Is it safe to eat back calories burned from walking?

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Adam__20000
Adam__20000 Posts: 65 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I’ve gotten into the habit of going on walks (10km+) fairly regularly and I burn off enough calories to fit in a large snack/small meal. Would using these burned off calories on food jeopardize my weight loss in any way?
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Replies

  • lin_be
    lin_be Posts: 393 Member
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    I do! Just make sure you're not over estimating those calories burned.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    adamlai2000 wrote: »
    I’ve gotten into the habit of going on walks (10km+) fairly regularly and I burn off enough calories to fit in a large snack/small meal. Would using these burned off calories on food jeopardize my weight loss in any way?

    Safe?
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    If course it's "safe". In fact it's more than safe if you are already eating a low calorie amount. Your net calories are the key, in other words, calories eaten - exercise calories burned should approximately = your MFP calorie goal.
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
    edited November 2018
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    Yup. All a matter of calories. Walking just sacrifices time for increased calorie burn.

    If your calorie counts are accurate there is no risk at all.
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
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    yes. you are supposed to eat your exercise calories back. so if you go for a 30 min walk. log it. eat those calories. but as was said be careful you have an accurate estimate. there are apps for your phone to help track time and distance
  • Lillymoo01
    Lillymoo01 Posts: 2,865 Member
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    I walk at least 10 km a day and I definitely eat them back. It didn't stop me losing weight and it hasn't stopped me from maintaining. Just be cautious of not overestimating your calorie burn or making sure you are adding the walling through your activity level settings and as an added exercise.
    You can either have your settings at active or even very active if you are very consistent with 10 km a day or set your activity lower and add your walking separately when you do it.

    or

    If you have a fitbit or the like or an app like Pacer on your phone just sync it to MFP and go from there.
  • Adam__20000
    Adam__20000 Posts: 65 Member
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    janejellyroll wrote: »
    Does your calorie goal come from MFP? If so, it's designed for you to eat back the calories you burn through exercise. As long as you've set up your account correction and you aren't over-estimating your calorie burn, this should be fine.
    Ah ok thanks. I am using only MFP to record my walking and regularly update my weight on the app

  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
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    adamlai2000 wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    Does your calorie goal come from MFP? If so, it's designed for you to eat back the calories you burn through exercise. As long as you've set up your account correction and you aren't over-estimating your calorie burn, this should be fine.
    Ah ok thanks. I am using only MFP to record my walking and regularly update my weight on the app

    Does this mean that you aren't using MFP to track your food? Are you using some other method, or not tracking it at all?
  • Adam__20000
    Adam__20000 Posts: 65 Member
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    apullum wrote: »
    adamlai2000 wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    Does your calorie goal come from MFP? If so, it's designed for you to eat back the calories you burn through exercise. As long as you've set up your account correction and you aren't over-estimating your calorie burn, this should be fine.
    Ah ok thanks. I am using only MFP to record my walking and regularly update my weight on the app

    Does this mean that you aren't using MFP to track your food? Are you using some other method, or not tracking it at all?
    I’m only using mfp to track my food I said only before in reference to mfp being the only app I use to record
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
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    It won't affect your weight loss as long as you accurately account for how many calories you burned.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,080 Member
    edited November 2018
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    I use walking as a regular exercise. I log it and eat back those calories. I have to say though - it doesn't amount to many calories. An hour of pretty fast walking on hilly terrain only gets me about 220 calories.

    Just be cautious.

    If you are keeping good records of your food and time spent walking and you're walking at a fairly consistent pace each time, then you'll be able to adjust if your results aren't as expected.
  • workinonit1956
    workinonit1956 Posts: 1,043 Member
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    Most definitely! I lost eating back all the calories I got from my Fitbit/MyFitnessPal and so far am maintaining the same way.
  • Dilvish
    Dilvish Posts: 398 Member
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    If your goal is weight loss then tracking what you eat is as important as tracking your exercise and weight. A lot of people would be surprised to know that they can overestimate calories burned (especially walking) and under estimate calories consumed.
    I have struggled with weight loss and I am tracking as accurately as possible by using weighted averages for exercise and adjusting food intake based on raw data and Nutrition labels. MFP states I am well on my way to achieving my goals but the scale says otherwise and I am adjusting my exercise and calories every week to find the right balance. So far I am 6 weeks in and I am still adjusting...
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,080 Member
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    cheryldumais wrote: »
    I do and have lost weight. I think where folks get into trouble is when they assume if they walk that it changes their activity level then they eat back the calories as well. For example if I decided that I am lightly active because I walk every day then I eat back the extra calories earned for that walk. I am set at sedentary then I eat back my calories for walking. I am at sedentary because the only real activity in my day is walking. My job is a desk job. Everyone is different but just be sure you aren't counting it twice. Your activity level is based on your daily activity outside of measured exercise.

    I also don't find this to be true at all for me. ^^

    Activity level and exercise are separate and different issues. No, you don't [necessarily] need to set your Activity to Sedentary if you have a desk job.

    I've been retired for 12 years. I have a tiny condo, so not much daily maintenance work required at home. I'm single, not running around after kids or grandkids or a husband. The only activity I get is cooking, shopping, general daily chores like showering and making the bed and I don't even vacuum that often.

    I am set at Lightly Active, and even that is too low for me and I end up eating +300 over that on most days. So, moderately active is more like it for me. I still log my walks and eat all those calories too.

    The bottom line is Keep Good Records. Make food logging an expert skill. Study the numbers and decide for yourself.

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