My Fitness Pal users... do you eat calories earned through exercise?

[dolphinsarentcommon]

Just that really. I have had almost 600 added to my usual 1200 today. Given that I'm trying to lose the last half stone it seems silly to eat more because I've exercised.

Any advice anyone?

No.

No. I mean I wouldn’t stress if I’ve gone ever so slightly over target, but I wouldn’t actively think to eat more no.

No I don't either

No. I think they tend to be overestimated anyway.

No. They're vastly overestimated by fitness trackers.

It's been a while since I was on MFP, but IIRC yes, you absolutely do eat your exercise calories, 1200 calories is the absolute minimum your body needs to function, if you're exercising 600 cals, then your asking your body to survive on 600 cals, which is absolutely not sustainable. I know trackers aren't 100%, so some people only eat back some, or half, but it's the NET intake that matters, not the gross.

Again, it's been a while, and not prying into your particulars, but also if you're down to the last half stone, I think you should be close to being on maintenance calories anyway? In which case 1200 seems very low anyway?

No.

Yes, I do. That's how it's designed to work

Thank you for the replies.

I'm not overweight, my BMI is about 22 which I'm reasonably happy with. Getting here has been a long slog, and only now it's got even harder to lose am I looking at the detail. Tbh I don't think I'll lose on more than 1200, which is why I'm reluctant to eat any from exercise.
I'm actually hoping though that in the longer term exercise will let me eat a bit more, so might become a maintenance total, if that makes sense.

It depends on how much, my settings and my goals.

Fitness trackers tend to overestimate / include calories you'd have burnt during the duration of the activity anyway. If you record everything (let's say, you're recording brisk walks) but have yourself down as moderately active and are eating your calories, you'll probably be disappointed in your progress.

OTOH if you're doing hours of cycling or going up munros, you're going to want to eat some of that back because trying to do that level of exercise on 1200 calories without eating some of it back it likely to be unsustainable / lead to bingeing if that's something you're prone to.

I did/do. Lost 4 stone eating every exercise earned calorie!!

No the estimates are usually wildly over for exercise calories burnt and for most people, they underestimate intake anyway