Do you eat your calories earned by exercising?

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Replies

  • katevarner
    katevarner Posts: 884 Member
    I eat back a portion of them. Not only to account for inaccuracy of the number burned, but because I only want to eat back my NET calories burned. MFP takes into account how many calories you burn in a given day without exercise. For me, it works out to about 75 calories per hour just sitting on my butt. So if I work out for an hour and burn 500 calories, I only eat back 400 - because that is how many EXTRA calories I burned, and then 25 is the wiggle room. I hear virtually no one talk about this on MFP, which is surprising.
    If you search for this info, you will find it. I used to only use my net calories burned during exercise, but MFP gives me a really low number of calories to eat (right now I get 1690 per day in maintenance), so I quit. I have a BodyMedia Fit Link, so I agree that MFP overestimates calories burned, and as a result, I rarely use MFP's calories. If I measure a walk or run with Endomodo, I let those calories stay, altho they are high as well. For other workouts, I use the calories from my BMF.

    I have tried other methods of calculating calories, and I don't like the way the numbers come out, particularly the red or green at the end of the day, so I still use MFP's goal, but I try not to stress if I'm over or under within 100, because I think there is that much wiggle room anyway.
  • majope
    majope Posts: 1,325 Member
    I eat back a portion of them. Not only to account for inaccuracy of the number burned, but because I only want to eat back my NET calories burned. MFP takes into account how many calories you burn in a given day without exercise. For me, it works out to about 75 calories per hour just sitting on my butt. So if I work out for an hour and burn 500 calories, I only eat back 400 - because that is how many EXTRA calories I burned, and then 25 is the wiggle room. I hear virtually no one talk about this on MFP, which is surprising.

    My guess would be that not a lot of people know about it.
    I've only been here a couple of months, and have seen several conversations about it. For me, it doesn't make a bit of difference so I don't bother to do the extra calculations. I still lose at or ahead of schedule by entering the number that shows up on my HRM. But by all means, if it works for you, do it!
  • brendabryden
    brendabryden Posts: 40 Member
    I eat some of my exercise calories back, but my net calories has been about 300 less then my goal of 1200; so I probably should eat a few more of them back with some healthy foods.
  • serasv
    serasv Posts: 56 Member
    I try to eat 1/2 my exercise calories.
    It gives room for a bad estimate on calories burned and saves some calories to work toward my goal!
  • GamerLady
    GamerLady Posts: 359 Member
    No I don't.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Nope, but I don't sweat it if I go over (which doesn't happen much at all). I don't think I burn more than 200-300 calories from exercising though. But this way I don't sweat it and I don't have to worry about miscalculating portions etc.
  • bogden78
    bogden78 Posts: 172 Member
    No, but on the occasion that I am having a 'hungry' day I don't feel too guilty.
  • trudijoy
    trudijoy Posts: 1,685 Member
    no. i raised my calories so i eat a bit above BMR daily because i don't burn the same amount daily and didn't want my food fluctuating to that extent. so i just eat my goal calories, which are set at 500 over what MFP set for me, and don't eat back excercise ones because then my intake is regular so it's just my net that fluctuates.
  • theCarlton
    theCarlton Posts: 1,344 Member
    kool-aid-man.jpg
    Sometimes that's the only reason I can find to exercise that day :indifferent:
  • krystonite
    krystonite Posts: 553 Member
    I eat if I'm hungry.
  • dixiewhiskey
    dixiewhiskey Posts: 3,333 Member
    Yes but very slightly.. I aim to meet my calorie/macro goals first and usually end up eating a little above the caloric goal.
  • csheltra26
    csheltra26 Posts: 272 Member
    Yes. I tend to leave a few extra every day so I can have a treat or 2 on the weekends.
  • angboww4
    angboww4 Posts: 4
    I never eat the extra for me I see no point if I eat them,then to me it's like what was point in exercising that day, I usually have very high numbers of extra calories from the amount of extra exercise I do,an there's no way with all the weight I need to lose I'll eat them extra calories,but each to there own do what works for you.
  • orapronobis
    orapronobis Posts: 460 Member
    I set my activity level to "sedentary" to eliminate that variable. I eat back most or all of my exercise calories. I track more on a weekly than a daily basis. So, I might have 300 exercise calories left one day and go over 150 on two other days, but each week, I'm on track. This works perfectly for me. I've lost every week except one. I can plan ahead for dinner out by banking exercise calories earlier in the week.
  • scjl132
    scjl132 Posts: 85 Member
    Yup, I eat at least half of them back. Depends on the day and the hunger level if I decide to eat more than half of them. I usually burn 800-1000 calories in exercise which does give me room for some fun stuff.
  • llkilgore
    llkilgore Posts: 1,169 Member
    Nope. I know the numbers are higher than I burn, but, I have fun recording them anyways (I sometimes try to "net" negative calories).
    But, I personally work out as much as I do to increase my fitness levels to burn extra calories, not to eat more. That's my goals, I'm happy with the outcome for far.

    How much strength training do you do? Sacrificing your lean body mass to a lot of uncompensated cardio will cause you to burn fewer calories, not more.
  • shannonalgren
    shannonalgren Posts: 28
    nope.....not yet anyway:smile:
  • llkilgore
    llkilgore Posts: 1,169 Member
    I eat back a portion of them. Not only to account for inaccuracy of the number burned, but because I only want to eat back my NET calories burned. MFP takes into account how many calories you burn in a given day without exercise. For me, it works out to about 75 calories per hour just sitting on my butt. So if I work out for an hour and burn 500 calories, I only eat back 400 - because that is how many EXTRA calories I burned, and then 25 is the wiggle room. I hear virtually no one talk about this on MFP, which is surprising.

    My guess would be that not a lot of people know about it.

    It comes up in the forums from time to time. This is one of the few calculator sites I've found that deals with the issue:
    http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators/

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