Calorie Counting & Exercise

oXGetFitBabeXo
oXGetFitBabeXo Posts: 341 Member
in Getting Started
So is it better to count the steps you burn or not count the steps you burn?

Replies

  • rachel780mpg
    rachel780mpg Posts: 83 Member
    I count them but I don't eat them back.
  • sammidelvecchio
    sammidelvecchio Posts: 791 Member
    Could you please elaborate on your question? I don't understand what you are asking.
  • oXGetFitBabeXo
    oXGetFitBabeXo Posts: 341 Member
    Do you eat back the calories you burned off?
  • ceiswyn
    ceiswyn Posts: 2,256 Member
    If you’re using MFP properly, then yes.

    However some people find that MFP overestimates how many calories are burned by exercise, so you might want to start by eating only half of them and then adjust as you see how accurate the estimates are for you.
  • sammidelvecchio
    sammidelvecchio Posts: 791 Member
    On the premium version of MFP, you have the option of not automatically increasing your calorie allowance when you exercise. I use it this way, and do not eat back my calories day-to-day unless my body is telling me I need to (tired, hunger grumbles in my belly, etc). But, I do give myself more slack on the weekends, so I am technically eating some of them back then.

    You'll get a million answers going both ways on this one. I suggest you go by how you feel for a few weeks and check back in with yourself then.
  • oXGetFitBabeXo
    oXGetFitBabeXo Posts: 341 Member
    Thanks everyone!
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,226 Member
    If your calorie deficit is fairly small (i.e., slow-ish weight loss rate target for your current size), and your exercise isn't super long or intense (relatively low total calories of exercise), then it's probably fine to not eat back exercise calories, and just let it cause extra weight loss.

    If your calorie deficit is aggressive (fast weight loss rate target for you current size), and you get a lot of exercise, then not eating back at least some exercise calories is a health risk, just like any other form of undereating: A poor plan, for health, and for probability of easy(ish) long-term compliance with reduced calories.

    In between those extremes, it's all about how much risk you want to take with health and compliance.

    Personally, I lost 50 pounds just fine, in a reasonable time, while eating back all my (carefully estimated) exercise calories.
  • MikePTY
    MikePTY Posts: 3,814 Member
    You are meant to account for the energy you burn as part of "calorie counting." That is the "calories out" part of calories in vs calories out. You can account for this in different ways. If you are using MFP to calculate your calorie goals, and you are consistently walking a good number of steps per day, you can use your step count to dictate your activity level. So if you choose a higher activity level to account for you being more active regularly, then your calorie goal will incorporate that and you don't need to eat them back. However if you are not accounting for your steps in your activity, they are additional exercise that is meant to be eaten back according to how MFP calculates your calorie goal. As @AnnPT77 said, if you have a small deficit, and don't do much exercise, then this may not make a huge difference. But if you are consistently exercising and more active, then you should be eating the calories back or else you run a risk of under eating.

    The other way to calculate your goal is to use a TDEE calculator, which takes into account your overall exercise level to give you a goal. You can use this a custom goal in MFP and then not eat back your exercise calories.

    However, you should be accounting for your activity in some way, and eating more calories in accordance with that.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    oXGetFitBabeXo wrote: »
    Do you eat back the calories you burned off?

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10503681/exercise-calories-do-i-eat-these-a-video-explanation/p1
  • oXGetFitBabeXo
    oXGetFitBabeXo Posts: 341 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    oXGetFitBabeXo wrote: »
    Do you eat back the calories you burned off?

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

    Well.. when i started this 7 years ago .. no.. and then i gained almost all of the weight i lost back (in a 7 year timespan) so i'm trying to figure out what may work better for me.

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