Do I have to eat back my excercise calories?

BeautifulIllusion19
BeautifulIllusion19 Posts: 25 Member
Okay so, generally when I am not working this doesn't bother me, but, when I do work it does. I work as a CNA at a nursing home and I count that as "Walking 2.0 per hour" for 7 hours, I wear a pedometer and last night I took 20 thousand some odd steps which rounded to 15 miles. My daily calorie goal is set at "active' which gives me an allowance of 2100 cals a day, I know I am burning over 2,000 at work, so I add it as excercise. I generally eat 2500 cals a day because of this, but, my net is usually at -1700 or even lower. Do I have to eat back all these calories? Because I don't feel right about eating 4000 calories a day.

Replies

  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    If you're set for active you're already getting an extra calorie allowance. You don't count the walking twice.
  • If you're set for active you're already getting an extra calorie allowance. You don't count the walking twice.

    It only gives me 300 extra calories, believe me, I burn more then 300 calories at work.
  • LuckyLeprechaun
    LuckyLeprechaun Posts: 6,296 Member
    if you are calling your level "active" then you shouldn't log the walking as additional exercise. Are you sure "active" is right for you? I can see you're walkinga lot, but if your body is very used to that and your heart rate doesn't really increase, it isn't doing a whole lot to burn off excess fat.

    I'd lower the activity level and only log purposeful workouts.
  • smbakke77
    smbakke77 Posts: 273 Member
    Simple answer: NO
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    If you're set for active you're already getting an extra calorie allowance. You don't count the walking twice.

    It only gives me 300 extra calories, believe me, I burn more then 300 calories at work.
    Well you've always done that much walking without losing weight, right? I would keep the "active" level and stop logging the walking.
  • TXchris
    TXchris Posts: 54 Member
    It seems like you may be double dipping on your calorie count. By counting your job as "active," you are already getting "credit" for heavy activity. I suspect it is going to be misleading on your counts to then count 7 hours walking again. I would try leaving the setting at active and only counting additional activity beyond work.
  • beckyinma
    beckyinma Posts: 1,433 Member

    Well you've always done that much walking without losing weight, right? I would keep the "active" level and stop logging the walking.


    this! Exercise that you log should be above and beyond your normal daily output of 'life', life which is your active job...I used to list my level as sedentary and log cleaning etc, but I upped it to lightly active and stopped logging cleaning...because with more energy, I do it more often... (hubby wouldn't say so though. LOL!)
  • gashinshotan
    gashinshotan Posts: 749 Member
    I've eaten most of mine and lost 23 lbs since 10/20
  • mrsvatitagain
    mrsvatitagain Posts: 275 Member
    You shouldnt count the normal daily steps as exercise, as its not really exercise. You have to go above what your body is use too in order to loose. Your body is use to those 20K steps you take everyday as part of your job. That is why you are struggling with what you should eat or not as it relates, your deficit isnt as high as you are caluclating. I agree with everyone else, sotp counting that as exercise, its already included in teh active status, hense why your daily calorie intake allowance is over 2,000.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    If you're set for active you're already getting an extra calorie allowance. You don't count the walking twice.

    It only gives me 300 extra calories, believe me, I burn more then 300 calories at work.

    that gives you 300 more than if you were set at light active or sedentary? You can also try putting the setting to very active for the days you do work.
  • PBJunky
    PBJunky Posts: 737 Member
    V_AnnScreams.jpg
  • Scott613
    Scott613 Posts: 2,317 Member
    V_AnnScreams.jpg

    She has a pretty mouth.
  • anubis609
    anubis609 Posts: 3,966 Member
    w223057636.jpg
  • [/quote]

    She has a pretty mouth.
    [/quote]


    OMG you are hiliarious Scott
  • lawtechie
    lawtechie Posts: 708 Member
    Okay so, generally when I am not working this doesn't bother me, but, when I do work it does. I work as a CNA at a nursing home and I count that as "Walking 2.0 per hour" for 7 hours, I wear a pedometer and last night I took 20 thousand some odd steps which rounded to 15 miles. My daily calorie goal is set at "active' which gives me an allowance of 2100 cals a day, I know I am burning over 2,000 at work, so I add it as excercise. I generally eat 2500 cals a day because of this, but, my net is usually at -1700 or even lower. Do I have to eat back all these calories? Because I don't feel right about eating 4000 calories a day.

    I know this isn't what your asking about but have you calculated your stride (how many inches you walk with each step? 20,000 steps for 15 miles is like a 4 foot stride. Those are some hefty steps!

    As for eating them back, like others said -- don't if your set to active but you may want to change to lightly active because I don't think walking that slow is what MFP had intended as 'active', like for athletes, firefighters, etc.
  • amymeenieminymo
    amymeenieminymo Posts: 2,394 Member
    Yes you should eat back you exercise calories, BUT you can't set your activity to active AND log the walking you do at work. Only log exercise you do for actual exercise otherwise you're counting it twice.

    Also, the walking you do at work probably doesn't burn as much as you think it does. A. Your body is used to it. Anything you do often your body gets used to and therefore does not expend as many calories to do it. B. Much of your walking is probably like walking 25 steps and stopping, a step here and there, another 10 steps and stopping, etc. This is not the same as walking at a constant elevated pace for 10-15 miles at once.
  • deadstarsunburn
    deadstarsunburn Posts: 1,337 Member
    Since you're active I wouldn't.
    I read an article that said to not eat anymore than half of your exercise calories.
    Do what feels right but know that it can look good on here but your body doesn't base what it does on mfp it bases it on what you do and hold yourself accountable to.

    Good luck!
  • kathydp
    kathydp Posts: 21 Member
    The more calories you burn the faster the weight will come off.
  • Savemyshannon
    Savemyshannon Posts: 334 Member
    Okay so, generally when I am not working this doesn't bother me, but, when I do work it does. I work as a CNA at a nursing home and I count that as "Walking 2.0 per hour" for 7 hours, I wear a pedometer and last night I took 20 thousand some odd steps which rounded to 15 miles. My daily calorie goal is set at "active' which gives me an allowance of 2100 cals a day, I know I am burning over 2,000 at work, so I add it as excercise. I generally eat 2500 cals a day because of this, but, my net is usually at -1700 or even lower. Do I have to eat back all these calories? Because I don't feel right about eating 4000 calories a day.

    I know this isn't what your asking about but have you calculated your stride (how many inches you walk with each step? 20,000 steps for 15 miles is like a 4 foot stride. Those are some hefty steps!

    As for eating them back, like others said -- don't if your set to active but you may want to change to lightly active because I don't think walking that slow is what MFP had intended as 'active', like for athletes, firefighters, etc.

    Actually, I would very much consider a CNA (especially at a nursing home) as active. MFP has a "Highly Active" setting which is what I think is more geared for athletes and the such, but CNAs spend a LOT of their day moving, bending, and lifting. When I was a CNA, I know I was nonstop for the entire 8 hours.

    As a nurse, I keep my profile to lightly active, because I spend a lot of my day on my feet walking around, but CNAs do a lot more physical work so I think Active can fit her daily needs. As others have said though, since you're getting credit for being active, you can't list it as daily exercise.
  • startrekkermd
    startrekkermd Posts: 37 Member
    V_AnnScreams.jpg

    This is driving me crazy - where do I recognize her from ... Stargate ??
  • Savemyshannon
    Savemyshannon Posts: 334 Member
    This is driving me crazy - where do I recognize her from ... Stargate ??

    Think that's Morena Baccarin from Stargate, yah :)
  • servilia
    servilia Posts: 3,452 Member
    Since I think your calculations and settings are off (you're accounting for your work twice), I wouldn't eat them back.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,321 Member
    If you're set for active you're already getting an extra calorie allowance. You don't count the walking twice.

    It only gives me 300 extra calories, believe me, I burn more then 300 calories at work.

    But you burn far less than that when not at work. It is an average. If you put yourself at active and are only active at work, then the only exercise you would add would be deliberate exercise. I would suggest if you think your calories are too low raise your activity level to very active and don't eat the calories you burn at work.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,321 Member
    This is driving me crazy - where do I recognize her from ... Stargate ??

    Think that's Morena Baccarin from Stargate, yah :)

    Isn't she from the new V television show? Leader of the aliens.
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    OMG you guys she's from Firefly. (Although not in that pic.)
  • Savemyshannon
    Savemyshannon Posts: 334 Member
    OMG you guys she's from Firefly. (Although not in that pic.)

    RIP Firefly :(
  • DonziGirl
    DonziGirl Posts: 9 Member
    Well I see the topics don't very much from Calorie King... :huh:
  • CoraGregoryCPA
    CoraGregoryCPA Posts: 1,087 Member
    Have you ever walked 15 miles? That is very very far. I'd suggest walking it on your day off to see how you feel afterwards. If you walked 15 miles a day, you probably wouldn't have any weight issues. Try to be realistic. In the meantime, do not eat your exercise calories back. If you are off on your math, the scale will certainly increase.
This discussion has been closed.