What do you do with earned calories from exercise?

Options
2»

Replies

  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
    Options
    I use a HRM for my cardio, and eat back all the calories. They are MINE ALL MINE!


    Strength training, I log as 1 calorie, as I've allowed for it in my daily totals already.
  • ChrisM8971
    ChrisM8971 Posts: 1,067 Member
    Options
    How many of you work with decent numbers meaning which of you actually use a heart rate monitor to measure calories burnt and not just what MFP says?

    I am just about to eat some of mine back now. I don't eat all of them but get through about 80% I would guess. I do use a HRM now rather than MFP so feel happier about the amount I eat back
  • WaterBunnie
    WaterBunnie Posts: 1,370 Member
    Options
    How many of you work with decent numbers meaning which of you actually use a heart rate monitor to measure calories burnt and not just what MFP says?

    I wear a FitBit all the time and use a HRM in the gym and Fitbit's site's lower calculations for swimming so I'm fairly confident that what I log as exercise is as accurate as it can be. I then feel no guilt eating the whole lot back across the week, not necessarily all on the day I've earned them. I try to build in larger meals rather than too many naughty snacks.

    Even HRMs are only an estimation. Take 2 different brands of HRMs and you won't necessarily get the same calories burned on both! One that I had would almost double the calories shown on the gym equipment whereas another was within 10%. Everything's an estimate at the end of the day.

    .

    .
  • Joshacham
    Joshacham Posts: 467 Member
    Options
    When I was at my losing weight portion of calorie counting, I didn't eat the calories I earned through exercise. Helped increase the speed of which I lost my weight.

    Now that I have achieved my goal, I eat all of my calories and the ones I earned through exercise. I'm maintaining, no need to let them go by the wayside.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    Options
    i've been selling them on ebay

    :laugh:

    seriously - i used to eat about 3/4 back. now i do the TDEE method so it's automatically built into my daily goals - i eat most of them back.

    If you can figure out a way to sell your exercise calories you'll be a multi-millionaire. :laugh:

    I also use TDEE method but if I burn extra on top of my normal weekly burns then I'll eat 3/4 of them back.
  • lindasew47
    lindasew47 Posts: 4 Member
    Options
    What is the TDEE method.............I'm new here and have no clue.
  • WaterBunnie
    WaterBunnie Posts: 1,370 Member
    Options
    What is the TDEE method.............I'm new here and have no clue.

    Total Daily Energy Expenditure

    I think they just add their expected exercise for the week to their maintenance calories for the week and subtract a deficit percentage and eat the same amount each day (if I understand it correctly). Seems a long way round to me since you may not do the intended exercise and MFPs method already works well enough and does all the hard work for you.
  • WaterBunnie
    WaterBunnie Posts: 1,370 Member
    Options
    I don't eat mine back most of the time coz I have a lot to lose but when I see that the lost is slowing down, I start eating a bit more for a few days then go back to not eating them back once I start losing again.

    Doesn't this suggest that not eating them back is detrimental to your loss?
  • Otterluv
    Otterluv Posts: 9,083 Member
    Options
    I eat them, enjoying all of their tasty caloric goodness.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    Options
    What is the TDEE method.............I'm new here and have no clue.

    Total Daily Energy Expenditure

    I think they just add their expected exercise for the week to their maintenance calories for the week and subtract a deficit percentage and eat the same amount each day (if I understand it correctly). Seems a long way round to me since you may not do the intended exercise and MFPs method already works well enough and does all the hard work for you.

    I use TDEE method because I like the simplicity of having the same calorie goal every day, and because it's tough with lifting to actually figure your burn. Plus it keeps me exercising because I have to exercise as many times as I said I would if I'm going to stay in a deficit (or at maintenance, which is where I am now).

    I used to enjoy the exercise calorie model for exactly the reasons you outline. It should come out to around the same either way, it's just personal preference.
  • muamontreal
    muamontreal Posts: 109 Member
    Options
    for the TDEE : read this post ! Great info :
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/975025-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet

    I use the TDEE method too : it's so simple ! You eat the same amount of food everyday because you exercise on a regular basis :flowerforyou:
  • lydstil
    lydstil Posts: 16 Member
    Options
    I use an HRM so I know exactly how many I have, and I *try* not to eat them. But I generally eat about 100-150 of them. MFP says I should eat 1240 cals a day, and I'm normally around 1300-1350 (on days I exercise). But I normally burn 400-600 a day with my workouts, so I don't feel too bad about it.
  • succeedin2
    succeedin2 Posts: 501 Member
    Options
    I try to keep a few hundred and I like to see them and I work for Red Mango Yogurt
  • spammarino
    spammarino Posts: 34 Member
    Options
    I found the tracking of exercise calories fairly tedious, although I managed to stay on track with my 1 lb/ week goal, but as others have mentioned, I have also switched to the TDEE method at a 15-20% deficit and have been spot on my first week on this method as well. My calorie goals have my activity level factored in so I have one specific goal to hit (1900 calories for 1.5lb/wk). I do track my cardio and weight training with a HRM and nike+ sportswatch to make sure I am in the ballpark on calories, which is currently about 500-600 burned calories minimum on training days.
  • spoiledpuppies
    spoiledpuppies Posts: 675 Member
    Options
    I use a heart rate monitor, and if I log the exercise, I use NET numbers (the burn my HRM says minus what I would have burned doing nothing). Calculators are available online. I've used http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators/net-versus-gross-calorie-burn-conversion-calculator.aspx.

    I don't make a habit of eating anything back--maybe just a bit if I'm really hungry. A lot of my activity comes from landscaping--which lately has included moving large boulders. I know I'm burning a lot of calories, but I have no idea how many, so I don't eat anything over original goal. I want to get a Bodymedia Core 2 when they come out so I have a better idea of my lifestyle burn.

Categories