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Exercise calories: to eat or not to eat?

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  • jaz050465
    jaz050465 Posts: 3,508 Member
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    I'd look at your weekly calorie intake (on the phone app there is a 'weekly' tab),



    I'd never noticed that before. Thanks.
  • bobf279
    bobf279 Posts: 342 Member
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    I always aim to eat mine and have recorded a steady weight loss. I log on MFP but am also conscious of what my daily calorie intake should be using the TDEE-20% formula, that stops me from worrying if I exceed the net calories calculation on MFP.
  • ClearNotCloudyMind
    ClearNotCloudyMind Posts: 238 Member
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    My approach? Don't force on any one day but hit a sensible deficit over the whole week. The way I exercise I hit crazy negatives on bike days and then am ravenous for the next few days. Seems to work if I go over on a couple of days and under for the week.
  • ruwise
    ruwise Posts: 265 Member
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    Rather than worrying about the exact day maybe think of it as 24 hours so if you are exercising late have a bigger breakfast and lunch the next day instead. I used the fat 2 fit calculator to work out my calories which is a bit less exact than the whole TDEE is but I know I can have about 300 more calories on a day when I do a good exercise session. It's best to spread it out over a few meals rather than just eating something for the sake of it.
  • abideedum
    abideedum Posts: 71 Member
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    May aswel throw my hat in the ring too,

    I dont eat mine and wouldn't because if i dont 'need' them then why would i take on extra cal's. And what i mean by need is if i was feeling faint, dizzy etc from not haven eaten enough then of course i would eat back something i earnt so over all i would stay at my target calorie intake. However with the exercises i currently do this has not been an issue for me so i dont eat them back.

    One thing i can say is dont for the love of god eat extra (over your target a day) coz you know you'll go to the gym later... all it takes is one of lifes normal little distractions to get in the way and then that workout dosnt happen. Then a few days later it happens again and boom, it all gets a bit messy. If you find you really need an energy boost before working out try re-planning when you do work out and when you eat :D
  • ChristyJade
    ChristyJade Posts: 186 Member
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    I'd look at your weekly calorie intake (on the phone app there is a 'weekly' tab),



    I'd never noticed that before. Thanks.

    OMG me either! How have I never seen this before?! DURRR!
  • carolyn0613
    carolyn0613 Posts: 162 Member
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    I had another thought about this. If you exercise after you have finished eating for the day, then why not log them on tomorrow's exercise? You would eat them back at a normal pace throughout the day and you may be feeling more hungry then anyway after you exercised. Might be worth giving it a go, if you are worried about not eating them
  • clairet1966
    clairet1966 Posts: 5 Member
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    I use the weekly tab on my phone and as long as my average stays under the red line I lose weight. I go to they gym 3 times a week and do approx 70-90 mins cardio burning on average 1100-1200. I really struggle to keep my non-gym days under my cal goal for the day, but normally my weekly average is ok.
  • HatherM
    HatherM Posts: 404 Member
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    Ok gonna throw this out there. MFP states it works on NET calories so it's what you are netting each day that counts so if you are not exercising then your goal you have set using the settings will give you a minimum of 3,500 calories deficit meaning you will lose a pound a week (unless you've chosen 2lbs a week).

    Alternatively you can work to your TDEE -10/-15/-20% (you choose) & don't log your exercise on here. - http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html

    Basically choose one method & stick with it 4-6weeks to see what works for you.

    At first you will always lose weight regardless of what method you use as you're changing your lifestyle & your body responds, but then after a while you will need to figure out what works best for your body.

    So basically either work to TDEE & don't log exercise (as this is already included) or use MFP's Net Calories setting for healthy weightloss that you can maintain.

    I think people panic too much about not haivng enough of a deficit, but MFP will always give you that providing you complete the settings correctly.

    I found that after 4 weeks upping my calories & eating back exercise calories helped me continue to lose weight, rather than bounce around the same pound back & forth.

    That's just my knowledge & experience though.

    Good luck finding what works for you
  • _Danno_
    _Danno_ Posts: 165
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    I never eat back my calories burned I don't even log my exercise so I have no idea how many calories I've burned, there are 2 reasons for this.

    1. I don't see the point of busting a gut exercising if you are just going to eat what you just burnt, you may as well sit on the sofa instead! (I know you get a bit fitter but most people just want to lose weight)

    2. I really don't trust the figures it gives you for calories burned, I saw somebody post the other day 600kcals burnt for walking the dog for 45 mins.

    I just view any calories burned as a bonus and if I'm starving hungry after a workout I will have a 100kcal snack

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