Exercise calories

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alwhite716
alwhite716 Posts: 2 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Good morning! I've been so confused on what to do with the calories burnt through exercise. Since this app automatically adds those calories to my daily intake allowance, does this mean that I'm supposed to consume the amount of calories I burnt? Or should I ignore that and just stick to my daily usual allowance? Help please!!

Replies

  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    You should be eating them back. That is how the app is designed. That being said, you want to make sure you aren't overestimating calorie burns which most newcomers seem to do. Usually people tell others to eat around 50-75% of their calorie burns back.
  • tguarino1
    tguarino1 Posts: 10 Member
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    Hi !

    Im no expert, but I think it depends on what you are doing, what shape you are in, and what your calorie goal per day is now?

    If you picked "Lose 2 pounds per week", then yes I would eat at least half of those calories back, because you are already at a min calorie intake.

    However, if you picked maintain, or like 1 pound a week, then I just use those as "Extra". Try not to eat them back, or try to eat them back healthy at least :)

    There is no set rule, its your body, and your mindset. Good Luck !
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
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    Yes, you're meant to eat those calories.

    MFP already factors in a calorie deficit for you (which causes weight loss). WHen you exercise you're making the deficit bigger. Now, you may think that's a good thing, but remember that your body needs calories (energy) to function. All of your vital organs, blood, cells, etc all need energy. So that's why you should replenish the lost calories (from exercise).

    That being said, if you're using MFP's estimates for calorie burns, only eat 50-75% of them, because MFP notoriously overestimates.
  • LHWhite903
    LHWhite903 Posts: 208 Member
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    I can't function well, if I don't eat back some of them. I set my net goal to my goal BMR (calories burnt sans exercise and NEAT), so I have to eat at least a bit of them, since that is below my actual BMR.
  • sanfromny
    sanfromny Posts: 770 Member
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    Agreed..I never eat them all back. If MFP says I gained an extra 400 cals from exercising, I eat about 200-250 back...just to be on the safe side
  • jmgj27
    jmgj27 Posts: 531 Member
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    You are meant to eat them back but, like a lot of people, I eat a small percentage of mine back rather than all. This is largely because I think my calorie burns are probably being heftily overestimated by MFP and also because I don't want to stuff myself with food to make up the calorie burn when I'm full enough having just eaten back 25% or so. I also listen to my body and if I'm hungry I'll eat more. Some days I eat 1400 calories, some 2000 but more commonly I come in around 1500-1600. Don't know if that's much help but it's what works for me! Good luck!
  • alwhite716
    alwhite716 Posts: 2 Member
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    Thank you so much for all the replies!

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