why you should eat your exercise calories ( for dummies)
Replies
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People are actually offended by that title, really? OP is just trying to be helpful. At least she didn't call it an 'idiot's guide' although both are well known generic terms stemming from popular instructional books. I always thought the whole 'for dummies' thing was tongue-in-cheek.
Incidentally I no longer log my calories burnt, I set my goals to 'moderately active' and working out for 30 mins, 6 times a week, and MFP adjusted my calories for that, so that's what I eat from now on. It means I don't have to worry about overestimating calorie burn. Maybe when I get a HRM i'll go back to the old way, i'm going to see how this goes. (i'm set to 1500 cals a day and a 300 burn would be good for me).0 -
this post did say for dummies. meaning people you havent worked out what works best for them and then they go and have a net of 600 or whatever. just helping them out. if you found something that works for you thats great. but chances are it'll just put beginners in an unhealthy state.
Well darlin:
Sorry bad way to put it. .. Some people need some nutritional guidance or training, but everything does not work for everyone. .. There are so many things that come into play here. . first of all what your calories that you are consuming consist of. ... How much you are burning through this site is really a guestimate unless you have an HRM so when people eat say none or 1/2 of them back. . they are actually coming out about right. . Now if you are one that works out really hard and knows exactly what you are burning with an HRM than perhaps you do need a bit more "fuel" as you put it some days. .. but you really have to listen to your body and be careful how you say things to others. .. so that you don't hurt peoples feelings. . . Just a thought. 0 -
Lets look at the BIG picture of what's really going on. People claim to be insulted by the topic, others decide to criticize. Why do people do this? obviously they get offended easily, i bet the scale offends them too. If you get offended by every little thing, I have to say "what a great miserable life to live in."
People aren't being open minded, they pick "eat exercise calories or not" one or the other. Guess who is right? BOTH ARE. Let me ask you this, if you decided to eat exercise calories or not? Where you get your information? probably some form of media... trying tom make a profit. "eating 6 times a day speeds up metabolism" LIES... "breakfast is the most important meal of the day" lies... who profits from this? Food companies. If you blindly believe things with out really researching, you will have a tendency to believe anything you're told. If you believe it you will go and preach it, spreading more misinformation and the cycle continues. Kennie is young, why would an adult even try to bash on her? Is it a self esteem issue?!!?!?! We're supposedly here to help each other achieve our goals. Criticizing and insulting people doesn't help anyone, especially your own mental well being.
Before i forget about eating your exercise calories, why it's right and wrong at the same time. Of course the greater caloric deficit the greater the weight loss, eating causes less of a deficit that's obvious. So why would you want to eat them back? for performance reasons, if you engage heavily in activity, an athlete and need performance... then you eat them back up.
I have been in this game a long time, there are a ton of different diets, different ratios... they all work... the issue is "what are they trying to accomplish? Some people want to gain muscle, some want to reduce bodyfat, some just want to weigh less... The media takes a one size fits all approach. Of course a reduce caloric diet will aid weight loss, but what if it's based around a performance diet? It can hinder your weight loss.0 -
I tend to disagree and my gut feeling on this was somewhat confirmed last week. I had posed this question to a couple nutritionists and the one that replied actually holds a PhD and his pro body builder card, so his opinion is good enough for me and I just figured I'd share it with you.
"Hi Jay,
After being in Vegas without internet for a few days (bashing anti-protein lunatics), I just saw your question in Chris' Livespill.
This is what I always say to students: although important, calorie balance is the BEGINNING not the END of body comp change. 99% of the time one must keep some eye on how many kcal are consumed vs. burned. But counting calories too anally doesn't work well and is unhealthy for the psyche.
I actually start cutting phases by simply eliminating junk foods and most carbs from my dinners. Meanwhile I start 4-6 bouts of bike sprints or eliptical "sprints" after workouts. That handles the energy balance: less in, more out. I surely would NOT eat an extra 100-200 kcal to make up for the bike sprints!
Hope that helps; the threaded discussion closed on me, so I'm PM-ing.
Best,
Lonnie "
Take it for what it's worth but he's a pretty well respected individual in the nutrition and body building industry.0 -
okay sorry, i thought you where replying to my "last post" not about the comment I made on the website. I know it's hard work, I am a programmer myself and a computer science major. I have nothing against the "SITE". There are a few bugs on the site, but that's no big deal. What I do have an issue with is... they pretty much "force you" to abide to certain rules dietary rules. Which is complete non sense. We're all different, have different requirements, the rules are based on misinformation. They are misleading and spreading wrong information to people. Which isn't right at all.0
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okay sorry, i thought you where replying to my "last post" not about the comment I made on the website. I know it's hard work, I am a programmer myself and a computer science major. I have nothing against the "SITE". There are a few bugs on the site, but that's no big deal. What I do have an issue with is... they pretty much "force you" to abide to certain rules dietary rules. Which is complete non sense. We're all different, have different requirements, the rules are based on misinformation. They are misleading and spreading wrong information to people. Which isn't right at all.
actually i very much doubt that he wrote it. it seems too much like every other social networking site. probably just bought the code.0 -
Hi Guys,
Can we please keep things civil? If you have any queries or comments about the guidelines and plans set by this website, then please email Mike or one of the moderators with your concerns...do not air them on the forums. Also, if someone says something to offend you then please report it and do not retaliate in your posts..this will only make matters worse. MFP is like other well established health and fitness plans...it works and there are many members out there who will agree that the methods used by this website are effective, safe and easy to maintain. Posts which contain insults will be edited or removed.
Ms_Natalie
MyFitnessPal Forum Moderator.0 -
okay sorry, i thought you where replying to my "last post" not about the comment I made on the website.
Thus why I quoted the post I was responding too.I know it's hard work, I am a programmer myself and a computer science major. I have nothing against the "SITE". There are a few bugs on the site, but that's no big deal. What I do have an issue with is... they pretty much "force you" to abide to certain rules dietary rules. Which is complete non sense. We're all different, have different requirements, the rules are based on misinformation. They are misleading and spreading wrong information to people. Which isn't right at all.
MFP doesn't force you to do anything. No one's showing up at your doorstep, shoving your exercise calories down your throat. If you don't like how MFP's dietary rules are set up, maybe you should try sparkpeople.com instead. Quit it with the derogatory comments towards the creators though. They know plenty about weight loss and nutrition and have helped thousands upon thousands of people lose weight. Can you say the same?0 -
I tend to disagree and my gut feeling on this was somewhat confirmed last week. I had posed this question to a couple nutritionists and the one that replied actually holds a PhD and his pro body builder card, so his opinion is good enough for me and I just figured I'd share it with you.
"Hi Jay,
After being in Vegas without internet for a few days (bashing anti-protein lunatics), I just saw your question in Chris' Livespill.
This is what I always say to students: although important, calorie balance is the BEGINNING not the END of body comp change. 99% of the time one must keep some eye on how many kcal are consumed vs. burned. But counting calories too anally doesn't work well and is unhealthy for the psyche.
I actually start cutting phases by simply eliminating junk foods and most carbs from my dinners. Meanwhile I start 4-6 bouts of bike sprints or eliptical "sprints" after workouts. That handles the energy balance: less in, more out. I surely would NOT eat an extra 100-200 kcal to make up for the bike sprints!
Hope that helps; the threaded discussion closed on me, so I'm PM-ing.
Best,
Lonnie "
Take it for what it's worth but he's a pretty well respected individual in the nutrition and body building industry.
LOL, so I think my post may have gotten overlooked in the flurry of "other" posts, so I'll re-post it here.
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Hi Guys,
Can we please keep things civil? If you have any queries or comments about the guidelines and plans set by this website, then please email Mike or one of the moderators with your concerns...do not air them on the forums. Also, if someone says something to offend you then please report it and do not retaliate in your posts..this will only make matters worse. MFP is like other well established health and fitness plans...it works and there are many members out there who will agree that the methods used by this website are effective, safe and easy to maintain. Posts which contain insults will be edited or removed.
Ms_Natalie
MyFitnessPal Forum Moderator.
Yes ma'am. :flowerforyou:0 -
I think you guys are being a bit harsh. She isn't actually calling people dummies, she is playing off the popular series of "for dummies" books, written for novices on the topic of the book. It is a play on words, and I am sure she means no disrespect or to be mean.
Yeah totally true, everyone's heard of those books. xx0 -
The "should I eat my exercise calories or should I not eat them" is a redundant question.
The real questions are what is my total calorie deficit, is it suitable for my goal (fat loss as opposed to weight loss) and my current body composition.
Just read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/173853-an-objective-look-at-eating-exercise-calories
And if you think your dummies have it bad, mine is severely depressed after reading this thread the poor thing:
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The "should I eat my exercise calories or should I not eat them" is a redundant question.
The real questions are what is my total calorie deficit, is it suitable for my goal (fat loss as opposed to weight loss) and my current body composition.
Just read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/173853-an-objective-look-at-eating-exercise-calories
And if you think your dummies have it bad, mine is severely depressed after reading this thread the poor thing:
^
This.
For more reading you can also checkout a topic called G-Flux on the PrecisionNutrition site.0 -
this post did say for dummies. meaning people you havent worked out
I don't think you meant it that way, but you just called anyone who has never worked out a dummy. :laugh:
Actually you only quoted half of what she said. Here, look at the other half, please:
"...what works best for them and then they go and have a net of 600 or whatever."
Lighten up people, It was a joke! I know exactly what she meant.0 -
I also think it's case by case. Most of the time I do eat back my cals, sometimes I eat a portion, sometimes none. It really depends how I feel. I had the same question, and someone told me to eat how I feel. Your body will let you know.
Thanks for info
Correct me if i'm wrong, but I think the calorie counter already takes into account the deficit. So eating your calories back, doesn't get rid of the deficit0 -
lol ...so pointless to argue this people....Its about what your body allowwssss....some people it works for..soem ti doesnt...No one is ness ..a dummy or wrong.....if you doing one and it aint working for u..try the others..and i dont mean half assing one..but then complaining about it not working..i mean ..actually doing ittt
You eat your calories back..and you lose weight..then shid...lol keep it up
You eat your calories back and you maintain or gain..then dontttt keep eating em backk.....
Dadgumm people lol i swear peopel argue this point every other minute how bout..ask ur doctor and see what he or she says ....
and..another reason why people may be gaining weight back when they eat calories back is because..they dotn use a heart rate monitor and go strictly by mfp exercise calories..and are actually eating back all those calories but didnt even burnnn all of em...that could be to...
I actually think you are on something with this. If you are not wearing an HRM and accurately tracking exactly how many calories you are burning for your exercise then you do run the risk of eating back MORE then you actually burned. If it is accurately tracked, no one should have a problem.0 -
the way I do it is that I put my calorie goal a bit higher (at 1600) so that I don't have to eat back my exercise calories...I'm doing Turbo Fire by the way and I seem to burn about 400 calories per work out depending...so far this has worked out for me...but I'm sure that once I am done with that program I'll start the whole eating back and such 0
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lol ...so pointless to argue this people....Its about what your body allowwssss....some people it works for..soem ti doesnt...No one is ness ..a dummy or wrong.....if you doing one and it aint working for u..try the others..and i dont mean half assing one..but then complaining about it not working..i mean ..actually doing ittt
You eat your calories back..and you lose weight..then shid...lol keep it up
You eat your calories back and you maintain or gain..then dontttt keep eating em backk.....
Dadgumm people lol i swear peopel argue this point every other minute how bout..ask ur doctor and see what he or she says ....
and..another reason why people may be gaining weight back when they eat calories back is because..they dotn use a heart rate monitor and go strictly by mfp exercise calories..and are actually eating back all those calories but didnt even burnnn all of em...that could be to...
I actually think you are on something with this. If you are not wearing an HRM and accurately tracking exactly how many calories you are burning for your exercise then you do run the risk of eating back MORE then you actually burned. If it is accurately tracked, no one should have a problem.
But that's kind of the problem with tracking your calorie expenditure, the devices that "track" your calorie expenditure are not that precise. You can really only look at what the meter on the treadmill or HRM says as an approximation at best.
It's like one of the other posters said, if you setup your calorie deficit high enough to lose weight at a healthy rate then there's no reason to eat them back.
I'm not saying this to be argumentative but there seems to be a lot of "opinion" and "gut feeling" on this subject and there really is more fact base out there.
One gentlemen posted this article: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/173853-an-objective-look-at-eating-exercise-calories
This website is run completely by nutritions and physiologists, this is another great read: http://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-g-flux0 -
I agree with you, your body needs to be in somewhat of a defecit in calories in order to lose weight if you eat exactly what your bodys basic metabolic rate is then your not going in to the defecit so you wount lose weight unfortunatley:(
I think it is importat to eat after you work out for sure but u still need to be in that defecit at the end of the day0 -
I agree with you, your body needs to be in somewhat of a defecit in calories in order to lose weight if you eat exactly what your bodys basic metabolic rate is then your not going in to the defecit so you wount lose weight unfortunatley:(
I think it is importat to eat after you work out for sure but u still need to be in that defecit at the end of the day
Right, and that leaves you more in a mainenance mode. Additionally, that's why it's important to setup a safe calorie deficit target. You need to have more calories out than in but not to the point where you're unable to function or through your body into preservation mode or whatever you want to call it.0 -
I'm not going to get in this argument one way or the other, but as I was reading all the replys to the OP, it dawned on me that since I started trying to lose a few pounds, I haven't stopped eating anything that I used to eat besides a few sweets now and then, and the 4 or 5 Mt. Dew's a day, the only difference is I started working out again. So if I still eat the way I always have, and I burn 600 or 700 calories a day working out, this means I would have to eat alot more now. Now I know that if I was trying to bulk up I would need to eat alot more calories, but I am just trying to lose a few, so I don't think the statement that "everyone needs to eat back their exercise calories" is true, it all depends on the person, their body, and their goals.0
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My HRM is set to me, my height/weight/heart rate, etc. I wear a device around my chest which ties into a wrist watch. It montiors my heart rate and tells me if it's too high. It is much more accurate then just plugging in that I was on an exercise bike for 30 minutes. It's my personal preference. I do not want to get dragged into an argument or debate. I was just agreeing with another poster.
Thanks0 -
lol ...so pointless to argue this people....Its about what your body allowwssss....some people it works for..soem ti doesnt...No one is ness ..a dummy or wrong.....if you doing one and it aint working for u..try the others..and i dont mean half assing one..but then complaining about it not working..i mean ..actually doing ittt
You eat your calories back..and you lose weight..then shid...lol keep it up
You eat your calories back and you maintain or gain..then dontttt keep eating em backk.....
Dadgumm people lol i swear peopel argue this point every other minute how bout..ask ur doctor and see what he or she says ....
and..another reason why people may be gaining weight back when they eat calories back is because..they dotn use a heart rate monitor and go strictly by mfp exercise calories..and are actually eating back all those calories but didnt even burnnn all of em...that could be to...
I actually think you are on something with this. If you are not wearing an HRM and accurately tracking exactly how many calories you are burning for your exercise then you do run the risk of eating back MORE then you actually burned. If it is accurately tracked, no one should have a problem.
But that's kind of the problem with tracking your calorie expenditure, the devices that "track" your calorie expenditure are not that precise. You can really only look at what the meter on the treadmill or HRM says as an approximation at best.
It's like one of the other posters said, if you setup your calorie deficit high enough to lose weight at a healthy rate then there's no reason to eat them back.
I'm not saying this to be argumentative but there seems to be a lot of "opinion" and "gut feeling" on this subject and there really is more fact base out there.
One gentlemen posted this article: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/173853-an-objective-look-at-eating-exercise-calories
This website is run completely by nutritions and physiologists, this is another great read: http://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-g-flux
To both posters, i did a little experiment, I entered that i did 15 minutes of walking. It said I burned 75 calories, I reduced my weight by 100lbs, and entered i did 15mins of walking. It still said 75 calories. Some people say they didn't have that issue. Yes that's very true, the caloric expenditure is extremely high on this website. That's why I don't log my exercise, you should use a heart rate monitor if you enter your calories.0 -
MFP ALREADY HAS A CALORIE DEFICIT BUILT IN.
Did you tell your nutritionist that?
Did you tell them what the net calories are after you burn off 700 calories?
Most weight loss plans have you reduce calories slightly in addition to working out to create THE SAME DEFICIT THAT MFP AUTOMATICALLY GIVES YOU when you set your goals. So that you can lose weight without working out. So it will work for everyone.
Eating your exercise calories back does NOT work nearly as well if you over estimate your exercise calories or if you underestimate your food intake or you're mistaken in your activity level. But if you follow the MFP plan and do it accurately, it does work. Very, very effectively. So effectively that the site is recommended by fitness professionals and physicians quite frequently.0 -
To both posters, i did a little experiment, I entered that i did 15 minutes of walking. It said I burned 75 calories, I reduced my weight by 100lbs, and entered i did 15mins of walking. It still said 75 calories. Some people say they didn't have that issue. Yes that's very true, the caloric expenditure is extremely high on this website. That's why I don't log my exercise, you should use a heart rate monitor if you enter your calories.
That's strange, I'm not doubting what it said by any means. But when I enter my time for working out everyday MFP is always 100-300 calories less than my HRM. Not sure if it is the way I have everything set up on my goals or what. I just find it odd???0 -
It might even be how you have things set up.. MY point was if you weigh more and lets say walk a mile, you'd burn more calories than someone who weighs less your body is working harder.
To both posters, i did a little experiment, I entered that i did 15 minutes of walking. It said I burned 75 calories, I reduced my weight by 100lbs, and entered i did 15mins of walking. It still said 75 calories. Some people say they didn't have that issue. Yes that's very true, the caloric expenditure is extremely high on this website. That's why I don't log my exercise, you should use a heart rate monitor if you enter your calories.
That's strange, I'm not doubting what it said by any means. But when I enter my time for working out everyday MFP is always 100-300 calories less than my HRM. Not sure if it is the way I have everything set up on my goals or what. I just find it odd???0 -
Maybe if one of the moderators or creators of the site could let everyone know how the site is set up (eat or not eat) that would stop all these arguments. Every few days it's the same post over and over again.0
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It might even be how you have things set up.. MY point was if you weigh more and lets say walk a mile, you'd burn more calories than someone who weighs less your body is working harder.
To both posters, i did a little experiment, I entered that i did 15 minutes of walking. It said I burned 75 calories, I reduced my weight by 100lbs, and entered i did 15mins of walking. It still said 75 calories. Some people say they didn't have that issue. Yes that's very true, the caloric expenditure is extremely high on this website. That's why I don't log my exercise, you should use a heart rate monitor if you enter your calories.
That's strange, I'm not doubting what it said by any means. But when I enter my time for working out everyday MFP is always 100-300 calories less than my HRM. Not sure if it is the way I have everything set up on my goals or what. I just find it odd???
You are correct about the amount burned for two different body weights, I was just saying, for me, the calorie expenditure is very low as opposed to my HRM.0 -
Maybe if one of the moderators or creators of the site could let everyone know how the site is set up (eat or not eat) that would stop all these arguments. Every few days it's the same post over and over again.
The site is set up to eat your exercise calories, which is why they are added to your calorie goal.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/faq2. As you eat and exercise throughout the day, you need to log your meals and exercise in our Food and Exercise diaries. MyFitnessPal will calculate the number of calories you've consumed and burned from exercise and let you know how many calories you have left to eat for the day. If you stick within your calorie limits, you should achieve the weight loss you're looking for.
Stormieweather
MFP Forum Moderator0 -
It might even be how you have things set up.. MY point was if you weigh more and lets say walk a mile, you'd burn more calories than someone who weighs less your body is working harder.
To both posters, i did a little experiment, I entered that i did 15 minutes of walking. It said I burned 75 calories, I reduced my weight by 100lbs, and entered i did 15mins of walking. It still said 75 calories. Some people say they didn't have that issue. Yes that's very true, the caloric expenditure is extremely high on this website. That's why I don't log my exercise, you should use a heart rate monitor if you enter your calories.
That's strange, I'm not doubting what it said by any means. But when I enter my time for working out everyday MFP is always 100-300 calories less than my HRM. Not sure if it is the way I have everything set up on my goals or what. I just find it odd???
You are correct about the amount burned for two different body weights, I was just saying, for me, the calorie expenditure is very low as opposed to my HRM.
That is weird. do you take any stimulants that can increase your heart rate? Are you sure it's setup correctly, if you lost weight, have you input that in to the heart rate monitor? I honestly never used a heart rate monitor that tells you how many calories you burn. I can tell you this though, you can't predict caloric expenditure with heart rate alone, you also need to input weight, or something else, some even use VO2MAX. If you have to input weight, if you lost weight, have you input your new weight in to the HRM??? Or is the activity on MFP set to low? such as sedentary/moderate... etc... there are many factors that come in to play. you know? Your HRM might be right, or MFP might be right.0
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