calories from exercise

Apeck87
Apeck87 Posts: 68 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi,

Do you eat the calories you burn from exercise? Example: I burned 800 calories today from zumba according to MFP I am supposed to eat 1200 calories a day ( to lose 2 pounds a week) if I burn 800 calories the food diary says I can eat 2000. Do you guys usually eat those calories? Would I still lose 2 pounds a week if I ate the calories I burned from exercise?

Thanks all!!

Best!

Ani

Replies

  • KawaiiJennie
    KawaiiJennie Posts: 14
    Weight loss isn't an exact science like that, but generally speaking, yes. If you eat back the calories you burn from exercise, then you will lose the same amount of weight as if you had eaten the amount you were supposed to, and didn't exercise at all.
  • Apeck87
    Apeck87 Posts: 68 Member
    would you recommend this? for all those who have lost a lot of weight did you do this?
  • LollypopGinger
    LollypopGinger Posts: 21 Member
    I didn't used to. but I had a lot to lose. My weight loss stalled recently so I started eating my exercise calories and I've started losing again (very slowly though)
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    would you recommend this? for all those who have lost a lot of weight did you do this?
    I don't do it, I'm not a heavy exerciser and I can't be doing with the complexity - I understand entirely the maths and the way MFP uses the concept of reward for exercise but I'm not going to go and have another meal because I exercised, I would rather take the benefit of the extra deficit.

    Watching the Biggest Loser (Aus) they clearly aren't eating their exercise calories, but they do have the reserves to fuel their heavy exercise programme.
  • furrina
    furrina Posts: 148 Member
    Weight loss isn't an exact science like that, but generally speaking, yes. If you eat back the calories you burn from exercise, then you will lose the same amount of weight as if you had eaten the amount you were supposed to, and didn't exercise at all.

    So refreshing. With all the screaming on this topic, this sums it up very concisely. Hopefully it will help people get their head around the concept of net calories, which for some reason seems to give people difficulty. That's about as exact as it can get, and it works.
  • ash190489
    ash190489 Posts: 587 Member
    800 calories from Zumba, wow, that's a lot of calories! Firstly, I would suggest you get a HRM (heart rate monitor) so you get a more accurate result of calories burned as you can put in your individual stats, such as your current weight, age, etc. and get an accurate amount of calories burned as MFP is just a guide as everyone's stats are different and the amount of effort you put in is different... for example, the last time I did Zumba for 60 minutes, I only burned 250 calories and my effort was quite high but I find it hard getting my heart rate up in Zumba and I don't have a lot of weight to lose & it takes a lot for me to burn big calories (or a much longer period of time).

    Secondly, it's entirely up to you whether or not you eat those calories back. When I first started I didn't & now I sometimes do to ensure I am getting enough protein etc. into my day. I would never eat them ALL back... usually about half.... (unless special event).
  • queensturg
    queensturg Posts: 60
    I always find that I'm hungrier on the days that I've worked out, so I tend to need more calories on those days anyway. I'd say that it depends on you, eat more if you're hungry, try to get plenty of protein and some carbohydrates after a workout. For me it usually ends up that I eat back some of the calories that I've burned, but not necessarily all of them.

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