Confuzzled Caloric Question

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spacelump
spacelump Posts: 233 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I may need some clarification here after reading some posts.

Do I need to eat the calories I burn at the gym if I stick to my caloric intake goal?

Example: My caloric goal is 1200 and I meet it. Then I workout and burn 300 calories. Do I need to hit the fridge for those 300 calories? Or, should I not and expect to lose faster?

Thanks all!

Replies

  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    The easy answer is the way MFP is designed, you are supposed to eat back the calories from your workouts. You already have a deficit built in to your calorie goal, and by not eating those calories you are increasing the deficit, which does not always result in faster/more favorable weight loss.

    The more complicated answer is that it also depends on how big your deficit is and how you're calculating your workout calories (meaning, if they're realistic). If your deficit is 1000 calories and you run for 30 minutes every day and burn 300 calories, those are super important calories to eat back. If your deficit is 250 and you do a 20 minute walk, those calories are less important. It depends on how close to the 'critically undereating' margin you operate on.

    Most people on here should be eating most of their exercise calories back. At 1200 calories, you almos certainly should be eating them back and it would be a disservice not to. You can save them for a few days and use them to go out on the weekends as long as you meet your weekly calorie goals.
  • xX_PhoenixRising_Xx
    xX_PhoenixRising_Xx Posts: 623 Member
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    The easy answer is the way MFP is designed, you are supposed to eat back the calories from your workouts. You already have a deficit built in to your calorie goal, and by not eating those calories you are increasing the deficit, which does not always result in faster/more favorable weight loss.

    The more complicated answer is that it also depends on how big your deficit is and how you're calculating your workout calories (meaning, if they're realistic). If your deficit is 1000 calories and you run for 30 minutes every day and burn 300 calories, those are super important calories to eat back. If your deficit is 250 and you do a 20 minute walk, those calories are less important. It depends on how close to the 'critically undereating' margin you operate on.

    Most people on here should be eating most of their exercise calories back. At 1200 calories, you almos certainly should be eating them back and it would be a disservice not to. You can save them for a few days and use them to go out on the weekends as long as you meet your weekly calorie goals.

    +1
  • vwbug86
    vwbug86 Posts: 283 Member
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    Also if you are not using a high quality HRM MFP has a tendency to overestimate your burns. Most people eat back about 75% of what MFP tells them to.
  • spacelump
    spacelump Posts: 233 Member
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    Thank you! That makes a lot of sense. I hadn't even considered that one could 'bank' their calories.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
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    I may need some clarification here after reading some posts.

    Do I need to eat the calories I burn at the gym if I stick to my caloric intake goal?
    No. You can choose to though.
  • IronSmasher
    IronSmasher Posts: 3,908 Member
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    Yes, or all of this calculating, measuring and logging to make sure you hit a moderate deficit would be pointless.

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