Exercise calories - do I eat these? A video explanation.

SideSteel
SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
edited November 2021 in Getting Started
Here's a brief and simple explanation.

This video was approved by mod team before posting and this is a non monetized channel. I only mention for TOU/disclosure purposes. @psuLemon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67USKg3w_E4
Tagged:
«134567

Replies

  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    Lmao
  • jkwolly
    jkwolly Posts: 3,049 Member
    CafeRacer808 wrote: »
    I feel like every video you post should be a sticky.

    Agreed!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,876 Member
    Wish work didn't block the video...
  • Bmeyer13
    Bmeyer13 Posts: 8 Member
    New to this app, your video was very helpful. Thanks!
  • ibemtb
    ibemtb Posts: 8 Member
    Thank You! That explains it pretty well. THANK YOU FOR THIS APP BY THE WAY!!!!
  • Tania_181
    Tania_181 Posts: 100 Member
    Help, I'm still a little confused after watching the video. When I calculated my calorie requirements I used the Harris-Benedict equation and multiplied it by my activity level (for light exercise) before than minusing 500 for weight loss. Given that I multplied my BMR by my activity level do I need to eat back my exercise calories??
  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
    I would say no if you have accounted for them in your calorie goal already.

    Hopefully SideSteel will check in here and give you more information. I have never figured my calories that way so I don't know much about it. Have you used a TDEE calculator to figure it? This is the one that I have used. You might try it and see if your figures are close. Your TDEE would already include exercise.

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,876 Member
    Tania_181 wrote: »
    Help, I'm still a little confused after watching the video. When I calculated my calorie requirements I used the Harris-Benedict equation and multiplied it by my activity level (for light exercise) before than minusing 500 for weight loss. Given that I multplied my BMR by my activity level do I need to eat back my exercise calories??

    No, if you've accounted for them in your activity then you would be double dipping. You eat back exercise calories with the MFP methodology because they aren't accounted for in activity level
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
    Beautifully explained, Patrick. <3
  • Tania_181
    Tania_181 Posts: 100 Member
    Annie_01 wrote: »
    I would say no if you have accounted for them in your calorie goal already.

    Hopefully SideSteel will check in here and give you more information. I have never figured my calories that way so I don't know much about it. Have you used a TDEE calculator to figure it? This is the one that I have used. You might try it and see if your figures are close. Your TDEE would already include exercise.

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

    Thanks, the calculator gave me numbers very close to the ones I'm using so it looks like no I definitely should not be eating back the calories burnt.
  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
    The calculator that MFP uses does not include any allowance for exercise. They assume that you will eat back at least part of what you burn through exercise on top of your calorie allowance based on the amount that you want to lose. If your activity and exercise is consistent throughout the week the way that you have figured it or the TDEE is a better option.

    Mine isn't...I have 4 days that I am active and 3 days that my exercise is resistance training and since that doesn't burn many calories I have gone back to using MFP's calculation and just adding my exercise back in (about half of what the calculators tell me that I have burned).

    Glad that we could help you figure it out!
  • leanjogreen18
    leanjogreen18 Posts: 2,492 Member
    Thank you!
  • olyamhc
    olyamhc Posts: 60 Member
    This video was very helpful and right on time, thank you! Just yesterday I did 30min on Elliptical and while logging my dinner, I noticed that my overall calories for the day were 1500 (as opposed to 1200). I thought that I made a mistake somewhere :blush:
  • Verity1111
    Verity1111 Posts: 3,309 Member
    Much better than my short inpatient answer, which would be if you put your level of activity at sedentary then sure eat them and if not I don't know lol

Categories