Exersice calories and Veggie

loridebacker
loridebacker Posts: 24 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I’m new to MFP coming from other diets that don’t count veggies. Do I count veg calories in my daily calorie limit, or are they free?
Also, I just started training for a marathon. I have synced my fit bit. Do I eat back my exersice calories? I would like to lose 30 lbs sooner then later but also need energy for running? Any advise on these 2 topics would be great!!! Thank you!!!!!

Replies

  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    If you count calories, you count everything that has calories. MFP is also designed for you to eat back exercise calories. If you feel that you still get too little food, decrease weight loss rate.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    count everything that has calories

    if you use MFP numbers (as opposed to a TDEE calculation) yes, eat back your exercise cals.

    you may want to reduce your deficit as you increase your mileage. in my experience, the runger is real!
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    every calorie counts.

    the only thing i dont count are spices/herbs in recipes (though i use the recipe builder so i guess they DO get counted lol) but when im just throwing *kitten* together and not going off one of my recipes - i dont weigh them out or worry about them.
  • loridebacker
    loridebacker Posts: 24 Member
    So if I wear my fit bit, would I eat back my excersice cals given for my training and have it count my steps per day and if any calories were given for those steps eat those also? Or turn off daily steps and just count my training for exercise I can eat? So confusing....
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    Calories count regardless of their source - I eat hundreds of calories of vegies a day, if I didn't count them I'd be using those calories on other things and going over my calorie goal
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    loridebacker wrote: »
    So if I wear my fit bit, would I eat back my excersice cals given for my training and have it count my steps per day and if any calories were given for those steps eat those also? Or turn off daily steps and just count my training for exercise I can eat? So confusing....

    i dotn have a fitbit, so i log my exercise, but yes, either should work if your fitbit is fairly accurate
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    loridebacker wrote: »
    So if I wear my fit bit, would I eat back my excersice cals given for my training and have it count my steps per day and if any calories were given for those steps eat those also? Or turn off daily steps and just count my training for exercise I can eat? So confusing....

    Running steps and walking steps are not the same in terms of calories so be careful as your mileage ramps up (by distance running burns approx twice as many calories as it's a less efficient movement). Endurance sports require proper fuelling and nutrition and a small calorie deficit - your rate of loss is the best guide to your actual long term deficit.

    The myfitnesspal method of accounting for exercise works well for endurance cardio IMHO - with caveat your estimates need to be reasonable.
  • Purplebunnysarah
    Purplebunnysarah Posts: 3,252 Member
    loridebacker wrote: »
    So if I wear my fit bit, would I eat back my excersice cals given for my training and have it count my steps per day and if any calories were given for those steps eat those also? Or turn off daily steps and just count my training for exercise I can eat? So confusing....

    Eat your Fitbit calories as transferred over to MFP (link your accounts). You'll get a lump sum adjustment that is comprised of both your activity adjustment (step count) and exercise (running). Fitbit handles the calories for steps differently than for exercise. Just make sure you are logging your runs over on the Fitbit side.

    Count your veggie calories but measuring low calorie veggies is the one spot you don't need to be precise to be successful until you get to very very small deficits. The difference between 1 & 2 cups of spinach, for example, is around 4 calories iirc. Calorie dense veggies should be measured more accurately (e.g. weigh your avocado).
  • loridebacker
    loridebacker Posts: 24 Member
    What do you mean log your runs on fit bit side? Like when I start my runs and I track them on my watch to see time duration intensity cals burned during my run??

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