Exercise Calories?

jesseylou22

Should you eat your exercise calories? I stick to my regular allotted calories, but I had a friend tell me that if you are exercising you should eat more and you will lose more weight because eating less while exercising puts you in starvation mode.. anybody have any advics to offer on this subject?

keynesian

Yes you most definitely should, that's why MFP calculates them for you and adds them to your daily calorific intake goal.

carlynishere

Yes eat at least 50-75% of your exercise calories.

funkyspunky871

Ahem.

terrym123

OMG! I just asked the same question! I am confused by this because every time I exercise the calories are added to my counter, I thought that was defeating the purpose?

deniseg31

I don't but now I'm wondering whether I should? hmmmm...I tend to work out late at night and for instance the other day I was like 900+ cals under so I don't see how I can stuff my face at 11pm and then hit the sack. You know?

Should be interesting what others have to say.

♥_Ellybean_♥

Do what you feel comfortable doing!!!! You DO NOT HAVE to eat them... if your body is hungry than eat, if it's not then don't.

baisleac

Your NET calories (on your home page) should be as close to the daily goal MFP set for you as possible.

Your REMAINING calories (on your homepage and food diary page) should be as close to zero as possible.

MFP builds in a deficit for you based on the information you gave it: height, weight, lifestyle, goal weight loss, etc.. All you need to do is follow the calorie goals it gives you.

If you exercise at night, try to spread extra calories through the day so you don't have a ton left at the end of the night.

Xaspar

My opinion:
I eat back any calories that would put me at more than a 1000 calorie deficit at the end of the day. To lose one pound a week you only need a 500 calorie per day deficit (500x7=3500) If you are working out calculate how many total calories you burn working out and add them to how many calories you burn just living (found on the goals tab in the calories burned from normal daily activity section) and then subtract 1000. That is the MINIMUM number of calories you should be eating (about a 2 pound weight loss per week with a 1000 calorie deficit per day). Caveat: IF that number is less than 1200, then eat the 1200 calories at a MINIMUM.

Let me know if I have confused you...

queenmedusa

@funkyspunky871 - love that webpage!

RMinVA

I stick to a range of calories instead that accounts for eating some, but not all of my exercise calories.

There are just too many variables that go into calculating your actual burn: machines are notoriously innacurate and I get ridiculously high burn #'s from MFP. The exception would be if you have an HRM. Additionally if you are counting everything you can still be off several hundred calories a day. By law nutritional labels can be off by as much as 20%, restaurant calorie counts are not even regulated by the FDA and assume that the food is made to recipe standard: an extra bit of butter, oil, cheese, or product substitution can easily add a couple hundred calories. And check out this video for a real eye opener on the importance of using a scale, especially w/calorie dense foods. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY

So burn less than you think + eat more than you think = no weight loss and maybe even weight gain.

jesseylou22

Thanks everyone for the helpful imput! Yall are great!