Using calories from exercise

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capedcrusader1
capedcrusader1 Posts: 8
in Introduce Yourself
Can someone please tell me why if I say burn 500 calories at the gym, I add the whole amount onto my daily calorie requirement. Surely even if I was sitting around I would have burned some calories! Thanks for your help on this.

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  • ingot81
    ingot81 Posts: 618 Member
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    Your calorie goal takes into account the calories your body needs to function (watch telly, digest food, breathe, etc.). The exercise you do in the gym is additional to this so that is why it is added on. Does that help?
  • papastu
    papastu Posts: 737 Member
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    totaly agree with you, very hot topic this one, I would browse ' Eating exercise calories '

    personaly I dont get it, if you go to the gym and burn 300 cals and come home and eat 300 cals of food , why go to the gym
  • babyblake11
    babyblake11 Posts: 1,107 Member
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    divide your bmr by twenty four and thats how many calories you burn per hour.
    for example:
    my bmr is 1340. 1340 divided by 24 is 55.8. so i burn around 56 calories an hour doing nothing
    day you have 'burnt' 500 calories doing 60 minutes exercise, you would minus 56 calories from your exercise calories.

    get it? i think its right someone tell me if im wrong.
  • LisaMariaCallow
    LisaMariaCallow Posts: 170
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    I too struggle with this one. The only thing I can tell you is what I do-I eat about 1200-1400 calories/day. I'm in maintainance now, but I RARELY eat back my calories burned...that's my workout bonus! Hope this helps-Good Luck!
  • Riley4ever
    Riley4ever Posts: 225 Member
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    totaly agree with you, very hot topic this one, I would browse ' Eating exercise calories '

    personaly I dont get it, if you go to the gym and burn 300 cals and come home and eat 300 cals of food , why go to the gym


    ^^^^ assuming to get toned, to feel good (endorphins), to keep your heart healthy, to boost your circulation, to sweat any impurities out of your body, to keep busy & away from food - lol plus there are plenty of claims that your body continues to burn fat AFTER exercise for quite some time :D
  • capedcrusader1
    capedcrusader1 Posts: 8
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    Thank you all for answering guys.
    No I do understand why you have to eat the calories that you exercise. If you go below your recommended diet calories through exercise or not eating you will go into starvation mode. Unfortunately I have definite evidence of this. I have been in bed ill for a couple of weeks and could not eat except for the occasional bowl of soup. I was on about 250 calories a day. I have just weighed myself and have lost four ounces!! I am fine and eating now.

    No my question was: If you say burn 500 calories in the gym why do you take the whole amount off. If I was sitting at home I would burn maybe 100 calories anyway. Say why not take 400 off???
  • capedcrusader1
    capedcrusader1 Posts: 8
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    meant to say put calories on not take them off!!!
  • aprilhelmreich
    aprilhelmreich Posts: 40 Member
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    I just typed basically what you type. But now you clarified your question and I have no idea what your asking LOL. Hope someone else helps ya!!
  • capedcrusader1
    capedcrusader1 Posts: 8
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    Yes we do agree croniccapri lol!!
    The crux of my question is why if I burn off 500 calories in the gym do I eat 500 calories and need not take into account that if I was doing nothing at home I would still burn off 100 calories!! The maths don't add up. Why don't I just eat another 400 calories???
  • babyblake11
    babyblake11 Posts: 1,107 Member
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    divide your bmr by twenty four and thats how many calories you burn per hour.
    for example:
    my bmr is 1340. 1340 divided by 24 is 55.8. so i burn around 56 calories an hour doing nothing
    day you have 'burnt' 500 calories doing 60 minutes exercise, you would minus 56 calories from your exercise calories.

    get it? i think its right someone tell me if im wrong.

    this
  • capedcrusader1
    capedcrusader1 Posts: 8
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    Thank you that is most helpful!
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
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    My take is, exercise raises your heart rate for a while after you stop, so adding the full amount is probably a fairly accurate overview of your burn for the day.
  • capedcrusader1
    capedcrusader1 Posts: 8
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    I think that is the best answer yet fteale. I asked around and it does seem that you burn extra calories after you stop exercising because your metabolism is faster for a short time.
    Thank you so much. I think that answers my question!
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
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    Hey, I just want the extra calories, so I'll make up any excuse to be allowed them! I do think my point is valid, though.
  • robpett2001
    robpett2001 Posts: 320 Member
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    my question was: If you say burn 500 calories in the gym why do you take the whole amount off. If I was sitting at home I would burn maybe 100 calories anyway. Say why not take 400 off???

    I think the simple answer is...because you chose to go to the gym where you actually burned 500 calories, and you didn't stay at home on the couch. You're using your exercise diary to track the calories you actually burned.

    Some context that may or may not be relevant: When you first set up your Goals here, it asks you "How would you describe your normal daily activities?", and gives you choices of Sedentary, Active, Very Active, etc... Your response there adds a multiplier to your BMR (the number of calories you'd burn if you were just lying there in a coma), to account for those calories you spend living your daily life -- the things you normally do. For me, exercise is not something I had done in my daily life, so I track those calories burned in my exercise log.

    More important, remember that calorie counting is an art, not a down-to-the-unit precise thing. Every body performs differently, every Denny's Grand Slam Breakfast doesn't have exactly the same precise number of calories (lol). These are general tools to help guide the decisions we make.

    If you want to drive yourself crazy, you CAN go ahead and try to account the calories you would've burned if you'd been sitting at home in front of the TV instead of running three miles, but the benefit you would gain from trying to achieve such precision in an inherently imprecise activity...well, if you've got the inclination for it, you're a much more ambitious person than I. :)

    I hope that helps!

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