Add calories from exercise

milleran64
milleran64 Posts: 2 Member
edited November 28 in Food and Nutrition
I just connected my Fit bit to MFP, and it is throwing on extra calories to eat due to exercise. I was always told that you don't want to eat/use those calories if you're trying to lose weight. But when I eat just only eat the original 1200 calories it says I'm not eating enough. So am I supposed to eat the additional 200-300 calories? Please help me understand this. Thanks!

Replies

  • WaterBunnie
    WaterBunnie Posts: 1,371 Member
    It's effectively telling you the activity level you've set your profile up with is wrong for the day. Lightly active rather than sedentary for example. Sedentary roughly covers my first 2 miles and then I get an adjustment for anything over that. I've lost a lot eating mine back but if you're only eating the 1200 minimum already then I definitely would!
  • sheri64151
    sheri64151 Posts: 1 Member
    I also just connected my fitbit and I'm not a fitness expert or anything but when I saw that it was giving me extra calories I decided to ignore it and just eat the 1200. It's tempting to want to have another snack but the fitbit (and my own lack of will power) is what caused me to gain 10 pounds last year anyway. It made me think I was doing some sort of exercise when really all I was doing was walking around like normal. I wouldn't count the fitbit steps as exercise unless you are jogging/running or doing something that raises your heart rate for at least 30 minutes. Just my two cents...good luck!
  • edixon908
    edixon908 Posts: 68 Member
    I have also heard that you should not eat back the calories burned during your exercise. You are doing the right thing if you want to lose weight.
  • WaterBunnie
    WaterBunnie Posts: 1,371 Member
    It really does depend upon what you've set your activity level as here though. If you enable negative adjustments in exercise settings it'll also deduct calories from you on lazy days. It's recommended that you never eat below 1200 and not eating back exercise would mean you're eating less than you should be.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    When you set up your Fitbit with MFP, you get this page, which tells you that it is going to adjust your goal for exercise. That's the point of syncing the Fitbit to MFP.

    You are supposed to eat the exercise calories. When MFP gives you the calorie goal, it already has subtracted out the calories that you skip in order to lose weight. The exercise calories are then added in once you burn them. Your goal is to have 0 remaining calories.
  • jenUK8
    jenUK8 Posts: 1 Member
    I set my calorie intake to 1300 and I walk a lot for my job. I tend to ignore the bonus calories I get from exercise on a daily basis but instead allow myself a treat meal once a week (nothing too major though!) and tell myself I have earned this due to the exercise calories I have earnt. It definitely helps me feel a lot less guilty when I do indulge and is helping me get back on track straight after.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    edixon908 wrote: »
    I have also heard that you should not eat back the calories burned during your exercise. You are doing the right thing if you want to lose weight.

    you do not understand how this tool works...
  • harrybananas
    harrybananas Posts: 292 Member
    It's cool to track workout stats via some tracker, but take it as just that - stats. Don't let it affect your daily calorie goals, or if it were me, I would not connect the Fitbit to MFP at all.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    harrybananas wrote: »
    It's cool to track workout stats via some tracker, but take it as just that - stats. Don't let it affect your daily calorie goals, or if it were me, I would not connect the Fitbit to MFP at all.

    because learning to properly fuel your fitness is not important right?
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edixon908 wrote: »
    I have also heard that you should not eat back the calories burned during your exercise. You are doing the right thing if you want to lose weight.

    Oh my, where are you hearing this from? I am about 100% correct that you did not get that from MFP community unless they are a newbie and not quite educated on how this works.

    You should eat your exercise calories back (at least a portion, I never eat back 100% because I really do not know that my calorie burn is 100% accurate)..

    MFP setups your daily calories with a deficit already in it.. eat the for example 1200 calories given from MFP's setup and eat back some of the exercise calories.. this is by design..
  • WaterBunnie
    WaterBunnie Posts: 1,371 Member
    Yesterday's exercise burn was 750 calories - had I not eaten them back my net calories for the day would only have been around 700 which is 500 less than the very bare minimum recommended in order to meet my basic nutritional needs. Imagine doing that 5 days a week and how fit and healthy would you feel after a few weeks? Unless dull skin, thinning hair and total exhaustion are your goal consider eating most of them back!
  • mstuck08
    mstuck08 Posts: 31 Member
    Never eat back your calories if your trying to lose weight
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    mstuck08 wrote: »
    Never eat back your calories if your trying to lose weight

    No. If you're trying to lose weight, you should look at your calorie goal, activity level, and net calories when deciding whether or not to eat back exercise calories.

    Too large of a deficit (which you could create if you net below a certain amount) can result in low energy, hunger, nutritional deficits, muscle loss, and even lasting health problems.
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