exercise calories

I was just wondering if any of you actually eat your exercise calories? When I don't eat them or if I eat less than the recommended calories (not including the exercise ones) , the program tells me I'm not eating enough

Replies

  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
    Azuraen wrote: »
    You're supposed to eat back the exercise calories if you're net intake is less than 1200 calories. What I usually do is raise my daily goal to 1500 and then don't eat back any of my exercise calories.

    Correct me if I am wrong, but people don't tend to do this.

    OP, eat back around 50-75% of your exercise calories to compensate for any over estimations.
  • martinel2099
    martinel2099 Posts: 899 Member
    I personally do eat back my exercise calories but i often reduce the estimated calorie burn from exercise by as much as 50 to 75% to be safe.

    If your activity level is consistent consider not recording calories burnt during exercise and just assume a larger daily calorie intake.

    You do need to fuel your body, if your activity increases you will need to eat more. Fitness pal already gives you the calorie number you need to meet in order to lose weight, there's no reason to push it further and create a larger deficit.

    Some more advice OP,

    Exercise and eat according to your goals. I exercise 3 days a week with heavy weights and I don't burn all that many calories while doing it. That's ok though, I'm not lifting to burn calories, I'm lifting to preserve muscle while eating at a calorie deficit, my goal is to lose weight. Right now I'm doing cardio once a week and I use a heart rate monitor just to make sure I'm exercising at my target heart rate / appropriate intensity level for me.

    You lose weight in the kitchen alone, make your gym time work for you and your goals.
  • alyhuggan
    alyhuggan Posts: 717 Member
    I find life easier working out my TDEE and creating a deficit from that number so I don't have to track exercise. Although that's just me personally!
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
    IN THEORY - if everything on MFP was perfect, if you could perfectly measure calories/calorie burns, etc...

    Then yes, you are supposed to eat your exercise calories back, in addition to your daily goal that MFP calculates.

    The reason for all the 50%/75%/etc suggestions is that it's quite difficult to accurately measure actual calorie burns from exercise, so people eat back enough calories to fuel the workout, but not the full amount to try to incorporate the margin for error in calculations.

  • CoffeeNBooze
    CoffeeNBooze Posts: 966 Member
    I always eat my exercise calories back. I get excited about it because it makes my calorie goal more manageable to me. No problems with progress
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Yes I always eat them back, both when losing weight and also when maintaining.
    Otherwise I would waste away.

    Besides which they also taste the best.
  • Asher_Ethan
    Asher_Ethan Posts: 2,430 Member
    I eat back half my exercise calories.
  • bludurango2
    bludurango2 Posts: 22 Member
    Thanks everyone! I workout 6 days a week for at least 90 mins and I seldom touch my exercise calories. I will use them though if I want something super tempting like cake! I just want to have a successful WLJ this time. The positive messages I get from you all is wonderful. Thanks again