Are you supposed to eat your exercise calories to lose weigh

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jwalker831
jwalker831 Posts: 24 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I just read a comment by someone on my friends list this morning that you HAVE to eat your exercise calories in order to lose weight, but when I go to My Goals section, it seems to indicate that the 700 calories deficit created each day I exercise adds up to my 1.5 pound weight loss each week. Am I misunderstanding? Can someone clarify for me? Thanks!

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  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    As long as you entered your settings correctly, your deficit to lose 1.5# a week is already deducted from your calorie goal before you exercise. So, yes, you should eat them.

    With other weight loss plans, the amount of calories you burn is factored into your calorie goal. On MFP it doesn't become part of the equation unless and until you DO exercise.
  • seekingstrengthX2
    seekingstrengthX2 Posts: 771
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    It can be confusing.

    MFP says I am supposed to eat 1200 calories/day to lose weight. If I burn 500 calories in spinning class, it then says I can eat 1700 calories (which would still be a net of 1200, b/c I burnt 500 of them off). Right?

    Right.

    :) I have a hard time eating that much though and am losing weight at a healthy pace. I am doing what feels right for my body. If I ate 1700 calories at this point, I'd be really full.

    Probably not much help... lol
  • Captain_Tightpants
    Captain_Tightpants Posts: 2,215 Member
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    Yes, eat them back, but be cautious - the calories given on MFP for exercise seem inflated. Most people suggest getting a Polar Heart Rate Monitor to more accurately track how many cals you burn during a workout.
  • jwalker831
    jwalker831 Posts: 24 Member
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    Thanks all! Super helpful info!!
  • jmorrisof2
    jmorrisof2 Posts: 108 Member
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    Yes, eat them back, but be cautious - the calories given on MFP for exercise seem inflated. Most people suggest getting a Polar Heart Rate Monitor to more accurately track how many cals you burn during a workout.

    I was wondering the same thing because my scale went up 2 pounds in like 2 days. With all the exercise I did I was told to eat about 1900 calories. I am wondering if my cal burn was inflated. So I think I am gonna stick to 1500 calories and see if that makes a difference.
  • idauria
    idauria Posts: 1,037 Member
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    Yes, eat them back, but be cautious - the calories given on MFP for exercise seem inflated. Most people suggest getting a Polar Heart Rate Monitor to more accurately track how many cals you burn during a workout.

    This! I am so glad I bought a HRM because my elliptical greatly exaggerates my calorie burn. Yesterday it told me I burned over 400 cals but in reality I only burned 260. BIG difference! If I ate back the cals I thought I burned on the machine I'd be over my goal for the day.
  • stephanie8625
    stephanie8625 Posts: 119 Member
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    Yes, eat them back, but be cautious - the calories given on MFP for exercise seem inflated. Most people suggest getting a Polar Heart Rate Monitor to more accurately track how many cals you burn during a workout.

    DEFINETLY get a HRM -- I worked out for 4 months w/o one, then got one for xmas and it was an eye opener, the machines do not give accurate calorie burned #. Now that I have mine, I am mad that I did not have one all along -- and I do see a difference in how faster the weight can come off because you are getting an ACCURATE calorie burned reading.
    But yes, eat the calories back.....your body needs the energy.


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