exercise calories hrm question?

Maria052007
Maria052007 Posts: 41 Member
edited November 12 in Food and Nutrition
Hi,

So I know there are several people out there that use heart rate monitors so they know how many calories they burned. And it seems that the heart rate monitor people tend to say the estimates from MFP are too high. So, how many hours do you exercise? And if you use a heart rate monitor, do you eat the calories back? I mean like mine told me I burned 250 calories and MFP said like 600 calories. But 250 calories hardly seems like it would cause huge distress if I didn't "eat them back".

What are your thoughts?

Replies

  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    My thoughts are that if I'm hungry, I eat my exercise calories back, or at least some of them, until I'm satisfied. Some days I do, some days I don't, just depends. I do think if you have a huge deficit that leaves you with a low net calorie number on a regular basis, it will be bad for you in the long run. The body needs fuel to run, and more exercise means more fuel. As I understand it, exercise & proper eating can boost your metabolism, and exercise & not enough eating can lower it, as the body feels like it needs to conserve because there seems to be a famine going on. :tongue:

    Some MFP folks eat all their exercise calories back religiously and swear by it, others tried it & gained. Some eat none, some eat partial, some eat them all - seems like you kind of need to experiment & see what works best for your body.

    Does that help? :laugh:
  • MOS3
    MOS3 Posts: 134 Member
    When I started with MFP I was of the opinion that the less I ate the more I would loose. However I quickly realised that lose was not everything. I wanted to be healthy and toned. When it came to maintenance I was scared to increase so much, so I slowly increased it each week. Now I eat every excercise calorie back and have maintained the same weight for 4 weeks. So basically I say I have TRUSTED mfp and it has paid off. That said, this has worked for me, but everyone is different. Good luck
  • Maria052007
    Maria052007 Posts: 41 Member
    When I started with MFP I was of the opinion that the less I ate the more I would loose. However I quickly realised that lose was not everything. I wanted to be healthy and toned. When it came to maintenance I was scared to increase so much, so I slowly increased it each week. Now I eat every excercise calorie back and have maintained the same weight for 4 weeks. So basically I say I have TRUSTED mfp and it has paid off. That said, this has worked for me, but everyone is different. Good luck

    But do you use a heart rate monitor? Or MFP calculation for your exercise?
  • juliedee6
    juliedee6 Posts: 46 Member
    I absolutely agree with amyrhubarb. Every body is different and you have ti experiment with what works for you. I was on WW for 3 months and lost nothing. I ate all the points I was allowed and exercised regularly. Since starting on MFP, I stick to my 1200 calories, and on exercise days I may eat back 200 to 300 calories. I generally burn 700 to 900 calories in 2 to 2 1/2 hours at the gym. I've been losing 2 - 3 pounds per week.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    When I started with MFP I was of the opinion that the less I ate the more I would loose. However I quickly realised that lose was not everything. I wanted to be healthy and toned. When it came to maintenance I was scared to increase so much, so I slowly increased it each week. Now I eat every excercise calorie back and have maintained the same weight for 4 weeks. So basically I say I have TRUSTED mfp and it has paid off. That said, this has worked for me, but everyone is different. Good luck

    But do you use a heart rate monitor? Or MFP calculation for your exercise?
    I know you quoted MOS3, but I use a HRM (and since getting it realized that MFP does estimate calories higher). And I've been on again off again with my exercise over the past two years lost 12lbs, gained some back, & lost 12 again since starting with MFP. Been serious about it since August of last year, and even with a health issue from Oct - Dec., I have kept the weight off. Still have a few pounds to go, and those last pounds always seem to be the most difficult to lose, but I am still losing inches and weight with my plan of eating back the calories when I'm hungry.
  • kmbrleykay
    kmbrleykay Posts: 79
    I also use a heartrate monitor & & I put my calories in according to what the monitor says. On a normal exercise day, say 30 - 40 mins on the treadmill or exercise bike I try not to eat my calories back, but dont fret if I eat some of them. However we are training for our 5th half marathon, so on a big training day or a marathon day, (say 8 miles or more), I always eat back a large portion of my exercise calories because I know my body needs that fuel. So it depends on how much exercise you are talking about and would also depend on where your calorie intake is set for the day. I used to have my calorie intake at 1600 calories, based on my goal weight. But while I was still losing it was under a pound a week, so I have changed my calorie goal to to 1350 & realize at this level I need some of my exercise calories back.
  • rockerbabyy
    rockerbabyy Posts: 2,258 Member
    Hi,

    So I know there are several people out there that use heart rate monitors so they know how many calories they burned. And it seems that the heart rate monitor people tend to say the estimates from MFP are too high. So, how many hours do you exercise? And if you use a heart rate monitor, do you eat the calories back? I mean like mine told me I burned 250 calories and MFP said like 600 calories. But 250 calories hardly seems like it would cause huge distress if I didn't "eat them back".

    What are your thoughts?
    my exercise routine is 3.5 hours a week (lifting 3x/week @ 30 minutes each, and two cardio sessions @ 60 minutes each)...sometimes more gets added in, but thats the minimum. i do use a HRM and i eat all the calories back.. maybe not on the day i burn them if i get full, but i use sunday as my make up day to use em up ;D
    eating back 250 would kinda depend on how low your goal is. if its 1200 and you dont eat the 250 back youre only giving your body 950 to work with to keep your organs functioning and such. personally, i think its important to eat them back so that youre properly fueling your body - mfps goal is for before exercise so you would lose weight sitting on your butt all day if thats what you wanted. when youre more active, you burn more calories and you need to keep your energy up
  • shaycat
    shaycat Posts: 980
    I have a quick question for those with a HRM

    My tread mill and elliptical both say I burn twice as much as MFP says. I have started just leaving what MFP says, but that seems kind of low. Do you think I burned less than 50 calories walking really fast for 10 minutes?
  • rockerbabyy
    rockerbabyy Posts: 2,258 Member
    I have a quick question for those with a HRM

    My tread mill and elliptical both say I burn twice as much as MFP says. I have started just leaving what MFP says, but that seems kind of low. Do you think I burned less than 50 calories walking really fast for 10 minutes?
    when i do my 60 minutes on the elliptical, my HRM says 600-650, the elliptical says anywhere from 680 to 780, and MFP says 1049..
    so i burn about 100 every 10 minutes (really pushing myself, usually 4-6 mph) - but i also weigh 238.
  • kak2m4
    kak2m4 Posts: 167 Member
    I don't use a HRM, but I eat back 50-66% of the estimation MFP gives me. Well, some days I eat them back, some days I don't. It just depends on how I feel that day.
  • shaycat
    shaycat Posts: 980
    Hmmm I figure I burn about 100 calories in 10 minutes, but I am guessing. MFP said if I did 60 minutes on the ellipitcal I would only burn 400. I bet its more.
    I am saving up for a HRM, but we are so tight right now I dont know when I can get one.
  • squishycow7
    squishycow7 Posts: 820 Member
    I've been using my HRM for a couple weeks...

    some things in the MFP database were too high, some actually too low (for me).

    I do eat back the exercise calories, and always have, even before I got the HRM.... & well... sometimes I end up just eating too much and then I exercise it off, which is essentially the same idea.


    edit to add - even when it's only a "little" burn I tend to eat them back. and it's better to go for accuracy w/ the HRM, I think, so you're not overeating (like you would've done if you'd eaten 600 cals back vs only the actual 200 something you burned). but then I see your point with the "what's the big deal" if it's a small amount. what it should come down to then is how your tummy feels, see if you're actually hungry and make a judgement call. just depends on your feeling.
  • creative1981
    creative1981 Posts: 182 Member
    I have had a HRM for a couple of days. Today it said I burned 211 doing 20 mins of the 30 Day Shred and MFP estimates 227 for 20 mins of Circuit Training (what I was logging it as before) so it's not too far off. However before I had the HRM I would not eat my exercise calories back as I thought it seemed too high. Now I will if I'm hungry but to be honest I haven't been.
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