Do you eat your execise calories?

When you work out and gain extra calories burned do you eat more food that day to keep your net calories the same or do you still eat your normal suggested caloric amount?

I tend to only eat my suggested caloric amount 1800 calories regardless of my calories burned exercising. I am getting used to eating small portions and don't really feel the need to eat more calories if I exercise that day!

Under eating calories tends to lead to lean muscle loss, which leads to lower metabolic rate, which leads to having to eat less and exercising more to meet calorie burn.
The body is smarter than people think. You can't fool it by eating less than it needs to ensure survival.

Agreed. Please read the stickies for the forums as they totally explain this. MFP is designed for you to eat back your exercise calories unlike other calorie-tracking websites. So eat your exercise calories!!!

Due to potential input miscalculations of food intake and not trusting the calorie-burns here on MFP, I don't eat back all my exercise calories most days. However, I also do several splurge meals throughout the week, or a big splurge day, so I generally get in most of my exercise calories even if I don't eat them on the same day I do the exercise. I shoot for a weekly calorie target, not a daily one.

Anyway, I think it's far better to lose more slowly in order to maintain your lean muscle mass and that's how MFP is designed. But if losing fast and taking the chance of screwing up your metabolism so that you gain weight more easily later or always have to keep your calories lower to maintain your weight loss works for you, don't eat them. Me? I'd rather have success without deprivation.

MFP's estimated calorie burns are off so I know I didn't earn as many as they say anyway.

Yeah, this is part of what bothers me about the eating back calories. Many days MFP would have me believe I can go on a big ol' binge for the evening because I'm entitled to so many calories. And that would take me way off my eating plan!

So get an HRM, or adjust your estimates. This isn't a reason not to eat an appropriate amount of food to fuel your exercise and maintain a healthy deficit.

NO I DONT ..

Yes - but I don't trust the site. I think it overestimates by as high as double for some exercises.

Yes. You risk overeating if you use MFP's calorie burns and then eat all of them back.

Mostly seems it would depend on your goal. If you wanna lose weight then I would say you don't have to, but if you want to build muscle then obviously you would. Sometimes I think we tend to over complicate things, if you want to gain mass/muscle then eat more and if you want to lean up then just eat less, same amount of exercise in both. Just keep protein high in both cases with plenty of water (I recommend supplements highly) and you'll get where you wanna be.

Just my take, I'm in no way a personal trainer or master of metabolism.

btw i just got a hrm and used it for the first time last night, did zumba for 60 minutes and hrm says i burned 667 calories vs mfp says i burned 1000- that's a HUGE difference

How did MFP tell you you burned 1,000 at Zumba? Zumba isn't in the MFP database is it?

I used to, but I don't anymore.

Read:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/471769-an-easier-way-to-setup-goal-calories-eating-for-who-you-wi

Of course, my calorie goal is set high to take into account exercise.

If your calorie goal is 1200 calories a day, you should eat your exercise calories. Or just eat more in general. Starvation diets are out of date, and they don't work long term.

I eat them if I need them. That is if I am hungry. I often don't eat all of them but I do "use" them on days I don't exercise as I typically go over on those days. To me it isn't just day to day but more of an overall average for about a week. Yes, MFP does over estimate the burned calories that is why I use a special band or a HRM to help determine a more accurate number. I think the main thing is finding what works for you and fueling your body. It will tell you when you need food just be sure you are hearing it right and not bored or thirsty.

I eat at least 1280 cals a day regardless of exercise or no exercise.

Here's the thing: I love to eat. Exercising lets me eat more. So yes, I usually eat my exercise calories. The net calories is what matters in the end.

Unless it's a week like this week where I have a big meal headed my way. I've known all week that my husband is taking me out to a fancy dinner this weekend, including dessert and wine. I've been stashing those exercise calories into my calorie bank. Not that I've gone hungry at all this week. I've just been careful to pick foods that are low in calorie AND filling. And pushing it a little harder in cardio. And forgoing the latte for a black coffee instead!

This thread can be ironic for those who snub the HCG diet, but eat like they are on it.



A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

MFP calculates our total daily calorie intake WITHOUT exercise to lose 1 pound or so per week.
And after we log exercises, our daily calorie limit increases.
Why?
Because MFP telling us to eat our exercise calories.
Large deficits are unhealthy, because while you will lose weight, what's the quality of the weight loss?
In many cases you'll lose lean body mass - MUSCLE - which LOWERS your metabolic rate, making weight loss harder.
These crash diets work well for a season -- and sure enough, the pounds melt away. But when you eat so
few calories, you train your metabolism to slow down. Once the diet is over, you have a body that burns calories more slowly -- and you gain weight.
Be smart.
Exercise well both cardio and resistance, and eat back the calories.
The exercise will RAISE your metabolism and burn more fat at rest.

Yes. I like to maintain my muscle mass. It is not a race, and i will look better if I don't under eat.

There are SO many more reasons to exercise besides weight loss. You all know that right?

I'm at 1200 daily calories and don't eat back my exercise calories. I only work out 4x a week and if I were to eat them back on those days I would most likely overeat on the days I don't exercise. So, for me, I don't I stay as close to 1200/day and when I'm feeling a little hungry I drink a glass of water instead....it gets my water in and curbs my snacking.

This thread can be ironic for those who snub the HCG diet, but eat like they are on it.



A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

ironic for a lot of reasons-unqualified people stating what is right or wrong!

I don't can't see any point of exercising if your gonna eat the calories ??

You exercise to be FIT and not just burn calories. If the intention is just to lose weight, you can just diet and have flabby muscles to achieve it.



A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Perfect response

I would say eat your exercise calories, however if you have your goal set to only lose a small amount of weight and your calorie target is high maybe you don't need to eat them it kind of depends on the circumstances. As long as you're not netting too low, and eating to your BMR that's the main thing. I actually have my calorie goal set to maintain on MFP but that's not my goal, I don't eat my exercise calories because I look for the green numbers and the overall weekly deficit.