Question about the "calories earned from exercise"...

Monklady123
Monklady123 Posts: 512 Member
edited November 20 in Getting Started
When I put in my exercise the calculator adds calories to what I have left to eat for the day, saying "you have earned xxx calories from exercise" or something like that. But, if the calculator is adding those calories into what I can eat, and if I do eat them, then aren't I negating the value of burning those calories by exercising? I mean, if we lose weight by a calorie deficit then wouldn't I be better off not eating those exercise calories? I'd know they were there sort of as "insurance" but I wouldn't normally eat them.

Math is not my strong point :confused: so maybe I'm not looking at it right.

Replies

  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    MFP already figures in a calorie deficit. When you exercise you make an even bigger deficit - possibly more than you need or more than is healthy - so you eat some of them back. (Unless you KNOW you are super accurate you might want to only eat 1/2 back because it is usually the error of logging that causes the gain - not the eating back of them)
  • shivasgirl
    shivasgirl Posts: 23 Member
    math is not my strong point either but since you are already eating at a deficit, and then you burn x amount of calories, even if you eat those calories you will still be at a deficit. Dont eat them if you dont want to, or just eat some. I usually kill my fat grams for the day but still have calories left over.
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    MFP gives you a calorie goal that you will lose weight without exercising.
    If you exercise, you increase your total calorie burn for the day and MFP has to adjust (give you more) calories to keep you at the same deficit.

    Example:
    My MFP estimated Calorie burn based on being "Lightly Active" (no exercise included): 1913
    1 lb per week loss: -500
    MFP Goal without exercise: 1413

    Lets say I workout and burn 500 calories.

    My MFP estimated calorie burn is now: 1913 + 500 = 2413
    1 lb per week loss: -500
    Total Calorie Goal is now: 1913
    or NET: 1413 (1913 calories consumed - 500 exercise)

    If I don't workout and maintain a Lightly Active lifestyle, I will lose 1 lb per week eating around 1413.
    If I workout and maintain a Lightly Active lifestyle, I will be able to eat more than 1413 and still lose 1 lb per week loss.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    Correct, the exercise adds nothing to the deficit if you eat it all back. It's like a hamster wheel algorithm to get more food reward.
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    Oh and if you base your exercise calorie burns off of cardio machines or MFP's database, I suggest starting with eating only 50% of them back and then adjust up or down based on your actual results (after a few weeks of course).
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    MFP uses what is called the "NEAT" method which means Non exercise adaptive thermogenics.

    Basically MFP is designed for you to eat back your exercise calories as your calorie goal without exercise will allow for weight loss without exercise.

    That being said MFP normally over estimates the burns...so the suggestion is eat at least 50% of them back.

    So if you go for a run and burn 500...eat back 250.
  • bulk_n_cut
    bulk_n_cut Posts: 389 Member
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTb7lEs_6BU
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    your deficit for weight loss is already built into your targets. the benefits of exercise go well beyond burning calories...once you wrap your head around fitness for the sake of fitness, it starts to make sense that you need to properly fuel that activity...failure to do so results in spinning your wheels from a fitness standpoint, as well as recovery issues and greater risk of injury.

    if your activity level doesn't include exercise activity, how does it not make sense that you would have to account for that activity somewhere? Most calculators actually include it in your targets as you include some estimate of exercise in your activity level...not so with MFP...it is unaccounted for activity until you log it.

    fueling your fitness is a big part of actually being fit.

    if you maintain on 2500 calories without exercise and ate 2000 calories per day, you'd lose roughly 1 Lb per week...without exercise. let's say you realize the health benefits of regular exercise...so you start exercising and you burn 300 calories per day. Well, you could lose that same 1 Lb per week now eating 2,300 calories because your new maintenance number with exercise would now be 2,800...so you still have a 500 calorie deficit.
    yarwell wrote: »
    Correct, the exercise adds nothing to the deficit if you eat it all back. It's like a hamster wheel algorithm to get more food reward.

    actually no...fit and healthy people eat to fuel their fitness...
  • intangiblemango
    intangiblemango Posts: 38 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    fueling your fitness is a big part of actually being fit.

    YES! Working out is not exclusively there to keep your calorie deficit as huge as possible-- otherwise you would quit the day you reach your goal weight. I assume most you aren't on here to try to eat as few calories as possible...
  • Wolf___
    Wolf___ Posts: 99 Member
    I steer away from using MFP to track my calories burned because the numbers are so far off. Plus, my TDEE calculations already account for my activity and exercise intensity levels.
  • jaga13
    jaga13 Posts: 1,149 Member
    Monklady123 wrote: »
    When I put in my exercise the calculator adds calories to what I have left to eat for the day, saying "you have earned xxx calories from exercise" or something like that. But, if the calculator is adding those calories into what I can eat, and if I do eat them, then aren't I negating the value of burning those calories by exercising? I mean, if we lose weight by a calorie deficit then wouldn't I be better off not eating those exercise calories? I'd know they were there sort of as "insurance" but I wouldn't normally eat them.

    Math is not my strong point :confused: so maybe I'm not looking at it right.

    Yes, if you eat back the calories burned, you negate that deficit. This is meant to fuel your exercise, and give you a comfortable cushion to eat more while still losing weight.

    With that said, someone who runs 5 miles probably needs to refuel. If your exercise is a brief stroll, you probably don't need to refuel. Some days I eat every bit of it back because I'm hungry. Other days I exercised, but not that intensely and don't want or need it all back. It's ok to vary your method.
  • mousie1973
    mousie1973 Posts: 438 Member
    shadow2soul wrote: »
    MFP gives you a calorie goal that you will lose weight without exercising.
    If you exercise, you increase your total calorie burn for the day and MFP has to adjust (give you more) calories to keep you at the same deficit.

    Example:
    My MFP estimated Calorie burn based on being "Lightly Active" (no exercise included): 1913
    1 lb per week loss: -500
    MFP Goal without exercise: 1413

    Lets say I workout and burn 500 calories.

    My MFP estimated calorie burn is now: 1913 + 500 = 2413
    1 lb per week loss: -500
    Total Calorie Goal is now: 1913
    or NET: 1413 (1913 calories consumed - 500 exercise)

    If I don't workout and maintain a Lightly Active lifestyle, I will lose 1 lb per week eating around 1413.
    If I workout and maintain a Lightly Active lifestyle, I will be able to eat more than 1413 and still lose 1 lb per week loss.


    Oh Thank you !! This is the best explaination i have seen of this!!
  • Monklady123
    Monklady123 Posts: 512 Member
    Thanks everyone. Oy, I *knew* there was going to be math involved. lol. I think I understand now though... I'll read it again in a bit, after I fuel up my brain with dinner. :)
  • peaceout_aly
    peaceout_aly Posts: 2,018 Member
    I was actually concerned about the same thing. Even if I worked out and "earned" those calories, I didn't want to eat more and pretty much balance it out. Everyone's answers made it clear that it's totally acceptable and you really are earning it though. Awesome!
  • professionalHobbyist
    professionalHobbyist Posts: 1,316 Member
    edited June 2015
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    MFP sometimes just arbitrarily doubles the calories earned.

    Mine is suddenly at almost 1200. It is going to set itself back to 580 or so in a while.

    And that is probably generous.

    I will probably eat back a couple hundred but probably 300 tops

    It is a bit goofy at times.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    The main reason I exercise is so I can eat more B)
  • kab789
    kab789 Posts: 110 Member
    My question is about Map My walk/run. I put in to the ap my stats and age height weighting so on. It uses the GPS to track my walk/run an how long it takes to go the route I do and it gives me a calorie burned based on all the information I provide. Does any one know if the calorie burn is estimated high as well for the Map my Walk ap?
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