Major Flaw in MFP and eating back your calories?

Fit_Britt
Fit_Britt Posts: 35 Member
edited November 8 in Health and Weight Loss
One thing I have been wondering is why MFP does not incorporate NET workout calories. Since you burn calories constantly, you need to subtract your baseline calories for that amount of time you worked out right?

Lets say someone's basal metabolic rate is 2400 calories a day. That's and average of 100 calories an hour. They work out 1 hour and burn 600 calories. MFP would tell that person that they could eat 3000 calories that day. BUT what MFP does not factor in is that, for that 1 hour they worked out, they would have burned 100 calories that hour without working out. Therefore, their net work out calories burned is 500. So, they could eat 2900 calories, and 3000 calories would actually lead to a weight gain right?

I try not to eat my workout calories, but I'm just wondering since a lot of people do. Any ideas?
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Replies

  • Jeff92se
    Jeff92se Posts: 3,369 Member
    The base amount of calories burnt while just living is already factored into the BMR calculations. You'd be adding it twice by your method.

    If you don't eat your workout out calories, you are now at a calorie count lower than your 1lb/2lb per week schedule.
  • kimcharliesmith
    kimcharliesmith Posts: 1
    Isn't the 100 calories that you would have already burned already accounted for in the 2400 that are for the whole day?
  • auticus
    auticus Posts: 1,051 Member
    It's a major flaw IMO because you end up over eating and not losing weight and in some cases gaining weight.

    The fitness trainers and nutritionists that I have seen have given me a flat 2000-2200 calorie diet. They never mention eating back my calories.

    When I do eat back my calories, I fail. When I do not, I lose weight. I will stick with the results.
  • jleed53
    jleed53 Posts: 53 Member
    One thing I have been wondering is why MFP does not incorporate NET workout calories. Since you burn calories constantly, you need to subtract your baseline calories for that amount of time you worked out right?

    Lets say someone's basal metabolic rate is 2400 calories a day. That's and average of 100 calories an hour. They work out 1 hour and burn 600 calories. MFP would tell that person that they could eat 3000 calories that day. BUT what MFP does not factor in is that, for that 1 hour they worked out, they would have burned 100 calories that hour without working out. Therefore, their net work out calories burned is 500. So, they could eat 2900 calories, and 3000 calories would actually lead to a weight gain right?

    I try not to eat my workout calories, but I'm just wondering since a lot of people do. Any ideas?

    As a genreal rule, i try not to eat my workout calories, while ensuring i still eat a high protein meal right after my workout....

    seems to work for me!
  • Trail_Addict
    Trail_Addict Posts: 1,340 Member
    It's not an exact science either way. You can't trust any HRM to be exact, any more than you can determine exactly how many calories one truly needs to lose, gain, or maintain weight. Remember, that we each have subtle differences that throw the math of just a tad. I always considered this whole calorie-balancing game to be a "best guess".
  • mrsdizzyd84
    mrsdizzyd84 Posts: 422 Member
    The base amount of calories burnt while just living is already factored into the BMR calculations. You'd be adding it twice by your method.

    If you don't eat your workout out calories, you are now at a calorie count lower than your 1lb/2lb per week schedule.

    Can you explain this a bit more? I'm confused.
  • nkziv
    nkziv Posts: 161 Member
    i think you're right! yeah i've thought of this before too...
  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
    Good thing I don't exercise. :love:
  • Shanna_Inc86
    Shanna_Inc86 Posts: 781 Member
    Not eating back some of my calories = plateau for me

    Eating most of them back = steady loss

    To each their own
  • MaximalLife
    MaximalLife Posts: 2,447 Member
    One thing I have been wondering is why MFP does not incorporate NET workout calories. Since you burn calories constantly, you need to subtract your baseline calories for that amount of time you worked out right?

    Lets say someone's basal metabolic rate is 2400 calories a day. That's and average of 100 calories an hour. They work out 1 hour and burn 600 calories. MFP would tell that person that they could eat 3000 calories that day. BUT what MFP does not factor in is that, for that 1 hour they worked out, they would have burned 100 calories that hour without working out. Therefore, their net work out calories burned is 500. So, they could eat 2900 calories, and 3000 calories would actually lead to a weight gain right?

    I try not to eat my workout calories, but I'm just wondering since a lot of people do. Any ideas?
    No, MFP accounts for that already.
    MFP has already figured out your total calories you need to eat per day to lose 1lb etc. a week.
    That's WITHOUT exercise. You'll notice that when you actually add exercise in, the calorie limit goes up to include what you would have burned doing nothing.
  • ramseyrose
    ramseyrose Posts: 421 Member
    I have wondered thistoo, but after exercise you burn calories at a higher rate for a few hours (not sure how long - think its called MET; I am sure someone will know), so perhaps it compensates anyway
  • Sullerson
    Sullerson Posts: 21 Member
    Never eat back workout calories! Determine your caloric goal based on your actual daily activity.

    3744916.png
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Weight Loss Tools
  • Trail_Addict
    Trail_Addict Posts: 1,340 Member
    It's a major flaw IMO because you end up over eating and not losing weight and in some cases gaining weight.

    The fitness trainers and nutritionists that I have seen have given me a flat 2000-2200 calorie diet. They never mention eating back my calories.

    When I do eat back my calories, I fail. When I do not, I lose weight. I will stick with the results.

    How can it be a "major flaw" when I, and many others, have eaten back our exercise calories, and have lost weight? This is where we just have to dial things in for our own personal needs. But we can't say that it is "flawed" logic. It's just not "exact" logic. :wink:
  • mcdonl
    mcdonl Posts: 342 Member
    My daily budget is 1450 (Based on MY BMR.....)

    I burn between 400-1000 calories during 60 minutes of exercise...

    I eat back all but 200-400 of those calories and I lose on average 3-5 pounds a week. I have lost 30 pounds using the MFP calculators.

    That is just MY experience. With MY metabolism... on MY Diet....

    41 Y/O started at 254, down to 225 and counting.... Exercise is Insanity and before that P90X....
  • onedayillbamilf
    onedayillbamilf Posts: 662 Member
    :huh: I'm a little slow today....well, most days...but from what I've read of your question I would say, FALSE! MFP already sets you at a deficit. For example, I want to lose 1lb a week so they have me set at 500 calories less than my BMR. Therefore, your exercise calories are just EXTRA calories burned in addition to the deficit set by MFP. It's already added in, but props to you for thinking so hard and doing double the work! That's dedication!
  • EricMurano
    EricMurano Posts: 825 Member
    I assume the exercise calories MFP calculates are NET burn but I could be wrong. The calculations are loose estimates anyway. I usually reduce the number by 10-20% to be sure.
  • sveltemommy
    sveltemommy Posts: 10 Member
    it's worse than double counting BMR calories - you need to subtract the calories you would have burned by say, sitting at a computer or whatever it is you would have been doing had you not exercised (BMR is basically being in a coma). so say I exercised at 3 METs for 30 min, they need to subtract the 1.5 METs I would have spent in those 30 min sitting at my desk as opposed to the 1 MET i would have burned by just being alive. it is instructive to look at the Weight Watchers formula (google it for a few explanations). Exercise points are hard to earn and they are quite graduated. In order to earn any points for low-intensity activities you need to do them for an incredibly long time.
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,605 Member
    It's a major flaw IMO because you end up over eating and not losing weight and in some cases gaining weight.

    The fitness trainers and nutritionists that I have seen have given me a flat 2000-2200 calorie diet. They never mention eating back my calories.

    When I do eat back my calories, I fail. When I do not, I lose weight. I will stick with the results.

    But basically that is making the same assumptions about TDEE that MFP is making. MFP gives you baseline cals and encourages you to eat into your exercise calories. Your trainers have added the calories for exercise into your TDEE calculation and given you that minus a deficit.

    I don't see the flaw?
  • keywestsunset
    keywestsunset Posts: 139 Member
    yeah, if you go to goals it tells your calories burned from normal activity. It allots me 450 extra calories for normal daily activity as a "sedentary person". So it tells me to eat 1200 calories and I will naturally burn 1650 calories.
  • Di3012
    Di3012 Posts: 2,247 Member
    It's a major flaw IMO because you end up over eating and not losing weight and in some cases gaining weight.

    The fitness trainers and nutritionists that I have seen have given me a flat 2000-2200 calorie diet. They never mention eating back my calories.

    When I do eat back my calories, I fail. When I do not, I lose weight. I will stick with the results.

    I wouldn't say it is a major flaw. People have lost weight on here, therefore something must be working.
  • CuteAndCurvy83
    CuteAndCurvy83 Posts: 570 Member
    I lost 40lbs in 6 months before getting pregnant, and I ate back at least half, if not more sometimes of my exercise calories. I think it really comes down to YOUR body and how it works, eating back calories worked for me, but it may not for some others. I don't think it's a flaw it's just a general guideline that you have to tweak to see what will work best for you.
  • nekosimba
    nekosimba Posts: 239 Member
    Never eat back workout calories! Determine your caloric goal based on your actual daily activity.

    3744916.png
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Weight Loss Tools

    I may not eat back all my exercise calories, but I try to eat back some of them. If I didn't I would be extremely exhausted and starving all the time. I work out up to 1.5 hours some days and burn up to 800 calories. I try to eat back my calories in high protein and fiber foods.
  • crobinson0923
    crobinson0923 Posts: 57
    I just subtract a calorie/min that I exercised from what my heart rate monitor says... it works for me... probably not a huge deal either way
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,605 Member
    I assume the exercise calories MFP calculates are NET burn but I could be wrong. The calculations are loose estimates anyway. I usually reduce the number by 10-20% to be sure.

    As indeed do most sensible people....

    I don't understand why people get into such a knicker-knot about this stuff. Eat. Eat enough. Don't eat too much. Rocket science it is not. (As Yoda might have said under similar circumstances.)
  • lunchgirlie
    lunchgirlie Posts: 101 Member
    I always subtract the calories I would have burned sitting from what my hrm says before I log my exercise. Not that I eat them back most of the time, but I like to be as accurate as possible.
  • Shawna_831
    Shawna_831 Posts: 316
    Not eating back some of my calories = plateau for me

    Eating most of them back = steady loss

    To each their own


    I'm the same way. I work out more so I can eat more and I still lose.
  • katinthehat444
    katinthehat444 Posts: 12 Member
    I only add in my exercise at the end of the day - once I've finished eating. That way it doesn't skew my calorie numbers. I find that easy to keep track of.
  • MyFeistyEvolution
    MyFeistyEvolution Posts: 1,014 Member
    One thing I have been wondering is why MFP does not incorporate NET workout calories. Since you burn calories constantly, you need to subtract your baseline calories for that amount of time you worked out right?

    Lets say someone's basal metabolic rate is 2400 calories a day. That's and average of 100 calories an hour. They work out 1 hour and burn 600 calories. MFP would tell that person that they could eat 3000 calories that day. BUT what MFP does not factor in is that, for that 1 hour they worked out, they would have burned 100 calories that hour without working out. Therefore, their net work out calories burned is 500. So, they could eat 2900 calories, and 3000 calories would actually lead to a weight gain right?

    I try not to eat my workout calories, but I'm just wondering since a lot of people do. Any ideas?
    No, MFP accounts for that already.
    MFP has already figured out your total calories you need to eat per day to lose 1lb etc. a week.
    That's WITHOUT exercise. You'll notice that when you actually add exercise in, the calorie limit goes up to include what you would have burned doing nothing.

    I agree what he said.

    This is all figured in.
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,605 Member
    It's a major flaw IMO because you end up over eating and not losing weight and in some cases gaining weight.

    The fitness trainers and nutritionists that I have seen have given me a flat 2000-2200 calorie diet. They never mention eating back my calories.

    When I do eat back my calories, I fail. When I do not, I lose weight. I will stick with the results.

    I wouldn't say it is a major flaw. People have lost weight on here, therefore something must be working.

    Even if we do want to get all panicked about it, we are, after all, only talking about maybe a hundred calories tops per day. It's not exactly going to throw anyone over the edge, is it... ?
  • lscott62
    lscott62 Posts: 24 Member
    I agree with you! You need to fuel your metabolism!
This discussion has been closed.

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