Eating back exercise calories???

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billiebutton
billiebutton Posts: 49 Member
in Getting Started
Do you all eat the calories you "earned through exercise"? I eat some back but, never all the full amount. I want to make sure I'm at a deficit and I think MFP over estimates calories burned from some exercises. I also have my activity level set to active which seems to not be very common on here. Is it alright to not eat back my exercise calories?

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  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,121 Member
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    If I don't exercise very much (like maybe a 30 min walk, or a 1-hour bicycle ride, or something) ... no, I don't eat my exercise calories. I consider them bonus calories burnt, plus I think MFP over-estimates how many calories I burned anyway.

    If I exercise quite a bit (like maybe a 3 hour bicycle ride or a brisk, hill climbing, 1.5 hour walk) ... I'll eat some of my calories back. Maybe half. Again, I think MFP over-estimates how many calories I burn, so I certainly don't want to risk eating them all back.


    As for the activity level, I have found here and on other tracking programs, that it works better to list yourself as sedentary ... and then add your exercise as you do it. That method seems to make things more realistic and provides better results.
  • billiebutton
    billiebutton Posts: 49 Member
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    Ok thank you for your response. I like how you call them "bonus calories". I had my level as active and just switched it to "lightly". I'll see how that goes and maybe I'll switch it to sedentary.The reason I had it as active is because it says "Spend a good part of the day doing some physical activity (e.g. waitress, mailman)" I'm a dance instructor and when I'm not teaching my dance classes I run toddler/preschool programs. So I spend most of my days dancing,moving around, or standing (lol can't really stand in one place for long with 0-6 programs though).
  • lvsisney
    lvsisney Posts: 2
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    Not sure if this relates, but brings up my question....I'm almost forced to eat my calories lost back. It's always advising me that I'm not having enough and can't close my journal out because it needs to be satisfied. Yet those are basically my calories burned. Anyone else have this problem?
  • billiebutton
    billiebutton Posts: 49 Member
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    lvsisney wrote: »
    Not sure if this relates, but brings up my question....I'm almost forced to eat my calories lost back. It's always advising me that I'm not having enough and can't close my journal out because it needs to be satisfied. Yet those are basically my calories burned. Anyone else have this problem?

    Are you using the app on your phone? I've heard there have been some gliches. I used it on both my phone and laptop. I haven't had a problem closing my journal when I'm under.

  • onelonelysocknoble
    onelonelysocknoble Posts: 27 Member
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    As I just closed yesterday off with nothing filled in, so it thinks I ate nothing yesterday, it sounds buggy for you.
  • MargaretSobers
    MargaretSobers Posts: 167 Member
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    If you can use some useful workout for your body then must do it. You can take some vegetarian diet that contain milk, cheese, yogurt and butter.
  • ta12pn
    ta12pn Posts: 17 Member
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    I walk a lot on the daily basis as I don't drive or take buses. I always eat my exercise calories back but not the walking-alot-calories
  • ArkMom35
    ArkMom35 Posts: 225 Member
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    Yes I eat back 50% of them to account for any errors. I definitely think with your jobs that you should stick with the active setting. Are you losing weight? Are you feeling content food-wise? You just have to find what works for you to feel good and lose weight. Good luck!
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    Activity isn't exercise - so if you have included exercise as part of your activity setting you need to amend that.
    If your lifestyle/job is active you will still need to account for significant exercise otherwise you will create an excessive deficit. Faster weight loss isn't always good weight loss.

    Not too relevant if you do minimal exercise but if you do a significant amount you really should be taking that into account. Remember you will have to account for it when you get to maintenance so why not while you are losing?

    As for MFP exaggerating burns, you have summed it up nicely as exaggerated for some exercises. A lot will depend on what activities you do and how accurately you judge your intensity levels.

    In the end you may have to adjust calories in or estimated calories out based on your actual weight loss results.

  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
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    sijomial wrote: »
    As for MFP exaggerating burns, you have summed it up nicely as exaggerated for some exercises. A lot will depend on what activities you do and how accurately you judge your intensity levels.


    Have to agree with this. MFP just estimates and they are quite rough estimates. People also make the burns less accurate by overestimating their own effort.

    I set mine at sedentary.
    I will record activity which I normally othwerwise wouldnt do, so I make an effort to walk places.

    As for the calories burned I just use common sense. I eat them if im hungry, be that a proportion or whatever. If im not hungry I wont eat them. I always eat sufficient calories to fuel my workout.
  • billiebutton
    billiebutton Posts: 49 Member
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    Ok thank you all for your feedback. It makes things more clear.

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