Does it count if you do it every day?

Most days, I ride my bike to work. It's three miles each way, and MFP estimates the round trip burns about 300 calories. However, a while back there was this big study showing that the active hunter-gatherer lifestyle doesn't burn any more calories than the cubicle dwelling couch potato lifestyle - our metabolisms just adjust to the extra activity. So, those 300 calories... can I eat them back?

http://healthland.time.com/2012/07/26/modern-lazy-people-burn-as-many-calories-as-hunter-gatherers-so-what-makes-us-fat/
"Contrary to conventional wisdom, detailed energy measurements show that while hunter-gatherers may be more physically active than the rest of us, they don't burn more calories thanks to their lower metabolisms"

Replies

  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    Pretty dumb study. Not at all relevant to you. But, I think you know that.
  • justjenn1977
    justjenn1977 Posts: 437 Member
    personally... through trial and error... I decided NOT to eat back exercise cals... unless they are >1,000 ... and then I only eat part
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
    For me personally if I did not eat all of mine back I'd be trying to fuel my body with 760 calories for the day on a regular basis. That over time would do more harm than good.

    VERY similar to you biking every day.

    Keep that engine fired up. There's people that run every day before work.

    FUEL the machine.
  • BattyMac87
    BattyMac87 Posts: 24 Member
    I am similar to you - I have my activity set to sedentary because I have a desk job but I walk to work, and cycle everywhere so I add those in. My goal is 1350 per day so if I didn’t add them I could be eating less than my body needs, in the long term it would do harm and I would have no energy. Eat them calories up and enjoy!!!!
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    Once you have done it for about 8 weeks, your body becomes more efficient at that exercise, so you won't burn as many calories.