Exercise Calories

twinkleton
twinkleton Posts: 63 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Help please!!! Only just joined MFP online. My daily allowance is 1200 cals - today I burnt 2081 cals in exercise - am I supposed to eat all/half or none of these - thank you, Wendy
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Replies

  • alyhuggan
    alyhuggan Posts: 717 Member
    All ontop of your normal calorie goal which itself should be a deficit to lose weight so you will still be in a deficit. Although how did you burn 2081 calories? Make sure that isn't over estimated as it sounds a bit crazy!
  • AbsoluteNG
    AbsoluteNG Posts: 1,079 Member
    Yeah, 2000 calories sounds like you just literally ran a marathon. Are you sure you calculated that right? An hour of exercise normally burns in the range of 300 calories to 600 depending greatly on the weight of the individual.
  • lcfairbairn74
    lcfairbairn74 Posts: 412 Member
    Mfp is notorious for overestimating calorie burns! If you wear a heart rate monitor and are sure of your calorie burn, eat all or most of them back. My rule of thumb for mfp estimations was to eat half of them back until I could afford a HRM :wink:
  • twinkleton
    twinkleton Posts: 63 Member
    I had an HRM on - walked 26 miles today ouch!!!!!
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    Mfp is notorious for overestimating calorie burns! If you wear a heart rate monitor and are sure of your calorie burn, eat all or most of them back. My rule of thumb for mfp estimations was to eat half of them back until I could afford a HRM :wink:

    She is using a HRM (from another post of her's).

    What did you do to burn 2000 calories, that is a huge number. HRMs are not the be all end all. THey have a degree of error and are their calories estimates are for certain circumstances only - steady state cardio. There are also a number of factors that can affect the accuracy.

    The answer is yes, you are supposed to eat back your exercise calories, or at least a portion of them. I would be wary of eating back all of those unless you ran a marathon today.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    I had an HRM on - walked 26 miles today ouch!!!!!

    You walked 26 miles! In that case, yes you need to eat a good portion of them back.
  • twinkleton
    twinkleton Posts: 63 Member
    Yes I walked a marathon today in the blistering sun!!! Feet are sore lol - wear a heart rate monitor all the time and stop and start it when I stop and start - just wanted some advice on how much to eat - would struggle to eat 2000 never mind 3000+!!!
  • alyhuggan
    alyhuggan Posts: 717 Member
    I'd eat at least 75% back but that's just me :)
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    Yes I walked a marathon today in the blistering sun!!! Feet are sore lol - wear a heart rate monitor all the time and stop and start it when I stop and start - just wanted some advice on how much to eat - would struggle to eat 2000 never mind 3000+!!!


    Look for calorie dense foods, like avocados, nuts and nut butters, cheese, a fattier cut of meat, or a nice piece of salmon, pasta is a good option. Don't try to fill it with low calorie foods, you don't have to eat nutrient void foods but don't be afraid of calories.

    Keep in mind that is a huge strain on your body and it needs to recover. 1200 calories just isn't enough to do that.
  • twinkleton
    twinkleton Posts: 63 Member
    I will try - need to take a picnic to my bed hee hee!!!
  • lcfairbairn74
    lcfairbairn74 Posts: 412 Member
    Jeez.....you actually did walk a marathon!! I have always eaten all of my exercise calories back and am right on target with my weight loss goals. It's up to you, but your body will certainly need most of them back! :wink:

    Hope your feet are ok! Congrats on the marathon!! :drinker: :drinker:
  • AbsoluteNG
    AbsoluteNG Posts: 1,079 Member
    If you're trying to lose weight, I wouldn't eat those calories back unless you are hungry because this is just a one time thing. If you plan to walk 26 miles everyday, thats a different story. Your body will let you know if you should eat or not by giving you hunger cues. If you get hungry, eat. Don't force food down your throat to meet some arbitrary number. I don't even know if your stomach can fit 4500k calories.
  • twinkleton
    twinkleton Posts: 63 Member
    That was just a practice walk. Another one next week until the "real walk" on 8th June - doing it for breast cancer.....somebody will gain from my sore feet and hopefully the money I have raised will one day cure it :wink:
  • twinkleton
    twinkleton Posts: 63 Member
    Thanks sooo much for your help :smile:
  • tdotgirl
    tdotgirl Posts: 95 Member
    You don't have to eat back those calories if your'e not hungry. Eat what you can!
  • lcfairbairn74
    lcfairbairn74 Posts: 412 Member
    That's a great cause! I usually walk a 5k event for breast cancer research every year. Not on the cards this year due to a shattered ankle unfortunately. I have always fancied walking a marathon (when fully fit, obviously). Did you build up to it by starting at 5k and working your way up?
  • twinkleton
    twinkleton Posts: 63 Member
    Yes I started last year just walking from home, round the loch and back and have built it up and up. Gives me a great sense of achievement - so pleased as I have tried so hard and had a few wobbles on the way thinking "Can I do this" or "what have a signed up for".

    Good for you for doing it in the past - one day you shall do that 26 miler and feel my pain and joy!!!
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    That was just a practice walk. Another one next week until the "real walk" on 8th June - doing it for breast cancer.....somebody will gain from my sore feet and hopefully the money I have raised will one day cure it :wink:

    Good on you!
    But next time eat a load of calories BEFORE you walk and also snack while you are walking - don't wait until afterwards and then try to stuff yourself.
    Your body will need fuel.
  • lcfairbairn74
    lcfairbairn74 Posts: 412 Member
    Round the loch? Are you in Scotland too? Thanks for the advice - I will definitely start working on it when I can :smile:

    Hope your feet aren't in too much pain.....although I have a feeling they will be!
  • twinkleton
    twinkleton Posts: 63 Member
    Yes I am! Are you?

    Feet are so badly blistered despite wearing blister socks - nothing I have tried stops the blisters but I am watching a programme about marathon running and he said pee hardens up your feet lol!!!
  • twinkleton
    twinkleton Posts: 63 Member
    I have toast before I go and snack all the way round then have a bowl of home made soup when I get home as I am usually cold despite the heat - find it hard to eat after that but will try harder!!! Thanks for the advice :smile:
  • Th3stral
    Th3stral Posts: 93 Member
    I've been working out what I've burnt exercise wise as I am now, and what I would have burnt if I'd been my goal weight. I'm then eating the lower number (goal weight calories) and allowing the extra calories to increase the deficit. So far so good for me.

    So for instance you burnt 2000 calories, if at your goal weight you'd have burnt 1700 calories (total guess as I don't know your stats) then I'd say get prepared for next time with the extra 1700 calories to fuel you round, and allow yourself the deficit of the remaining 300.

    If you don't keep yourself fuelled, especially for endurance type exercise like walking 26 miles you may risk becoming unwell. A one off is no harm done, but to keep going you need those calories.
  • Trev50
    Trev50 Posts: 14
    I eat about half the calories I burn through exercise. When I enter the number of calories I burn, I only enter half the amount. The way I see it, I would have burned maybe a third (?) of those calories had I sat and watched TV instead.
  • twinkleton
    twinkleton Posts: 63 Member
    Oh right - that makes sense - I am fairly new to this so may come back for some more advice!!!! I am 9st 12 and my daily calorie allowance is 1200 - would love to be about 9st or under but 9 is fine for now!!!
  • lcfairbairn74
    lcfairbairn74 Posts: 412 Member
    Yes, I am in Dundee! Blister socks sound like a much better alternative to urinating on your feet to me! :laugh:
  • lcfairbairn74
    lcfairbairn74 Posts: 412 Member
    About the calories.....you can eat some of them back tomorrow, it doesn't have to all be tonight. When I had high calorie burns I usually saved half my exercise calories for the next day when I was usually ravenously hungry!
  • twinkleton
    twinkleton Posts: 63 Member
    Surgical spirit was recommended too but not with raw feet - god I can hardly walk!
  • twinkleton
    twinkleton Posts: 63 Member
    A nice hearty sunday roast at my Mams will fill that gap tomorrow hopefully yum yum :flowerforyou:
  • skinnylynnie74
    skinnylynnie74 Posts: 154 Member
    26 miles? Awesome! As far as your hunger vs calories burned, I try to look at my whole week, rather than a day. For instance, when I go backpacking, I find I'm hungrier for a few days after the trip. I might eat UNDER my calorie burn each day during the trip, but I might eat a bit OVER daily calorie burn for a day or two after. So, don't gorge tonight (sometimes exercise suppresses appetite), but give yourself an extra helping tomorrow or the next day to refuel. I agree with the poster who said to listen to your hunger signals.
  • lcfairbairn74
    lcfairbairn74 Posts: 412 Member
    I have heard the surgical spirit one but that is definitely only to be considered once they have healed!! :noway:

    A nice dinner at your mum's will definitely hit the spot! In future, you could eat more in the morning and snack along the way, as others have suggested, as you now know your calorie burn! :bigsmile:

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