Exercise Calories

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Deblyh
Deblyh Posts: 14 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
New to MFP and have been doing the food diary. This week added some exercise and when I fill it in the calories burned are added back to the daily goal. This seems to defeat the purpose of burning them off but I am sure there is a logical explanation? Does everyone eat these calories back on? Thanks.

Replies

  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
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    The way MFP is designed is when you set up your account you told MFP to set your weightloss to so many pounds a week lose, this created a calorie total with a deficit already built in... That is all you need for weightloss. If you exercise you are doing that more for fitness and your body needs fueled to do those workouts hence the reason those calories are added back in... I use this method and it has led to me losing over 300 pounds...... Best of Luck....
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    Just be very, very careful entering your exercise calories - with the way MFP is set up, people stall all the time because they're eating back too much, and effectively wiping out some or all of their planned deficit.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,239 Member
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    This should answer your questions: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,239 Member
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    Just be very, very careful entering your exercise calories - with the way MFP is set up, people stall all the time because they're eating back too much, and effectively wiping out some or all of their planned deficit.

    Then you have the many people who never eat them back and stall as well.
  • Cindyinpg
    Cindyinpg Posts: 3,902 Member
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    This is an excellent read on the topic. Good luck.:flowerforyou:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
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    Just be very, very careful entering your exercise calories - with the way MFP is set up, people stall all the time because they're eating back too much, and effectively wiping out some or all of their planned deficit.

    OP it will take some time to adjust this if you use the MFP approach... I do both Weight training and Cardio. Weight lifting I have work out a calories burn through experimenting (around 75 calories every ten minutes of lifting) and for Cardio I use my Polar FT60 heart rate monitor (which through experimenting here as well I eat back 85% of my total calories burned during steady state cardio).... You will need to make adjustments but can find your percentages. The other option would be to use TDEE -% where your exercise is already figured in but still takes some adjusting.... Best of Luck again......
  • Deblyh
    Deblyh Posts: 14 Member
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    Thank you for your replies, much appreciated. I think I will not eat them back on a regular basis BUT know they are there for those times that I need a few more calories that day. I want to lose weigh and at the same time live and love life :-)
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
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    Thank you for your replies, much appreciated. I think I will not eat them back on a regular basis BUT know they are there for those times that I need a few more calories that day. I want to lose weigh and at the same time live and love life :-)

    It really depends on what you do for exercise. If you go for a stroll and burn a hundred calories, not eating them back isn't going to amount to a hill of beans. If you go out and run for 2 hours and don't eat any back you may have an issue with fatigue.

    I don't think eating or not eating exercise calories back causes weight loss to stall. The more likely cause of stalls is over estimating exercise or under estimating food.
  • shewanna
    shewanna Posts: 32 Member
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    I get calories added in from fitbit and I try not to eat them but thats easier said than done

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