Exercise Calories

kalicaro
kalicaro Posts: 2 Member
edited November 16 in Getting Started
I burned calories today, now it is showing that I have those calories to "eat". Isn't that defeating the purpose?
In order to lose weight, I need 1200 calories, I burned 260, it was added to my calories that I can eat today. So was showing 1467 allowed calories today. I'm confused.

Replies

  • ShannonMK9
    ShannonMK9 Posts: 65 Member
    The 1200 calorie diet is set for a deficit already, when you add in a work out you get more of a calorie deficit so can eat that many more calories if you want to, you do not have to though. 1200 calories is also the lowest you can go without depriving yourself of essential nutrition.
    Hope this helps
  • Alligator423
    Alligator423 Posts: 87 Member
    edited April 2015
    A common (and I think good) recommendation around here is to eat 50-60% of your exercise calories back. That way you aren't depriving yourself, but have a little wiggle room since mfp tends to overestimate calorie burns a bit. You can always try that for a few weeks and then adjust up/down accordingly. Good luck!
  • cindyangotti
    cindyangotti Posts: 294 Member
    For me it does defeat the purpose. I may use a slight amount of exercise calories but only when they come from hard cardio. Now for some people they can eat them and still lose weight at a rate they are happy with. But for me that doesn't work. If you read other threads you will see conflicting views on this topic. However I will just say do what works for you.
  • kalicaro
    kalicaro Posts: 2 Member
    Thank you both for your insight.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    edited April 2015
    MFP is set up so that you can lose weight without exercise. Not everyone can exercise, after all. So, you already have the deficit needed to lose weight at the rate you specified in your goals (.5 to 2 pounds per week) built into your calorie goal for each day. When you exercise, you earn calories to eat because eating them maintains the deficit needed to meet your goal.

    If you have a lot of weight to lose, you may find that you don't need to eat the extra calories because you'd have more calories available to eat anyway. Those of us with only a few pounds to lose, or close to 1200 calories per day, seem to find that we need to eat at least some of them back because exercise makes us more hungry.
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