Why I don't count exercise calories

Azdak

This is a new blog I just posted. It's meant to present a different perspective/approach to the subject of including exercise calories into your overall plan. Like anything else, there are many different approaches to success and this approach has been successful for many people. Hopefully, some people may find some useful ideas:

Why I don't count exercise calories.....


Or--why I don't count them that much.

Sometimes it seems like half the comments on these boards are concerned with estimating, tracking, and logging exercise and activity calories. At any given time of day or night one can find the topic "what kind of HRM should I buy?" on the first page of the "Fitness and Exercise" Message Board.

I am going to propose a different approach. This is in keeping with some of my other recent posts in which I am recommending a more simplified strategy for weight loss, one that has more emphasis on focusing one's efforts in a few key areas rather than getting too caught up in what I consider peripheral items.

This approach is based on my background and personal exeperience with my own weight loss; it has been reinforced by my experience with the weight loss program run by the medical fitness center where I have worked for 16 months now.

I don't mean to assert or imply that this is the ONLY approach, or even that it is the best approach for everyone. Ultimately, the overall strategy is not that different--it's another means of managing energy output vs energy intake. It is also meant primarily for those starting a program, with a high level of body fat.

Here it is in a nutshell: Increase your daily calorie intake and stop including exercise calories routinely into your eating plan (i.e. "eating back exercise calories"). REFUEL after your workouts (carb/protein snack, 150-400 calories, depending on length/intesnity/calories expended during workout), but not more than 1/2 the exercise calories and do not bother with tracking recreational or activity calories (cleaning, dog walking, yardwork, wearing high heels, golf, etc. And get out of the 1200 calorie/day herd.

Here are some of my reasons:

1. Our methods of estimating calories expended during exercise are imprecise at best. I've explained this in detail on numerous occasions. Sometimes the number you get is no more accurate than just making one up out of thin air--at best they are no more than 75%-80% accurate.

2. Even if you do calculate an accurate BMR and could accurately calculate exercise calories, a good 20%-30% of your daily total energy expenditure (TEE) comes from casual activty and other physical factors. And that number is not only just a rough estimate, it can also vary widely from day to day. So despite our best efforts, most of us only have a vague idea of what we are burning every day.

3. Most people starting a weight loss program can and should be eating more than 1200 calories per day. In our program, the minimum calorie expenditure recommended by our dietitians is 1600 for females, 1800 for males. I think you can be a little more aggressive than that, but anyone over 180 lbs should do just fine on 1500 calories per day.

4. If you are eating a decent number of calories (1400-1800/day), and you are starting out, and you have a high level of body fat, the chances of going into "starvation mode" are low to nonexistent, in my experience. And that is true even with calorie deficits of over 1,500 per day.

Again, this is as much an accounting strategy as anything else. One could say "well, I start at 1200 calories/day and then just add exercise and activity and get to the same place".

And if that works for you, that is fine. What I am trying to do is take away a lot of the arithmetic and research that I think is unnecessary. For beginners, there is no need to be that precise about your energy output. As long as you are eating a minimum number per day, and incurring a defict, you should have success. To me, that is a lot easier that trying for the 500th time to figure out the number of calories burned in a Zumba class. I also think that routinely trying to eat 1200 calories a day is more stressful and can be counterproductive at times.

There are reasons to track exercise calories--since calories expended during a workout can represent the total amount of aerobic work performed, tracking your calories can be used to set goals and monitor fitness improvement. Heart rate monitors are excellent tools for improving and maintaining the quality of your workouts and training program.

But if you want to try a more streamlined approach, consider setting your daily calories a little higher, and working out and being as active as possible. I think it is more important to focus on calorie intake than it is to count every exercise/activity calorie because you are worried about starvation mode.

Angela4Health

I planned to start doing this now that I'm in maintenance. Thanks for sharing. I am glad I stuck to logging exercise for weight loss though.

sonyyyyy

i didnt read this.. too long lol

imnotyourpal

Very nice, sir.

mbuzalski

Thank you. Great strategy offer. I am always interested in the advice of others and this seems to make so much sense to me. I usually read all of the "eat back your exercise calories" and I'm always wondering if that is the best thing to do.

Anyways, just a big thanks for a new perspective.

drcutie79

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I was thinking that I lose more weight when I ate more than the 1250 cal/day suggested on this website. Being more than 180 lbs, I found myself lethargic and weak most days. I have increased my caloric intake, and was wondering if I was doing right. Thanks again!

drcutie79

*Duplicate*

Hearts_2015

I've always enjoyed your posts Azdak so consider this a bump for later reading.:drinker:

Schwiggity

I was expecting another "blablabla why would anyone eat exercise calories?!" But that sounds pretty well done.

Hearts_2015

I planned to start doing this now that I'm in maintenance. Thanks for sharing. I am glad I stuck to logging exercise for weight loss though.

I like your method as when one is quite overweight eating them back is not NEAR as vital as at least considering it when you have far less to lose.

Both sides have good points but it does depend often on how much you're looking to lose. Someone with 200 lbs. to lose might not need to panic about eating them back. Someone with 10 lbs. to go might need to be a bit more concerned and at least read both sides of the topic.

ETA: "And get out of the 1200 calorie/day herd."
Excellent point! Why IS everyone or seemingly so many stuck on only eating 1200 a day? I don't really get that either...That's quite low for many many adults even at goal weight.

kenlad64

Thanks for the insight and something to think about as an option.

SMarie10

Azdak, while I can see merit in the information you've provided, I don't believe I would have been as successful or consistent with my weight loss without tracking both my food and exercise. Although you've stated that individuals may need to simplify the approach when first starting out, I went the other direction and worked on my exercise routines (both cardio and strength training) and got those down first before I began to track my calories and weigh consistently. Jumping into both things (cal counting and exercise) at once was not a good choice for me personally.

I'd like to hear from others who have had a lot to lose what approaches and concessions they have made to achieve success.

CeleryStalker

i didnt read this.. too long lol

lol if that's you in your avatar, you probably didn't need to read it anyways. It pertains to those of us trying to lose weight.

TeaBea

Hmmmm ... this is interesting, but it would not work for me. This is great for people who are already self motivated to exercise. I got this way because I hated exercise. I do like exercise NOW - but I have to log it. Logging it forces me to schedule it & to DO it.

Eat less ....move more

dreamtoned10

I only joined here about three days ago,but have always been interested in health and nutrition etc, only the other day I commented on "1200" kcals....to me that's just not right!! Enjoyed your post

SoCalSwimmerDude

i didnt read this.. too long lol

:laugh: too funny! I clicked on it and thought to myself, "Eh, a little long, but I'll give it a shot"

Anyways to the OP. I don't think anyone could argue your point but I look at myself and the 20 pounds that never seemed to go away. I think its the 'structure' or discipline of MFP and tracking every last thing that has helped myself and many others here. So while you're 100% correct that it doesn't have to be so concrete/strenuous, I think that's exactly what many of us need.

As for eating exercise cals... I've tried not eating them, eating some of them, and eating all of them. Typically, I've found that if I don't eat about a majority of them back, then I wake up in the morning dizzy and bumping into walls until I 'fuel' my body w/ something... and thats not exactly healthy. Again, thats just me!

All good points that you make, but I think the discipline of logging every last calorie is exactly what people need sometimes... And if you work at a clinic/medical facility, then the people you're dealing with are GOING TO A MEDICAL FACILITY to get help. Dunno about you, but I'd rather log everything online and talk to some folks rather than seeing a doctor once a week. I'm not sure which is the lesser of to supposed evils...

dreamtoned10

Ps on reflection,I'm thinking that if a lot of people were not counting exercise and tracking etc,they might not be as motivated? Ie let's say a person increased their calorie allowance...would they still feel the need to get up and start exercising? Would that initial motivation be there?

ceirawillsucceed

this is great. thanks for posting.

myofibril

Azdak, while I can see merit in the information you've provided, I don't believe I would have been as successful or consistent with my weight loss without tracking both my food and exercise. Although you've stated that individuals may need to simplify the approach when first starting out, I went the other direction and worked on my exercise routines (both cardio and strength training) and got those down first before I began to track my calories and weigh consistently. Jumping into both things (cal counting and exercise) at once was not a good choice for me personally.

I'd like to hear from others who have had a lot to lose what approaches and concessions they have made to achieve success.

I think some people need the comfort of cold, hard facts and number to keep them on their path. It is a source of reassurance and confidence. If your personality suits that methodology and it works then do it.

However, I think for the majority of people a simple, clean approach is preferable. It takes the stress out of the process and gives them less variables to obsess over.

Much of the weight loss journey is psychological as it is physiological. It's hard to separate out the issues and in reality pointless. Do what plays to your strengths and minimises weaknesses.

Azdak

Hmmmm ... this is interesting, but it would not work for me. This is great for people who are already self motivated to exercise. I got this way because I hated exercise. I do like exercise NOW - but I have to log it. Logging it forces me to schedule it & to DO it.

Eat less ....move more

I am not against logging calories or exercise--I did it myself and still do. I see it as more valuable for charting progress and for the reasons you cited. What I am cautioning against is trying to be overly precise including those numbers in an eating plan when they are not very accurate. And doing so because one is afraid of "starvation mode".

angp7711

I think this makes sense for people with a lot of weight to lose. I do think that the closer you get to your goal weight the closer attention you have to pay attention to the little things.

osmoticferocity

A well considered and crafted post, sir. I for one am very much concerned with the tracking and arithmetic aspect because it helps me to stay motivated. I concur that tracking casual activity is probably not as helpful and also have no interest in eating only 1200 calories today. I am using MFP's 1690 calorie recommendation.

Regarding eating back exercise calories, I generally aim for 1690 net calories and exclude exercise. If I am still hungry or really want something, I will consider the calories burned exercising when making the decision to eat or not.

As well all know, each of us is a little bit different. Yours is a well reasoned method. I would advise people to try multiple and varied approaches (in every aspect of life).

Mandam1018

Bump, can't read now but would love to read later!

shreddingit

I never gave myself set amount of cals or eat back exercise cals
it would be so stressful and scary
Eat right and exercise right and weightloss will come.
Im here cuz its social.

damonmath

I think your heart is in the right place and you are correct about a good bit of that advice.

However, without the benefit of an HRM, even for a beginner, you have no idea just how hard you are working out. Caloric burn differs from person to person. A larger weight individual will burn more calories per hour due to the simple physics of being larger.

I like that you are trying to simplify the process, but in reality you are just rearranging math to make it seem like eating more is the way to go... In reality, if you exercise and then eat back your calories, it is no different than eating a large meal and then going to work out. Same difference!

Lastly, when you guess at how much to eat back (150-400) this does not take into account how much muscle you may have burned off each time you under eat your calories back.

A friend and I started our weight loss at the same time using the same calorie counting method. 3 months later I'm ripped head to toe, as I eat all my calories back. My friend lost the same amount of weight, but now has a sagging mid section and excess skin. He did not eat back his calories.

Azdak

i didnt read this.. too long lol

:laugh: too funny! I clicked on it and thought to myself, "Eh, a little long, but I'll give it a shot"

Anyways to the OP. I don't think anyone could argue your point but I look at myself and the 20 pounds that never seemed to go away. I think its the 'structure' or discipline of MFP and tracking every last thing that has helped myself and many others here. So while you're 100% correct that it doesn't have to be so concrete/strenuous, I think that's exactly what many of us need.

As for eating exercise cals... I've tried not eating them, eating some of them, and eating all of them. Typically, I've found that if I don't eat about a majority of them back, then I wake up in the morning dizzy and bumping into walls until I 'fuel' my body w/ something... and thats not exactly healthy. Again, thats just me!

All good points that you make, but I think the discipline of logging every last calorie is exactly what people need sometimes... And if you work at a clinic/medical facility, then the people you're dealing with are GOING TO A MEDICAL FACILITY to get help. Dunno about you, but I'd rather log everything online and talk to some folks rather than seeing a doctor once a week. I'm not sure which is the lesser of to supposed evils...

Just to clarify (my own fault in the original text): it is a medically based fitness center. It is little different in appearance than any upscale health club -- the training/education of the staff is higher than what you would find in a typical commercial facility. But it's not a medical clinic--no white coats.

AngieDee12

bump

trishlambert

This is a well thought out and well presented post...thanks.

I believe that, like so much else in life, it's a matter of "different strokes for different folks" in the weight loss and fitness arena. The best way for me to get into the right zone of weight and fitness for me has always been the numbers game: calories in/calories out. I've tried other programs and other approaches, but this is the one that's always worked for me. (I was glad to find MFP so I could give up the spreadsheet and the food research.)

Other people do really well with structured programs, and others with structured programs that come with food. But like lifestyle, religion, and politics, one size does not fit all.

The one thing that doesn't work for anyone is to just blindly follow an approach or strategy because someone else advocated it. I see this happen all the time in my work (I'm a small business coach, and see clients all the time who just do what some other "expert" said and then wonder why it didn't work for them) and I keep reminding my clients that THEY are the deciders when it comes to how they will run their businesses. The same it true, I believe, for how we pursue our fitness goals.

I very much appreciate that the points you make work for you--and you have the "credentials" in the form of your results to back you up. And I think it's great that you share your thoughts with us. My view is that anyone reading the post needs to think about it in the context of their own situation and personality (which requires some self-knowledge starting out), and use the ideas in ways that work for them.

ghoztt

This method seems like it would work quite well for those who are guessing at their calories burned in an exercise and estimating how much calories they consume because it ensures that they get enough calories to fuel their bodies regardless of exercise or not. Like damonmath said earlier, it is rearranging the numbers but I do like the idea of providing a bigger buffer for those who aren't tracking as accurately. I think a downside would be that the loss wouldn't be as quick as it could be compared to those who were precisely measuring their numbers or rather as precisely as they are able to. Some people, like myself, enjoy tracking all the numbers but I acknowledge there are those who could do without the math.

Azdak

I think your heart is in the right place and you are correct about a good bit of that advice.

However, without the benefit of an HRM, even for a beginner, you have no idea just how hard you are working out. Caloric burn differs from person to person. A larger weight individual will burn more calories per hour due to the simple physics of being larger.

I like that you are trying to simplify the process, but in reality you are just rearranging math to make it seem like eating more is the way to go... In reality, if you exercise and then eat back your calories, it is no different than eating a large meal and then going to work out. Same difference!

Lastly, when you guess at how much to eat back (150-400) this does not take into account how much muscle you may have burned off each time you under eat your calories back.

A friend and I started our weight loss at the same time using the same calorie counting method. 3 months later I'm ripped head to toe, as I eat all my calories back. My friend lost the same amount of weight, but now has a sagging mid section and excess skin. He did not eat back his calories.

Many on this site have only a vague estimate of how hard they are working out or how many calories they are burning even with a heart rate monitor. In many cases when people "eat back" their calories based on HRM numbers and see results, it is more because of coincidence than anything else.

I also explained in the blog that, yes, this essentially was just a different way of keeping score. The difference, which might be significant for some--is that exercise calorie numbers are too inaccurate to be used to precisely tailor an eating plan. I am trying to make the points that: many people are spending a lot of time and effort (and money) trying to calculate calorie costs of activities and ended up with a number that is no more accurate than making one up--and then trying to include that number into their eating plan. Or they are coming up with wildly inflated calorie counts from HRMs because they are not set up properly, used in the wrong activities or both. And, in many cases they are doing this because they are unnecessarily worrying about going into "starvation mode" if they don't eat back all of their exercise calories.

People with high levels of body fat can sustain high calorie deficits --combined with eating an appropriate amount of food and a well-structured workout program--they can see good results without suffering ill effects or losing inappropriate amounts of lean mass.

Azdak

This is a well thought out and well presented post...thanks.

I believe that, like so much else in life, it's a matter of "different strokes for different folks" in the weight loss and fitness arena. The best way for me to get into the right zone of weight and fitness for me has always been the numbers game: calories in/calories out. I've tried other programs and other approaches, but this is the one that's always worked for me. (I was glad to find MFP so I could give up the spreadsheet and the food research.)

Other people do really well with structured programs, and others with structured programs that come with food. But like lifestyle, religion, and politics, one size does not fit all.

The one thing that doesn't work for anyone is to just blindly follow an approach or strategy because someone else advocated it. I see this happen all the time in my work (I'm a small business coach, and see clients all the time who just do what some other "expert" said and then wonder why it didn't work for them) and I keep reminding my clients that THEY are the deciders when it comes to how they will run their businesses. The same it true, I believe, for how we pursue our fitness goals.

I very much appreciate that the points you make work for you--and you have the "credentials" in the form of your results to back you up. And I think it's great that you share your thoughts with us. My view is that anyone reading the post needs to think about it in the context of their own situation and personality (which requires some self-knowledge starting out), and use the ideas in ways that work for them.

In this case, absolutely. This in no way is intended to be dogma.