Confusion?!

amber8704

Ok so I posted here yesterday and asked if I should be eating back my exercise calories and the answer I got from everyone was yes. I done a little research and thought about it and I now understand why I would need to eat them back but the longer I thought about it the more confused I have became. I work out for about 40 mins a day on the elliptical and I have to put in my age and weight on it so I hope it is somewhat accurate as to how many calories it says I burn. For 40 mins on the website it says I burn 608 calories and on my machine it says I burn around 650. I also am a stay at home mom to a 2yr old so I am on my feet most of the day but I put in sedentary because I don't think I am as active as a nurse. But I clean and cook dinner so I log those calories on my exercise journal as well. SO here are some of my questions and if anyone has an answer it would be greatly appreciated. I will give an example of yesterdays Journal, after I read I should be eating my exercise calories back I ate a PB sandwich and drank some milk but I am going to give the example before I consume those because that is more of an accurate picture to how the last couple months have been.
Goal 1350 Food 1200 Exercise 1009 Net 191 Remaining 1159

I feel like the calculated calories burned while cleaning and cooking is overestimated so should I be eating those back?

Am I right for picking sedentary because I am on my feet probably 7-8hrs a day but I do not have my heart rate up during most of this time?

Should I really be eating back all 650 calories I burn on the elliptical because I am not sure how accurate that is?

I know we burn calories all day no matter if we are watching TV or doing aerobics so do we just eat the actual high heart rate exercise calories back? Should I not be worrying about calories burned while doing household chores?

I think that is my main cause of confusion is that it allows us to put in actual household chores and it counts that as exercise but I dont feel like I should be eating those back, just the ones burned on the elliptical. I have never been on a diet for very long before and I just had always heard eat 1200 calories a day and exercise so I thought I was doing it the right way but can see now I wasn't and I am going to change this starting TODAY. My main reason for this diet is to make it a lifestyle and to be my healthiest and I want to do it the right way, I just need a little guidance. Sorry for the long post and thanks to everyone.

erickirb

If you don't get your heart rate elevated from cooking and cleaning, then don't enter it as the cals will be overestimated. Maybe change your activity level to light active to account for all the cooking and cleaning then you don't have to enter it as exercise as it will already be accounted for in your base calorie goal.

foxxybrown

I agree with erickirb!

appleshells

and if you eat the calories back, make them count. Eat fruits or vegetables or high protein. Yes, you can reward yourself with a treat too, but don't let that be the majority of your exercise calories.

amber8704

Well I am kinda having a big reward tonight and I have been feeling kinda bad about it because I am going to the steakhouse but I'm not gonna go overboard . I think that is the reason I have been so strict this week. I have already decided what I am having and its gonna be at least 660-700 calories for the meal and I may have a little bit of the appetizer.

mandyarostegui

Yeah, I don't count housework unless it's somehow heavy duty... but that's so rare!

timidt

Hi i would change to lightly active and not log the household chores as an exercise as this will be accounted for,
Then only log actual exercise for cardio or strength training and eat those calories back. if in doubt about the accuracy of your equipment i would eat back most of the calories leaving say 100 cals or under / but never over. or go with the lesser of the two 608
A couple of cals either way wont hurt good luck

amber8704

LOL!!