do you eat exercise calories?

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BenHenryMom
BenHenryMom Posts: 8 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am new to MFP and have noticed if I exercise I get more calories. So I have been eating them but my question is should you or should you stick to a set amount of calories to eat? And if that's so how do you know how many?

Replies

  • ncsubeachgirl
    ncsubeachgirl Posts: 97 Member
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    I eat about half of them.. not a dr so not sure of the correct answer but i am normally too full to eat the full amount
  • ab_1203
    ab_1203 Posts: 88 Member
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    I always eat them otherwise Id be below my minimum amount of calories. I think you definitely need to eat them back if you already eat a low amount of calories eg 1200 per day.
  • bajoyba
    bajoyba Posts: 1,153 Member
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    MFP is designed for you to eat your exercise calories back.

    If you're not sure that your calorie burns are accurate, you may want to only eat a portion of them back or round down a little. :smile:
  • RunMyOregonBunsOff
    RunMyOregonBunsOff Posts: 862 Member
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    First off, I would make sure you are eating above your BMR and not just going with the 1200 minimum. Then if I am eating close to BMR, I would eat back most of them back but if I'm a ways above BMR but still well under TDEE I would only eat about half back. MFP tends to over estimate caloric burn and even if you use a heart rate monitor it's still not an exact number.
  • SephiraRose
    SephiraRose Posts: 775 Member
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    No. I leave the calorie deficit
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    No. I leave the calorie deficit
    Then you are creating a HUGE calorie deficit.

    Your daily goal at MFP has you at a deficit before exercise - meaning you can eat TO GOAL every day, do zero exercise, and you'll lose weight. Burning off more cals through exercise increases the deficit - generally leaving you with too few calories which can cause you all sorts of problems in the long run.

    This is why your exercise cals are added back into your goal - you are supposed to eat them back. Your NET cals should be at or near goal at the end of the day.

    A small deficit is best for fat loss. It may seem like fewer cals and a larger deficit would speed things along, and you might lose a little bit faster, but you risk losing a lot of lean body mass along with the fat, which is no good, as well as ending up under-fueled, hungry, angry/grouchy (commonly known around here as "hangry"! :tongue: ), no energy for workouts, and eventual burn out.

    MFP is a fabulous tool and works well when used correctly.

    Eat your cals, drink water, exercise, take rest days, get good sleep, have patience. Good luck. :smile:
  • Swehl
    Swehl Posts: 138 Member
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    No. I leave the calorie deficit
    Then you are creating a HUGE calorie deficit.

    Your daily goal at MFP has you at a deficit before exercise - meaning you can eat TO GOAL every day, do zero exercise, and you'll lose weight. Burning off more cals through exercise increases the deficit - generally leaving you with too few calories which can cause you all sorts of problems in the long run.

    This is why your exercise cals are added back into your goal - you are supposed to eat them back. Your NET cals should be at or near goal at the end of the day.

    A small deficit is best for fat loss. It may seem like fewer cals and a larger deficit would speed things along, and you might lose a little bit faster, but you risk losing a lot of lean body mass along with the fat, which is no good, as well as ending up under-fueled, hungry, angry/grouchy (commonly known around here as "hangry"! :tongue: ), no energy for workouts, and eventual burn out.

    MFP is a fabulous tool and works well when used correctly.

    Eat your cals, drink water, exercise, take rest days, get good sleep, have patience. Good luck. :smile:

    Great advice!
  • sarafischbach9
    sarafischbach9 Posts: 466 Member
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    I eat some of them, especially when I have an intense workout that burns 700 or more calories. ( In a 90 minute period ) Usually the more I exercise I add a couple hundred more calories to my day. I try to eat 1400-1600 on more active days.

    I found that burning 700-1000 calories per day and eating 1200-1300 was a little low for the activity level. If I am lightly active or sedentary I will stay in that range though.
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
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    I eat all or most, usually, because I find that when I do not, I start getting dizzy spells and cannot exercise at the intensity I like to exercise at. Sometimes, if I am not hungry, or life has got in the way, I might not eat many of them, but I usually need to. It has not done me any harm.

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