earned calories

BonecrusherBrews
BonecrusherBrews Posts: 131 Member
edited February 11 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi, I just started using MFP and I don't really understand the concept of earned calories. Should I use up my earned calories? Or would I do better to keep my consumption at my original daily target? My goal weight is a little aggressive, but doable I think. I have ~3 months to lose ~30lbs. I work out 3 - 4x/week and I've been eating very healthy.

Replies

  • DemoraFairy
    DemoraFairy Posts: 1,806 Member
    MFP is designed such that you eat back your exercise calories. If you're going by the calories given in the MFP database, or on the gym machine, a lot of people eat back 50-80% of the calories as those sources tend to overestimate. If you've got a heart rate monitor though, it'll be much more accurate.
  • BonecrusherBrews
    BonecrusherBrews Posts: 131 Member
    Thanks for the quick response. And congrats on your 49lbs lost! That's awesome!
  • craigheon
    craigheon Posts: 173 Member
    I find MFP's #'s wonky and I want to get either a heart rate monitor or Fitbit to combat that. Also, when weightlifting, you most certainly burn calories, but MFP doesn't record that... it's mostly a "log" which I find annoying.

    What I have been doing so far with earned back calories, is eating maybe 50% of them to take this inaccuracy into account. Once I have a HRM or Fitbit, I may eat a bit more of them back, but my goal is fat loss, so I'd rather err on the side of caution!

    Nice Sox shirt btw. I'm a lifelong Sox fan myself! Born and raised in good ol' New England!
  • BonecrusherBrews
    BonecrusherBrews Posts: 131 Member
    Thanks Craig - I totally agree with you about the weight training. I found that kind of crazy too considering how granular most of the other tracking gets. I'm also trying to lose fat and gain muscle.

    Go Sox, B's and Pats! Celts, meh.

    Cheers!
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