Do I eat my exercise calories if my goal is to lose weight?

gddmommy
gddmommy Posts: 2 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I have been trying to eat about 1200 calories. I notice when I work out that Fitness Pal automatically adds the calories that I burn to my available calories. If my goal is to lose weight, is it better to ignore those calories or is it better to eat them?

Replies

  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,400 Member
    MyFitness Pal calculates your weight loss without exercise. That is why when you exercise you need to eat those calories. You should still lose.
  • missysippy930
    missysippy930 Posts: 2,577 Member
    Most people eat at least part of their exercise calories. 1200 is the bare minimum for women, so you should be eating exercise calories.
  • kshadows
    kshadows Posts: 1,315 Member
    1200 calories is so ridiculously low for most people. If you're using a fairly accurate way to track your exercise calories (ie: a heart rate monitor), then definitely eat them. If you're estimating using MFP, eat some of them, but be aware that the estimate is usually quite high so eating all of them back probably won't help because you won't be in a deficit.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,345 Member
    edited October 2019
    The app is designed with built in calorie deficit (if you've told it your aim was loss), so when you exercise you get to eat those calories back. The burns can be overestimated for exercise though so you can err on side of caution and eat back 50-75% of them back - until you have more data to go on.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    kshadows wrote: »
    1200 calories is so ridiculously low for most people. If you're using a fairly accurate way to track your exercise calories (ie: a heart rate monitor), then definitely eat them. If you're estimating using MFP, eat some of them, but be aware that the estimate is usually quite high so eating all of them back probably won't help because you won't be in a deficit.

    Not necessarily, it depends on the exercise and the individual. The MFP adjustments were accurate for me when I first started, and when I got a FitBit and started eating back exercise adjustments from the device being synced it was also accurate enough for my needs.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    OP what are your stats?
    What is your goal?
    What rate of loss did you choose?
    What activity level did you choose?
    What is your typical activity/exercise routine?
    Are you using a food scale for logging accuracy?
    Have you read the stickied most helpful forum posts at the top of the getting started section for great info about the site and how to best use it?
  • gddmommy
    gddmommy Posts: 2 Member
    edited October 2019
    I am 43 year old female, 5’2” and weigh 203 lbs.
    My goal is to get in a healthy weight range which would be around 120 lbs.
    I have an office job and drive my kids around in the evening so I find myself sitting a lot. I chose sedentary.
    I walk 4 miles 2/3 times a week. I have recently started running for 30 seconds at a time to raise my heart rate as I am walking. On the days I don’t walk I do Zumba exercise video. I try to do one or the other a minimum of 4 days a week. I have an Apple Watch and when I walk I burn about 400 calories and when I Zumba somewhere between 400-500.
    I don’t have a scale but I do use measuring tools for portion control.
    I have read the stickied post.
    Also, I have done WW for the past year and have lost 30 lbs. I recently stopped and have started using fitness pal. I felt like I was too out of control with all of the “free” foods and want to track everything I eat which is how I ended up back here. Just trying to figure out the best way to lose. I have a dr appointment on the 30th and will discuss with him then. I didn’t want to eat too little or too much until then.
    Thanks!
  • ibamosaserreinas
    ibamosaserreinas Posts: 294 Member
    As a rule I don’t eat mine. I choose not to for a few reasons.

    1. I think the number of calories burned is overestimated and somewhat unreliable.
    2. I know that various food items are going to come up throughout the week that won’t be easily measurable/weighable. I’ll estimate that cookie from the break room, or that restaurant item but I know I might be off on my calorie estimation.
    3. I don’t always remember to weigh a lot of my meats prior to cooking them so I know that my portions are probably an ounce or two heavier than they show after cooking.

    Knowing I don’t usually eat the exercise calories means I don’t feel overly bad going over once in awhile.
  • ibamosaserreinas
    ibamosaserreinas Posts: 294 Member
    I would definitely get a food scale. It is so easy to overeat and not know it.
  • teresa19622015
    teresa19622015 Posts: 34 Member
    I don’t. MFP really overestimates calories burned when I’ve checked various activities against other websites. I figure whatever exercise I do is a bonus deficit and also helps when I can’t weigh food and am guesstimating.
  • debtay123
    debtay123 Posts: 1,327 Member
    ITA with the food scale and I also never eat back more than HALF my exercise calories that mfp gives me. I am short too- just 5 feet 3- so i too have to be careful-- I think that food scale will shock you- it did shock ME

Categories