Am I supposed to eat my exercise calories?

Options
logansjuicymom
logansjuicymom Posts: 6 Member
in Food and Nutrition
and if not then why do they add them to your daily allowance?
«1

Replies

  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    Options
    Yes, you are. That's assuming that your calorie count estimations are correct on both ends though.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    Options
    Hornsby wrote: »
    Yes, you are. That's assuming that your calorie count estimations are correct on both ends though.

    ^This exactly. You'll find that this is a pretty frequently asked question on this site and because of that some users have taken the time to try and explain why MFP is set up the way it is. I happen to like this explanation best if you want more details: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/818082/exercise-calories-again-wtf

  • gaelowyn_pt_duex
    gaelowyn_pt_duex Posts: 135 Member
    Options
    From what i've gleaned from various discussions- it depends on how you've set your daily goals. For me- i set my daily calorie goal at what is baseline, somewhat sedentary lifestyle at a weight that is 30 lbs LESS than my current weight. So I know for sure that if all I did was wake up,shower, work, do basic house stuff/etc, I am operating on a calorie deficit for the day. So when I exercise, and add that to MFP and it says I can eat so many more, there are times I do and times I don't. I go based on my hunger level for that day.
    - There are those who set their calorie goals based on the assumption that they work out moderately X number of times a week or whatever, and so they often won't eat calories "gained" from exercise, as its sort of pre-programmed in to their daily allotment. I hope i'm making sense! I don't do that, because I know me, I know there are times when I'm lazy, or let things mess up my exercise schedule.
  • Brimixed
    Brimixed Posts: 186 Member
    Options
    HELL YA! you earned those babies... now eat em up!
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    edited February 2015
    Options
    gaelowyn_pt_duex wrote: »
    From what i've gleaned from various discussions- it depends on how you've set your daily goals. For me- i set my daily calorie goal at what is baseline, somewhat sedentary lifestyle at a weight that is 30 lbs LESS than my current weight. So I know for sure that if all I did was wake up,shower, work, do basic house stuff/etc, I am operating on a calorie deficit for the day. So when I exercise, and add that to MFP and it says I can eat so many more, there are times I do and times I don't. I go based on my hunger level for that day.
    - There are those who set their calorie goals based on the assumption that they work out moderately X number of times a week or whatever, and so they often won't eat calories "gained" from exercise, as its sort of pre-programmed in to their daily allotment. I hope i'm making sense! I don't do that, because I know me, I know there are times when I'm lazy, or let things mess up my exercise schedule.

    Even if you set your goals for "X" times per week, MFP doesn't add to your calorie allotment. It still assumes that you aren't going to exercise.

    How MFP works. You enter in a goal of how much weight you want to lose per week, MFP does the numbers and spits out a calorie goal that would give you a certain daily caloric deficit. For this discussion, lets hypothetically say maintenance at 2000, you get a goal of 1500 cals, so a 500 cal deficit.

    No exercise: 2000 cal maintenance - 1500 cals eaten = 500 cal deficit

    Say you do 300 calories of exercise: 2000 maintenance + 300 exercise = 2300 calories - 1800 calories eaten = the same 500 cal deficit.



    OP, the norm is to eat back ~50% of your exercise cals due to MFP normally over exaggerating calorie burns and adjust from there.
  • logansjuicymom
    logansjuicymom Posts: 6 Member
    Options
    I've been doing cardio 6 days a week AND consuming my exercise calories but was not losing. I am using the calories given to my by MFP (1320) and have entered lightly active as my activity level.
    Maybe I will try to not eat them this week and see if there is a difference.
  • zeiss74
    zeiss74 Posts: 4
    Options
    it depends on your goals. when the government send you your tax refund, do you have to spend it? you may prefer to bank these exercise calories if your goal is weight loss and you are not reaching dangerously low calorie levels.
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,967 Member
    Options
    The calorie goal it gives you is to make your goal (to lose 1lb a week) so yes, to maintain that calorie deficit you eat back those calories.
  • NicoleS9
    NicoleS9 Posts: 62 Member
    Options
    logansjuicymom wrote: »
    and if not then why do they add them to your daily allowance?
    I really don't like that feature very much because often times it is inaccurate with saying how many calories were burned. (It may say I danced off 300 calories, but dancing around the room with my baby is not the same as a zumba class!) I don't add in my exercise any more because it throws me off for the day.
  • kaylanabaker
    kaylanabaker Posts: 4
    Options
    Why would you?

    You burned them, what's the point in reaating them?
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    Options
    kaylanabaker wrote: »
    Why would you?

    You burned them, what's the point in reaating them?

    Because the number that MFP gives you without the exercise calories already has the deficit built in to lose at the given rate you put in when setting up. If you don't eat exercise calories, you could be netting too few of calories which isn't always a safe thing to do.


  • anarchysbitch
    anarchysbitch Posts: 64 Member
    Options
    kaylanabaker wrote: »
    Why would you?

    You burned them, what's the point in reaating them?

    I agree, if you are starving, lacking energy, drained etc then yes, by all means eat some back but if you feel ok then don't. Simple.
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,074 Member
    Options
    logansjuicymom wrote: »
    I've been doing cardio 6 days a week AND consuming my exercise calories but was not losing.

    Do you weigh your food?
    If you aren't losing, you aren't in a deficit. This can be down to overly generous calorie burns (which MFP is famous for in their database), or not logging food properly.
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,074 Member
    Options
    Hornsby wrote: »
    kaylanabaker wrote: »
    Why would you?

    You burned them, what's the point in reaating them?

    Because the number that MFP gives you without the exercise calories already has the deficit built in to lose at the given rate you put in when setting up. If you don't eat exercise calories, you could be netting too few of calories which isn't always a safe thing to do.


    This.
  • lesteidel
    lesteidel Posts: 229 Member
    Options
    I wouldn't eat all of them. MFP overestimates by a lot on these. I would suggest if you are hungry without eating them maybe eat half of them.
  • art_brutale
    art_brutale Posts: 8 Member
    Options
    I think it's easier to look at calories burned from cardio as a weekly deficit rather than worrying about it day in and day out.

    For example, If MFP has you eating 1500 calories, calculated for weight loss, and you burn an additional 300 through exercise, unless you're ravenous why not just keep the extra deficit? I lift and only spend 1-3 hrs on cardio (usually cycling or hiking) per week, but if I eat back those calories-- usually a deficit of 800-1300 calories per week-- it's very rarely on the day I created the deficit. Why? Because I like to indulge in a glass of wine or two with friends over dinner, and those calories quickly add up. By looking at the calories I burned as extra calories I don't need to consume, that allows me to drink the wine or eat the slice of cake at a dinner party guilt free. Similarly, I'm often 50-100 calories over budget, if you will, when I log my food, and these calories make up for that.

    I still end up below my weekly goals 9/10 times because I don't focus on eating back the calories I expended through exercise, but when I do eat I log everything accurately and focus on healthy nutritional choices!
  • DawnieB1977
    DawnieB1977 Posts: 4,248 Member
    Options
    I personally don't eat them because as it is I only lose around 1lb a week. If I ate them I'd probably lose nothing.

    I don't always trust the calorie burns either, and I like to have a little safety barrier in case my logging isn't totally accurate.
  • lseed87
    lseed87 Posts: 1,105 Member
    Options
    I don't eat them all. Maybe half or a little less. Also depends on how big/small the burn was
  • CrabNebula
    CrabNebula Posts: 1,119 Member
    Options
    Nope. I have my TDEE set to lightly active and don't even try to eat anything back. Had it that way for the past 50-60lbs down now. 5 more to go before I hit my goal of 130lbs.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited February 2015
    Options
    NicoleS9 wrote: »
    logansjuicymom wrote: »
    and if not then why do they add them to your daily allowance?
    I really don't like that feature very much because often times it is inaccurate with saying how many calories were burned. (It may say I danced off 300 calories, but dancing around the room with my baby is not the same as a zumba class!) I don't add in my exercise any more because it throws me off for the day.

    It's your responsibility to log them accurately. When I used to use them MFP method (I do TDEE now), I'd add in significant things like a run, but include dancing around the room or walking for errands or even an extra walk as part of daily activity (lightly active). And when it tried to give me way more calories than seemed realistic for an exercise class or a bike ride I'd cut the calories.

    I found that doing this I tended to lose just what I was predicted to, so ate them back. If your logging is off or your exercise counts are too high, that won't be the case, of course, but if you are logging correctly and at a high weekly goal you shouldn't do intense exercise and not eat it back or your goal ends up being too aggressive.

Categories