Exercise calories, conflicting information

Yes, my suggestion would be to eat them back. Then, someone else is going to come along and say don't. Or only if you're hungry. It's unlikely that your confusion will be resolved by this thread.

One thing to bear in mind though: MFP is designed so that it gives you a lower calorie goal, which doesn't take planned exercise into account, on the assumption that you log any additional exercise and eat those calories back. That's how it is supposed to work. The calorie goal it gives you has a built in deficit. If it didn't work this way, it would have given you a higher calorie goal (which is what other websites would do).

The easy answer to this dilemma is to do what works for YOU. We are all different and have different bodies and fitness levels. Try both and see what works for you and plan that way. Always remember, what works for one doesn't work for another. Good luck on your journey, feel free to add me as a friend

As you can see, different people do this in different ways that work.
MFP is set up for you to maintain a steady net calorie limit every day where you eat back those calories.
I like that.
It motivates me to exercise. :bigsmile:
Further, if I mess up my diet, I can offset that through additional exercise. It's just more flexible.
Suit yourself.
And good luck!

The easy answer to this dilemma is to do what works for YOU. We are all different and have different bodies and fitness levels. Try both and see what works for you and plan that way. Always remember, what works for one doesn't work for another. Good luck on your journey, feel free to add me as a friend

I see this type of answer a lot, and it's just flat wrong. what works for 1 person will work for everyone... our bodies are remarkably similar and how they deal with calorie surpluses and deficits.

what varies is how you manage things... the process you choose to use. base your goal on your TDEE and don't log exercise and dont eat back calories, or base your goal on BMR + NEAT and log exercise and eat back those calories. at the end of the day, it's about calories in versus calories out for everyone, but how you get there is up to you.

MFP has me set at 1540 calories per day. On days that I work out I do not go above that caloric goal. I typically burn between 450-700 calories per workout leaving me a net between 1100 - 840. I do not eat back the entire amount I burned but will have a snack after working out. I try to keep my net no less than 1200 and I have been on a continuous cycle of losing. This works for me.

The easy answer to this dilemma is to do what works for YOU. We are all different and have different bodies and fitness levels. Try both and see what works for you and plan that way. Always remember, what works for one doesn't work for another. Good luck on your journey, feel free to add me as a friend

I see this type of answer a lot, and it's just flat wrong. what works for 1 person will work for everyone... our bodies are remarkably similar and how they deal with calorie surpluses and deficits.

what varies is how you manage things... the process you choose to use. base your goal on your TDEE and don't log exercise and dont eat back calories, or base your goal on BMR + NEAT and log exercise and eat back those calories. at the end of the day, it's about calories in versus calories out for everyone, but how you get there is up to you.

Sorry, but that is not true. Each individual's BMR may be quite different, even at the same height, age, and weight. The calculators for BMR are all set to average, but there are variables at each end. I haven't had mine tested, but I strongly suspect it may be lower than average, which would explain why I have to maintain a larger deficit through exercise and diet to lose than some of my friends. I just accept I have to work harder and monitor more closely then they do.

I'm posting from my phone, so I apologize for the abbreviated response...

the short answer is that it depends. if your daily calorie goal includes exercise, then you should not be eating back those calories as they are already accounted for. if your daily goal does not include exercise, and you should be logging your exercise and eating back those cals.

for more info, do a search for the thread titled "exercise calories explained".

Thanks for that! I was always wondering about it, because for me it made sense that you don't need to eat them back if you've set, let's say, 6 workouts per week, exactly because MFP already counts them. And logically if you mark less exercises, you get lower calories rate.

Always wondered about it. Thanks again

If I read this right you put in your goals, 6 workouts per week, MFP doesn't add that in, if you change your setting from say sedentary to active or lightly active then it accounts for it. If you just put in that your goal is to do six one hour work outs it is not included in your calories. Hope that helps.

The easy answer to this dilemma is to do what works for YOU. We are all different and have different bodies and fitness levels. Try both and see what works for you and plan that way. Always remember, what works for one doesn't work for another. Good luck on your journey, feel free to add me as a friend

I see this type of answer a lot, and it's just flat wrong. what works for 1 person will work for everyone... our bodies are remarkably similar and how they deal with calorie surpluses and deficits.

what varies is how you manage things... the process you choose to use. base your goal on your TDEE and don't log exercise and dont eat back calories, or base your goal on BMR + NEAT and log exercise and eat back those calories. at the end of the day, it's about calories in versus calories out for everyone, but how you get there is up to you.

Sorry, but that is not true. Each individual's BMR may be quite different, even at the same height, age, and weight. The calculators for BMR are all set to average, but there are variables at each end. I haven't had mine tested, but I strongly suspect it may be lower than average, which would explain why I have to maintain a larger deficit through exercise and diet to lose than some of my friends. I just accept I have to work harder and monitor more closely then they do.

His recommendation isnt wrong. Yes bmr's vary based on the person but the averages work for 70-80% of the people. But there is a thing call metabolic adaptation. If you suppress calories for an extended period or time your rmr will decrease. Your rmr is not the same as your bmr. So this is probably why you think you have to have a large deficit. But a person does have the ability to "reset" their rmr and align it with their bmr by eating at maintenance for several weeks. Taking diet breaks is critical to long term success and retention of their lbm.


Simply put, fuel your body from the beginning and you wont hit these plateaus. I suggest diet breaks every 90 days to allow your body to recovery and for your body to receive the proper nutrition to eliminate he stress on your body caused by calorie deficits. I can tell you i have seen more women succeed and cut to to lower body fats at 1700-2000 calories than those at 1200-1500 calories. If you want a lean and tight body its all about fat loss not weight loss (fat + muscle). And when you concentrate on preserving lean body mass through high protein and resistance training you will need to lose less weight to achieve your goals.

I'm posting from my phone, so I apologize for the abbreviated response...

the short answer is that it depends. if your daily calorie goal includes exercise, then you should not be eating back those calories as they are already accounted for. if your daily goal does not include exercise, and you should be logging your exercise and eating back those cals.

for more info, do a search for the thread titled "exercise calories explained".

Thanks for that! I was always wondering about it, because for me it made sense that you don't need to eat them back if you've set, let's say, 6 workouts per week, exactly because MFP already counts them. And logically if you mark less exercises, you get lower calories rate.

Always wondered about it. Thanks again

If I read this right you put in your goals, 6 workouts per week, MFP doesn't add that in, if you change your setting from say sedentary to active or lightly active then it accounts for it. If you just put in that your goal is to do six one hour work outs it is not included in your calories. Hope that helps.

If its six workouts a week, its more moderate. Light active is 3-4 days a week.

Taking diet breaks is critical to long term success and retention of their lbm.

Not to mention your mental sanity....

Simply put, fuel your body from the beginning and you wont hit these plateaus. I suggest diet breaks every 90 days to allow your body to recovery and for your body to receive the proper nutrition to eliminate he stress on your body caused by calorie deficits. I can tell you i have seen more women succeed and cut to to lower body fats at 1700-2000 calories than those at 1200-1500 calories. If you want a lean and tight body its all about fat loss not weight loss (fat + muscle). And when you concentrate on preserving lean body mass through high protein and resistance training you will need to lose less weight to achieve your goals.

Yep...I eat around 2,000 calories a day and have been losing steadily. Incorporating strength training into your exercise routine is hands down, the best way to lose fat.