How can I reconfigure my calories to not take out excercise?

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dcinthesummer
dcinthesummer Posts: 55 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
. Can I change my food diary so it does not bump up my daily calorie count when I exercise? Thanks!

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  • SkettiGurl
    SkettiGurl Posts: 186 Member
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    If you don't want to take into account how many calories you have burned then don't enter your exercise. You basically have two options here...

    Set your daily activity level to Sedentary and record your exercise and eat back your calories (your body needs those calories to fuel it...and yes there is lots of arguments about this...but logically, it makes sense if you're on a calorie deficient diet).

    OR

    Set your daily activity to light or higher and don't record your exercise as it has been incorporated into your daily calorie allowance.

    Why do you not want to count the calories you have burned?
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    MFP is specifically designed that way for a reason. There are ways you can do it, but the site itself does not have a setting for that.

    You can simply not log exercise. Or you can create all your own exercise and give it a 1 calorie burn so the amount that comes off is minimal.
  • mcarter99
    mcarter99 Posts: 1,666 Member
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    I think some people that want to record their exercise just to have records but don't want the calorie bump put it in as 0 calories.
  • dcinthesummer
    dcinthesummer Posts: 55 Member
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    My doctor actually just told me that the people who have the greatest success with weight loss do not account for calories burned during exercise (I assume this is for people who do a regular amount of exercise, not marathon runners, body builders,etc). I thought this was great advice because it is too easy to overestimate your calories that you burned exercising, especially when doing a light amount.
    I do want to log my exercise to keep myself on track, but I can see if I can zero out the calories.
  • Angelpacheco
    Angelpacheco Posts: 22
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    I just don't count them. Even if they are on there I add it up myself on paper & don't go over what my daily intake without exercise should be.
  • taylor5877
    taylor5877 Posts: 1,792 Member
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    Since I've been down the weight loss/fitness road I know that MFP's estimate of my BMR/resting calories is low for me.

    Setting it to a 500 calorie deficit and knowing that the BMR calculation is low anyway, I know if I get around my goal after excercise that even if I've overestimated calories burned I'm still at a number that I will lose weight.

    And since I care more about body composition changes anyway, I know the worst that happens with light running and heavy strength training at a surplus is a bit more muscle building and a little fat gain. I honestly could live with that on days that I've underestimated my calories burned.

    But that's me.

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