Consuming Exercise Calories Question

lilfurson · February 2012

So I have my lifestyle set to sedentary and MFP says I should eat 1740 pounds to lose 1 pound per week. Doing the math this works out to be 72.5 calories per hour.

I work out usually 2 times a day and then enter in my workout calories. MFP will not take those and say I can eat X amount of calories more today. My issue is they didn't subtract the amount of calories that I "normally" would have burned during that period. So if I burn 315 calories cycling for 30 minutes in the morning should I reduce the amount to eat back by @36 calories thus only being allowed 279 calories extra?

I know this seems to be getting awfully technical and I know calories aren't an exact science but it would seem like a simple algorithm for MFP to do...even if it was just a setting.

I guess I could also not be taking into account that since you exercised your body will still be in a "faster" state for a while after and thus affect the next hour or more?

I'd like to know people's thoughts. I know I burn more per day than a sedentary lifestyle since I walk a good amount at work and my FitBit always adjusts my calories but I never eat back those extra FitBit calories so I know i'm technically still under my goal.

Hope everyone has a fantastic Tuesday! (p.s. Happy Valentines Day)

Articeluvsmemphis · February 2012

I got lost in your question but I may know what you're getting at. MFP already builds in a deficit for you, so if you eat 1740 calories (not pounds, lol) without exercise then you should lose 1 pound a week. With exercise it will increase, and you should consider eating back a good amount of those calories for energy, health, muscle growth, and repair.

TeaBea · February 2012

This is WAAAAY too technical. So many users have trouble with the whole concept of "eat your calories back" anyway. Adding this to the equation ..... no way people are going to understand this. Yes, I agree it's double counting... but MFP is keeping it (more) simple.

I'm an accountant ... so I get it, maybe you're an actuary (or something) who knows, you get it. Sooo many people struggle with just the "basics."

piccolarj · February 2012

I personally don't subtract those calories from my burn mainly because I stop my HRM when I get off the machine and not wait until it gets back down to a certain number so I am still buning calories at a higher rate for a little while. I also try to leave at least 100 calories in case my numbers are a bit off. Some people do but MFP will not automatically do it for you.

bstoetzer · February 2012

I got lost in your question but I may know what you're getting at. MFP already builds in a deficit for you, so if you eat 1740 calories (not pounds, lol) without exercise then you should lose 1 pound a week. With exercise it will increase, and you should consider eating back a good amount of those calories for energy, health, muscle growth, and repair.

^^ Agree!!

erickirb · February 2012

So I have my lifestyle set to sedentary and MFP says I should eat 1740 pounds to lose 1 pound per week. Doing the math this works out to be 72.5 calories per hour.

I work out usually 2 times a day and then enter in my workout calories. MFP will not take those and say I can eat X amount of calories more today. My issue is they didn't subtract the amount of calories that I "normally" would have burned during that period. So if I burn 315 calories cycling for 30 minutes in the morning should I reduce the amount to eat back by @36 calories thus only being allowed 279 calories extra?

I know this seems to be getting awfully technical and I know calories aren't an exact science but it would seem like a simple algorithm for MFP to do...even if it was just a setting.

I guess I could also not be taking into account that since you exercised your body will still be in a "faster" state for a while after and thus affect the next hour or more?

I'd like to know people's thoughts. I know I burn more per day than a sedentary lifestyle since I walk a good amount at work and my FitBit always adjusts my calories but I never eat back those extra FitBit calories so I know i'm technically still under my goal.

Hope everyone has a fantastic Tuesday! (p.s. Happy Valentines Day)

You are close, but if you didn't workout you would have burned even more than 72.5/hour, since your maintenance is 2240 (1740+500), you would have burned 93.3/hour, so you should back out 46.7 cals for the 30 minutes, as that is what you would have burned had you not worked out.

You should back out maintenance cals for the duration of exercise, not the reduced intake MFP gives you or you would not be in a deficit for that portion of time.

(also an accountant)

lilfurson · February 2012

I wanted to be an accountant when I was planning for college but went the Computer Science route instead.

CoryIda · February 2012

I'm borrowing the stock answer engineman312 always gives to this question, because he's right:

"Your body works more on a week to week basis, rather than a day to day basis. I know that personally, I'm not always hungry the day off a big work out, but the next day I might be, so I'm not going to worry if I'm over."

Also, your deficit is already built into your goals on MFP - you need the extra food it gives you to fuel your body adequately when you exercise.

lilfurson · February 2012

Thanks for the responses. I'm trying really hard to eat back my exercise calories since I don't think I was eating enough and i'm exercising a lot. I think I don't need to worry about this but was just going through my brain while trying to figure all the numbers out.

AirCircleI · February 2012

I know what you mean and posted a thread about that exact thing earlier today (search for BMR and HRM), or my name I think. I got a few responses which were helpful. In any event, I've decided to reduce the number of calories that I log by 50 or so based on a 30-45 minute workout (so I cycle 30 minutes and according to my HRM I burn 300 calories, but I am logging 250) just to be on the safe side.

erickirb · February 2012

Thanks for the responses. I'm trying really hard to eat back my exercise calories since I don't think I was eating enough and i'm exercising a lot. I think I don't need to worry about this but was just going through my brain while trying to figure all the numbers out.

The other issue with these cals though is MFP tends to over estimate cals burned. It I were to use MFP's estimates I would only eat back 60-75% of them, but if using an HRM I would eat 90-95%, the 5-10% would account for backing out maintenance cals.

lilfurson · February 2012

The other issue with these cals though is MFP tends to over estimate cals burned. It I were to use MFP's estimates I would only eat back 60-75% of them, but if using an HRM I would eat 90-95%, the 5-10% would account for backing out maintenance cals.

I do use a HRM for all my workouts and log them properly. I don't ever eat back the FitBit calories. So I think i've been eating under my allotment by a little bit and I think that's probably perfect for now.

I'll just keep watching the weight and make sure it doesn't head upwards. I just want to feed my metabolism and not starve it out.

sophieshaped · February 2012

I use a HRM. I used it to get a rough cal burn at rest (e.g. doing bits round the house, making dinner, sitting down), so I know what I would have burnt had I not exercised. Then I take it off my HRM total.

My resting burn is roughly 90cal/hour, so an hour long workout where I burnt 450cal burn - 90 = 360 to enter into MFP.

Lizzy_Sunflower · February 2012

Sounds like it would be easier to set your lifestyle activity level to "Highly Active" and not try to figure out how many exercise calories to add back each day.

This might also make it easier to plan meals ahead, knowing you have so many to meet each day.

Consuming Exercise Calories Question

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