Should I eat my exercise calories?

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emily115
emily115 Posts: 78 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi, I know this question has been asked around a lot, but here it goes. I am 5"4 and 129 pounds. I work out 4 days a week. A lot of the bmr calculators say my bmr is around 1450 calories, but myfitnesspal says it is 1335. I am set at 1/2 a pound a week. I set my account up as light active because I dont just sit and do nothing all day, and when I did set it at sedentary it said I should eat 1330, which is below my bmr. My tdee (when I say I am moderate excercise) it says 2220 to maintain. And when i do lightly active it says about 1900 to maintain. And since I work out 4 days a week I put down moderate because the standard for that is 3-5 days a week of excerise. And I just bought a polar hrm ft7 and I burned a little over 500 cals. Myfitnesspal has me at 1550 to lose 1/2 a pound. But I think that might not be right because 1550+250=1800, so if I ever wanted to maintain they would say 1800, would I think is incorrect. So right now it is 1550+500=2050 to eat. So do I eat 1900+ excerise cals? Because 1900 is already a deficit. Or do I do what mfp says it right and do 1550+exerise cals? Since 1550 is a deficit too? Sorry if it is confusing!

Replies

  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
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    Okay, so I am a supporter of eating back your exercise calories. Build your deficit into your daily calorie target by choosing "lose 1 pound per week" ...this will subtract 500 calories from your daily goal, no matter what.

    so, if you're lightly active (before taking exercise into account) then choose lightly active, log your exercise, and eat ALL of your calories (total before exercise + exercise calories)

    Some people say that MFP overestimates your calorie burn....so choosing "1 pound" vs. 1/2 pound will allow you to lose somewhere between 1/2 a pound and 1 pound each week after you take into account the overestimation for calories burned.

    That's what I WOULD DO...now everyone is different but I think you can't really go wrong with this approach because you will have a deficit no matter what if you choose "1 pound per week," set your activity level to lightly active, and eat your calories burned as well.

    Does this make sense? Send me a message if you have any questions! :)
  • Gee45
    Gee45 Posts: 171
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    I"m 5'4 also, 45 yrs old. For myself I selected a sedentary lifestyle because other than exercise I"m just puttering around the house. Since I'm 148 lbs and want to get to 125, I chose to lose half a pound a week. My calories are set to 1370 which should have me losing half a pound a week.
    I exercise 6 days a week, usually burning 500 calories each day. Depending on how I feel that day, I'll eat 500 more calories on that day. Or else I will eat half. Eating just half those calories puts myself at a 250 cal deficit for exercise and my already 250 cal deficit for which my calorie goal was set. So if I always ate half my exercise calories, I could lose closer to a pound a week.
    I think it's probably safer to put your calorie goal at low level like a half a pound and then if you want to create just a bit more deficit, use exercise to do it. On a hungrier day, eat all those exercise calories back.
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
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    my brain hurts reading all that.

    dont overthink it remember...there were days when people just ate good (you know what that is) and worked out

    MFP is a great tool but dont overthink it

    Merry Christmas
  • deekaydee
    deekaydee Posts: 158 Member
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    If you set your activity level to include your exercise, don't eat your exercise calories.

    If you set your activity level NOT including exercise (which is what I do), then you should eat your exercise calories. I consider this to be more accurate, because then I enter my exercise based on what I actually did, rather than a standard multiplier which is how the activity level is calculated.
  • SusanRN2b
    SusanRN2b Posts: 106 Member
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    If you set your activity level to include your exercise, don't eat your exercise calories.

    If you set your activity level NOT including exercise (which is what I do), then you should eat your exercise calories. I consider this to be more accurate, because then I enter my exercise based on what I actually did, rather than a standard multiplier which is how the activity level is calculated.

    ^The best approach - is exactly how it's supposed to be done. Probably the first person to post on here that gets it!!!
  • emily115
    emily115 Posts: 78 Member
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    Lol yea I guess I am over thinking it! Merry christmas!
  • Jupitermermaid
    Jupitermermaid Posts: 270 Member
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    I agree. Set your activiity level for what your normal day is like before exercising. Then add any exercise when you do it, and you can choose to either eat some, all, or none of the deficit the exercising creates. I do all three at varying times, depending on my hunger and schedule. It's a nice option to have, without guilt. If I know I'm going someplace where my choices are limited, I'll exercise more that day to create a higher deficit to allow for more food.

    But don't set your activity level based on what you already do for exercise......what happens if you get busy and don't get around to it? You end up eating more without the benefit of the exercise.

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