Eating your Excercise Calories

mandynicolem42818
mandynicolem42818 Posts: 10 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Does everyone eat the calories earned by exercise? Does that not defeat the purpose of the lower calorie goal to to lose weight?? Please help!

Replies

  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    If you use MFP to set your calorie goal, exercise, but don't eat back any exercise calories, you are not using MFP the way it was designed.

    Unlike other sites which use TDEE calculators, MFP uses the NEAT method (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis), and as such this system is designed for exercise calories to be eaten back. However, many consider the burns given by MFP to be inflated for them and only eat a percentage, such as 50%, back. Others, however, are able to lose weight while eating 100% of their exercise calories.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/818082/exercise-calories-again-wtf/p1
  • runnermom419
    runnermom419 Posts: 366 Member
    Exercise calories are the tastiest. Something about burning 600 calories on a run (measured via HR monitor!!) and using some of those calories on a treat makes me smile.

    I eat back about 50% or so - All of my runs are measured via chest strap HR monitor.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    flippy1234 wrote: »
    I don't even log my exercise calories so I don't know how much I should eat back. I don't eat them back. To me, it defeats the purpose but that is just me.

    The purpose of exercise isn't to boost your calorie deficit over and above the deficit you selected.

    OP - exercise should be a lifetime habit for health, fitness and even enjoyment. It's a terribly short term view to use exercise to try and boost your rate of weight loss to what may be an unhealthy level.

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