Exercise calories

hrlyb92

I don't really understand why MFP wants me to eat back my exercise calories...I feel like that defeats the purpose. I am sure it can be argued to eat them back or not..I just want to know what is working best for everyone else. Not sure if how much weight I need to lose should change what I need to do or not? On my profile I have a net goal of 1300 calories a day. I am 5'4" and 156 lbs, size 12 and I am trying to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight of 125 lbs.

megsmom2

So read the stickies about MFP works. Or don't.

lvmamaduke

I only eat back half my exercise calories if I'm still hungry at the end of the day. So most days I net between 1500 to 1700 (if i eat exercise calories back) and have been losing about 1 pound a week. MFP had my calories set way too low at 1200 and I found myself eating over that and starving. Try eating back the calories one week and see if you still lose.

knra_grl

Exercise calories are basically estimates so eat back between 1/3 - 3/4 depending on how you feel but not eating any back will create a bigger deficit and that may slow progress and your metabolism. The point of eating them back it to keep your metabolism working. It's different for everyone but you should be looking at calorie intake to make sure it's not too low after exercise. 1300 calories is already pretty low.

tryclyn

Exercise is for health and fitness and works better when fueled properly.
Modest kcal deficit is for fat loss.

More info here
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/975025-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/840082-a-sad-realization?hl=sad
http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero

Foreverfitnow

It confuses me too....

esmesqualor

My experience is that if I eat back my exercise calories the weight loss is either non-existent or way too slow (up to 1/2lb per week). I am 5'9" 180lbs, size 14, my goal weight is 150. My net calories are supposed to be 1360. If I only eat 1360 I am really, really hungry at night (hard to fall asleep). I burn about 400 cals 4-5 days per week doing my fast walking. I add back 150-200 cals only on the days I earn them. I am still only losing about 3/4lb per week. I think people vary. Play with it a little, as others have suggested, eat back 1/3-1/2 for a few weeks and see how you do.

ChrisM8971

I don't really understand why MFP wants me to eat back my exercise calories...I feel like that defeats the purpose. I am sure it can be argued to eat them back or not..I just want to know what is working best for everyone else. Not sure if how much weight I need to lose should change what I need to do or not? On my profile I have a net goal of 1300 calories a day. I am 5'4" and 156 lbs, size 12 and I am trying to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight of 125 lbs.

When you set your weight loss target (0.5 - 2.0 lb per week) MFP gave you a calorie goal based on losing that amount of weight without doing any additional exercise, over and above your normally daily activity.

No say you set for a 1 lb per week loss then MFP set your calorie deficit at 500 Kcals per day. If you then exercise but dont eat back the calories and if you burnt another 500 Kcals per day you would lose 2 lb per week instead of 1.

The system works best if a) you weigh and measure absolutely everything you eat and drink and b) You estimates of calories burnt are as accurate as possible.

It is because there is a tendency to over estimate calorie burns that people feel more comfortable eating back 50% or 75% of them back rather than all of them

ETA Grammar

lemurcat12

As others have said, the exercise calories are usually overestimated, so exercise judgment and eat back a portion of them. If you have a HRM that should give you a better estimate for cardio.

The reason you eat them back are in the stickies, but the simple answer is that it's best not to have too great a deficit, as that makes it more likely that you will reduce you metabolism or not lose weight sustainably or just get frustrated and not stick to it in a way that allows for maintenance, especially as you get close to your goal. That generally means aiming for 2 lbs or less a week, and less as you get closer to goal (you seem not to be trying to lose too much, so you would be closer to goal and aiming for less per week). Because creating the whole deficit just by cutting calories is usually difficult, could affect energy, etc., it's often recommended that you achieve it partially through calories and partially through exercise, assuming you can exercise. MFP, for whatever reason, gives you a calorie goal assuming that you will create the whole deficit through cutting calories, and not exercise at all beyond whatever you do at work. But then if you actually do exercise, it increases your goal to compensate.

Thus, you should either tell MFP what your full goal lbs lost per week is, based on what seems reasonable given how much you have to lose, and then eat back calories or, if it feels better, tell it that your goal is a portion of that and then up the exercise to get the rest without eating it back. You end up the same place either way.

DancingMoosie

You said that your NET goal is 1300, which means that you eat back your exercise calories. If you didn't, you would NET under that. IMO, even a net of 1300 is pretty low. I like to eat more than that:)

bethlaf

I don't really understand why MFP wants me to eat back my exercise calories...I feel like that defeats the purpose. I am sure it can be argued to eat them back or not..I just want to know what is working best for everyone else. Not sure if how much weight I need to lose should change what I need to do or not? On my profile I have a net goal of 1300 calories a day. I am 5'4" and 156 lbs, size 12 and I am trying to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight of 125 lbs.

When you set your weight loss target (0.5 - 2.0 lb per week) MFP gave you a calorie goal based on losing that amount of weight without doing any additional exercise, over and above your normally daily activity.

No say you set for a 1 lb per week loss then MFP set your calorie deficit at 500 Kcals per day. If you then exercise but dont eat back the calories then if you burnt another 500 Kcals per day then you would lose 2 lb per week instead.

The system works best if a) you weight and measure absolutely everything you eat and drink and b) You estimates of calories burnt are as accurate as possible.

It is because there is a tendency to over estimate calorie burns that people feel more comfortable eating back 50% or 75% of them back rather than all of them

this QFT

about 1/3 to 1/2 seems safest..

hrlyb92

You said that your NET goal is 1300, which means that you eat back your exercise calories. If you didn't, you would NET under that. IMO, even a net of 1300 is pretty low. I like to eat more than that:)

Yes, that is my net goal. I don't usually have it as a net though. Some days I do, some I don't because I am confused about what should work. On days I don't eat them back I have had a net of as little as 541, which I'm assuming is way too low. I am just frustrated because either way I haven't been losing much at all lately.

MelodyandBarbells

You said that your NET goal is 1300, which means that you eat back your exercise calories. If you didn't, you would NET under that. IMO, even a net of 1300 is pretty low. I like to eat more than that:)

Yes, that is my net goal. I don't usually have it as a net though. Some days I do, some I don't because I am confused about what should work. On days I don't eat them back I have had a net of as little as 541, which I'm assuming is way too low. I am just frustrated because either way I haven't been losing much at all lately.

If that's the problem, why don't we talk about how you determine your food and exercise calories? Do you weigh and measure all your food? Do you use a heart rate monitor for exercises? Which type of exercises do you do? Do you log your food all the time? Cheats? Splurges? Restaurant visits? Nights, weekends, fruits, veggies, sauces , condiments? If your diary is public people may be able to review it and provide specific weight loss advice. Basically you have to be careful to ensure that you are burning less than you eat to the extent that you want to

corgicake

There are different ways to look at it. They can be used to get more nutrition. Or more rubbish. Maybe a treat for yourself to encourage more exercise. Or maybe you just need the extra energy. They are good to eat.

Graelwyn75

I have never had my net set to below 1450. I have always eaten back most or all of my exercise calories, leading to a daily intake of anything from 2200 to 2600 calories a day. I lose weight at a rate of half to 1 Ib a week doing this, even at 133Ibs.

I also use a fitbit to help take into account daily activity and get a better idea of my TDEE.
I guess it depends on the individual and how active they are. Also on lean mass/bodyfat %.

Seahawk71

I feel like they are always over calculated as well.

Jenthomas08

You said that your NET goal is 1300, which means that you eat back your exercise calories. If you didn't, you would NET under that. IMO, even a net of 1300 is pretty low. I like to eat more than that:)

Yes, that is my net goal. I don't usually have it as a net though. Some days I do, some I don't because I am confused about what should work. On days I don't eat them back I have had a net of as little as 541, which I'm assuming is way too low. I am just frustrated because either way I haven't been losing much at all lately.

I'm having a similar experience. My net is 1300. I strictly log my food and underestimate my exercise calories and I'm not losing weight. It's really frustrating, because I'm hungry all the time! I'm going to try not eating back any exercise calories and seeing if that works