Should I log all exercise?

LisaUlrey
LisaUlrey Posts: 136 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I walk every day on my breaks ( about 20-30 mins ). I always log my calories burned at the gym and the calories on my walks. Should I be logging my calories from these walks and eating back these calories? I always eat back my gym calories. My weight loss has slowed to almost a stop and I want to figure out how to kickstart it again.

Replies

  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,474 Member
    well yeah.
    that's is about
  • randrews0407
    randrews0407 Posts: 216 Member
    I used to log everything ... stopped though. My office is a mile away from the subway - I brisk walk this round-trip daily and used to enter it but now I only enter what I categorize as purposeful intentional workouts. When I clean my house and do chores, I don't log it, but some people do. Its entirely up to you.

    From how I see it ... if you enter that you are lightly or moderately active, MFP already factored in the activity that's built into your day so you don't want to "eat-back" calories that are already accounted for.

    Feel free to share your thoughts on this though, I'm curious.
  • cheninmatthews21
    cheninmatthews21 Posts: 33 Member
    I log my exercise, but unless I've got my heart rate monitor on, I cut the calories MFP estimates for me in half. Many of their estimations are too high, and you'll end up eating back calories you didn't really burn. But yeah, definitely try to switch things up to help combat that plateau!
  • echofm1
    echofm1 Posts: 471 Member
    If you're coming to a plateau, then it probably wouldn't hurt to stop logging the walk calories. This is particularly true if you've got MFP set at lightly active and the walks aren't particularly strenuous, since that kind of includes the walks already in your goals.

    Also, do you log the exercise exactly as minutes? For example, you walk 20 minutes so you log 20 minutes. It seems to be pretty universally agreed upon that MFP estimates calories a bit high, so it might be better to shave a few minutes off if you do log it. Example: Log 16 minutes instead of 20. Most people suggest reducing it by about 20%
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    Need more info:

    1) How are you calculating the calorie burned at the gym?

    2) When you say 20-30 min walks, is that all together or say two 20-30 minute walks actually totally 40-60 minutes. And about what pace are you walking - nice brisk 3.5-4mph walk or a slower 2.5-3mph walk?
  • LisaUlrey
    LisaUlrey Posts: 136 Member
    I used to log everything ... stopped though. My office is a mile away from the subway - I brisk walk this round-trip daily and used to enter it but now I only enter what I categorize as purposeful intentional workouts. When I clean my house and do chores, I don't log it, but some people do. Its entirely up to you.

    From how I see it ... if you enter that you are lightly or moderately active, MFP already factored in the activity that's built into your day so you don't want to "eat-back" calories that are already accounted for.

    Feel free to share your thoughts on this though, I'm curious.

    I think this is what I am going to start doing. I log everything and eat back everything right now and my weight has only dropped two pounds this month. I would really like to speed this up just a tad. I don't know how accurate Endomondo is but that is what I have been using for all of my walks. I have thrown around the idea of eating at TDEE - 20% but I find that it is not as motivating for me.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    I used to log everything ... stopped though. My office is a mile away from the subway - I brisk walk this round-trip daily and used to enter it but now I only enter what I categorize as purposeful intentional workouts. When I clean my house and do chores, I don't log it, but some people do. Its entirely up to you.

    From how I see it ... if you enter that you are lightly or moderately active, MFP already factored in the activity that's built into your day so you don't want to "eat-back" calories that are already accounted for.

    Feel free to share your thoughts on this though, I'm curious.

    This!^

    Your activity level already gives you some calories....look up your BMR - basal metabolic rate ..... calories needed if you stayed in bed all day .....http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/bmr-calculator.html

    Your activity level in MFP adds to this number.

    Your TDEE - total daily energy expenditure .... that includes exercise calories (think of it as maintenance).

    http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html

    Besides, MFP is "generous" with calorie burns....it's easy to go over. I stay away from logging day to day type stuff.
  • LisaUlrey
    LisaUlrey Posts: 136 Member
    Need more info:

    1) How are you calculating the calorie burned at the gym?

    2) When you say 20-30 min walks, is that all together or say two 20-30 minute walks actually totally 40-60 minutes. And about what pace are you walking - nice brisk 3.5-4mph walk or a slower 2.5-3mph walk?

    I log my calories at the gym based on the cardio equipment. I put in my weight, age and I use the sensors for the heart rate. My walks are about 10 minutes a piece and they are usually at 3.5 mph.
  • Chain_Ring
    Chain_Ring Posts: 753 Member
    Sure. Why not?
  • wilsoje74
    wilsoje74 Posts: 1,720 Member
    You may be overestimating your workout cals. How many cals are you eating back? The equipment normally is really high.
  • LisaUlrey
    LisaUlrey Posts: 136 Member
    I usually eat back most or all of the calories. I have been wondering about this. Maybe I should just switch to TDEE -20%. This is frustrating trying to figure out what is accurate and what is not.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    I checked out your exercise diary and what you've got for burns for the walks and your elliptical time doesn't seem overly high to me so I think you're doing ok.

    However, as others pointed out, it may depend on what your activity level is set at. If your sedentary, I'd definitely log the walks. If you're set at light active, I might not log them.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Need more info:

    1) How are you calculating the calorie burned at the gym?

    2) When you say 20-30 min walks, is that all together or say two 20-30 minute walks actually totally 40-60 minutes. And about what pace are you walking - nice brisk 3.5-4mph walk or a slower 2.5-3mph walk?

    I log my calories at the gym based on the cardio equipment. I put in my weight, age and I use the sensors for the heart rate. My walks are about 10 minutes a piece and they are usually at 3.5 mph.

    Whether you're using a machine, HRM, or database like MFP you should be making some allowance for estimation error. Nothing is 100% accurate when it comes to calorie burn which is one of the reasons MFP can be so difficult for many. I used to eat back about 70-80% of what my HRM told me.

    Also, do you weigh and measure foods or are you eyeballing portions? There are numerous studies out there that indicate if you're not weighing and measuring as applicable, on average, people substantially underestimate their consumption...often by as much as 30%. When I started actually using a food scale it was a real eye opener.

    Also, do you eat out a lot? Restaurants and the like are given some latitude for error in estimation of the calories...I mean you just have some guy/gal back there slappin' together sammiches or whatever...when I worked in the industry I wasn't measuring out exactly 1 Tbsp of mayo and 1 Oz of cheese, etc. There was a YouTube video going around awhile ago that was pretty good that illustrated this and the whole measuring thing and basically the guy was eating about 500 + calories per day more than he thought he was even though he thought he was logging everything correctly.

    9x10 the issue is underestimation of intake and overestimation of burn...
  • crazybookworm
    crazybookworm Posts: 779 Member
    It your personal preference :smile:

    I, myself only log my gym time or my workouts. I do Yoga for 45-60 minutes daily(sometimes twice a day) and I walk my 2 dogs twice a day as well, but I don't log my Yoga or the dogs. The reason I don't is because I consider them just part of my daily life. I did these things while overweight and it didn't contribute to any weight loss then(probably because I was over-eating) but I just feel better about only logging my actual workouts.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I usually eat back most or all of the calories. I have been wondering about this. Maybe I should just switch to TDEE -20%. This is frustrating trying to figure out what is accurate and what is not.

    Even TDEE is an estimate...there is no exact anything about this...it's a lot of trial and error which takes time...which is why it's best to practice patience and remove the notion that you need to lose X Lbs by such and such a date or whatever. This is the start of a process that never ends...if you can conceptually wrap your brain around that you will find great success...
  • starrycarina
    starrycarina Posts: 59
    I log everything. :)
  • lisapr123
    lisapr123 Posts: 863 Member
    I only log "intentional exercise" as well. I don't log anything that I do on a daily basis, cleaning house, or mowing the lawn... I teach and am therefore on my feet 7+ hrs per day. Those are activities that are accounted for in my "moderately active" setting on my profile. Honestly, people who don't know me probably think I don't exercise much because it doesn't get recorded unless it's significant.

    (To be fair, though, I'm pretty active. If I were new to exercise I'd probably log more. But I figured I gained weight while I was teaching, mowing, riding my bike locally, etc... so those things aren't going to be what helps me lose the weight.)
  • randrews0407
    randrews0407 Posts: 216 Member
    I think this is what I am going to start doing. I log everything and eat back everything right now and my weight has only dropped two pounds this month. I would really like to speed this up just a tad. I don't know how accurate Endomondo is but that is what I have been using for all of my walks. I have thrown around the idea of eating at TDEE - 20% but I find that it is not as motivating for me.

    I found Endomondo estimates to be super high ... I even posted a thread about it. I'll go for a walk during my lunch break and I felt it should be accurate since it uses GPS, factors speed, hills, latitude and all that good stuff but it was saying I burned 300-400 calories and I knew that was a flat-out lie since I'd do Insanity videos that are 50+ minutes long with my heart-rate through the roof wearing a chest strap heart rate monitor and burn about 400. No way my casual lunch time stroll burns a comparable amount. Endomondo would sync to my MFP and give me all of these extra calories that I didn't truly earn.
  • themommie
    themommie Posts: 5,033 Member
    I log all my exercise but I usually dont eat back my exercise cals onky 8nce in awhile I might eat 200 exercise cals back if I am really hungrynthat day and have got in alot of exercuse.find what works for you but if weight loss is slowing then time to switch things up again to find what works
  • cynthiaj777
    cynthiaj777 Posts: 787 Member
    Everything you are using overestimates calories burned. Try logging JUST the exercise but not eating back your calories. You might see a change then.

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