Better off not logging weight lifting calories

Coltsman4ever
Coltsman4ever Posts: 602 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Because of the controversy surrounding how many calories you burn when you lift weights and my general lack of knowing this info for certain, I never add calories burned from weight training in my daily exercise log.
The truth is, you don't burn a lot of calories during weight training. The benefits come after the work out.
I would rather not enter any calories and know I haven't entered a false amount in my log and therefore take a chance at overeating every day that I work out. Not worth the risk to me.
I prefer to log my calories burned from my cardio instead.

I know this is always a hot topic on here but I think you're better off not entering anything for weight lifting.

AND... commence argument!

Replies

  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
    I actually do not log ANY of my exercise. I have a fitbit that gives me an adjustment based on my walk/running distance. My weightlifting burns about 200 calories (according to MFP) . I figure the burned calories I don't log cover the almond milk I put in my coffee :D
  • gxm17
    gxm17 Posts: 374
    I think it's funny that some people say not to log strength training calories and others say that you have to eat more to put on muscle. But I figure, hey, different strokes. I think it's up to everybody to figure out what works and what doesn't. I know that if I didn't eat my exercise calories back, I'd burn out. But I realize this isn't true for everyone.

    So, no argument here. Only you can figure out what works for you.
  • Coltsman4ever
    Coltsman4ever Posts: 602 Member
    I think it's funny that some people say not to log strength training calories and others say that you have to eat more to put on muscle. But I figure, hey, different strokes. I think it's up to everybody to figure out what works and what doesn't. I know that if I didn't eat my exercise calories back, I'd burn out. But I realize this isn't true for everyone.

    So, no argument here. Only you can figure out what works for you.

    My point is not whether or not to eat back exercise calories. It is more about how do you get an accurate count of the calories you burn during weight lifting since heart rate monitors are not designed for, nor do they work for weight training.
    So instead of worrying about the possibility of guessing the calories wrong and entering them into my log, I just skip adding them.
  • bahacca
    bahacca Posts: 878 Member
    I don't think skipping is wrong and I don't think adding them is wrong either. If you find when you log them that you are not losing weight since you are eating back those calories, then perhaps the amt burned is really overexaggerated for you and you need to remove them so you can really be eating at a defecit(if the goal is to LOSE, surplus if it is to gain ) .
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
    Devil's advocate here. I am an older guy, and we ain't got a lot of energy. I find that if I have my calories set low, and I am working out hard, doing different things, every day, I start getting fatigued after a few days and my workouts suffer. I think that weight lifting takes the most out of me the next day.
    So, if you are working out hard, and not replenishing adequately, it might catch up with you. Now, that might be okay if you are just trying to lose weight, but if you are trying to get good workouts it might be detrimental. And, there is always the possibility that bad workouts eventually will effect your weight loss.
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    For weight loss I don't count them.

    But when trying to gain, I do so that I remember to eat more.
  • Mindochka
    Mindochka Posts: 61 Member

    So instead of worrying about the possibility of guessing the calories wrong and entering them into my log, I just skip adding them.

    I do the same that you do. I only account for cardio calories and don't count my strength training calories. BUT I definitely see a much better loss (weight and fat) on the periods where I incorporated more strength training.
  • Erienneb
    Erienneb Posts: 592 Member
    I wear my HRM during my lifting because I wear it every time I go do any sort of workout. I only log about 1/3 of what my HRM says I burned for lifting because I'm afraid it's wrong.
  • DrMAvDPhD
    DrMAvDPhD Posts: 2,097 Member
    Pah. Risk of over eating?? Come on. Unless you are monitoring your heart rate constantly though-out the day, this is ALL just one big guestimation. Don't go crazy and eat 1000 extra calories unless you are trying to bulk. Find what works for you and stick with it. I can eat ~200 extra calories on lifting days and not gain any weight. Been doing that for 4 months now.
  • gxm17
    gxm17 Posts: 374
    For weight loss I don't count them.

    But when trying to gain, I do so that I remember to eat more.

    This. ^^^
  • gxm17
    gxm17 Posts: 374
    Pah. Risk of over eating?? Come on. Unless you are monitoring your heart rate constantly though-out the day, this is ALL just one big guestimation. Don't go crazy and eat 1000 extra calories unless you are trying to bulk. Find what works for you and stick with it. I can eat ~200 extra calories on lifting days and not gain any weight. Been doing that for 4 months now.

    And this. ^^^^
  • gxm17
    gxm17 Posts: 374
    I think it's funny that some people say not to log strength training calories and others say that you have to eat more to put on muscle. But I figure, hey, different strokes. I think it's up to everybody to figure out what works and what doesn't. I know that if I didn't eat my exercise calories back, I'd burn out. But I realize this isn't true for everyone.

    So, no argument here. Only you can figure out what works for you.

    My point is not whether or not to eat back exercise calories. It is more about how do you get an accurate count of the calories you burn during weight lifting since heart rate monitors are not designed for, nor do they work for weight training.
    So instead of worrying about the possibility of guessing the calories wrong and entering them into my log, I just skip adding them.

    I'm not arguing with you. Whatever works for you, works for you. It doesn't work for me. If I don't replenish strength training calories, I get sick. It took me years to figure that out because of the the "don't eat!" myth/mentality. It turned me off to strength training because it always made me sick. Literally, sick, as in laid up for weeks. Thankfully, I finally discovered the big secret: Eat more. And the result: my previous pair of "skinny" jeans are now too big. I'm not saying this will work for everyone, just that you do what works for you and I'll do what works for me, and we're all (hopefully) happy with our results.

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