Eating your Exercise Calories

Beyepo

Do you eat your exercise calories and still lose weight?

AllTehBeers

With MFP default settings, your deficit is already figured in. Meaning, you could sit on the couch and as long as you only eat the calories MFP gave you, you'd lose weight. Any exercise takes away from what your deficit already is, making it bigger so it is recommended you eat what you burn in exercise, if you are using MFP default settings.

tami101

Yes. They are delicious!

megsmom2

Yup. Gives a lot more flexibility in what I can eat!

mrphil86

IndigoFlowers

YES!

ninerbuff

When I was/do dieting down, yes.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
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Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

ecw3780

With MFP default settings, your deficit is already figured in. Meaning, you could sit on the couch and as long as you only eat the calories MFP gave you, you'd lose weight. Any exercise takes away from what your deficit already is, making it bigger so it is recommended you eat what you burn in exercise, if you are using MFP default settings.

This. You will see a lot of people talking about their TDEE and not eating their exercise calories, but that is not the same as the number MFP gives you. If you are following the MFP number, please eat your exercise calories. You will be much happier and able to stick with the program. However, MFP tends to over estimate calories burned, so I recommend either getting some sort of tracker that syncs, or only eating about 60-80% of the exercise calories if you use their exercises.

Beyepo

Thanks

calkim

So I am still confused a little my fitness pal say I should et 1230 calories a day if I exercise and burn 500 calories it put it up to 1730 so it is saying I should be ending my day with zero calories or the extra 500 still left from exercise?

slkehl

So I am still confused a little my fitness pal say I should et 1230 calories a day if I exercise and burn 500 calories it put it up to 1730 so it is saying I should be ending my day with zero calories or the extra 500 still left from exercise?

You should be eating the number of calories that MFP adjusts to with exercise. So you should end your day with zero calories.

stefanieboyle

I talked about this with my nutritionist last night. She said yes, you should eat some of the calories you've gained back from exercise. However, don't eat if you aren't hungry. Sometimes I've got 500+ calories left at the end of the day (over my 1200) but I'm not hungry. Your weight loss will stall if you aren't eating at least 1200.

I suggest a protein shake before or after a workout, especially if it's early morning or late evening.

slkehl

^I agree, no need to force feed yourself ALL of them if you aren't hungry. If you are below 1200 calories though, it may be a good idea to eat a little more the next day to keep that metabolism running well.

terrie_k

I've tried to eat back, I don't lose anything but don't gain either. It also depends on what you count as exercise. If you put in every little thing, it won't help. I was adjusting for a pedometer and I couldn't lose a thing. And what hey have does seem like a gross overestimate most of the time.

anewlife1980

So I am still confused a little my fitness pal say I should et 1230 calories a day if I exercise and burn 500 calories it put it up to 1730 so it is saying I should be ending my day with zero calories or the extra 500 still left from exercise?

You should be eating the number of calories that MFP adjusts to with exercise. So you should end your day with zero calories.

But if you do have some left its not a big deal, I can never eat all of mine but thats partly bc I have such a high starting # for the day (1920) then add on more for exercising (usually 300-500 depending on what I do), I can't possibly eat them all. I usually have 200 left over without exercise, 500-700 left over with exercise.

nxd10

Yes. Because if I eat all my exercise calories, I still have a 500 calorie/day deficit, and I lose a pound a week.

Or I did, because I've lost all but two pounds I wanted to in the last year and it's taking forever to lose those last two. But I will.

---

BTW, I am set at sedentary and only log walking, biking, hiking, and serious gardening or cleaning that is rigorous enough that I feel TIRED and HUNGRY so I know I've gone above or beyond.

tmauck4472

I talked about this with my nutritionist last night. She said yes, you should eat some of the calories you've gained back from exercise. However, don't eat if you aren't hungry. Sometimes I've got 500+ calories left at the end of the day (over my 1200) but I'm not hungry. Your weight loss will stall if you aren't eating at least 1200.

I suggest a protein shake before or after a workout, especially if it's early morning or late evening.

Wrong it won't stall if your not eating at least 1200. 1200 is NOT the magic number. The magic number is what works for you not some number someone pulled out of their..well you know where....
But eat them back if you want or don't eat them back. It's whatever works for you. It doesn't work for me and I don't lose weight when I eat them back, but you may. Good luck.