To input or not to input your fitness calorie burn into MFP

Options
anglergirl3
anglergirl3 Posts: 113 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I was told to remove all my exercise/gym calorie burn from MFP and to just concentrate on meeting my calorie goal: 30f 30c 40p - I'm at 1600 base right now and trying to maintain my daily calorie intake without inputting and including my calorie burn for each day.

What do you think? Thoughts?

Replies

  • steven402014
    steven402014 Posts: 13
    Options
    i personally dont include my calories burned, always believed it is a buffer just incase i go over my daily/weekly requirement. i also found when i did include them i lost less as i ate these additonal calories. not an expert just my opinion.
  • parkerpowerlift
    parkerpowerlift Posts: 196 Member
    Options
    Psh!! Don't listen to them! I totally input my calorie burn into MFP! My goal currently is 1400 cal/day, and if I exercise (like I did this morning), I would log my 30 minute run! It gives you more of an allowance for food to eat.

    If you don't log your exercise, you are in essense, probably not eating enough!

    For example: I ran this morning and burned about 200 calories. So instead of having 1400, I now have 1600 calories to start my day with. You should eat back those calories and you will still have a deficit to lose weight.

    -I have lost 6 pounds off of running, logging said running, and eating back my calories. I have lost 14 pounds currently.
  • JamesDanek
    JamesDanek Posts: 95 Member
    Options
    It depends on what exercise I am doing.

    I eat back most of my Lifting Calories (3 times a week about 200-300)
    I eat back most of my eliptical machine (3 times a week about 300-400 - same day as Lifting)
    I eat back most of my weekend run calories (once a week 900 to 1500 calorie glut fest)

    I do not eat back any calories burnt from walking (2 to 4 miles daily) or running in the week (1 to 2 miles once or twice a week) or any "day to day" exertion. These are my buffer calories.

    It works for me but as you can see I exercise pretty much every day at the moment.
  • ellew70
    ellew70 Posts: 222 Member
    Options
    It depends upon how you set your calorie goal. If you used the MFP method, its designed for you to eat back your exercise calories so failing to log them may mean you are undereating. Not only is it nice to have more calories, it may help to have more if you are exercising strenuously. I notice those extra calories during the second month of Insanity, for example.

    If you used a TDEE method to set your calories, those methods that assume your exercise levels as part of the math, you don't want to eat back your calories. They were already taken into account when you did the calculation, so if you ate back your calories you'd be double counting.

    It's nice to do both methods (MFP + exercise v. TDEE) and see where they end up. For me, they were close, so I just use the flat number from TDEE. I feel like the methods to measure calories are so inaccurate that its hard to really eat correctly. Most people on here, I think, eat back 1/2 their exercise calories to take into account the measuring issue.
  • Happymelz
    Happymelz Posts: 536 Member
    Options
    Psh!! Don't listen to them! I totally input my calorie burn into MFP! My goal currently is 1400 cal/day, and if I exercise (like I did this morning), I would log my 30 minute run! It gives you more of an allowance for food to eat.

    If you don't log your exercise, you are in essense, probably not eating enough!

    For example: I ran this morning and burned about 200 calories. So instead of having 1400, I now have 1600 calories to start my day with. You should eat back those calories and you will still have a deficit to lose weight.

    -I have lost 6 pounds off of running, logging said running, and eating back my calories. I have lost 14 pounds currently.

    THIS!!!

    Always best to eat back at least some if not all of your calories burned, if your calorie goal is set at 1 lb or more a week to lose.
  • anglergirl3
    anglergirl3 Posts: 113 Member
    Options
    You all have excellent points. This makes sense to me now.

    I'm most in line with elle's comment: It's nice to do both methods (MFP + exercise v. TDEE) , which actually is what was messing me up - I have a 2000 cal with 200 deficit with TDEE, but am inputting 1600 in MFP - was thinking the extra 400 cal gym burn will eat me back up to 2000. Any hoo, I hope this is right to what is being said. I'm going to add my gym burn back into to get me back to eating more.

    Thanks, everyone! Have an amazing day :))
  • ellew70
    ellew70 Posts: 222 Member
    Options
    Remember that TDEE and MFP's methods are just estimates, so my final point is to fool around with it. If you were at 2000 and 1600, why not try 1800 and see how you feel on it? If it isn't working, you can go down or up as your body sees fit!

    Good luck!
  • anglergirl3
    anglergirl3 Posts: 113 Member
    Options
    Thanks, Elle - Yes I think I need to go back up - will give it a whirl - Thanks, again!

Categories