I don't get it!?

davidjohnb17
davidjohnb17 Posts: 36 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I've seen a few people ask about whether or not they should eat back the calories they burned from exercise. I might just be being stupid that that just seems so counter productive to me. Most people on MFP are exercising to lose weight so eating those calories back just doesn't seem very logical considering what they want to achieve. To me it's the same as doing some cardio exercises to increase stamina but then having a few cigarettes after to make up for it. I guess my question is why do people do this?

Replies

  • sherigambino
    sherigambino Posts: 26 Member
    I don't. You have a certain amount of calories you should eat a day the calories burned during workouts is to loose weight.
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    You're not being stupid - you just haven't figured out that MFP uses a different method to work out your calorie intake to other systems.

    Just about every method for working out your calorie intake suggests that if you are more active then you should eat more. Most other systems ask how active you are (including exercise) then give you a calorie goal to eat each day.
    MFP asks how active you are (excluding exercise) then gives you a calorie goal to eat each day, but assumes that you will eat extra when you exercise. They haven't already given you extra cals to account for the exercise, so you need to add them on as you go.

    The numbers are going to work out pretty much the same, it's just a different method for getting to the same end point.
  • obsidianwings
    obsidianwings Posts: 1,237 Member
    Theres already a deficit built into your calorie goal, so even if you eat back your exercise calories you are still in caloric deficit.
    I wouldn't say you have to eat them all back, but if you are on say 1200 calories which is already a really minimal amount to be taking in, then burning 600, you are only netting 600 calories which isn't enough to fuel your body.
  • davidjohnb17
    davidjohnb17 Posts: 36 Member
    OK yeah I get it now. Cheers guys :)
  • obsidianwings
    obsidianwings Posts: 1,237 Member
    No worries, if you are using MFPs estimates of calories burn I probably wouldn't eat all of them back. It tends to overestimate burn, so you may eat into your deficit then, but eating some back is a good idea in my opinion.

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