Does anyone NOT log exercise?

kittyy250
kittyy250 Posts: 31 Member
edited December 2 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi
I do 2 very intense boxing workouts a week and lots of walking/cycling etc.

Is it bad not to log the exercise to try and lose faster?
Does anyone else do this and is it ok?

Thanks
«1

Replies

  • StealthHealth
    StealthHealth Posts: 2,417 Member
    I don't log exercise in MFP. But, this is not to lose weight more quickly.

    Your idea of not logging to give yourself a larger deficit is a road trip to failure. Consistently underrating will have negative health implications and, for many, is a trigger to binge/purge cycles.

    My strong advice;
    • Set a moderate deficit
    • Weigh and log all your food
    • Consider you exercise and activity levels and if you are losing too fast tweak your calories in to slow the loss
    • Play the long game
  • kittyy250
    kittyy250 Posts: 31 Member
    Thank you for your reply

    My calories are set at 1690 as it is and after a boxing session I can have over 1900 calories and I jut feel like this is too much to lose weight!
  • jmidd97
    jmidd97 Posts: 84 Member
    I don't log exercise, but I have my activity level set at 'active', so I shouldn't need to.
    However that train of thought "to lose faster" I personally think is a slippery slope. It depends on your stats, but you can usually safely increase your deficit to 500 calories, or a bit more if you're severely overweight. However, if the deficit becomes too large for too long it might cause you to do what I did - binge. About a week or so in I just broke and gorged myself sick.
    So yeah, just a warning, please be careful the deficit isn't too large.
  • red99ryder
    red99ryder Posts: 399 Member
    I dont log exercise , but i just swim a few times a week and walk a bit . the settings in the program ,, mod , light , heavy seem to change your cals . I just try and find a diet i can live with and it seems the closer you get to goal weight the harder it is to lose . Stealth is correct this is more of a life style change so play the long game as long as your moving in the right direction , Thats what counts

    Good luck
  • foiensoi
    foiensoi Posts: 49 Member
    If you're consistently doing the same workouts, your activity level should be set to active, which includes your boxing workouts and then you don't need to eat back exercise calories. If you do something extra in a week just log that (eg an extra 10km run that you wouldn't normally do).

    I personally have mine set to sedentary, and on days when I workout if I need to eat a bit more then I do; if I'm not hungry I dont. I eat within my calorie goal and exercise is either for fitness or strength and I adjust my meals accordingly (eg more carbs around workouts), not to lose weight as such.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    foiensoi wrote: »
    If you're consistently doing the same workouts, your activity level should be set to active, which includes your boxing workouts and then you don't need to eat back exercise calories. If you do something extra in a week just log that (eg an extra 10km run that you wouldn't normally do).

    I personally have mine set to sedentary, and on days when I workout if I need to eat a bit more then I do; if I'm not hungry I dont. I eat within my calorie goal and exercise is either for fitness or strength and I adjust my meals accordingly (eg more carbs around workouts), not to lose weight as such.

    @foiensoi

    Nope that isn't how activity setting works on here.
    This isn't a TDEE site - exercise is not included so that's why the calorie goal given is plus exercise calories.
  • MonkeyMel21
    MonkeyMel21 Posts: 2,396 Member
    I'm not always in a deficit but I've recently found that it is easier for me mentally to stick to it when I don't log my exercise. I also don't weight anything though, so I know there's some error there. I usually burn from 150-300 calories during exercise, 4 days a week and I log it as 1 calorie burned so it still shows up in my diary. I only have a 250 cal deficit anyway and if I am starving then I calculate those calories back in for that day so I can have a good snack or bigger dinner.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,687 Member
    Right ...

    This is what the activity settings are for:

    How would you describe your normal daily activities?
    Sedentary: Spend most of the day sitting (e.g. bank teller, desk job)
    Lightly Active: Spend a good part of the day on your feet (e.g. teacher, salesman)
    Active: Spend a good part of the day doing some physical activity (e.g. waitress, mailman)
    Very Active: Spend most of the day doing heavy physical activity (e.g. bike messenger, carpenter)



    I have mine set at sedentary, but I exercise every single day. When I exercise, I add my exercise and when I was on my weight loss mission, I ate half my exercise calories back. Now that I'm maintaining, I eat all my exercise calories back. :)
  • ginaDDDD
    ginaDDDD Posts: 27 Member
    I don't log exercise. I don't want to be tempted to eat back my calories. It's set at 1200 and that's all I'm putting in my tummy per day until I go into maintenance in the future
  • kittyy250
    kittyy250 Posts: 31 Member
    ginaDDDD wrote: »
    I don't log exercise. I don't want to be tempted to eat back my calories. It's set at 1200 and that's all I'm putting in my tummy per day until I go into maintenance in the future

    I know 1200 is the lowest setting. If you are exercising too this is a huge deficit are you sure this is safe?

  • foiensoi
    foiensoi Posts: 49 Member
    sijomial wrote: »
    foiensoi wrote: »
    If you're consistently doing the same workouts, your activity level should be set to active, which includes your boxing workouts and then you don't need to eat back exercise calories. If you do something extra in a week just log that (eg an extra 10km run that you wouldn't normally do).

    I personally have mine set to sedentary, and on days when I workout if I need to eat a bit more then I do; if I'm not hungry I dont. I eat within my calorie goal and exercise is either for fitness or strength and I adjust my meals accordingly (eg more carbs around workouts), not to lose weight as such.

    @foiensoi

    Nope that isn't how activity setting works on here.
    This isn't a TDEE site - exercise is not included so that's why the calorie goal given is plus exercise calories.

    Ok well I personally use it that way. At the moment because I'm not in my usual schedule I have it set to sedentary and if I work out I choose whether or not to eat back exercise calories based on whether I'm hungrier or not.

    During a typical month though, I would be strength training with exactly the same routine, several days a week and don't type it in every day, instead I just change my activity level and still don't log exercise.

    This is just how I do it, do what works for you. Other TDEE calculators include regular exercise in your TDEE, and I can see why. I just log 'extra' exercise.
  • Bluepegasus
    Bluepegasus Posts: 333 Member
    I log my running, but don't log my kettlebell workouts as there's no sure way of knowing how many calories strength training actually burns.
  • rachel29hart
    rachel29hart Posts: 23 Member
    I have a Garmin (vivosmart HR) and I have noticed and enormous difference between calories burned during an exercise on MFP vs with my Garmin. I think my Garmin is more accurate, as the heart rate monitor ensures better accuracy. While I DO log my exercise (according to MFP calories burned), I don't take it to heart and just keep a median estimate in mind and strictly focus on my original calorie goal, not including exercise, and it's been very effective for me so far without feeling like I'm sarving.
  • shadowfax_c11
    shadowfax_c11 Posts: 1,942 Member
    My fitbit Charge HR automatically tracks workouts, so I don't log them anymore.
  • gramacanada
    gramacanada Posts: 557 Member
    I, and a handful of my friends put 5 calories burned for all exercise done.
    That way MFP still records what you've done and for how long.
    Most calorie burns are estimations. It is easy to go over.
    If I'm hungry I add a 200-250 high nutrition snack.
  • beaglebrandon
    beaglebrandon Posts: 97 Member
    ginaDDDD wrote: »
    I don't log exercise. I don't want to be tempted to eat back my calories. It's set at 1200 and that's all I'm putting in my tummy per day until I go into maintenance in the future

    I agree with you, and it's exactly what I do.

    I have a calorie goal around 1600 a day. I don't care how active or inactive I am, I still eat the same 1600 every day. I do, however, have 1 cheat day a week where I eat what I want within reason (probably around 2500 calories). And I workout hard for 2-hours 4 days a week, plus walk and bicycle a lot.

    If I'm hungry, which is rare, I'll have a handful of nuts or something near the end of the day.

    I'm losing 1-2 pounds a week. I don't think I'd lose anything if I ate my workouts. Maybe my cheat day takes care of the workouts?
  • Neanbean13
    Neanbean13 Posts: 211 Member
    Unless you have a decent heart monitor don't log exercise here to include in your daily calories. Like others say set to sedentary. MFP grossly over estimates the calories burnt.
    You should be setting your intake in conjunction with your activity level.
    Monitor. Stick to same level for a few weeks until your body gets used to it. If you are constantly changing your intake your body can't adjust. Retains water. Hormones. All things that effect the scale each time. I'd say go for a month and see if you've lost weight on the over all 4 week period first. Then adjust.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    I don't log exercise - but I also upped my calorie goal to reflect it. So I am eating those calories - just not logging them separate. (TDEE method)
  • tchrmom04
    tchrmom04 Posts: 84 Member
    I used the Scooby calculator and set my activity as light. But I do 3 heavy lifting sessions a week (Strong - like NROL4W) and 4 cardio classes a week. But I have the same calories per day even though 3 days a week I don't exercise specifically. So I don't log exercise since those cals are taken into account in my daily. MFP gives me 1210 per day as sedentary - so I figure it works out the same. I use 1590 per day and just the cardio classes are generally 350 - 400 per session. :) Hope that helps. :)
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 5,185 Member
    If you used a TDEE calculator to get your goal you should not eat back your exercise calories and if you want to log it you can manually change the exercise burn to 1. But if you used mfp to get your goal you should be logging any exercise and eating back at least some possibly all of your exercise calories. If you don't want to use MFP the way it is designed then you should realize that you are not using it correctly and shouldn't be advising people not to eat their exercise calories. It is a good idea to start with a percentage of the exercise calories and adjust accordingly, but you should eat some of them if using MFP's calorie goal.
  • Enjcg5
    Enjcg5 Posts: 389 Member
    I do not log exercise because for me it is so irregular. I'm still working on establishing a solid exercise routine. You can always log it, just don't eat back those calories
  • AspenDan
    AspenDan Posts: 703 Member
    Eh, I don't exercise =P My job is outside, and fairly active (crawing beneath planes, dragging heavy hoses, etc) so I just don't do or log any excercising =)
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    kittyy250 wrote: »
    ginaDDDD wrote: »
    I don't log exercise. I don't want to be tempted to eat back my calories. It's set at 1200 and that's all I'm putting in my tummy per day until I go into maintenance in the future

    I know 1200 is the lowest setting. If you are exercising too this is a huge deficit are you sure this is safe?

    3 words

    lean...muscle...loss

    I keep my deficit moderate because I want to minimize lean muscle loss. Eating enough protein and strength training are important too.

    Healthy weight loss should help you lower your body fat %.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    I don't, because I base my calories off my TDEE from my Fitbit
    ginaDDDD wrote: »
    I don't log exercise. I don't want to be tempted to eat back my calories. It's set at 1200 and that's all I'm putting in my tummy per day until I go into maintenance in the future

    This is a very bad idea, and you'll likely burn out sooner or later
  • savithny
    savithny Posts: 1,200 Member
    You absolutely CAN choose to set your activity level higher and then not log exercise separately. It's either-or - build the exertcise into your base caloric recommendation and don't track, or don't include it and DO track.

  • Wolfena
    Wolfena Posts: 1,570 Member
    You could always log it to keep a record of what you've done but change the calories burned to zero
  • kimondo666
    kimondo666 Posts: 194 Member
    you lose via exercise only 30% of calories, diet is 70%. So more exercise don't matter that much as enough of food. If you're not undereating your calorie goal than it should be fine. Apparently human body is very efficient in conserving energy, probably has something with finding food in food deficient enviroment.
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