Exercise questiosn?

cathyg321
cathyg321 Posts: 155 Member
edited January 29 in Introduce Yourself
When we do exercise and it says "you have earned thus and so" many calories from exercise... should we eat them back or let them stay without using them? Example: Say MFP figures you need to eat 1500 calories a day. And you burn 250 of them off. MFP will then tell you that you have earned 250 more calories, and increase your calories for the day... Does what we burned off in exercise count toward calories we have to replenish, or does it count toward our recommended caloric deficit that we need to reach??

Replies

  • erialcelyob
    erialcelyob Posts: 341 Member
    I've always questioned this one myself, and so I've decided not to input my exercise into my diary because when I do it basically is telling me to eat double of what I've already had but that is just way to much for me and I feel like I've eaten plenty food anyway. Plus for me, if I do then I tend not to lose the weight, cos ultimately you have to burn more than you intake to lose it, right?
  • cathyg321
    cathyg321 Posts: 155 Member
    I usually just don't bother with the calories that I burn, unless I'm in a pinch and NEED them because I miscalculated my totals for the day. Other than that I leave them alone.

    Ya, you need to burn more than you eat. But they also tell you, if you don't eat enough, your body will go into starvation mode so I've always wondered about those extra calories. I hope someone can shed some light on this issue for us!
  • elleloch
    elleloch Posts: 739 Member
    Why is this a hard thing to understand? When you exercise you need more energy so you can eat more. MFP gives you that allowance.

    There is a huge debate on whether or not to eat them back but I always have and I lost all the weight I wanted to lose.
  • elleloch
    elleloch Posts: 739 Member
    Also you are right - you need to burn more than you eat. But if MFP sets your calorie goal for weight loss it is already calculating how many calories you need to eat to lose weight.

    So if your goal is 1500 you can eat 1500 on days you don't exercise. On days you do and you burn 300 calories, you can eat 1800, because your NET CALORIES would still be 1500. The same as if you didn't exercise.
  • 43932452
    43932452 Posts: 7,246 Member
    In general I will eat about 10% 'if' I'm also
    having a cheat day. I try to stay within
    my allowance otherwise. The closer I get
    to my goal I might eat more fitness cals
    though!! Do what is best for you!! :)
  • wanttolose40lbs
    wanttolose40lbs Posts: 239 Member
    When my calories were set at 1200 and I burned off 500 exercising, that only left me with 700 net calories. You need at least 1200 calories a day, so I would always eat back my exercise calories
  • ladynocturne
    ladynocturne Posts: 865 Member
    If you are set to Sedentary on MFP then the number it gives you already contains your caloric deficit for the day. You are suppose to log and eat your exercise calories so you end up netting your calorie goal thus losing the same weight you would already with no exercise. Its very important to maintain a safe deficit.
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