Are you supposed to eat half the calories you burn?

2»

Replies

  • smileeangel
    smileeangel Posts: 8
    This thread is interesting. I always thought it was counterproductive to eat the calories you burn. I'm allotted 1320 calories and I burn around 400-500 a day through 45-60 minutes of exercise. I do eat the 1320 calories I'm allotted per day, but I generally do not eat the calories I burn. I primarily use them as a buffer in case I want something extra. I just started mfp and I really like it!
  • smpreston
    smpreston Posts: 262 Member
    The one thing that people forget is that MFP takes into account your exercise. You want your net calories remaining to be zero. During setup when you put in your goals, it already calculates a calorie deficit for you.
  • Jorra
    Jorra Posts: 3,338 Member
    The one thing that people forget is that MFP takes into account your exercise. You want your net calories remaining to be zero. During setup when you put in your goals, it already calculates a calorie deficit for you.

    You mean you want your remaining calories to be zero. Your net calories should be equal to your given calorie goal, such as 1200.
  • Molly182
    Molly182 Posts: 406
    If you're doing an interval workout that's cardio and strength should you still eat all your extra calories? You don't get more for strength, and that's half of what you did, so should you round down a little when entering the # of calories burned?
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    If you're doing an interval workout that's cardio and strength should you still eat all your extra calories? You don't get more for strength, and that's half of what you did, so should you round down a little when entering the # of calories burned?

    Not sure i understand your question. i burn 300+ doing strength workouts these days. I "eat back" all those calories. Always have, even when i was aggressively losing weight.

    Only round down if you have reason to believe that your calorie count for the exercise is somehow exaggerated.
  • Jorra
    Jorra Posts: 3,338 Member
    If you're doing an interval workout that's cardio and strength should you still eat all your extra calories? You don't get more for strength, and that's half of what you did, so should you round down a little when entering the # of calories burned?

    Strength workouts still burn calories. The "Strength" exercise diary on MFP is just for record-keeping purposes because it is difficult to estimate the calories burned through strength exercises without an HRM. You can enter strength exercises as cardio for an estimate of calories burned.
  • vs1023
    vs1023 Posts: 417 Member
    lol i am so screwwed bc i burn 1600-1800 calories a day. so that means i have to eat at least 3000 calories. That is a alot

    I can burn around 1200 when I do back to back classes (BodyPump and BodyCombat) at the gym and I have a HRM with a chest strap. I definitely recommend one. I don't know if i can eat back 600 cals today, but i'll try to eat a little more. I have a hard time eating enough because i'm just so busy.
  • smpreston
    smpreston Posts: 262 Member
    The one thing that people forget is that MFP takes into account your exercise. You want your net calories remaining to be zero. During setup when you put in your goals, it already calculates a calorie deficit for you.

    You mean you want your remaining calories to be zero. Your net calories should be equal to your given calorie goal, such as 1200.

    That's what I meant by calling it net calories remaining. I shouldn't have put the word "net" in there.
  • cdgliz
    cdgliz Posts: 16
    I just got a HRM for myself for Christmas. It's a Polar FT7 at Best Buy for $109.00. Comes highly recommended online and I can't wait to use it! I have been struggling with am I eating enough with how much I work out. I think I finally figured out that I do need to eat more on days I workout. Maybe even a little more than this site recommends. I think I have been in starvation mode. Working out a lot and intense and wasn't seeing any weight loss and barely any inches lost. I am stronger....a lot stronger. I want to know exactly how many calories I am burning!! Make sure you get one with the chest strap!! It is way more accurate.
  • Jorra
    Jorra Posts: 3,338 Member
    The one thing that people forget is that MFP takes into account your exercise. You want your net calories remaining to be zero. During setup when you put in your goals, it already calculates a calorie deficit for you.

    You mean you want your remaining calories to be zero. Your net calories should be equal to your given calorie goal, such as 1200.

    That's what I meant by calling it net calories remaining. I shouldn't have put the word "net" in there.

    Yup, I just wanted to clarify. I know you got this. :flowerforyou:
This discussion has been closed.

Categories