so let me get this straight
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Here's the long winded version from this thread:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/383956-exercise-calories-explainedI typed this up for another thread, but because if all the questions about exercise calories, I thought I'd post it separately.
*disclaimer*
Everything I'm about to say assumes no special dietary or health "conditions"
*/disclaimer*
Healthy weight loss comes from maintaining a healthy calorie deficit. A deficit that is too high can (and often will) result in a lower number on the scale, but there are several unhealthy side effects (loss of muscle/lean body mass being the most common). Maintaining a reasonable calorie deficit while eating correct macros will lead to healthy weight loss.
How you get to that calorie deficit is up to you. This is where the MFP diet profile comes into play.
The diet profile allows you to specify a number of things. The 2 we care about for this conversation are your activity level and your goal. How you set these will determine whether or not you should be eating back your exercise calories.
Activity Level
This is where you set your daily activity level. *Most* people set this to reflect their activity level NOT including exercise/workouts. As such, they track their exercise separately as part of their diary. MFP uses this (along with the rest of your profile data) to determine an estimate for required for daily calories - i.e. how many calories you need each day to maintain your body as it currently is.
Goal
This is where you set your weight gain/loss goal. MFP uses this to set a daily calorie goal to help you reach your weight goals - a calorie deficit if your goal is to lose weight, a calorie surplus if you want to gain.
So, with all that said... how do we know if we should be eating back exercise calories or not? Well, it comes down to how you setup your profile.
Assuming your goal is to lose weight, MFP will calculate a healthy calorie deficit for you based on age, weight, activity level, etc. That number is what you need to be NETTING each day. Period. There is no debate here. The concept of net calories is just like net income... I'm REALLY hoping that doesn't need to be explained.
So the need to eat back exercise calories really comes down to how you determined your activity level when setting up your dietary profile. If your set activity level does NOT account for exercise/workouts (this is how most people use MFP), then you should be logging your exercises separately and eating back those calories. Why? In order to hit the calorie goal MFP set for you based on your profile data/goals. Consider this example: Your daily calorie goal is 1500cal. That number is calculated by MFP based on your profile data and is the number of calories you need to net each day to hit your weight loss goal. So you eat 1500cal. Good. Then you workout and burn 350 calories. Your NET intake for the day is now 1150, which is too low, and thus you need to consume an additional 350 calories during the day to compensate for the workout and be able to hit your goal of 1500cal for the day.
Make sense?
Alternatively, if you set your activity level so that it DOES account for your daily exercise, then the daily calorie goal MFP sets for you takes into account those calories burned during exercise, and as such you do NOT need to eat back burned calories. Example: Your daily calorie goal is 1850 (higher because MFP is accounting for daily exercise). So you eat 1850 calories. Good. Now you exercise and burn 350 calories. MFP already accounted for those 350 calories to be burned because of the activity level you set in your profile, so MFP already knows you burned them. As such, there is no reason to log the exercise separately, and you don't need to eat back those calories.
I hope this clears up the whole exercise calorie question. If nothing else, it gives me a pre-typed response I can cut and paste into future exercise calorie threads.
A couple of side notes:
- a little common sense and some knowledge of YOUR body goes a long way
- hunger (or lack there of) is not always a good indicator of if/when you should be eating
- just because something works for you doesn't automatically make it good advice0 -
and to make it more confusing if you plateau up your calories0
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Not necessarily. I lost the same amount eating back exercise calories as I did not eating them and found that I was overall happier not eating them. Trying to eat more calories left me feeling pretty depressed most of the time, so I quit doing it and I feel a lot better.so i have a daily total of 1300 calories a day and i exercise everyday so your telling me if i wanna lose weight i need to eat all of those calories ?
There's no ONE WAY that works for every single person.0 -
so i have a daily total of 1300 calories a day and i exercise everyday so your telling me if i wanna lose weight i need to eat all of those calories ?
the consensus opinion seems to be that drastic calorie deficits work if you have lots of fat reserves to burn. as your BF % decreases into the normal range and then into the fit range, those high calorie deficits work against you, so you need to relax them. otherwise, you're body will slow its metabolism to account for the reduced calorie intake. this is not starvation mode -- that doesn't really apply to people on this site until their BF % gets really low. this is simply your body/metabolism adapting to a long period of lower calories than it wants.
so i'd say it depends alot on where you are with your BF%.
MFP basically says that trying to lose any more than 2lbs per week is unsustainable over the long haul and that's why it won't allow you to opt for more than 2lbs per week when you fill out your profile and that's also why the site/community almost always expects you to eat back your exercise calories. obviously, somebody who is 300 or 400 or 500 lbs can easily lose more than 2lbs per week because their BMR is so high and they wouldn't really need to eat back their calories if they don't want to (while they are at those high weights), but the downside of trying to lose too much too quickly is that they may not like their body when they get to their goal weight and realize they have lots of loose skin that hasn't had a chance to "snap-back" in that short period of time.0 -
Depends on the individual. My trainer/nutritionist has told me to stick with 1400 (ish), and not to eat back my exercise calories. I've started losing again-slowly, but steadily. BUT, what works for me won't necessarily work for others.
Find a new trainer...STAT
^What Crank said.0 -
Not necessarily. I lost the same amount eating back exercise calories as I did not eating them and found that I was overall happier not eating them. Trying to eat more calories left me feeling pretty depressed most of the time, so I quit doing it and I feel a lot better.so i have a daily total of 1300 calories a day and i exercise everyday so your telling me if i wanna lose weight i need to eat all of those calories ?
There's no ONE WAY that works for every single person.
Yea I figured out my BMR separately from this site, did all the calculations of activity level - 500 cals a day and have my number
I don't eat back exercise calories.
I keep it simple0 -
How does MFP work? For me:
1. Eat clean
2. Meet your calorie goals, don't fall below them
3. Set your goals to lose 1lb/week unless otherwise advised by a doctor
4. Log every bite--if you are tasting during cooking chew gum or just log each taste.
5. Keep your routine varied, try something new: Zumba, martial arts, body combat, Tai Chi, power yoga...keep your body confused and your mind from getting bored.0 -
Yea I figured out my BMR separately from this site, did all the calculations of activity level - 500 cals a day and have my number
I don't eat back exercise calories.
I keep it simple
If I did not eat back my exercise cals I'd be fueling my body with right around 760 calories/day. Not gonna happen.0 -
I don't think she was suggesting that you not eat back your exercise calories. She's just sharing what works for her, same as you did.
Yea I figured out my BMR separately from this site, did all the calculations of activity level - 500 cals a day and have my number
I don't eat back exercise calories.
I keep it simple
If I did not eat back my exercise cals I'd be fueling my body with right around 760 calories/day. Not gonna happen.0 -
Eat them. If you find that you are not losing or losing too slowly, try eating only a percentage of them. If you are losing too quickly or are overly hungry, eat a little more. It's not an exact science. Tweak it till it works for you.
If things need altering, tweak your calorie goals, not what % of your exercise calories you "eat back".
You should always strive to be right with your estimating. Never introduce purposeful bias, even if it is to be "safe".
Adjustments to your loss rate should always be adjustments made to yoru goals.
Why? The estimated amount of calories burned during exercise is probably the one thing that is most likely to be incorrect.0 -
Yea I figured out my BMR separately from this site, did all the calculations of activity level - 500 cals a day and have my number
I don't eat back exercise calories.
I keep it simple
If I did not eat back my exercise cals I'd be fueling my body with right around 760 calories/day. Not gonna happen.
I think you are still misunderstanding what we are doing when we calculate that out to where we do not eat exercise calories. If I figure out that my TDEE (including 5 one hour workouts per week) is say 2600 calories and then I cut 15% off of that I would then eat 2210 daily, and as long as I am continuing to do those workouts that will work. If I log the workout calories everytime and then eat those calories I am over eating because the workouts were already figured into the original 2600 calories.
eta: So honestly I think saying that we don't eat exercise calories is wrong, because my workout calories are already included in my daily caloric intake.0 -
Yea I figured out my BMR separately from this site, did all the calculations of activity level - 500 cals a day and have my number
I don't eat back exercise calories.
I keep it simple
If I did not eat back my exercise cals I'd be fueling my body with right around 760 calories/day. Not gonna happen.
I think you are still misunderstanding what we are doing when we calculate that out to where we do not eat exercise calories. If I figure out that my TDEE (including 5 one hour workouts per week) is say 2600 calories and then I cut 15% off of that I would then eat 2210 daily, and as long as I am continuing to do those workouts that will work. If I log the workout calories everytime and then eat those calories I am over eating because the workouts were already figured into the original 2600 calories.
I'm not misunderstanding anything.
1260 to lose 1lb/week
1460 to lose .5/week
1660 to maintain
On days I workout if I did not eat mine back I'd be only taking in 760 or so worth of food. for the entire day. What am I confused about?0 -
I don't think she was suggesting that you not eat back your exercise calories. She's just sharing what works for her, same as you did.
If I did not eat back my exercise cals I'd be fueling my body with right around 760 calories/day. Not gonna happen.
[/quote]
Weight Watchers is set up the very same way. Activity points. If the person is not eating back their exercise calories how are they going to keep the weight off long term?0 -
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By eating at maintenance once they reach their goal weight.
I don't think she was suggesting that you not eat back your exercise calories. She's just sharing what works for her, same as you did.
If I did not eat back my exercise cals I'd be fueling my body with right around 760 calories/day. Not gonna happen.
Weight Watchers is set up the very same way. Activity points. If the person is not eating back their exercise calories how are they going to keep the weight off long term?0 -
By eating at maintenance once they reach their goal weight.
I don't think she was suggesting that you not eat back your exercise calories. She's just sharing what works for her, same as you did.
If I did not eat back my exercise cals I'd be fueling my body with right around 760 calories/day. Not gonna happen.
Weight Watchers is set up the very same way. Activity points. If the person is not eating back their exercise calories how are they going to keep the weight off long term?
But how are they actually eating at maintenance if they are not eating back their exercise calories?0 -
Yea I figured out my BMR separately from this site, did all the calculations of activity level - 500 cals a day and have my number
I don't eat back exercise calories.
I keep it simple
If I did not eat back my exercise cals I'd be fueling my body with right around 760 calories/day. Not gonna happen.
I think you are still misunderstanding what we are doing when we calculate that out to where we do not eat exercise calories. If I figure out that my TDEE (including 5 one hour workouts per week) is say 2600 calories and then I cut 15% off of that I would then eat 2210 daily, and as long as I am continuing to do those workouts that will work. If I log the workout calories everytime and then eat those calories I am over eating because the workouts were already figured into the original 2600 calories.
I'm not misunderstanding anything.
1260 to lose 1lb/week
1460 to lose .5/week
1660 to maintain
On days I workout if I did not eat mine back I'd be only taking in 760 or so worth of food. for the entire day. What am I confused about?
1660 = maintain
1160 = lose 1lb per week
500 x 7 = 3500 = 1lb
also, you'd be taking in more than 760 of food. you'd still be eating the food, it's just that your TDEE goes up on days you exercise.
760 calories with no exercise is bad
1460 calories with exercise that burns 700 calories is not as bad, if you have a high BF%. you are fueling your body at that level and you're burning stored fat. but if you started out in the high 200's or low 300's, the only way you're going to drop that weight within a 12-18 months is to both eat at a large deficit and exercise while your BF % is high. as the BF% comes down, then you relax the calorie deficit. MFP doesn't want you to shoot for more than 2lb per week because the owners of the site think that it's emotionally/mentally unsustainable over the long haul, but for those of us who needed to lose 100lbs or more, it is the only way to drop the weight as quickly as necessary. that's not vanity either. some people are told they need to lose ASAP by their doctors. in my case, it was high blood pressure that my doctor got very melodramatic about.0 -
You think they're going to gain weight by not eating back their exercise calories?
By eating at maintenance once they reach their goal weight.
I don't think she was suggesting that you not eat back your exercise calories. She's just sharing what works for her, same as you did.
If I did not eat back my exercise cals I'd be fueling my body with right around 760 calories/day. Not gonna happen.
Weight Watchers is set up the very same way. Activity points. If the person is not eating back their exercise calories how are they going to keep the weight off long term?
But how are they actually eating at maintenance if they are not eating back their exercise calories?0 -
Yea I figured out my BMR separately from this site, did all the calculations of activity level - 500 cals a day and have my number
I don't eat back exercise calories.
I keep it simple
If I did not eat back my exercise cals I'd be fueling my body with right around 760 calories/day. Not gonna happen.
I think you are still misunderstanding what we are doing when we calculate that out to where we do not eat exercise calories. If I figure out that my TDEE (including 5 one hour workouts per week) is say 2600 calories and then I cut 15% off of that I would then eat 2210 daily, and as long as I am continuing to do those workouts that will work. If I log the workout calories everytime and then eat those calories I am over eating because the workouts were already figured into the original 2600 calories.
I'm not misunderstanding anything.
1260 to lose 1lb/week
1460 to lose .5/week
1660 to maintain
On days I workout if I did not eat mine back I'd be only taking in 760 or so worth of food. for the entire day. What am I confused about?
1660 = maintain
1160 = lose 1lb per week
500 x 7 = 3500 = 1lb
also, you'd be taking in more than 760 of food. you'd still be eating the food, it's just that your TDEE goes up on days you exercise.
760 calories with no exercise is bad
1460 calories with exercise that burns 700 calories is not as bad, if you have a high BF%. you are fueling your body at that level and you're burning stored fat. but if you started out in the high 200's or low 300's, the only way you're going to drop that weight within a 12-18 months is to both eat at a large deficit and exercise while your BF % is high. as the BF% comes down, then you relax the calorie deficit.
Not to beat a dead horse but how am I taking in more than 760 calories (in this example)? If I burn calories from an intense workout and only log 760 from food since I'm not eating back my exercise cals how does that 760 magically morph into 1260? Magic beans?0 -
No, they'd keep losing. If you fail to eat exercise calories, you are undereating.
You think they're going to gain weight by not eating back their exercise calories?But how are they actually eating at maintenance if they are not eating back their exercise calories?0
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