eating exercise calories

joybedford
joybedford Posts: 1,680 Member
edited October 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
I really like this site and am finding it so easy to use but one thing is confusing me a little. I exercise a lot 6 days a week and generally have a very active lifestyle. Yesterday i earned over 900 exercise calories and today about 700 I think. I have read on other threads that I should eat my exercise cals but this gives me a daily total of over 2000. I know if I eat this i will not lose weight. My daily allowance without exercise is around 1450 and to be honest this is enough and I am having a protein shake every day and wine last night. Is it OK not to eat the extras.

Replies

  • FearAnLoathing
    FearAnLoathing Posts: 4,852 Member
    You will get many diffrent opinions on this. But the way MFP is set up is that you are supposed to. I know alot of people do not eat every last one to leave wiggle room,since machines or mfp esstimates of calories burnt are kinda high.
  • Misiaxcore
    Misiaxcore Posts: 659 Member
    Sure you don't have to eat them, if you want your metabolism to slow down.

    I'm a swimmer and I really notice the difference in my strength when I don't eat my exercise calories...
  • skcornett
    skcornett Posts: 169 Member
    I do not eat those calories unless it is something I've planned for such as a special occasion. I am working with a trainer who wants me focused on eating 1500 calories to get used to eating smaller, healthier meals and making exercise part of my daily routine (ugh).
  • blarics11
    blarics11 Posts: 88 Member
    You will get many diffrent opinions on this. But the way MFP is set up is that you are supposed to. I know alot of people do not eat every last one to leave wiggle room,since machines or mfp esstimates of calories burnt are kinda high.


    So since the estimates are high maybe eating half of the exercise calories would work?
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    I really like this site and am finding it so easy to use but one thing is confusing me a little. I exercise a lot 6 days a week and generally have a very active lifestyle. Yesterday i earned over 900 exercise calories and today about 700 I think. I have read on other threads that I should eat my exercise cals but this gives me a daily total of over 2000. I know if I eat this i will not lose weight. My daily allowance without exercise is around 1450 and to be honest this is enough and I am having a protein shake every day and wine last night. Is it OK not to eat the extras.

    If someone posted saying that they only eat about 700 calories per day would you think that was enough?

    That essentially is what you are doing when you burn off that amount and dont eat them back.

    i would try and net 1200, as long term this will help with consistant weight loss.
  • rbryntes
    rbryntes Posts: 710 Member
    also, do you have our activity level set to active? If so, don't log all exercise you do.
  • FitnessDivaK
    FitnessDivaK Posts: 180 Member
    I really like this site and am finding it so easy to use but one thing is confusing me a little. I exercise a lot 6 days a week and generally have a very active lifestyle. Yesterday i earned over 900 exercise calories and today about 700 I think. I have read on other threads that I should eat my exercise cals but this gives me a daily total of over 2000. I know if I eat this i will not lose weight. My daily allowance without exercise is around 1450 and to be honest this is enough and I am having a protein shake every day and wine last night. Is it OK not to eat the extras.

    If someone posted saying that they only eat about 700 calories per day would you think that was enough?

    That essentially is what you are doing when you burn off that amount and dont eat them back.

    i would try and net 1200, as long term this will help with consistant weight loss.

    I agree. You should try to net at least 1200 Calories per day to keep your body from going into starvation mode. That's what I usually do unless, like another person said, it's a special occasion and I know I'll go out to eat.
  • Fitwam
    Fitwam Posts: 275 Member
    This is a great topic! I found myself in the same boat many times..and I am not sure "what" I should be eating to fulfill the calories burned column. Do you focus on protein? I too drink red wine at dinner time...and this sometimes will take me over the recommended sugar amount. So, sometimes I just eat nuts, or popcorn or something to add calories. any thoughts?
  • stroutman81
    stroutman81 Posts: 2,474 Member
    How much do you weigh, how tall are you, and what's your age?

    Also, check out this thread:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/173853-an-objective-look-at-eating-exercise-calories
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,297 Member
    Not eating your exercise calories is only a good idea if you increase your activity level to account for exercise. changing your activity level will give you more calories so you will be eating enough, without the thought of "eating your exercise calories".

    Essentially this way you are setting your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) then creating a deficit from that to lose weight. This is what most trainer/doctors/nutritionists do. Most professionals will tell you not to eat you exercise calories back because they added it into your TDEE, whereas MFP ignores exercise and only accounts for it when you perform it. Either way should get you to the same place.

    As an example say MFP gives you 1450 calories to lose 1 lb/week, and you plan on exercising 5x/week for an average of 400 cals per workout. well MFP will tell you to eat 1450 on the days you don't workout and 1850 on the days you do whereas a "professional" may tell you to eat 1750 everyday regardless if you workout.

    So for the week MFP will have you eat 12,150 (1450*2+1850*5) whereas doing it the other way will have you eat 12,250 (1750*7) almost the same number of cals for the week. The issue in not following MFP is if you don't workout the full 5 days or burn more or less than planned. If that is the case you may lose more or less than your goal, whereas MFP will have you lose your goal amount regardless how much you actually workout.

    What many MFP do is take the low 1450 and not eat back exercise calories which is wrong, if you are not eating them back then your daily activity level should reflect the higher burn with would be covered in the 1750/day above.
  • RMinVA
    RMinVA Posts: 1,085 Member
    I really like this site and am finding it so easy to use but one thing is confusing me a little. I exercise a lot 6 days a week and generally have a very active lifestyle. Yesterday i earned over 900 exercise calories and today about 700 I think. I have read on other threads that I should eat my exercise cals but this gives me a daily total of over 2000. I know if I eat this i will not lose weight. My daily allowance without exercise is around 1450 and to be honest this is enough and I am having a protein shake every day and wine last night. Is it OK not to eat the extras.

    IMO there are way too many variables to determine accurate calorie intake or burn, so I don't think that a blanket "eat your exercise" calories is good advice for everyone. I think that eating nutritionally dense food is just as important, but oddly enough, I don't really hear a lot of people talk about that.

    My "sweet spot" is 1400-1600 cals. There may be one or 2 days a week where my burn is ridiculously high and I will eat a bit more, but I have played around with eating exercise calories many times, and I don't lose weight when I do.

    If your loss slows down, or you are feeling hungry, you might want to up it a bit, but start out with only about 100 cals a day or so.
  • FearAnLoathing
    FearAnLoathing Posts: 4,852 Member
    You will get many diffrent opinions on this. But the way MFP is set up is that you are supposed to. I know alot of people do not eat every last one to leave wiggle room,since machines or mfp esstimates of calories burnt are kinda high.


    So since the estimates are high maybe eating half of the exercise calories would work?

    I think thats what alot of people do.
  • silkysly
    silkysly Posts: 701 Member
    Maybe you can split the difference & eat half of them back. When I didn’t eat any of them back, my metabolism was slower then when I did. Everyone’s body chemistry is different so there isn’t any right or wrong way. Play around with it & see what works for you. Good luck!
  • RunConquerCelebrate
    RunConquerCelebrate Posts: 950 Member
    Not eating your exercise calories is only a good idea if you increase your activity level to account for exercise. changing your activity level will give you more calories so you will be eating enough, without the thought of "eating your exercise calories".

    Essentially this way you are setting your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) then creating a deficit from that to lose weight. This is what most trainer/doctors/nutritionists do. Most professionals will tell you not to eat you exercise calories back because they added it into your TDEE, whereas MFP ignores exercise and only accounts for it when you perform it. Either way should get you to the same place.

    As an example say MFP gives you 1450 calories to lose 1 lb/week, and you plan on exercising 5x/week for an average of 400 cals per workout. well MFP will tell you to eat 1450 on the days you don't workout and 1850 on the days you do whereas a "professional" may tell you to eat 1750 everyday regardless if you workout.

    So for the week MFP will have you eat 12,150 (1450*2+1850*5) whereas doing it the other way will have you eat 12,250 (1750*7) almost the same number of cals for the week. The issue in not following MFP is if you don't workout the full 5 days or burn more or less than planned. If that is the case you may lose more or less than your goal, whereas MFP will have you lose your goal amount regardless how much you actually workout.

    What many MFP do is take the low 1450 and not eat back exercise calories which is wrong, if you are not eating them back then your daily activity level should reflect the higher burn with would be covered in the 1750/day above.

    I must say I really love your explanation on eating exercise calories back.
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