Hesitant to Eat Back Exercise Calories?

Virginia90

Is anyone else really hesitant to eat back their exercise calories? I have a cheap $25 HRM, and the past day or two, I've gone by what it tells me, but it just seems like a LOT of calories, and I'm hesitant to trust it enough to eat that many calories...Today I worked out for a total of 55 minutes (Just Dance on the Wii, walking, and 30DS) and my HRM said I burned 579 calories. That's like an extra meal! I have 576 left to eat back if I count those calories, but I don't know what to do...advice is definitely welcome! Please!

Jd1360

I don't own a HRM, but I don't even worry about eating back exercise calories. Usually, I don't burn much over 300, so, eh! I just see like bonus points for me!

thelovelyLIZ

I may not eat back all of mine if I know my calorie counter is off. I don't really trust the machines at the gym, for instance, because the default weight the use is usually 150lbs. I weigh a good 20lbs less than that, so obviously I will burn less. I still do eat back some of my calories, but I try not to eat them all.

bghere

if your not hungry then dont eat them

nehushtan

Eat 'em all!

As you do, think "Michael Phelps"

adjones5

In my personal experience, eating back exercise calories is the best for weight loss but I really don't understand the science behind it. If you use the search function you can find a lot of arguments about it. Best of luck!

justbecause2014

I do it for the smiple fact that I LOVE food!

shydaisi

I was too. I eat mine. I have lost nearly 70 pounds doing so and without a HRM.

Your deficit is already built in to your daily goal. Are you set up to lose 2 pounds per week? If so, you are already eating 1,000 calories per day less than your body needs to maintain. If you burn another 500 calories and don't eat them, you then have a 1,500 calorie deficit.

There are people who eat them and people who don't.

WifeMomDVM

If you are not sure about the HRM being accurate eat back 1/2 of what it says.

mamitosami

I've always eaten mine... I lost the weight and have now maintained it eating all my exercise calories; so all told, I've been eating my exercise calories for 15 months. Besides the cardiovascular and bodily benefits to exercise, let's be honest here--that's *why* I exercise! So I can eat more!! Just sayin....

(Oh, and I've always gone by the machines at the gym, because I weigh 160ish, so if they aren't a little low, they are accurate for my weight)

dasblondie

did you check the average that is put on here...and compare it to what your HRM says...espcially if is an inexpensive one.

Virginia90

So should I trust that my HRM is correct then? For example, I walked for 16 minutes at about 2.5mph, and it said I burned 164 calories. That seems awfully high, although I do weigh 215, so I know I'd burn more calories than a lighter person...Does anyone about my weight know if that's about accurate?

ETA: Oh, and I was walking on my driveway, which has a slight hill, and I was also pushing a stroller half the time.

shydaisi

If it was only 2.5 miles per hour, then, yeah, that is a little high. However, I know I underestimated my speed until I started measuring it (by distance vs. time). If you think your HRM is off, then maybe only eat half? Watch your weight loss as a gauge. If you start losing too fast, then eat a little more.

dawgn49

Not sure if this will help you or not, but I am a 213lb man and I seem to burn approx 165cals when I run a 10 min mile(6mph). Also if you have included your exercise in your lifestyle(30 mins 3x/week etc) when setting your daily calorie goals then exercise calories are already accounted for.

EDIT: try going by your HRM for a couple of weeks and see if you lose, if not then make adjustments.

dasblondie

sounds about right....if i do the math. I think your BRM is pretty close....see what anyone else says Hope that was helpful

Virginia90

I do have my goal set to 2lbs a week, however, my BMR is1,678 calories/day according to the thing under "Tools", and my calories to eat are 1200. So that's only a 678 deficit, but I know that any less and I'd go into starvation mode.

mamitosami

So should I trust that my HRM is correct then? For example, I walked for 16 minutes at about 2.5mph, and it said I burned 164 calories. That seems awfully high, although I do weigh 215, so I know I'd burn more calories than a lighter person...Does anyone about my weight know if that's about accurate?

ETA: Oh, and I was walking on my driveway, which has a slight hill, and I was also pushing a stroller half the time.

I typed in here what I would burn at 2.0 miles per hour, and it said 46 calories. 4.0 miles per hour said 98 calories. I weigh 163 (today!). Just for comparison. This was in the database, which I've always gone by.

The was for the 16 minutes you mentioned.

Virginia90

If it was only 2.5 miles per hour, then, yeah, that is a little high. However, I know I underestimated my speed until I started measuring it (by distance vs. time). If you think your HRM is off, then maybe only eat half? Watch your weight loss as a gauge. If you start losing too fast, then eat a little more.

I walked 3/5 of a mile in 16 minutes, so I think that's about 2.5 (maybe a little less, even)...but it does involve a hill 3 times and pushing a stroller about half the time.

Virginia90

So should I trust that my HRM is correct then? For example, I walked for 16 minutes at about 2.5mph, and it said I burned 164 calories. That seems awfully high, although I do weigh 215, so I know I'd burn more calories than a lighter person...Does anyone about my weight know if that's about accurate?

ETA: Oh, and I was walking on my driveway, which has a slight hill, and I was also pushing a stroller half the time.

I typed in here what I would burn at 2.0 miles per hour, and it said 46 calories. 4.0 miles per hour said 98 calories. I weigh 163 (today!). Just for comparison. This was in the database, which I've always gone by.

The was for the 16 minutes you mentioned.

Yeah...That's why I thought it seemed too high.

mamitosami

So should I trust that my HRM is correct then? For example, I walked for 16 minutes at about 2.5mph, and it said I burned 164 calories. That seems awfully high, although I do weigh 215, so I know I'd burn more calories than a lighter person...Does anyone about my weight know if that's about accurate?

ETA: Oh, and I was walking on my driveway, which has a slight hill, and I was also pushing a stroller half the time.

I typed in here what I would burn at 2.0 miles per hour, and it said 46 calories. 4.0 miles per hour said 98 calories. I weigh 163 (today!). Just for comparison. This was in the database, which I've always gone by.

The was for the 16 minutes you mentioned.

Yeah...That's why I thought it seemed too high.

I don't know though, if you were pushing a stroller, uphill, you would be working a lot harder than I would--so maybe it's right, especially if you've inputted your data into the HRM. The HRM takes what you are doing at each workout. Some days you may do the same walk and burn more calories because it's more of a struggle because of whatever conditions (heat, cold, ice etc...), does it not? Some days you'll breeze through it...

ChellieIrish

This explains it all very well :flowerforyou:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

When I exercize I eat back 50 - 75% of the cals and am still losing weight what I will say is build it up slowly so your body gets used to the extra

Your body needs to have fuel think of a car :drinker:

morrowsarah

Is anyone else really hesitant to eat back their exercise calories? I have a cheap $25 HRM, and the past day or two, I've gone by what it tells me, but it just seems like a LOT of calories, and I'm hesitant to trust it enough to eat that many calories...Today I worked out for a total of 55 minutes (Just Dance on the Wii, walking, and 30DS) and my HRM said I burned 579 calories. That's like an extra meal! I have 576 left to eat back if I count those calories, but I don't know what to do...advice is definitely welcome! Please!

I also have a hrm and I burned 285 cal doing 30DS and 200 doing wii dance. Totaled 41 min so yours may be fairly accurate.


I always eat my exercise calories and I have done well. A few months ago when I was working really hard to get in shape I lost 9 pounds in a month and I ate all my exercise calories. If you eat 1200 cal and don't eat the exercise calories technically your body only received 620 calories and too many days of that will put you in starvation mode and all your work will come to a halt!

Virginia90

Is anyone else really hesitant to eat back their exercise calories? I have a cheap $25 HRM, and the past day or two, I've gone by what it tells me, but it just seems like a LOT of calories, and I'm hesitant to trust it enough to eat that many calories...Today I worked out for a total of 55 minutes (Just Dance on the Wii, walking, and 30DS) and my HRM said I burned 579 calories. That's like an extra meal! I have 576 left to eat back if I count those calories, but I don't know what to do...advice is definitely welcome! Please!

I also have a hrm and I burned 285 cal doing 30DS and 200 doing wii dance. Totaled 41 min so yours may be fairly accurate.


I always eat my exercise calories and I have done well. A few months ago when I was working really hard to get in shape I lost 9 pounds in a month and I ate all my exercise calories. If you eat 1200 cal and don't eat the exercise calories technically your body only received 620 calories and too many days of that will put you in starvation mode and all your work will come to a halt!

That makes me feel a little better about the 30DS! Mine said 274 for the 30DS. I ate a bowl of yogurt with come granola and raspberries, which took up about 300 calories (and it makes me feel so guilty because it's so yummy), and left 200 calories in the green. I think I can feel "safe" with that right now. I feel like I ate loads today (because technically, I DID)...and as days go by, I'll be able to see if my heartrate monitor is fairly accurate (if it gives roughly the same numbers each day for each activity). I guess I'm afraid of "losing time" in losing weight...but I've waited this long, so what's a couple extra weeks to get it all figured out...

shydaisi

I do have my goal set to 2lbs a week, however, my BMR is1,678 calories/day according to the thing under "Tools", and my calories to eat are 1200. So that's only a 678 deficit, but I know that any less and I'd go into starvation mode.

If your BMR is 1,678, then your maintenance calories would be about 2013 for a sedentary person (multiplying by 1.2). Eating 1200 calories gives you an 813 calorie deficit per day. Which will give you a loss of about 1.5 pounds per week.

BMR is how many calories you need to survive on complete bed rest.
Maintenance is how many calories you burn in a day, which takes into consideration how active you are.

All of the numbers are estimates though. You may need to go through some trial and error to see what works for your body.