Do you eat your exercise calories?
rslarsenx2
Posts: 6 Member
Was wondering if anyone eats their exercise calories? Trying to loose 2 lbs a week. 5'7" and 173. Trying to get to 145-150.
To eat or not to eat.... that is the question... and/or, if you eat them, do you eat them that day or can you save them up for meal eating out on the weekend??
To eat or not to eat.... that is the question... and/or, if you eat them, do you eat them that day or can you save them up for meal eating out on the weekend??
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Replies
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I am not trying to lose a lot of weight at once. I often end up eating many or most of my exercise calories unless I've had a crazy workout day, ie I've run 10 miles that day. Even without trying, I have found that I've lost about a pound a week. It's important that you not lose too much weight too quickly, and it's important that your body get the calories it needs to sustain a reasonable level of activities. I know that Weight Watchers makes the "exercise points" optional (as in, don't feel you have to eat them), and they are added to the weekly points if you don't use them. I don't know if that's helpful, but...
Anyway, I actually exercise as much as I do because I wouldn't be able to stay within my calorie limit if I didn't anyway. :blushing:0 -
Thank you. I was also wondering if I don't eat those calories will by body go into starvation mode??0
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no0
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No it won't. And no I don't usually eat back my exercise calories.0
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I eat mine...if you are following the MFP format it is setup so you do eat your exercise calories back...but it's a choice just eat enough that's all you need to do...
Only thing is why 2lbs a week? that's an awful lot for someone who doesn't have a whole lot?0 -
NO!0
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I absolutely eat them.
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Sometimes.
I go more by what my weekly average is, so consumed minus exercise leaves me my net. If my net is my BMR or over, it's fine.
It depends how hungry I am, how much I was over/under yesterday etc.0 -
Yes. You still have a built-in deficit in MFP. Making this deficit too large by not eating your exercise calories can work against your efforts.0
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Some of them.0
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Most days I try to eat them back unless I really don't feel hungry. The first couple weeks I had my calories set too low and I could barely function let alone exercise. Try it out and see how things go. You can always adjust.0
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No. My regular caloric goal is high enough, I have trouble hitting it most days.0
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I eat some or all of mine back. It depends on my net calories (I eat to go over 1200), and if I'm actually hungry.0
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I wasn't eating mine back but I started this week... well as of today actually... my exercise calorie burn varies so much each day/week so I am hoping to be able to track my net calories better... plus if I'm ever gonna eat that blueberry cheesecake I've been dreaming about since I started MFP I am going to need to create a calorie deficit with exercise 0
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Depends on the days, sometimes I do sometimes I don't.0
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I listen to my body. If it's screaming at me, yes.0
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Was wondering if anyone eats their exercise calories? Trying to loose 2 lbs a week. 5'7" and 173. Trying to get to 145-150.
To eat or not to eat.... that is the question... and/or, if you eat them, do you eat them that day or can you save them up for meal eating out on the weekend??
2 pounds a week to way too aggressive a goal for you. When you try to lose weight too fast ....... you promote muscle loss.
Between 40 - 75 lbs to lose 1.5 lb range
Between 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lb range
Between 15-25 lbs to lose 1 -.50 lb range
Less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs range
MFP as designed gave you a calorie defecit BEFORE exercise ...... so not eating exercise calories back is like trying to lose weight too fast ......again you are promoting muscle loss
If your goal is to reduce your current body fat % .....you will want eat some of your calories back. I say "some of your calories" ....because MFP over states most calorie burns.0 -
With MFP, you're supposed to. If you set your activity level up correctly, it does not include any exercise...so exercise is extra activity that needs to be fueled. Your calorie GOAL (a lot of people need to look that word up apparently) includes a massive deficit from maintenance already...and that GOAL is net of exercise.
Other calculators are different. A TDEE calculator for example will include an estimate of exercise in your activity level...so while your'e not physically logging and eating those calories back, you are still essentially eating your exercise calories in that it is included in your activity level.
MFP is really easy...you net to your GOAL...why do people feel the need to make it more complicated than that?0 -
If I was going by MFP then yes, I'd eat them back. At least to make sure I netted 1200 a day.
If I go by TDEE then no.0 -
If you are using the MFP format, you are supposed to eat your calories from exercise back.
If you are doing TDEE-x% then you eat that every day.
Those NOT eating your exercise calories back, you will regret it eventually. I was the same way when I started and thought I was fine, then crashed hard.
Those who say they can't eat enough calories, how did you get fat again? If you can't get enough calories, drop the salad and eat something more dense (peanut butter, olive oil, etc.) in calories.
Or better yet, go to TDEE-x%0 -
Not all of them- but then, that's the idea.
I did find that in extreme cases, I do need to step up my calorie intake. Last Saturday I did a 31-mile charity bike ride. According to my HRM I burned over 1,400 calories. I tried not to eat that much extra (although the cup in my avatar pic contains beer!). I woke up at 5 AM Sunday, ravenously hungry. I took in extra servings of protein Sunday, still felt hungry most of yesterday and am finally starting to feel normal.
Lesson learned for the 38-mile ride i'll be taking next month.0 -
No, because my TDEE-25% is about the same as the calories I eat anyways on MFP without eating exercise calories back. I only make exceptions if I'm hungry, then I will eat until I'm satisfied.0
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So when I tell MFP that I intend to exercise 5x a week for x minutes, is my calorie goal based on that? Should I still log my 5 workouts or is it just expecting that I will?0
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So when I tell MFP that I intend to exercise 5x a week for x minutes, is my calorie goal based on that? Should I still log my 5 workouts or is it just expecting that I will?
No your calorie goal is NOT based upon "I intend to workout." MFP does not give you credit until you log your workouts. MFP gave you a calorie goal based upon "I want to lose XX pounds per week."
So if you are using MFP as designed .... YES, you log workouts and those calories are added back to your daily total.
Some people choose to use TDEE less a % because exercise IS factored in already. That way you eat the same calories everyday ..... they sort of "average" the workout calories for the week. With TDEE .... if you want to log workouts ... you over ride the calorie count to 1.0 -
So when I tell MFP that I intend to exercise 5x a week for x minutes, is my calorie goal based on that? Should I still log my 5 workouts or is it just expecting that I will?
MFP assumes you're not going to do it. Your calorie goal does not include your intended exercise. That's more for your goal setting purposes. MFP will not give you credit for that exercise until you actually do it and log it...at that point, MFP will give you more calories to fuel that activity.0
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