Exercise and calorie counting.

ERINKNITTLE
ERINKNITTLE Posts: 3
in Health and Weight Loss
So when I exercise and log it in, it gives me extra calories to eat. My goal is to loose weight and get fit, so do I have to eat those extra calories? or is it just a choice...

My main problem is not eating enough...so I know that i need to eat the base amount of calories...just not sure if I need to eat those extra calories after working out.

Help please! :)

Replies

  • Ashshell
    Ashshell Posts: 185
    Do what works for you. If you're hungry, eat those calories back. If you're not hungry, don't eat them back. I never eat back my exercise calories because I am fulfilled by eating 1400 calories per day and this is working very well for me at the moment.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    MFP works by giving you a calorie goal with a deficit. When you exercise you burn more calories, which can lead to too large a deficit, which can be counterproductive to weight loss.

    Eat your exercise calories back!
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
    The way MFP is designed is that it gives you a deficit BEFORE any exercise. So yes, you're supposed to eat back your exercise calories.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    So when I exercise and log it in, it gives me extra calories to eat. My goal is to loose weight and get fit, so do I have to eat those extra calories? or is it just a choice...

    My main problem is not eating enough...so I know that i need to eat the base amount of calories...just not sure if I need to eat those extra calories after working out.

    Help please! :)

    Yes, eat them. MFP has already figured a deficit to lose at the rate you selected into the amount of calories you are given. If you burn more through exercise then you need (get) to eat more. This is important to prevent muscle and possibly bone loss, and also for satiety. If you don't fuel your exercise you may become too hungry and be more likely to quit.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    So when I exercise and log it in, it gives me extra calories to eat. My goal is to loose weight and get fit, so do I have to eat those extra calories? or is it just a choice...

    My main problem is not eating enough...so I know that i need to eat the base amount of calories...just not sure if I need to eat those extra calories after working out.

    Help please! :)

    MFP uses the NEAT method (Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) in calculating your calorie goal. This is why, when you set your activity level, it doesn't mention anything about exercise...it's all of your activity except for exercise. Because exercise is not accounted for, it is extra and you're supposed to eat them back and net to your goal...remember...your goal already includes a substantial (800-1000 on average) calorie deficit from maintenance in it...you do not have to make the deficit bigger. When I was using the MFP method, I ate back 70-80% of my exercise calories to account for estimation error. Also remember that the word GOAL is right there next to your calorie goal...a goal is something to be achieved last I looked.

    Failure to eat your exercise calories will result in too large a deficit. Eating at too large a deficit for sustained periods of time will result in your body burning off muscle and other LBM and basically stalling your metabolism.

    Do yourself a huge favor and read all of the stickies...they're basically the instruction manual for use of this tool.
  • CM9178
    CM9178 Posts: 1,251 Member
    Do what works for you. If you're hungry, eat those calories back. If you're not hungry, don't eat them back. I never eat back my exercise calories because I am fulfilled by eating 1400 calories per day and this is working very well for me at the moment.

    Bad advice. Sure, netting 800 calories per day may "work" for her in losing weight in the beginning, but it doesn't mean it is healthy.

    OP - please don't listen to this - folllow the advice that others have given - eat back your exercise calories if you are following the goal MFP gives you.
  • Jeanniekellar
    Jeanniekellar Posts: 10 Member
    Okay. I feel a little silly, but what stickies?
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Okay. I feel a little silly, but what stickies?

    The Diet and Weight loss Help are has the most...the last two are really good. They're the forum threads with the little thumb pin stickies. They will answer a ton of questions and you will find a lot of valuable information about stuff you didn't even know you had questions about yet.
  • ERINKNITTLE
    ERINKNITTLE Posts: 3
    Wow thanks so much for all the advice! OK! So, since my "food" issue is not eating enough already AND that has caused my matabolism to stall (trying to jumpstart it here) I will do my best effort in eating back my burned exercise calories. :) I got 25-30 LB to loose!
    This little post showed me what a great community we have here! Yay!

Categories