do you log exercise calories?

Blondieee00
Blondieee00 Posts: 29 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I was wondering for those of you who do log exercise, when and is it beneficial? I am trying to decide if I should log mine. I exercise 90 minutes of cardio 5x a week, plus weights every other day. I logged today...but I am not sure if it will prevent me from losing weight? I burn about 700-1000 calories a day from the gym alone.


Thanks! X

Replies

  • ryry_
    ryry_ Posts: 4,966 Member
    If your calorie goal is set to lose a certain amount of weight per week, then you definitely want to eat back your exercise calories or else you will be undereating.

    Some people are nervous about eating all of their calories back due to overestimating calories burned, a common recommendation is to only eat back around 50-75% of your calories.
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    I use MFP as designed which gives you a goal before purposeful exercise so yes, I log my exercise and eat most of the calories. If I didn't I'd be undereating at worst and not fuelling my next workout at best.
  • WaCowboy
    WaCowboy Posts: 42 Member
    I always log mine with exception to the steps/walking I do all day. The reason I do is for motivation and to track how I did that week exercise wise. I am unsure what you mean when you are not sure if it will help you lose weight. I am going to assume you are talking about eating your exercise calories. On this site/forums you will find that it is very mixed when it comes to that. Some say yea, others say no, and some even say eat part of them. What I do is just stick to my assigned calories for the day. I don't eat back my exercise calories at all. That is just me though.

    If you search the forums you will find plenty of threads on eating back your exercise calories. Hope this helps.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    If your calorie goal comes from MFP, it's designed for you to eat back at least some of your exercise calories. This keeps you from having too much of a deficit. A deficit that is too large puts you at risk for fatigue, low energy, cravings, muscle loss, nutritional deficiencies, hair loss, and other problems.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    If you're using MFP as intended you would but I am always wary when someone posts such extravagant burns in such a short amount of time. If you're eating them back and not losing I would only eat a portion.
  • Blondieee00
    Blondieee00 Posts: 29 Member
    edited October 2016
    k
  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
    edited October 2016
    No.
    I don't really do any cardio (just lift), so no point.

    K...*groan*
  • mrbumblepants
    mrbumblepants Posts: 17 Member
    I count mine, because I want to make sure I'm getting enough net calories. Otherwise, that gets unhealthy. Plus, I find it's easier to eat a balanced diet with all the nutrients I need if I'm able to eat more.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,616 Member
    Blondieee00 wrote: »
    I was wondering for those of you who do log exercise, when and is it beneficial? I am trying to decide if I should log mine. I exercise 90 minutes of cardio 5x a week, plus weights every other day. I logged today...but I am not sure if it will prevent me from losing weight? I burn about 700-1000 calories a day from the gym alone.


    Thanks! X

    What are you doing to burn 1000 calories in 90 minutes? That must be some workout!!

    I'd recommend logging whatever it is you're doing as the "light" or "slow" options here on MFP ... and then only eat half that back.
  • fr33sia12
    fr33sia12 Posts: 1,258 Member
    I log my cardio exercise, but don't log anything else. I've been losing consistently every week so it works for me. As I don't know 100% how much I'm burning through exercise I only eat 100-200 extra when I exercise.
  • Blondieee00
    Blondieee00 Posts: 29 Member
    I run for 60-90 minutes.... at 8mph (i'm a runner and i do marathons so to me it is a normal workout)
  • Blondieee00
    Blondieee00 Posts: 29 Member
    Thanks for the recommendations everyone! Think I know what to do now!
  • SouthernPeach1
    SouthernPeach1 Posts: 21 Member
    I log mine, but I don't usually eat them.
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
    I do to a certain extent, but aware of the ~20% margin of error in calorie estimation, so tend to overlog my intake and underlog my workouts. The only reason is for the possibility of increasing protein intake and just to look back through the data and see how I'm feeling, performing, etc.
  • roamingtiger
    roamingtiger Posts: 747 Member
    I only log mine if I do cardio and go by what my HR says. The MFP exercise calories is garbage. I only log so I know how many calories to eat back (30-50% for me).
  • maidengirl_
    maidengirl_ Posts: 283 Member
    I log mine and sometimes I eat them back. Then again, I know exactly how many calories I burned via HRM and do not guess at these numbers because MFP estimations are high.
  • ryry_
    ryry_ Posts: 4,966 Member
    roamingtiger wrote: »
    I only log mine if I do cardio and go by what my HR says. The MFP exercise calories is garbage. I only log so I know how many calories to eat back (30-50% for me).

    I think this is a little bit of an unfair statement. Most of MFP's entries are based on MET charts which are mostly accurate. MFP's strength training burn is likely to be much more accurate than a HRM for instance since HRM's are very innacurate for non steady state activities.

    Granted, some of MFP's entries (elliptical for example) are insanely inaccurate and I'm not sure where they got them from. The main problem is the number is a gross number instead of a net but they HRM also has this problem.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    MFP consistently over-estimates calorie burn from riding a road bike by a factor of 2:1. I measure my bike calories with a power meter. I don't have an accurate and objective way to measure other forms of exercise so that's all I can say with complete certainty.
  • roamingtiger
    roamingtiger Posts: 747 Member
    I have never had an accurate calorie burn from MFP. Of course this isn't for everyone, but it's off by a couple hundred calories FOR ME. For example, there is no way I burn 228 calories walking 2.0mph for 1 hour.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    I log my exercise calories and usually do not eat back exercise calories. The times I do eat anything just because I exercised is if the work I'm logging as exercise has been hugely exhausting.
  • 808Trish808
    808Trish808 Posts: 122 Member
    roamingtiger wrote: »
    I have never had an accurate calorie burn from MFP. Of course this isn't for everyone, but it's off by a couple hundred calories FOR ME. For example, there is no way I burn 228 calories walking 2.0mph for 1 hour.

    True. I burn more than that by walking that same pace for that same amount of time.

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