Anybody choose to NOT log any exercise?

Charbella87

I find that when I exercise and track it I end up eating the extra calories it gives me. I set my goals as losing 1 pound per week because 2 pounds per week gave me a calorie goal that I did not feel was sustainable. But I actually do want to lose 2 pounds per week so I should avoid eating my exercise calories. I guess visually I feel better when I don't log my exercise. It allows me to really stick to what I'm supposed to eat in order to lose the 2 pounds per week. Anyone else feel the same way or have their own tricks for sticking to the goals?

rockerbabyy

nope. mfp was set up for you to eat the calories you earn from exercise. i log it all so i can eat more and still lost my 2 lbs per week

Pebble321

Like the previous poster, I'm happy to use MFP the way it was designed. I like adding in my exercise and seeing how my calories balance out.

But, if you've found a way that works for you, then go for it! The outcome is the same, in that you are eating more than the bare minimum of calories, it's just a different way of playing with the numbers.

psoshkin

I agree with you, I don't log n exercise because it always makes me want to eat more.....

supertracylynn

I log my hard jogs. I don't log random exercise, personal training sessions, or most walks. If I do, i eat too much.

Lozze

I log planned exercise and walks (so walk to and from work and when I do the bar)

I don't log strength exercises or 'incedental' walks (like if I'm walking at the shops)

I can't afford the batteries for my HRM right now so I guesstimate a lot. I guesstimate very low.

Renea_Kay

i dont.....i just dont because i am concerned about what if i am off on my calorie burning calculations?

Lyadeia

I don't use MFP as set up. I eat between my BMR and TDEE to lose weight, and I don't log exercise or "eat back" the calories from exercise.

If I did it MFP's way, then I guess I would log it...but I don't trust HRMs or other ways to calculate it anyway, and I lose body fat and weight doing it the other way...so why change it? It's how people have lost weight for years and years before MFP was ever invented.

thelovelyLIZ

I usually try and do 15-30 minutes of yoga or pilates in the evening, but I don't normally log that. It's not really a significant enough amount of calories to make me feel it necessary. I also don't log calories from walking if I'm window shopping or something.

Usually I only log my cardio, and if I do weight training or pilates in place of weight training. Anything else is just bonus.

NightOwl1

You're supposed to eat back the calories that you burn. It adds it to your total for a reason. Eating back your exercise calories is the best way to be successful here, and not eating them back is a good way to fall victim to undereating if you have a low calorie goal.

kymdarnell

i log my exercise because I love seeing how many cals i have burned and also for a 'just in case' - i can spoil myself cause if i do exercise my cals go up...i always try not to go over though.

EricMurano

If you don't want to eat your exercise calories then don't track your exercises in MFP. Maybe use another app or a spreadsheet.

havalinaaa

I don't log my exercise but I am eating really close to maintenance on my non-exercise days (I think I'm within a hundred). I let my exercise create my deficit, and it's just easier to not see the # change. On days when I am super active I eat an additional 100-300 calories, depending on how hungry I am. I've been thinking about logging at the end of the day after finishing my diary just to see how I'm doing gauging the deficit, but so far haven't been bothered enough to do so.

lovefunmotion

Yeah I don't log it either. I still eat my exercise calories, but I just don't feel like the burn they say is accurate. So I just adjusted my daily goal to add in the real amount I'm burning.

Angel1066

I log my exercise calories and i eat them back as MFP has already calculated my deficit. I know my calories burn is accurate as i always use my HRM when i workout. It's working for me as you can see by my weight loss.
Do what you feel comfortable with as everyone is different but most people start to eat back their calories when the weight loss starts to stall.
Good luck.

dodger7977

I know people who don't log their exercise calories, either they eat back too much, don't eat them at all or they are lazy. Lol I choose not to eat them as my body doesn't seem to need the extra fuel yet, and if I do eat them.. sadly I choose poorly. So I don't. I log it so when I go back and check out my progress I can see what I was doing, and why it did or didn't work. I generally lose the 2lbs per week when I don't eat them back. :happy:

cheekyleonie

nope. mfp was set up for you to eat the calories you earn from exercise. i log it all so i can eat more and still lost my 2 lbs per week

Agreed!!! Of course if I'm not hungry I won't eat, but it's good to know you've got extra cals to work with!

asyouseefit

I log calories exercise and I eat them. I'm a food lover and I really enjoy the extras!

NightOwl1

Also, this: http://www.shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com/

Ericgunner

I log all my exercise calories but I hardly ever eat the extra calories. In my mind it defeats the object of all our hard work to exercise just to eat more food. As I am still in my weight loss mode, may be different when I maintaining my weight.

seph_house

oh! for me, i credit the "MFP way" as being the key to making me stick with the change/weight loss this time around. I've never made it much beyond a month of restriction/4-5lb loss before getting bored but logging exercise and eating back those cals both gave me a motivation to get out there most days and the flexibility to eat more/stuff i liked so i didn't feel deprived. 6 months and nearly to goal so something is working ))

however, if you have a way that works for you and you are confident that you are fueling your body properly then go for it! i support all of the effort to get people to eat their exercise cals if they are on large deficits and without it are really not giving their bodies enough to operate on but it doesn't sound like you are one of those (promise you won't do that, right learning what works for you and how your body responds to the food and exercise you give it i think is the key to maintaining the loss long term.

and especially the answer that suggested that if you shouldn't use this site if you are not doing it the MFP way made me very sad. maybe he was just joking/ being sarcastic but it sounded very judgemental to me. i'd ignore him

Veganniee

MFP gave me the calorie goal of 1,200. I think this is far too low for someone of my size, but I've kept it. That way if i go over it's not the end of the world. Although i do find myself exercising simply so I can eat more. Whilst that probably isn't helping my greed much, it must do me some good overall!

sugarflywithme83

Wow, Im confused.

I thought the point of doing exercise is to burn off calories so that you can actually lose weight. I have been eating to my (and sometimes SOMETIMES over if ive done exercise) calorie goal of 1200 and i never try to go over if ive exercised because then whats the point?

i dont understand how it works then, can someone explain it to me? this poor little n00b lol!

GoCanada

I only log my "serious" workouts - those that I explicitly go for a workout (e.g., hot yoga, runs). I do lots of other active things during the day with my almost-7 year old (sports, running around, etc.), but I never log it. I do eat back the calories from my real workouts as my deficit would be too large otherwise, and when my calories are too low I end up plateauing... I'm on the last 12 pounds so under-eating does me no good.

monkeymouse74

I log planned exercise and walks I don't log incedental exercise. And I try to keep as close to the 1200 cal limit. But if I dont reach that, I dont mind, and then if I go over one day, thats fine too. I dont eat my exercise cals because I dont know if mfp has accurate calculations on a lot of the exercise's.

Wan2LoseLbs

bump

Patovader

I always log any meaningful exercise and eat most of my spare calories, your body burns more calories exercising therefore it is only sensible to give your body more fuel (calories), to use an analogy, if you drive your car a lot further than normal then it needs more petrol / diesel or it will stop running - your body is the same.

Everybody is different, but this is the way I have been using this site for the last 106 days and I have lost over 30 pounds.

Good luck, A.

xSophia19

I only log main excercise that i do such as - zumba, just dance, ea sports active, 30 day shread etc. I dont log walking! I was loads and loads everyday soo my calorie burns would be way over 1000 everyday, and if i see that i have lots of excercise calories i will eat loads! and this makes me maintain my weight (which i dont want!).. so i only record other excercises other from walking

NightOwl1

Wow, Im confused.

I thought the point of doing exercise is to burn off calories so that you can actually lose weight. I have been eating to my (and sometimes SOMETIMES over if ive done exercise) calorie goal of 1200 and i never try to go over if ive exercised because then whats the point?

i dont understand how it works then, can someone explain it to me? this poor little n00b lol!

Okay, basically the short version: When you sign up for MFP, you enter your weight, your activity level, and how many pounds you want to lose a week. Based off of this, MFP gives you a goal. If you eat your goal calories every week, you should lose on average the number of pounds you specified to MFP that you want to lose. So you will lose weight with no exercise. if you exercise, your body needs more energy to function. If you don't eat back the calories, you form too high a calorie deficit (too many calories under what it takes for your body to maintain your weight). This does not help you lose more weight, in fact, it does the opposite. It causes your metabolism to slow because you are not giving your body enough fuel and it thinks it is starving itself. This is unhealthy, and harmful to weight loss.

For explanations from people smarter than me, check out the links on this page: http://www.shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com/index2.html

em9371

i do exactly the same as you, if i see i only have low cal allowance i feel starved, if i do LOADs of exercise and have lots of cals to eat back i would pig out! by doing it this way your cals are more even and you see at the start of the day what your allowance is so its easier to plan meals. if i have worked so hard in the gym why would i want to eat back what i just burned? it also motivates me to go to the gym, as i am eating enough to only lose 1lb, so the only way i will lose 2lbs is by working out

Most people do eat back their exercise cals as thats how MFP was designed to work, the more you exercise the more you can eat, but the calories are the same either way, so if it is working for you stick with it

eg mine are - MFP goal lose 2lb = 1240 cals plus eat back exercise of 500 per day
MFP goal lose 1lb = 1740 cals. Do not eat back exercise cals 500 per day = 3500 burned, 2lb total loss.

I log my cals burned in exercise notes, that way you have a record of what you have done, but it doesnt affect cal totals. It would be nice if exercise could be logged seperately, but since the site is free i think we just need to work round how it works already

sugarflywithme83

Oh wow, I totally forgot about that goal thing. I am using it on my iphone is there anyway to change that goal weight?

Thank you so much for the information, it makes so much sense now and Im happy that I can eat back those calories!! i was wondering why I was feeling a little hungry and also, I put on 200 grams today!

Whew. OK. Im feeling good about this now