Should I eat my extra exercise calories?

It really depends on how many extra there are. If it's just a few hundred it doesn't much matter. If it's a lot more than that it does start to matter.

MFP gave you a calorie deficit BEFORE exercise. That way people who can't exercise...still lose weight. So, the way it's designed you should eat your calories back. However, calorie burns are estimates, some people log more accurately than others, some people have a lower activity level than they assumed....lots of reasons why eating the "exact calorie burns" provided doesn't always work.

If you are losing weight faster than your weekly goal...you should be eating more. If you exercise a lot.....you should eat more. If you feel run down or tied....you should eat more. Added calories fuel your workouts, and help your body support existing lean muscle mass.

just eat if you're hungry, to lose weight you need a calorie deficit, so within reason the more you burn than you take in the better. I lost 90lbs without ever eating anything back that i burned and i don't understand why you would, unless you're hungry.

scottb81 wrote: »

It really depends on how many extra there are. If it's just a few hundred it doesn't much matter. If it's a lot more than that it does start to matter.

TeaBea wrote: »

MFP gave you a calorie deficit BEFORE exercise. That way people who can't exercise...still lose weight. So, the way it's designed you should eat your calories back. However, calorie burns are estimates, some people log more accurately than others, some people have a lower activity level than they assumed....lots of reasons why eating the "exact calorie burns" provided doesn't always work.

If you are losing weight faster than your weekly goal...you should be eating more. If you exercise a lot.....you should eat more. If you feel run down or tied....you should eat more. Added calories fuel your workouts, and help your body support existing lean muscle mass.

joolieb1 wrote: »

I get 1500 daily calories which is enough for me so I don't eat additional calories for exercise. I have been on MFP for 6 weeks now with a goal of losing 1 lb a week but have lost 11 lbs. as I think it is working for me, I would say no but I am not hungry so I will keep going as I am

I would say a combination of these 3.
Most important is that your net calories (MFP number - exercise calories) does not get below 1200. Anything below that you risk getting malnourished.
That is why Joolieb's way works, she is increasing her defecit through workout, but was already at a reasonable calorie goal to begin with.
Anyway, rule of thumb is eat back only half the exercise calories MFP gives you because it is often grossly overestimated.

Recommend only eating back 70% to 80%. There's enough uncertainty in the calories you're burning and in the food you're eating that eating back most of your exercise and not all of it will ensure a little breathing room.

Did u lose all using MFP? Just curious as I'm trying to balance # cals in and out w this app... Thanks!! #brdnw

I don't log or eat back my exercise calories. I also don't weigh my food so I figure the extra calories will cover inaccurate logging (I do try to estimate high, though). Not perfect & not accurate but what has worked for me.