Exercise calories?

jenbear1980
jenbear1980 Posts: 68
in Food and Nutrition
Hi guys

Hope you can help...do you eat back all exercise calories or half of them? I have been eating half of them back and was not sure!

Thanks!

Replies

  • Pearsquared
    Pearsquared Posts: 1,656 Member
    I only eat back half to potentially compensate for the over-estimation MFP tends to have with calories burned. I only walk, though, so I don't burn a whole lot.
  • jenbear1980
    jenbear1980 Posts: 68
    Great so eating half is ok then. Finding it such a good motivator to do exercise!!
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    If your food measurements (ie calories in) and your energy expended measurements (calories out) were absolutely accurate you would be safe eating them all back.

    Given that measuring energy expended during exercise is, at best, an estimate and that nutritional information on food packages are allowed a certain amount of latitude being conservative is probably a wise decision.
  • Babygi6003
    Babygi6003 Posts: 356 Member
    I eat 1/2 or more only to get up to 1200 calories per day net and I use my HRM to make sure it is accurate
  • jnuchaeli
    jnuchaeli Posts: 13 Member
    sometimes I do. Most of the time I don't. have been continuously losing on 16-1700 cals. interested in seeing where my body stops. down 45 lbs.
  • jenbear1980
    jenbear1980 Posts: 68
    Ok... I am on 1500 a day (5'9, weigh 22 lbs - lost 4lb so far) and have been eating back half of the exercise calories. Good to hear what other people do - I am just a newbie so be patient with me :)
  • pfrid
    pfrid Posts: 9
    I have this same question all the time. I am at 1200 calories, and I don't ever eat back my exercise calories. It almost seems counterproductive to do so......I am losing, not at a crazy rate, so I guess it's all good. Lately I haven't really been getting in much exercise, so it hasn't really been an issue. But, once I do get back to my routine of going to the gym 3-4 days a week for 60 min, I'm afraid if I eat back my burned calories, it will stall my loss.
    Am I just thinking about this all wrong????
  • HappyElizabeth
    HappyElizabeth Posts: 231 Member
    I eat about half back too. I have my "net" set to 1400 not the default 1200 because I don't have that much weight to lose, and I am really bad at being hungry! I've lost about 1 pound per week.

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