Eating back exercise calories ??

Hi - I am so sorry if this has been discussed 100 times I’m new to the app & can’t seem to find any comments on it!
I’ve been tracking for 2 days now & today have just under 10,000 steps on my Fitbit, this has earned me an extra 825 calories! I’m not going to eat all of these, however can I eat some of them?? It seems like an awful lot?!?

Replies

  • Panini911
    Panini911 Posts: 2,325 Member
    It seems high but that may relate to your height/weight (takes more enegy to move a larger body)

    i assume you set your activity level to sedentary? if that is a normal step count you can change your activity level.

    if you have concerns, eat back 50-75% and track your progress. if you lose too fast/are too hungry increase the portion eaten.
  • Lenala13
    Lenala13 Posts: 152 Member
    I eat mine back if I’m hungry or feel low on energy. I don’t eat then back when I feel fine/full. You can also eat back some vs all. Do what feels best for you.
  • MrsKSlim
    MrsKSlim Posts: 5 Member
    I have a desk job so I have set my level to not very active - unless I go for a walk at lunchtime I struggle to get 10,000 steps but I do try to get them most days. Should I have set it to lightly active??
  • MrsKSlim
    MrsKSlim Posts: 5 Member
    Actually sorry it’s 595 extra calories not... typed wrong!
  • grimendale
    grimendale Posts: 2,154 Member
    If you're typically getting 10,000, I'd probably go with lightly active. I'm usually around 4-6k unless I go running, so I'm set at sedentary (desk job and all that). Whichever way you go, keep an eye on how things shake out after a month or so and adjust as needed. Those big extra calorie numbers can be intimidating at first, but you'll get a sense of how accurate the burns recorded are for you. On my longer runs, I'll rack up an extra 1200+ calories, and I usually eat back 85-95% of them, depending on how hungry I am that day. If you're tracking properly, you'll keep losing.
  • MrsKSlim
    MrsKSlim Posts: 5 Member
    grimendale wrote: »
    If you're typically getting 10,000, I'd probably go with lightly active. I'm usually around 4-6k unless I go running, so I'm set at sedentary (desk job and all that). Whichever way you go, keep an eye on how things shake out after a month or so and adjust as needed. Those big extra calorie numbers can be intimidating at first, but you'll get a sense of how accurate the burns recorded are for you. On my longer runs, I'll rack up an extra 1200+ calories, and I usually eat back 85-95% of them, depending on how hungry I am that day. If you're tracking properly, you'll keep losing.

    Wow really!! I have stayed in my minimum deficit but it’s nice to know they’re there for sure. Just wary that according to that my 10,009 steps earned me 5 kitkats! If I was doing slimming world or something that would never be allowed.

    Some days I am 10,000 steps and others I’m not - tomorrow it’s raining all day & I have to travel to a long meeting so I’m unlikely to get many at all, should I change it depending on the day or does it have to stay the same level throughout??

  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,023 Member
    MrsKSlim wrote: »
    grimendale wrote: »
    If you're typically getting 10,000, I'd probably go with lightly active. I'm usually around 4-6k unless I go running, so I'm set at sedentary (desk job and all that). Whichever way you go, keep an eye on how things shake out after a month or so and adjust as needed. Those big extra calorie numbers can be intimidating at first, but you'll get a sense of how accurate the burns recorded are for you. On my longer runs, I'll rack up an extra 1200+ calories, and I usually eat back 85-95% of them, depending on how hungry I am that day. If you're tracking properly, you'll keep losing.

    Wow really!! I have stayed in my minimum deficit but it’s nice to know they’re there for sure. Just wary that according to that my 10,009 steps earned me 5 kitkats! If I was doing slimming world or something that would never be allowed.

    Some days I am 10,000 steps and others I’m not - tomorrow it’s raining all day & I have to travel to a long meeting so I’m unlikely to get many at all, should I change it depending on the day or does it have to stay the same level throughout??

    Unlike most other calculators, MFP's calorie goal uses your NEAT (not your TDEE) which does not include purposeful exercise. So MFP's goal is usually lower than other's, because you are expected to log your exercise and eat back at least some of those calories.

    Your activity level should include stuff you do every day, so I would set it to your level on your least active days. Then you should log any other activity (like steps) when it happens. If you have an activity tracker, you can sync it with MFP and get calorie adjustments throughout the day. If you don't necessarily keep track of all this extra activity, you could see how many calories MFP gives you for the lower activity level and the higher one, leave it set at the lower level but make a note of how many extra calories it would give you, and then know you have those calories to dip into on active days. It sounds complicated, but after awhile you just get used to it. I know on my more active days my Fitbit gives me an extra 200-250 cals, so when a technical glitch keeps them from syncing I still know about where my calories should be.

    It's trial and error, just log accurately whatever you decide so you know what to tweak if your results aren't what they should be :smile:
  • MrsKSlim
    MrsKSlim Posts: 5 Member
    kimny72 wrote: »
    MrsKSlim wrote: »
    grimendale wrote: »
    If you're typically getting 10,000, I'd probably go with lightly active. I'm usually around 4-6k unless I go running, so I'm set at sedentary (desk job and all that). Whichever way you go, keep an eye on how things shake out after a month or so and adjust as needed. Those big extra calorie numbers can be intimidating at first, but you'll get a sense of how accurate the burns recorded are for you. On my longer runs, I'll rack up an extra 1200+ calories, and I usually eat back 85-95% of them, depending on how hungry I am that day. If you're tracking properly, you'll keep losing.

    Wow really!! I have stayed in my minimum deficit but it’s nice to know they’re there for sure. Just wary that according to that my 10,009 steps earned me 5 kitkats! If I was doing slimming world or something that would never be allowed.

    Some days I am 10,000 steps and others I’m not - tomorrow it’s raining all day & I have to travel to a long meeting so I’m unlikely to get many at all, should I change it depending on the day or does it have to stay the same level throughout??

    Unlike most other calculators, MFP's calorie goal uses your NEAT (not your TDEE) which does not include purposeful exercise. So MFP's goal is usually lower than other's, because you are expected to log your exercise and eat back at least some of those calories.

    Your activity level should include stuff you do every day, so I would set it to your level on your least active days. Then you should log any other activity (like steps) when it happens. If you have an activity tracker, you can sync it with MFP and get calorie adjustments throughout the day. If you don't necessarily keep track of all this extra activity, you could see how many calories MFP gives you for the lower activity level and the higher one, leave it set at the lower level but make a note of how many extra calories it would give you, and then know you have those calories to dip into on active days. It sounds complicated, but after awhile you just get used to it. I know on my more active days my Fitbit gives me an extra 200-250 cals, so when a technical glitch keeps them from syncing I still know about where my calories should be.

    It's trial and error, just log accurately whatever you decide so you know what to tweak if your results aren't what they should be :smile:

    I just hit my 10,000 steps and my Fitbit synced with MFP has given me an extr 795 calories. Does that sound right to you? When you eat back your calories what
    Sort of foods are you eating?? Are we talking hounous & protein or treats??
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,023 Member
    edited June 2019
    MrsKSlim wrote: »
    kimny72 wrote: »
    MrsKSlim wrote: »
    grimendale wrote: »
    If you're typically getting 10,000, I'd probably go with lightly active. I'm usually around 4-6k unless I go running, so I'm set at sedentary (desk job and all that). Whichever way you go, keep an eye on how things shake out after a month or so and adjust as needed. Those big extra calorie numbers can be intimidating at first, but you'll get a sense of how accurate the burns recorded are for you. On my longer runs, I'll rack up an extra 1200+ calories, and I usually eat back 85-95% of them, depending on how hungry I am that day. If you're tracking properly, you'll keep losing.

    Wow really!! I have stayed in my minimum deficit but it’s nice to know they’re there for sure. Just wary that according to that my 10,009 steps earned me 5 kitkats! If I was doing slimming world or something that would never be allowed.

    Some days I am 10,000 steps and others I’m not - tomorrow it’s raining all day & I have to travel to a long meeting so I’m unlikely to get many at all, should I change it depending on the day or does it have to stay the same level throughout??

    Unlike most other calculators, MFP's calorie goal uses your NEAT (not your TDEE) which does not include purposeful exercise. So MFP's goal is usually lower than other's, because you are expected to log your exercise and eat back at least some of those calories.

    Your activity level should include stuff you do every day, so I would set it to your level on your least active days. Then you should log any other activity (like steps) when it happens. If you have an activity tracker, you can sync it with MFP and get calorie adjustments throughout the day. If you don't necessarily keep track of all this extra activity, you could see how many calories MFP gives you for the lower activity level and the higher one, leave it set at the lower level but make a note of how many extra calories it would give you, and then know you have those calories to dip into on active days. It sounds complicated, but after awhile you just get used to it. I know on my more active days my Fitbit gives me an extra 200-250 cals, so when a technical glitch keeps them from syncing I still know about where my calories should be.

    It's trial and error, just log accurately whatever you decide so you know what to tweak if your results aren't what they should be :smile:

    I just hit my 10,000 steps and my Fitbit synced with MFP has given me an extr 795 calories. Does that sound right to you? When you eat back your calories what
    Sort of foods are you eating?? Are we talking hounous & protein or treats??

    That would be a lot for me, but it depends on your weight. If it seems too much to you, start out eating half, give it a few weeks, and see if you end up hungry (eat more then) or not losing as much as expected (eat less then).

    I don't really micro manage what I eat, and some days I eat like a vegetarian hippie while another day I eat like a 7 yr old boy :lol:

    I just focus on hitting my calories, protein, and fiber. The rest is what it is. I always eat an afternoon snack and an evening snack, so on unusually active days, I'd probably eat more in a main meal rather than add a snack. Or maybe I'd have a beer :blush:
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
    MrsKSlim wrote: »
    Actually sorry it’s 595 extra calories not... typed wrong!

    You actually did use energy to walk around, and that's the right ballpark. It's just like when you drive more you put more gas in your car, food is yummy but it's also fuel for your body. Your calorie goal already has a deficit in it (people who don't exercise can lose weight) and if you eat those calories back you'll still be at a deficit.

    A lot of people thing "if losing weight is good and losing tons of it really fast must be better!!!" but it's not if your goals are health or vanity.
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,668 Member
    Don't increase your activity level and also eat back the steps as exercise. That would essentially be double counting.

    I don't log my steps. They are just part of daily living or your basic activity level. I do log deliberate exercise - if I go for a walk or run. Those calories I eat back. If you log both your steps and your walks or runs, you could again be double counting.
  • temazur
    temazur Posts: 76 Member
    I found my Fitbit would over-estimate calorie burn if I had the heart rate monitor on (we're talking close to 1k extra calories for 12,000 steps). Once I turned it off, it started sending more reasonable amounts of calorie burn over to MFP.

    Now I usually eat back maybe half of what it is and I know I'm safe, probably not going over.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    kimny72 wrote: »

    ^great post. There's a reason this video is included in the stickied "must reads" posts at the top of each forum section. Definitely check those out if you haven't had a chance yet.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    edited June 2019
    Don't increase your activity level and also eat back the steps as exercise. That would essentially be double counting.

    I don't log my steps. They are just part of daily living or your basic activity level. I do log deliberate exercise - if I go for a walk or run. Those calories I eat back. If you log both your steps and your walks or runs, you could again be double counting.

    To clear up an often-repeated misunderstanding.
    Unlikely to be double-counting - unless you happen to log Start time as am when it should be pm, that type of thing.

    Any workouts entered on MFP go back to tracker accounts to replace what's there. Trackers are replace-only systems. MFP is add-on system - hence it's math when syncing with trackers is to remove any exercise calories before calculating the adjustment.

    So even if you entered the exact same calories as Fitbit came up with in a workout, even if it shows an Activity Record (which you got the calorie count from), you can have many records on Fitbit but only the last one applies to what is now included in the daily stats, and that syncs back to MFP.

    And increasing the Activity level would cause there to be LESS of an adjustment - it ends up the same either way.
    So no double-counting there at all.