So I use my fitnesspal to keep track of my calories; which is pretty awesome because they have this free phone app that let's me go out into the real world and calorie count, but I digress; and I also use it to track my exercise. When I put in my exercise it "allows" me more calories for the day based on the fact that I "put out" more calories (which totally makes sense) but the probelm is, I don't want to eat those extra calories, I want to stay in my zone (which is anywhere between 1200-1900, I cycle) and under a certain weekly amount and I guess I want to know: is that the right thing to do? I mean should I be taking in those extra calories or should I just let them go into the deficit? Thanks in advance guys!

I think you'll get different answers on this one. I personally don't add exercise calories back in. I've never used that app, but is it possible to just mentally deduct them in your head and just not eat them? Or would that mess you up in the app? Or, use a different app to track your exercise?

Calories I burn from exercise I consider a bonus. Almost like earning extra credit in a high school class .

I try to make sure that I'm my under my maintenance calories and so should theoretically lose weight just by taking in less food. The exercise that I do is a bonus and I don't allow myself to eat more because of that.

I believe that 90% of weight loss is from the intake side of the equation (the calories you eat). It is very hard to lose weight via exercise alone and it is much easier to control what goes into your mouth verses what you burn off.

It depends. I try not to drive myself too insane with this kind of thinking because you can really drive yourself crazy. I use loseit! which also deducts for exercise, but I always keep an eye on total food calories and try to stay beneath a certain number.

But, I also try to listen to my body... if I worked out hard one day and I am feeling (physically) hungrier, then I have more food. Starvation leads to worse consequences (binges for one) than just having an extra 100-200 calories a day, in my opinion. It may lead to slower weight loss, but I want these pounds to STAY off.

So.. YMMV.

No, I do not "eat back" exercise calories. No way!

However, I do listen to my body. There are times I do crazy workouts and my body tells me I haven't had enough fuel. I got dizzy and ill once on a 5 mile walk which really scared me and it was because I didn't have enough fuel for the hike. It happened on a 22 mile bike ride once too. That was scary. Now I always make sure I have a snack with me on such an outing, just in case.

If I NEED food, I eat it. Otherwise it's business as usual.

And really, it just depends. I usually workout pretty hard on an empty stomach first things in the mornings. Every now and then my body says "nope, not today" and I just have to listen it.

Generally no, I don't eat back exercise calories. If my planning has been less than perfect and I get to the 3rd meal with 10 calories and 0 carbs left in my allowance, I Sometimes use any exercise calories, just so I can eat Something - but I try not to let that happen.

I use DietPower, and I think that 135/140 days, I've had surplus calories left over; partly because DP gives variable calorie budgets daily, based on the last 30 days' weightloss, and sometimes gives more than I want (I eat around 1400), Partly because of exercise calories. I've currently got 51,495 spare calories in my "bank". My plan is that when I get to maintenance, I'm going to very gradually eat those 51,495 back in a controlled way.

Thanks you guys, I don't think I will count those back in. I pretty much keep track of calories in my head, a journal and the website; I just wanted to be sure it wouldn't have any adverse effects.

It really depends. If I am really hungry (truly hungry, not just feeling peckish), and I have blown through my daily calories, I will add up to 1/2 of the calories burned. I figure all of the counters over-estimate anyway, so that way I'm not eating over what I'm allotted.

If, however, I'm not that hungry, I don't touch 'em.

this is one of those things that can drive you crazy, just like getting different BMR rates from different site calculators.


I don't think I should be eating back any of my exercise calories since that's my only activities for the day. Even if I workout 2-3 hours, I'm laying down the rest of the day. People say with that much exercise I should be eating more, but then I probably wouldn't exercise that much.

has anyone noticed slower weight loss not eating back their exercise calories?

Absolutely not. If one thinks calorie calulators are inaccurate, try measuring calories burned from exercise. Exercise is for fitness, low cal/carb is for weight loss, IMHO.

I use bodybugg to count my calorie burn and log my calories eating. This is the first time I have ever lost more than 10 pounds and kept going and feeling okay about it (and not going out and buying fried chicken or what not). It gives me a sense of control over my eating desires. And I am healthier and more physically fit than I can remember (I'm skinnier than my college days! - maybe only once was I as cardio fit, when I ran a marathon when I was 23 - but I'm now at least as skinny as that - but may weigh more).


now to answer your question - I can see the days I've burned 1600 vs 3000 calories. I try to burn over 2300 each day - but some days I just don't (sadly as I've also lost weight it is MUCH harder for me to burn 3000 calories) - sometimes even two intense workouts (about 4 hours) only get me up to 2800 (and I am mostly at my desk the rest of the day...) (I also am unable to run anymore because of a bum knee)

But I do try to keep my "deficit" between 500-900 calories a day - which means on days I don't work out as hard I try to eat less, and on days I work out harder I let myself eat more. And since I LOVE to eat - I want to work out harder.

I will say I was stuck at 184 for a while (a month or maybe two) - though I was visibly getting thinner (and my fat % was going down - but bummer right?) - and when I kept my deficit near 100-200 for a week (mostly because I think I was giving up a little) I actually went down to 182 (finally). I was still working out the same. But now I am back to eating in deficit - and have gone down to 180 in 1.5 weeks.

Anyway - I think that weight loss has to be all about being happy while you do it - because if you deprave yourself too much - you are going to give up and gain those 30 pounds back because you decided to cheat one day and never stopped cheating.... (now if I cheat - and I do - it is mostly planned for and I can get back on track much easier than I have in the past). Also I don't feel guilty (or try to feel less guilty) when I do go out for an unexpected dinner that then brings my calories up to 0 deficit or maybe a couple hundred over, because I log it and then try to make up for it the rest of the week.

What is Diet Power? Sounds interesting!

I agree! So far I have not used the calories I burn towards more food I can eat for the day. Don't plan on it!

That is one thing about Calorie King that I really felt uneasy about, eating back exercise calories.

My GoWear Fit system (like a BodyBugg) does NOT encourage you to eat back calories, in fact, to lose 2 lbs a week, it recommends that I have a calorie deficit of 1,000. So I am supposed to burn 2700 calories throughout the day, and consume 1700. It works if I stick to it!

No way! Whatever I burn during workouts is bonus to my calorie deficit.