Am I suppose to eat more when I get calories back from workout?

Colleenwhatley21

So I have been tracking walking and my workouts on the app and it has been adding calories back on to my daily intake. So idk if im suppose to eat more to get to 0 or leave the extra calories. Because when I do leave them it tells me I won't lose alot since im not eating my calorie intake amount.

yirara

If you use MFP as it's meant to be used then yeah: you're supposed to set an activity goal based on your day to day activity, work, house keeping etc. and then eat your exercise calories back.

There are so-called tdee calculators that do take exercise into account and that give you more calories to start with.

Chose one, and go with it. Keep in mind that exercise calories are often overstated. Might be a good idea to start with eating back half of them if you use the mfp method and see where you are in 4-6 weeks, or at least one menstrual cycle. Then adjust. One caveat: if you're given 1200 calories then a) yeah, eat back exercise calories and b) you won't reach your weightloss goal because this is the lowest MFP will give any female. It's the minimum nutrition your body needs. Chose a slower weightloss goal then. Why it's important: say you eat 1200 calories, and you exercise for 300. That's the same as not exercising and only eating 900 calories. Way below 1200, way too little.

Colleenwhatley21

Thank you! I guess I need to go back and check my settings, my set calorie for the day is 1600.