Logging Workouts

cynfee00

Reading this weekend, one pound of fat is a total of 3,500 calories.
In order to lose one pound of fat, I need to burn 500 calories a day. Working out and logging it, it adds to my calorie intake for the day and I feel like I am canceling out what I am really trying to do., Regardless if I work out I am thinking that I should still only be taking in as many calories as I start off with, what are your thoughts? I am wondering if it would be better for me to log my workout but leave out the calories I burned so I am not eating more and defeating the purpose. Any insight would help…..

NyimaR

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

jlsAhava

Definitely read the suggested forum post. There are a bunch of others that address this issue as well.

In short though, when MFP calculates your daily calorie goal, it already places you at the calorie deficit which matches (as close as possible, without bringing you below 1200 cal) the rate of weightloss that you selected. For this reason, even if you do no exercise at all, you should still lose weight. And if you exercise, you can eat back all your exercise calories back and you would still maintain the stated deficit. If you don't eat them back, you'd likely lose at a faster rate than you originally set, but you run the risk of not fueling your body enough to fuel the exercise you're doing. You'd be more likely to get run down, and if you lose too quickly, you're more likely to quickly gain the weight back with any change in your routine.

Best of luck!