Do you pre-log exercise?

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I exercise at night after my daughter is in bed. That's usually after dinner. Do yo pre=log your exercise so that you can distribute your exercise calories throughout the day?

I've been ending up with like 400 calories leftover at the end of the day and if I'm going to eat them I need to distribute them to my breakfast, snacks and lunch.

How do you do this? I'm also afraid of over-estimating.
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  • christyd4
    christyd4 Posts: 191
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    I do this but usually leave about 100 calories as a "just in case" so that I don't over do it.
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
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    I exercise at night after my daughter is in bed. That's usually after dinner. Do yo pre=log your exercise so that you can distribute your exercise calories throughout the day?

    I've been ending up with like 400 calories leftover at the end of the day and if I'm going to eat them I need to distribute them to my breakfast, snacks and lunch.

    How do you do this? I'm also afraid of over-estimating.

    No. Why would you log exercise you haven't actually performed? What if you don't get to it? The idea that a deficit of 400 calories for one day is going to matter is ridiculous. (And I don't think most people should be eating back their calories. Their estimates of intake and expenditure are not always accurate.)

    Most people are eating too many calories, not too few. If in a week or two you find that your weight is dropping precipitously, you can always start eating more calories during the course of the day.
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
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    I know going into each day what my calorie burn will be so I spread mt calories over my meals and snacks.... Unless I know weare having a night out then I will save early day calories for that bigger meal. On rest days I eat to my maintenance BMR..
  • tzaccario
    tzaccario Posts: 53
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    I play hockey every Thursday followed by the gym on Friday, and I have to do this or I will end up 800+ under. I do build in a cushion though just in case there isn't as much of a calorie burn as I anticipated. To me it's better to be under then overeat and hate myself for it the next day.
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
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    Yes, but I guess low.

    If something happens, class is cancelled AND I can't get to the gym, oh well, I'm over for one day. It hasn't happened yet.
  • sarahs440
    sarahs440 Posts: 405
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    yes I pre log mine on days when I do Zumba, because it is such a high burn that I know I won't be able to eat even half of them back if I don't distribute them throughout the day. Also, for me, if I pre log it, I am more motivated to go and do it!
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
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    I exercise at night after my daughter is in bed. That's usually after dinner. Do yo pre=log your exercise so that you can distribute your exercise calories throughout the day?

    I've been ending up with like 400 calories leftover at the end of the day and if I'm going to eat them I need to distribute them to my breakfast, snacks and lunch.

    How do you do this? I'm also afraid of over-estimating.

    No. Why would you log exercise you haven't actually performed? What if you don't get to it? The idea that a deficit of 400 calories for one day is going to matter is ridiculous. (And I don't think most people should be eating back their calories. Their estimates of intake and expenditure are not always accurate.)

    Most people are eating too many calories, not too few. If in a week or two you find that your weight is dropping precipitously, you can always start eating more calories.

    I am going to have to disagree been doin this for 34 months and have lost 304 lbs. And have yet to miss a calorie burn goal I have set out to do... If it is important to you to get healthy you make the time..... My butt sits in front of the t.v. and or computer atleast a couple hours a day and if I got time for that than I got time to take care of myself and got a workout in.......
  • Stephanie2167
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    I exercise at night after my daughter is in bed. That's usually after dinner. Do yo pre=log your exercise so that you can distribute your exercise calories throughout the day?

    I've been ending up with like 400 calories leftover at the end of the day and if I'm going to eat them I need to distribute them to my breakfast, snacks and lunch.

    How do you do this? I'm also afraid of over-estimating.

    No. Why would you log exercise you haven't actually performed? What if you don't get to it? The idea that a deficit of 400 calories for one day is going to matter is ridiculous. (And I don't think most people should be eating back their calories. Their estimates of intake and expenditure are not always accurate.)

    Most people are eating too many calories, not too few. If in a week or two you find that your weight is dropping precipitously, you can always start eating more calories during the course of the day.

    Because everything I'm reading says I should eat back my exercise calories. And I don't want to eat a 400 calories meal at 10 at night. And without eating my exercise calories I' netting about 1000 with my goal being 1420.
  • tzaccario
    tzaccario Posts: 53
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    Because everything I'm reading says I should eat back my exercise calories. And I don't want to eat a 400 calories meal at 10 at night. And without eating my exercise calories I' netting about 1000 with my goal being 1420.

    Has it been working for you so far? Then stick with it!! Everyone is different, and in order to be successful you need to find what works for you :happy:
  • acg1305
    acg1305 Posts: 224 Member
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    Do people really find the MFP calorie counting accurate? I dont really :ohwell:
  • happypath101
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    I almost always pre-log my exercise. It forces me to actually do it (for some odd reason). If I've logged it, then it's going to happen. Also, I like planning my day. So, I'll pre-log the food I intend to eat as well. BUT, I never complete my log until I've actually done the exercise and confirmed that I ate what I said I ate.
  • Stephanie2167
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    Because everything I'm reading says I should eat back my exercise calories. And I don't want to eat a 400 calories meal at 10 at night. And without eating my exercise calories I' netting about 1000 with my goal being 1420.

    Has it been working for you so far? Then stick with it!! Everyone is different, and in order to be successful you need to find what works for you :happy:

    Well, I've been at it for 7 1/2 weeks and am down between a4 and 5 pounds depending on the day. I just really want to keep my metabolism up and not go into starvation mode. Plus, If I can eat more that'd be great. :)
  • bcampbell54
    bcampbell54 Posts: 932 Member
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    I see what you are trying to do, but I find it hard to predict what my burn will be before I measure it with some device.
    I guess you could shoot low, if you want to predict what your daily requirements will be, and you don't want to sit in bed eating nuts and cottage cheese til midnight!
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
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    Because everything I'm reading says I should eat back my exercise calories. And I don't want to eat a 400 calories meal at 10 at night. And without eating my exercise calories I' netting about 1000 with my goal being 1420.

    How you feel should be of primary concern.

    If I don't pre-log (and essentially pre-eat) my exercise calories, I end up eating at midnight because if I go to bed hungry I can't sleep. I also end up having a crappy workout.

    I don't usually eat all the way up through them, so if I don't get to it for whatever reason (hasn't happened yet) I end up 200 over goal. Won't kill me. I also estimate low and then correct later.
  • methodless
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    I'm a nutcase
    If I prelog, I'll feel the need to either push myself to that point even though I really shouldn't on one of my worse days
    or I'll feel the need to exceed my goal whether it be more calories or to get the same number of calories in less minutes - again putting my body at risk.

    Plus I like the idea of knowing the exercise (which is the one piece I control most) needs to reach a specific threshold at the very end of the day anyway rather than planning my meals right to the calorie and then trying to fight off hunger if I am getting close.
  • nytdreamer80
    nytdreamer80 Posts: 123 Member
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    I pre log my menu, but very rarely pre log my exercise. I go after work myself, and usually know what I can "spend" for dinner and night time snacks. Thats the worse time of the day for ME so it usually works out fine. Good luck to you!!!! This stuff is hard work!
  • tzaccario
    tzaccario Posts: 53
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    Do people really find the MFP calorie counting accurate? I dont really :ohwell:

    Unless its something I put in myself, or was able to scan from the manufacturer, it's hard to put faith into the counts on MFP :noway:
  • ShaSimone
    ShaSimone Posts: 276
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    I pre-log my exercise as a motivation/bully tactic to actually make myself do it. Once it's on here and my MFP friends have seen or commented on it, I kinda feel like I have to do it. Maybe your exercise/extra calories can count to the next day (big breakfast) since you exercise so late at night? Just an idea.
  • spectralmoon
    spectralmoon Posts: 1,230 Member
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    I don't, because I have a tendency to pull the "I'm tired" or "in a few minutes" till the point where there's no time left for it. I log it when it's done.
  • acg1305
    acg1305 Posts: 224 Member
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    Do people really find the MFP calorie counting accurate? I dont really :ohwell:

    Unless its something I put in myself, or was able to scan from the manufacturer, it's hard to put faith into the counts on MFP :noway:

    True I might start manually inputting it, because I even find the calories assigned to even walking way out.