Eating back exercise calories

theron12
theron12 Posts: 60 Member
edited November 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
Should I eat back my exercise calories if I'm trying to lose weight? What will happen if I don't? Thanks!

Replies

  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    If you got your calorie recommendation from MFP, it did not include exercise. So by adding exercise you are increasing the deficit. Lean muscle "insurance" = adequate protein, strength training, and a moderate deficit. Fast weight loss has a price.

    The tricky part is learning how many calories to eat back. Calorie burns are guesstimates. Many MFP users will start by eating back 50% and then adjust up or down (after several weeks) based on actual results.
  • theron12
    theron12 Posts: 60 Member
    Hey thanks! This is what MFP is telling me.

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  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
    1591 calories sounds like a lot. What exercises did you do?
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    That's how MFP is set up. However, calorie burn estimates can often be overestimated, so it's best to eat back 50-75% of those calories. And depending on how you got 1500+ calories (all Fitbit? or is there logged exercise in there as well), I may eat back even less.

    Not eating them back would mean you would lose quicker, but at a price (higher muscle loss, other health issues that could come from not getting enough nutrients/calories).
  • theron12
    theron12 Posts: 60 Member
    Here is my exercise from this morning.

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