NOT "eating back your exercise calories"!

KaySera · August 2011

I know there seems to be a lot of topics on MFP about “eating back your exercise calories”…..but, hopefully, this won’t turn out to be one of them!

But I would like clarification on what is considered “exercise”.

I’m a registered dog walker and walk several dogs for about 3or4 hours, five days a week. At weekends I walk my own dog on his own (2hours @ 3mph and 419 MFP cals).

The dogs I look after are of various ages (eg a 6month old Yorkshire Terrier to a 15yo German Shepherd). Although I try to schedule the walks so that I have a (quick walking) youngster’s pack and a (slower) oldies pack, its not always possible.

So, if I walk 2hours at a 2mph, MFP gives me 318 cals; 3hours at 2mph gives me 476 cals. But I really don’t consider this to be “exercising”. My heart rate doesn’t rise that much (until we meet certain dogs we know to stay away from!!). And this is enough to keep me (at almost 63yo) “very fit, in excellent shape, with perfect blood pressure….but could do with losing about 8/10lbs” :blushing: --- according to my doctor.

Soooo…..the dreaded question............should I eat my exercise calories? ARE they exercise calories?

chevy88grl · August 2011

Here's my stand on this:

This is your job. Your body is used to doing it everyday (every other - or how ever often you do it). For me, I work on my feet 4-5 days a week for 5-9 hours a day. Instead of counting my work movement as exercise, I simply raised my activity level on this site. Now instead of being "active" I am highly active. I figure between work and the gym - I'm burning alot of calories. BUT. I also know that while I'm at work, I am burning but I don't have my heart rate up like I do when I am working out.

If it were me, I would raise my activity level and NOT count it as exercise.

sarah307 · August 2011

agree with chevy88girl ^^^^^^ depends on your settings for your activity level.

dennissara · August 2011

I agree. I would count it as having a high activity level and not as exercise.

deadstarsunburn · August 2011

Change your lifestyle setting and you won't have to log that as exercise if you don't want =]

NKF92879 · August 2011

If it were me, I would raise my activity level and NOT count it as exercise.

^^^^^ This!

Xaspar · August 2011

I have a tendency to look at the things I do EVERY day as my lifestyle activity level. My body has adapted to that activity level and it is no longer exercise. And the things I do ON PURPOSE to raise my heart rate and sweat a bit as exercise.

mark03264 · August 2011

I agree. I would count it as having a high activity level and not as exercise.

Agreed

taso42_DELETED · August 2011

At the end of that day, I hope we all realize it's not really about "exercise calories" per se. Ultimately what matters is sticking to the calorie deficit you have planned, whether it's 1000, 500, 250, or however many calories deficit per day. Your BMR + regular daily activites + additional exercise - food = your deficit. No matter how meticulous we are, it's all estimates. It's up to each individual to structure things such that they are manageable enough to continue with every day. For most that means picking a reasonable daily activity level and logging exercise that comes from actual workouts. Some choose to set their activity to sedentary and then log every little thing. Still yet another way, is to figure out your average burn including exercise, subtract a deficit and just go for that number (without even logging exercise). And there's people anywhere in between. Ultimately you have to find what's easiest for you to manage the "paperwork" on....

trafficdreamer · August 2011

I eat back my exercise calories not fully and I'm still losing the weight. Don't be afraid eat some healthy stuff. Enjoy.

MamaMizzle · August 2011

Here's my stand on this:

This is your job. Your body is used to doing it everyday (every other - or how ever often you do it). For me, I work on my feet 4-5 days a week for 5-9 hours a day. Instead of counting my work movement as exercise, I simply raised my activity level on this site. Now instead of being "active" I am highly active. I figure between work and the gym - I'm burning alot of calories. BUT. I also know that while I'm at work, I am burning but I don't have my heart rate up like I do when I am working out.

If it were me, I would raise my activity level and NOT count it as exercise.

I agree with this. If I were you, I would try it out and see what happens.

sweettoothfairy · August 2011

I agree. I would count it as having a high activity level and not as exercise.

Agreed

Couldnt agree more.

RebelBrew · August 2011

change your setting to sedentary and stay within the calories set and log everything its been working for me .......I don't eat back my exercise calories

lalalazzz · August 2011

I agree with changing your activity level. I am a stay at home mom that is constantly all day everyday cleaning, cooking , doing laundry, holding a baby, walking with a stroller etc and I see a lotof people counting such activities like food prep. I would be counting all day if I counted each walk, each "vigorous cleaning" session etc. I count fast paced walks with the baby (not leisurly strolls around the block) , treadmill workouts and yoga. I don't feel like couting the everyday activities I'd be doing with or without MFP is being fair to myself.

nsimportant · August 2011

I plan my meals in advance and always have at least 3 good meals. I tend to eat abit more when I exercise. I would go crazy if I would constantly have to tweak my meals depending on what i did today. And I am not a person that exercises for food. So I set a calorie goal and see where it brings me in a week or two. And considering hunger well when you arent constantly thinking about food and meals and aint snacking constantly your body will tell you "hey dude i am hungry"

I dont think eating back calories from low intensity stuff is really the way to go.
If You where not gaining weight before MFP log in what you usually eat reduce it by 300 to 750 (depends on how fast you want to loose) cals and there is your daily goal.

StevLL · August 2011

This is your job. Your body is used to doing it everyday (every other - or how ever often you do it). For me, I work on my feet 4-5 days a week for 5-9 hours a day. Instead of counting my work movement as exercise, I simply raised my activity level on this site. Now instead of being "active" I am highly active. I figure between work and the gym - I'm burning alot of calories. BUT. I also know that while I'm at work, I am burning but I don't have my heart rate up like I do when I am working out.

If it were me, I would raise my activity level and NOT count it as exercise.

Chevy girl said it perfectly. I raised my activity level and only count my cals when I ride my bike, workout, or bust a hard out of breath day working on the landscape (with 5 acres it never ends, but not all is hard labor) I've been consistenly losing since January and really have been much healthier since joing MFP in March. Good luck and what a great job! :-)

KaySera · August 2011

Thank you to everyone who took the time to reply. I've updated my level and MFP have raised me from 1200 to 1280cals...although sometimes I find it difficult to eat 1200. I truly believe your appetite decreases as you get older, so I hope MFP takes this into consideration?

I've always eaten healthily (ex-vegetarian) but it was my portion sizes that made me increase weight in the past. I've always had a "healthy" (aka BIG) appetite.

Thanks again everyone!

PS: Yes, SteLL , I've got the best job in the whole world since retiring and I wouldn't change it for a slim waistline!

NOT "eating back your exercise calories"!

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