Eating workout calories?

jla2425
jla2425 Posts: 67 Member
edited November 17 in Food and Nutrition
Yay or nay on eating workout calories ?

Replies

  • CherylG1983
    CherylG1983 Posts: 294 Member
    Depends what your goal is. If you're trying to lose weight, no. If you're trying to maintain or gain, yes.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Your calorie goal is as per no exercise...your activity level doesn't include exercise...common sense would dictate that unaccounted for activity should be accounted for...you're moving more than you said you would be, thus your calorie requisites are higher.

    If I maintain on 2400 calories with no exercise, MFP will give me a sedentary target of 1,900 calories to lose about 1 Lb per week.

    If I exercise and burn 300 calories, my maintenance will have jumped by 300 calories to 2700 calories...thus I could eat those additional 300 calories and eat 2200 calories and still lose about 1 Lb per week because 2700-2200=500 calorie deficit still...just math.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10503681/exercise-calories-do-i-eat-these-a-video-explanation
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    cherylmurray83 wrote: »
    Depends what your goal is. If you're trying to lose weight, no. If you're trying to maintain or gain, yes.

    Or it depends on if you understand how this tool works...
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    cherylmurray83 wrote: »
    Depends what your goal is. If you're trying to lose weight, no. If you're trying to maintain or gain, yes.

    Wrong answer!
  • jla2425
    jla2425 Posts: 67 Member
    My goal is to lose weight...
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited April 2017
    cherylmurray83 wrote: »
    Depends what your goal is. If you're trying to lose weight, no yes. If you're trying to maintain or gain, yes.

    Fixed it.....

    MyFitness Pal gave you a calorie deficit with zero exercise factored in, so eating exercise calories back should ideally get you back to your original deficit.

    However, calorie burns are estimates. As are your activity level and your food logging. Many people start by eating back a % of exercise calories - say 50-75%. After a few weeks adjust that % up or down based on actual results.
  • extra_medium
    extra_medium Posts: 1,525 Member
    MFP is designed for you to eat them back. The problem is that your calorie burn is an estimate - it could be higher or lower than what is being reported. Many people start by eating back half of the calories you burn and seeing how that goes.
  • WickAndArtoo
    WickAndArtoo Posts: 773 Member
    Yes eat them back, its a perk of doing the exercise. This is especially important if you are doing strength exercises or if you have your calorie limit set very low. Some people eat half back, so that they don't have to worry f the counts aren't accurate.
  • Carillon_Campanello
    Carillon_Campanello Posts: 726 Member
    edited April 2017
    jla2425 wrote: »
    Yay or nay on eating workout calories ?

    Currently trying to add weight back so I eat all of mine plus 10% of overall.

    The video linked above is a pretty good explanation and synopsis.

    If you are trying to lose weight just be mindful of your overall weight if you are eating some or all of the exercise calories. If the scale isn't moving at all OR is moving in the opposite of the desired direction then you need to reassess how you are eating and exercising (and probably sleeping too). Don't just rely on MFP calorie estimates to determine "yea or nay". Pay attention to your measurements in relation to your goals over time too. That will give you an idea of if you, individually, are making the right eating decisions or not. Good luck.
  • ja20102004
    ja20102004 Posts: 349 Member
    No
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