Should I eat any/all of my exercise calories?

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jennbpbc
jennbpbc Posts: 8 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi - I started using MFP at the beginning of January and I am curious what others do about their exercise calories. I have MFP programmed to 1300 calories per day and I burn an average of 645 calories through Crossfit and Zumba 5 days a week. My exercise calories are calculated through my Fitbit Blaze (using my weight and HR) and my calories from food are calculated based on nutrition labels, entering recipes and weighing my food for accuracy (I realize it is still not perfect but I make an effort to be accurate). My question is, should I strictly stay at 1300 calories each day or should/could I eat at least part of my exercise calories? Keep in mind that the calories that MFP counts as exercise are significantly less than what my Fitbit estimates I burn on a daily basis (2787 actual vs. 696 exercise yesterday). I have lost 7 lbs. since January 3rd and want to lose ~50 more lbs.

Replies

  • annacole94
    annacole94 Posts: 997 Member
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    I'd eat the MFP calories, but not the Fitbit calories. 1300 is pretty low to continue every day for months. Upping it to 1500 or 1600 on days you exercise will be much more sustainable and pleasant. Congrats on your loss so far!

    I eat most of my MFP exercise calories. I've lost 5 lb since the beginning of Jan, and have about 10 to go. Without the exercise calories, I'd be pretty miserable.
  • tapwaters
    tapwaters Posts: 428 Member
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    Most eat back about half of the exercise calories.
  • jennbpbc
    jennbpbc Posts: 8 Member
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    Thanks! I have been allowing myself some of them daily (1300 is pretty hard at times) but I just didn't know if I was doing this all wrong B)
  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,834 Member
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    Most the time with well-rounded meals for my caloric intake I don't need to eat them back. However, if I am hungry and feeling low on energy I use the calories and eat them back. If I don't need them I don't.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    Hi!

    Please see if this is helpful.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10503681/exercise-calories-do-i-eat-these-a-video-explanation
  • annacole94
    annacole94 Posts: 997 Member
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    Oh, and if I don't want to eat all my exercise calories, I under report my exercise (say, enter half the time I did it rather than the full time) so that I know how many calories I really want to eat today. I don't want to do math about how it *says* I have 600 calories left, but I *really* have 300 calories left.
  • kasutfin4636
    kasutfin4636 Posts: 1 Member
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    I watched the video and it was a good explanation, but why is it when I eat even the slightest part of my exercise calories I either don't see any movement on the scale or it goes up?
    My husband can eat all of his and still go down.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    kasutfin4636 wrote: »
    I watched the video and it was a good explanation, but why is it when I eat even the slightest part of my exercise calories I either don't see any movement on the scale or it goes up?
    My husband can eat all of his and still go down.

    When people don't lose when they eat back exercise calories it's usually one of two causes: they aren't accurately measuring calories in (underestimating portions, choosing wrong database entries) or they aren't accurately estimating calories out (they think they're burning 500 calories from exercise when really it's less than that).
  • savithny
    savithny Posts: 1,200 Member
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    Note that your Fitbit calories aren't just for exercise -they're your regular daily living calories PLUS exercise, so of course they'll not be the same.
  • jennbpbc
    jennbpbc Posts: 8 Member
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    SideSteel wrote: »
    Hi!

    Please see if this is helpful.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10503681/exercise-calories-do-i-eat-these-a-video-explanation


    That was a great video and extremely helpful! Thanks!
  • jennbpbc
    jennbpbc Posts: 8 Member
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    savithny wrote: »
    Note that your Fitbit calories aren't just for exercise -they're your regular daily living calories PLUS exercise, so of course they'll not be the same.

    Thanks! I pretty much ignore my Fitbit calories and only pay attention to the ones on MFP. I just added them in as a reference to what MFP counts as exercise vs. what Fitbit says I burn everyday just living.
  • Chadxx
    Chadxx Posts: 1,199 Member
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    tapwaters wrote: »
    Most eat back about half of the exercise calories.

    This is where I would start and then adjust if needed after you monitor your progress for a while.
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,750 Member
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    If you are using mfp's calorie goals, you need to eat extra to account for exercise. Otherwise the goal is too low, as it is calculated excluding exercise. If you don't want to eat back any exercise calories, go online and use a TREE calculator to work out your calories with an allowance for exercise already included.

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