based on any particular science, but it is what I do.

lightenup2016

I eat back half of what the machines or my pedometer read out says. I've lost weight just fine doing this. I also find it good incentive for me to workout, even if it's just walking, so that I can eat more!

bbell1985

Try eating them back. When I first started I ate them all, but I never logged "weight training" so I think that the overestimate for cardio evened out. Eat as much food as you can to lose weight for as long as you can.

middlehaitch

I started by eating back all of my calories and observing the results.

Found that MFP was accurate for me,(except Zumba, I had to half that one) so continued eating them all. With 5-8lbs to go I did drop 50 off just because my weight loss was less than 1lbs a week.

Eventually I hit maintenance. Using all the data I had acquired I was able to average out my TDEE if my exercise was consistent, or switch to NEAT adding in an average burn if my exercise was a little more sporadic or varied.

Knowing what I burn for different activities means I can maintain without having to worry about having to exercise.
It also means I can take time off exercise and adjust my intake proportionately.

I have been maintaining for over 8 years and though I haven't logged for years I know a brisk walk for an hour gives me a glass of wine, 120cals, a 1hr class or 90 min of weights, 200 cals. so it is easy to keep my weight stable.

Knowledge is a powerful tool in weight loss and successfully maintaining. I am no one that likes tons of data and spread sheets so I just did simple logging, observed the results, and adjusted when needed. No rocket science for this woman.

Cheers, h.

Ravazza

Thank you all for your replies. They were all very helpful.

adarbyem

I use my workout calories for a few beers on the weekend or so, but during the week, I just use them for meal extras. Extra cheese, bacon, dip, bread, etc. I usually don't eat them all back, but it's nice to know that it isn't halting my weight loss doing so.