Does anyone eat their exercise calories while losing?

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lc_getsfit
lc_getsfit Posts: 3 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Does anyone eat their exercise calories while losing? Do you eat a certain amount?

If you eat them do you track them manually or use a fitness tracker synced (like a Fitbit)!
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  • ejnxyz
    ejnxyz Posts: 33 Member
    edited March 2017
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    I track them manually, and try to never eat them!!! Go team!

    I worked with a nutritionist and stick to a specific number of calories they gave me for my exercise level and body size, even when I'm hungry I try to toe the line. There are calculators all over if you google out there. The key is to get enough potassium, and avoid the hellish salty garbage.
  • fitmom4lifemfp
    fitmom4lifemfp Posts: 1,575 Member
    edited March 2017
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    lc_getsfit wrote: »
    Does anyone eat their exercise calories while losing? Do you eat a certain amount?

    If you eat them do you track them manually or use a fitness tracker synced (like a Fitbit)!

    I let my FB track steps, and I enter workouts in FitBit. I don't really *track them* though, I couldn't tell you how many calories FB says I have burned. I find that that number is not really meaningful for me. I generally eat within my budget each day. If I did an exceptionally long bike ride, or had an unusually active day where I truly felt that I was hungrier than normal, I would certainly eat more. But most days fall as *normal* days, with just my normal budget.
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
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    I eat a portion of this back, but wary of the calorie over-estimations on several exercises. To be safe I cut these to about half and focus on protein.
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,483 Member
    edited March 2017
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    I ate mine. I would have been a couch potato out of the gym if hadn't.

    When I was losing using MFP's NEAT formula I ate back my exercise calories. I used the MFP data base and it was pretty accurate. I never used a digital tracker.

    When I was consistent with my exercise I used TDEE. This too was pretty accurate and the total weeks numbers were within 100cals of my NEAT calories plus exercise- just distributed differently.

    When I was near maintenance I worked out my own cal spent per hr based on the data from months of MFP logging.

    It was close to both NEAT and TDEE population averages for my stats, and has been the number I have used for over 6 years maintenance.

    All that being said- why if you are using MFP as designed would you deprive yourself of nutrients and calories needed to exercise.

    Those extra calories prevent sub-par performance when exercising, or lethargy in daily life.

    Start by eating 50 or 75% back, then adjust after a month so you are losing at your weekly goal.

    Cheers, h.
  • RedheadedPrincess14
    RedheadedPrincess14 Posts: 415 Member
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    Yes but I severely underestimate them to be safe
  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
    edited March 2017
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    I do my best to make sure my calculations are as accurate as possible, including subtracting 2 kcal/min to get net burn. But then I eat 100% back.
  • fitoverfortymom
    fitoverfortymom Posts: 3,452 Member
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    I'll dip into them a little, but usually under half. If I am especially ravenous, I will take an extra brisk walk to afford more calories.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,892 Member
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    I track my exercise calories manually and always eat at least some them.
  • estherdragonbat
    estherdragonbat Posts: 5,283 Member
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    I eat half. 1) I've lurked enough in the forums to notice all the post (and the infamous flow chart) saying that MFP and fitness machines can overestimate the burns. 2) I've always used measuring cups for solids. As much as I recognize that this is less accurate than weighing, I use American cookbooks a lot and sometimes, I can't be bothered to Google 'weight of 1 cup flour' or the cup of grapes I have with my Greek yogurt in the morning. Not eating back all my calories gives me a bit of a cushion that is—thus far—helping the weight come off. (If and when I plateau, tightening up my weights and measures will probably be the first thing I do.)
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    Always - but I put more effort than many appear to in ensuring they are reasonable.
    They don't have to be accurate but "reasonable" isn't hard to arrive at with a bit of self education and common sense.
  • TheCupcakeCounter
    TheCupcakeCounter Posts: 606 Member
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    I usually only eat a portion of them back - I eat a larger portion on days I do more strength training and try to make those high protein items.
  • ronjsteele1
    ronjsteele1 Posts: 1,064 Member
    edited March 2017
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    Be careful syncing a tracker with MFP. I did that because I thought it would be helpful. It was giving me back my calories based on how many steps I was walking (I avg 10-12K a day). I made sure I was logging my exercise as "0" or "1" calorie so I wasn't double dipping exercise calories. I ended up gaining 5#'s before I realized it was because I was eating back my step calories. I unsynced my Misfit from MFP and just log my exercise normal and I'm back to losing again. I eat back most of my exercise calories but I have a lot to lose. I figure as I get closer to goal I won't be able to (or will only be able to eat half). I'm not sure why eating back my actual exercise calories works and why eating back my step calories doesn't. All I know is, I gained when I followed the calories given when I had my tracker synced to MFP.

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