Do I eat back all my exercise calories in maintenance ?

Slim_strategy
Slim_strategy Posts: 199
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
If I'm using Mfp's maintenance calorie recommendation rather than a TDEE calculator , do I eat back the exercise calories? I have it set to sedentary because my exercise is very random during the week ( some days fairly sedentary, some days a lot of walking ) ... It's set to 1650 + I'm 5''5 120lbs . Should I eat back ALL the exercise calories, half, or none? :) I'm very new to maintenance xD

Replies

  • Dnarules
    Dnarules Posts: 2,081 Member
    If you have mfp set to sedentary, you are supposed to eat back exercise calories. You just want to make sure you aren't overestimating your calorie burn. Maybe start by eating back a portion of your calories. If you lose weight still, then increase.
  • kuger4119
    kuger4119 Posts: 213 Member
    If you have mfp set to sedentary, you are supposed to eat back exercise calories. You just want to make sure you aren't overestimating your calorie burn. Maybe start by eating back a portion of your calories. If you lose weight still, then increase.

    Good plan right there.
  • SrJoben
    SrJoben Posts: 484 Member
    If I'm using Mfp's maintenance calorie recommendation rather than a TDEE calculator , do I eat back the exercise calories? I have it set to sedentary because my exercise is very random during the week ( some days fairly sedentary, some days a lot of walking ) ... It's set to 1650 + I'm 5''5 120lbs . Should I eat back ALL the exercise calories, half, or none? :) I'm very new to maintenance xD

    Well yes, otherwise you will put yourself in a deficit. Maintenence is based on an estimate of how much you burn every day. If you burn more it unbalances things.

    What Dnarules said makes sense though. It's quite likely that what's theoretically maintenance for you won't be quite right. You may need to eat a little more or a little less than you expect.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    Calculate them the same way you did while you were losing (you obviously were doing something right) and eat them back. Adjust as needed from there.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    Maintenance, just like weight loss, takes a whole lot of trial & error to find what works for you. No one can predict the number of calories at which your weight will stabilize. Set your goal to maintenance, and continue to eat back your exercise calories at the same rate as when you were losing. Reevaluate after two weeks. If you're still losing, eat back all your exercise calories (if you weren't before), or raise your calorie goal by 100 calories. Reevaluate after another two weeks.

    Keep in mind your weight will fluctuate from day to day & throughout the day.
  • Kixshots
    Kixshots Posts: 74 Member
    .
  • Slim_strategy
    Slim_strategy Posts: 199
    Thank you for the replies guys :) My scales batteries ran out yesterday... eep! I think I shall eat 50% and weigh once a week to see what happens xD :)

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