Eating workout calories

determined2567
determined2567 Posts: 5
in Introduce Yourself
I am confused with why you should eat your workout calories on top of your daily calories. Isn't that defeating the purpose? If I am allowed 1200 calories a day and then burn about 400 more I have to eat 1600 calories a day. How am I going to lose that way? I have a hard time eating my 1200 a day.

Replies

  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    MFP sets your goal a little lower than other calculators assuming that you'll log your exercise and eat back the extra earned calories. This calorie goal already has the deficit you need for weight loss built into it. When you exercise and burn more calories than MFP's calculations planned for you, you make that deficit larger, possibly larger than your body wants to handle safely. If you're letting MFP set your goals, then yes, you're meant to eat at least a portion of them to help keep you at a healthy deficit. If you're setting your calorie goals through other sites/calculations then it will depend on how they're set.

    With the caveat that MFP or gym machine readouts have a tendency to overestimate the calories burned during certain activities. A lot of people choose to eat only 50-75% of those earned exercise calories just in case of any inaccuracies. Pay attention to how you feel, your energy levels, mood, gym performance, etc.

    More info: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf
  • adrerock
    adrerock Posts: 21 Member
    I changed my goal mfp. I set my goal to maintain my current weight. When I put my exercises in, I put the actual time and only put 1 calorie burned. In the notes I put the actual amount of calories that I burned for that workout. I have done this since my last weigh - in in July and I can tell that it is working. I will weigh - in again for August on the 31st. Try doing this because it may help you.

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