will i still lose weight eating way over?

If I eat as many calories as myfitnesspal says it will take for me to put on weight but then exercise the excess calories off, will it really not affect me in the weight gain area? Ive eaten almost as many as I would need to eat to start putting a pound a week on however I am also aiming to exercise it all off.

Replies

  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    The exercise estimates on MFP are waaaaay off. Usually at least double what you're actually burning. If you must eat back exercise calories, aim for no more than half of your calories "burned".
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    If the calories you need to eat are correct, and the amount you burn is correct, then yes. However, MFP tends to be off. It's a bit of a process to figure out what works for you. Some people can eat all their exercise cals and hit their goals. Others find that eating half is the right formula. And some find that not eating their exercise cals works best.

    If you plan on losing 1 lb per week, or whatever, as long as you're hitting that goal, do whatever you want.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Are you asking whether you will lose weight if you eat at your non-exercise TDEE (maintenance) and use exercise as your deficit?

    If that is what you are asking, then yes. Whatever you burn based on your exercise will be your deficit (assuming your base calories are correct) and your weight loss will be dependent on the amount you do.
  • xprettyreckless
    xprettyreckless Posts: 297 Member
    The exercise estimates on MFP are waaaaay off. Usually at least double what you're actually burning. If you must eat back exercise calories, aim for no more than half of your calories "burned".

    Actually, at least for running, MFP is dead on. I'm on two other tracking sites and the calories burned are pretty much always the same on those sites as on MFP.

    As far as eating back your burned calories is concerned - MFP is set as a deficit already, so you're technically allowed to eat back ALL of your calories burned and are still going to lose.
  • Lynn1957
    Lynn1957 Posts: 3 Member
    Which other tracking sites do you use? I find that calories burned for bicycling are estimated a little high on MFP, and I'd love to find other sites to compare numbers.
  • The exercise estimates on MFP are waaaaay off. Usually at least double what you're actually burning. If you must eat back exercise calories, aim for no more than half of your calories "burned".

    Actually, at least for running, MFP is dead on. I'm on two other tracking sites and the calories burned are pretty much always the same on those sites as on MFP.

    As far as eating back your burned calories is concerned - MFP is set as a deficit already, so you're technically allowed to eat back ALL of your calories burned and are still going to lose.


    I never eat back my calories, and I'm usually at or a bit under my calories for the day (I try and get them all cause I'm breastfeeding). so does that mean I'll lose the weight super quick then?
  • beachlover317
    beachlover317 Posts: 2,848 Member
    The exercise estimates on MFP are waaaaay off. Usually at least double what you're actually burning. If you must eat back exercise calories, aim for no more than half of your calories "burned".

    Actually, at least for running, MFP is dead on. I'm on two other tracking sites and the calories burned are pretty much always the same on those sites as on MFP.

    As far as eating back your burned calories is concerned - MFP is set as a deficit already, so you're technically allowed to eat back ALL of your calories burned and are still going to lose.


    I never eat back my calories, and I'm usually at or a bit under my calories for the day (I try and get them all cause I'm breastfeeding). so does that mean I'll lose the weight super quick then?

    Why in the world would you be restricting your calories and want to lose weight so quickly when still breast feeding? MFP is designed with a built in deficit. When you exercise you make the deficit even bigger. You are supposed to eat back most, if not all of you exercise calories. I encourage you to speak with your doctor or breast feeding consultant about how many calories your body need to function every day.
  • xprettyreckless
    xprettyreckless Posts: 297 Member
    Which other tracking sites do you use? I find that calories burned for bicycling are estimated a little high on MFP, and I'd love to find other sites to compare numbers.

    I use runkeeper - I believe it also tracks walking/cycling/elliptical etc.

    @blissfullbut - what beachlover said.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    I never eat back my calories, and I'm usually at or a bit under my calories for the day (I try and get them all cause I'm breastfeeding). so does that mean I'll lose the weight super quick then?

    Nope! It means your milk will stop and you will burn more muscle than fat, thereby becoming 'skinny fat'
  • lacurandera1
    lacurandera1 Posts: 8,083 Member
    I got a hrm last month and the only calorie burns that are even close to dead on are running, running stairs and jump roping. Everything else, for me, mfp grossly overestimated
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
    The exercise estimates on MFP are waaaaay off. Usually at least double what you're actually burning. If you must eat back exercise calories, aim for no more than half of your calories "burned".
    Not always. MFP actually underestimates the calories I burn during exercise.