Quick Question about Goal Setting

wowsley2
wowsley2 Posts: 5 Member
edited December 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi Folks,

I've been reading a bunch of the newbie posts and debates about exercise calories, and I understand it is important to eat back some of your exercise calories. However, it also seems that if--when setting goals in MFP--you state you're going to exercise X times per week for Y minutes, it calculates those workouts into your calorie allowance. Thus causing you to eat more calories than you should if you exercise, then eat back the exercise calories your food diary says you earned.

For simplicity, is it more worthwhile to say you are not working out on the goals page, then eat back a moderate amount of your exercise calories? Thanks!

Replies

  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    It's one of those confusing things on MFP - although it asks what your workout goals are, it doesn't include them in your calorie allowance.
    Extra cals for exercise only get added once you've done the exercise, not by you just thinking about it!

    If this concept doesn't work for you, you can set your goals by including exercise in your activity level (so you would be set at "active" or "very active"), then you don't have to add exercise separately.
  • wowsley2
    wowsley2 Posts: 5 Member
    Ah, that makes more sense.

    In that case, let me ask a follow up question (and be the 1,000,000th MFP member to ask about exercise calories), is there a recommended percentage of exercise cals you should eat back? All of them? Half? More than half but less than all?
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    If you are using MFP to set your goals, then you should eat all of them (assuming you are pretty accurate with logging your food and exercise calories).
    MFP works out the cals you need to stay the same weight (excluding exercise) and takes away a calorie deficit (500 cals to lose 1 pound).
    When you exercise, you can eat all those cals and you will STILL have that calorie deficit to lose weight.

    If you want to know more, check this out: shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com
  • jaydubbayu
    jaydubbayu Posts: 456
    On days that I exercise, I'm hungrier. I almost HAVE to go over my calorie allowance to satisfy hunger, and my exercise keeps me below my daily goal.
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