Eating back exercise calories

motivatedmartha

I know there has been lots of discussion about this and also some debate about whether the calories given by MFP for exercise are realistic. However I am curious as to whether anyone is having success just staying within the targets given my MFP including eating back most of the exercise calories. I do not have any fancy apps, heart rate monitors etc and had decided to usually eat back 50% of my exercise calories, increasing it occasionally if starving or for special dinners. Anyone just using MFP as is?

SideSteel

Many people use it as is and have great success.

PaytraB

I did and lost the weight I wanted to. MFP works if you weigh and measure your foods.

megsmom2

MFP works. I followed the guidelines, eat back most of my burned calories, and am very satisfied with my results. I look better, and more to the point...FEEL better than ever before, and have been staying pretty consistant with it for more than two years. List me as a happy success with MFP's help.

ChaplainHeavin

I know there has been lots of discussion about this and also some debate about whether the calories given by MFP for exercise are realistic. However I am curious as to whether anyone is having success just staying within the targets given my MFP including eating back most of the exercise calories. I do not have any fancy apps, heart rate monitors etc and had decided to usually eat back 50% of my exercise calories, increasing it occasionally if starving or for special dinners. Anyone just using MFP as is?

Using MFP as is. It works fine for me.

motivatedmartha

Thanks people - I will stick to my plan then and keep it simple

cwolfman13

Many people use it as is and have great success.

I was one of those people....

You just have to reasonable with you calorie burns...I personally would never log more than 10 calories per minute, and that would be for a level of effort for which I was unable to hold a conversation....I used a factor of 5 calories per minute for something like a moderately paced walk in the park or something. You should be doing some kind of reasonableness test with your burn...don't just log some number from the database.

I would add that being as precise with your consumption is also pretty critical.

Most people who actually have long term, sustained success use this tool as designed (though most ultimately gravitate to the TDEE method) and understand that the purpose of exercise isn't to burn calories...it is for fitness. Understanding that you can use your diet for weight control and exercise for fitness is really crucial to grasping the bigger picture that is a fitness and nutrition centric lifestyle.

BlueEyedTXmom

If I'm still hungry I eat back my exercise calories, if I'm not, I don't. I would say I eat half to all of my exercise calories back about 75% of the time. I do have a HRM that I wear so I feel confident that my calories burned are more accurate than what MFP says.

raindawg

I use the app as is and it works for me. I don't know if the exercise calories are accurate or not, but if not it's being made up for through some other portion of the calc being off.

motivatedmartha

I walk for 50 - 60mins most days. I live near the coast so my usual walk is 20 mins quickly down quite a steep hill, uneven ground so good for my balance and then 30 - 40 mins up an even steeper incline at a steady pace - for this I keep a steady pace and, while I can still hold a conversation I am hot and puffing by the end! Today it was done against a 33mph wind! I claim about 300 cals