Confused On Exercise Calories....To Eat or Not to Eat?

richelleygirl

I do get exercise at my job because I am constantly walking/bending/twisting. I am essentially a janitor. So I do a lot of things and I am on my feet most of the day. I have been counting this as exercise. But it is not usually vigorous. So I am not sure if I should be eating beyond my calorie goal of 1700? In other words, should I eat my exercise calories? I have not yet gotten to the point where I am able to do vigorous exercise on top of the work stuff. I had a pedometer on today and it said I generally walked an average speed of 2.5-3.0mph. I do not walk constantly but I do move a LOT.

hmclear

When I have done weight watchers in the past, you would earn extra points for exercise. They would indicate that you did not have to use them. Your weight loss will progress faster without using them. Keep up the good work. I am now doing south beach, and do not use them.

nic_ci

I do not eat back my calories...I exercise to lose weight...not to eat more.

LorinaLynn

I'm a big fan of exercise calories, but I would include your job in your activity level, but not your exercise.

taso42

http://shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com/

all the cool kids are doing it

richelleygirl

I'm a big fan of exercise calories, but I would include your job in your activity level, but not your exercise.

I would agree except I move a LOT on my job. At least 4-5 miles a day just walking.

LorinaLynn

Then by all means try it! That's the best part of all of this... you can try something, and if it doesn't work, you can try something else. If it does work... fantastic! Keep doing it. But nothing is ever carved in stone and there's no absolute right way or wrong way.

grapenutSF

I support eating back exercise calories, but not the ones you describe. I agree with you that your job is very active, but it's not quite the same, and it's so consistent... I'd find a way to get dedicated exercise in!! Get your heart pumping! Lift something heavy. Even if you just start small/brief.

Pebble321

Yup, if this is just about every day, the simplest way is to increase your activity level to "active" then you don't have to try to work out how much extra every day, they are already there. If you do this, make sure you don't count your exercise twice by adding it in separately.

I think looking at them as "bonus calories" is the wrong way to go about it - just about every calorie calculator out there asks how active you are.... MFP just uses a different system. I actually prefer MFP's way of doing it (ie. adding exercises that you actually do, not just taking a guess/making a promise about what you might do) but it does lead a lot of people to be confused and thus to undereat. And undereating is not a good strategy to get healthy and stay there.

jennifershoo

I do not eat back my calories...I exercise to lose weight...not to eat more.

Than you should change your mindset.

boggsmeister

I would find a way to adjust you calories to match your activity level, and then start some kind of exercise program and eat back the calories you expend on it. I tend to often be under on my calories, but will eat all of them if I am hungry. I figure if I'm not hungry I'm probably not slowing my metabolism and am doing ok.

At least that is my humble opinion. I've done the yo-yo thing.