Tracking exercise calories

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Littleloz34
Littleloz34 Posts: 41 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all ... just wondered Who tracks their exercise calories ? Does it hinder your weight loss ? Xxx

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  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    Are you referring to eating back exercise calories? I have a synced Fitbit and I eat my calorie adjustments. I did it when I was losing weight (I'm now maintaining) and my weight loss went exactly as expected.
  • Littleloz34
    Littleloz34 Posts: 41 Member
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    Yes hun xx
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
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    MFP's system is designed for exercise calories to be eaten. That being said, some of the estimates in the database are too generous. Many start by only eating some % of them for awhile and track results and adjust if necessary.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    newme32blonde wrote: »
    Hi all ... just wondered Who tracks their exercise calories ? Does it hinder your weight loss ? Xxx

    I account for my exercise calories...why wouldn't I...they aren't some kind of special other calorie. They roll up into your TDEE just like any other calorie.

    I used MFP's method for a few months when I first started...which is to log exercise or activity that is in excess of what you have selected as your overall activity level. For example, I was set to sedentary...once I got on the exercise bandwagon I was working out in some capacity for at least an hour 6 days per week...which made me no longer sedentary, so yes I would log those and eat back a portion of those calories from exercise...it isn't an exact science which is why I ate back a portion, but accounting for some exercise calories is more accurate than exercising and accounting for none.

    When my exercise became fairly routine and consistent I switched to the TDEE method where I account for exercise in my overall activity level...so while my desk job is sedentary, with everything else I do, including deliberate exercise I'm actually moderately active.

    They should be accounted for one way or another. If you don't account for them, you run the risk of having too steep of a deficit which is harmful long term. Think about it this way...when I was using the MFP method I would get a base target of 1900 calories without exercise...this equates to a 500 calorie deficit from my NEAT (non exercise activity thermogensis. 30 mile bike rides became fairly routine and I would burn in the neighborhood of 1,000 calories...if I didn't account for those, my net calorie intake for the day would be 900 calories which is essentially the same thing as not exercising and just eating 900 calories...not remotely healthy for an adult male or an adult female for that matter and I would have had long term health ramifications from failing to provide my body the energy it needs just for basic functions like being alive.
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,692 Member
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    MFP is set up to eat back some, if not all, of your exercise calories. I eat back all my exercise calories because I set my activity level to sedentary though I exercise for a couple of hours a day. (The rest of the time I'm usually reading, watching TV or at the computer.) That has worked for me. I lost weight and have been maintaining that loss for several years.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,108 Member
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    I lost 80 pounds by eating every single delicious exercise calorie. Still do, 13 years later.

    With that said, there is a little personal experimentation you'll need to do.

    Activity Level (in Goals) is one area of experimentation, so is learning to log food accurately. Then there's the rather cloudy issue of Exercise calories when you are doing varied types of exercise.

    So, run the experiment. She who loses her weight while eating the most wins. :)
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    edited June 2020
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    Eating back my exercise calories didn't stop me losing weight on schedule.

    It's also necessary to eat them back when you get to goal weight and want to maintain. The life lesson the app is trying to teach people is when you do more you should eat more and conversely when you do less you need to eat less.
  • lisac957
    lisac957 Posts: 6 Member
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    Just be aware that MFP calories assigned to exercise are generic, and in many experiences, grossly over estimated. My Garmin (tied to my heart rate, weight, age, etc.) consistently shows about half of the calories burned as MFP gives me. Your results may vary.
  • steph6556
    steph6556 Posts: 575 Member
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    A really great tip another member gave me is to set your activity level to sedentary or not active and then log your exercise. That will keep your calories low enough to lose weight while giving you a little boost of excitement to see how many “extra” calories you can eat. On a non workout day you will just stick to your allotted calories with no workout calorie boost. That will keep you on track toward your goal

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