How to Get Rid of Exercise Calories on MFP for Better Weight Loss

December 24, 2025 •

3 min read

Studies have shown that fitness trackers and health apps can overestimate the number of calories burned during exercise by as much as 50%. For many users trying to lose weight, this feature in MyFitnessPal (MFP) can accidentally undermine their efforts by encouraging them to eat back calories that weren't truly expended, erasing the crucial calorie deficit needed for fat loss.

Quick Summary

MyFitnessPal automatically adds back estimated calories from exercise, which can hinder weight loss goals due to inflated burn estimates. A more effective strategy is to ignore these adjustments and maintain a consistent calorie target, which can be achieved by disabling the feature in your settings.

Key Points

Disable Exercise Calories: Turn off the 'Exercise Calories' setting in the app to prevent MyFitnessPal from automatically adjusting your daily budget based on activity.
Conservative Activity Level: Set your activity level to 'Sedentary' or 'Lightly Active' in your goals, which provides a more stable baseline calorie target without factoring in workouts.
Inaccurate Estimates: Be aware that fitness trackers and app estimates for calories burned during exercise are often significantly overestimated and should not be relied upon for dietary adjustments.
Focus on Net Deficit: The goal for weight loss is a consistent calorie deficit, which is best achieved by managing food intake rather than eating back potentially inflated workout calories.
Adjust Based on Progress: Track your weight over weeks and adjust your calorie intake based on your actual progress, not day-to-day exercise logs, to avoid stalling your results.
Listen to Your Body: Pay attention to genuine hunger and fullness cues, especially after a workout, and choose nutritious, protein-rich foods if you feel you need to refuel.

The Problem with Exercise Calories in MyFitnessPal

MyFitnessPal's feature that adds exercise calories back into your daily budget can negatively impact weight loss goals. The primary issues stem from inaccurate calorie burn estimates from apps and trackers. These calculations are often based on averages and don't account for individual metabolism or how the body adapts to exercise over time, leading to potentially inflated numbers.

Furthermore, the body can compensate for increased activity by reducing energy expenditure in other areas (NEAT), meaning the net calorie burn from a workout is often less than reported. Eating back the full estimated amount can eliminate the calorie deficit essential for weight loss. Relying on exercise to 'earn' food can also create an unhealthy relationship with eating. Focusing on consistent diet is generally a more sustainable approach as weight loss is primarily driven by diet.

How to Disable Exercise Calories on MFP

The most effective way to manage this is to stop tracking exercise calories. Here's how to disable the feature:

Turn off "Exercise Calories" in the App: Navigate to 'More', then 'Goals'. Scroll down to 'Exercise Calories' and toggle it off.
Manage "Negative Adjustments" on the Website: Log in online, go to 'My Home', 'Settings', and 'Diary Settings'. Check the box for "Enable Negative Adjustments" and save. This allows the app to deduct calories if your activity is lower than the baseline estimate.
Adjust Activity Level Conservatively: Set your initial activity level in your goals (e.g., Sedentary or Lightly Active). This incorporates exercise into your baseline expenditure, removing the need for daily adjustments and the temptation to eat back calories.

Comparison: Eating Back vs. Ignoring Exercise Calories


Feature	Eating Back Exercise Calories	Ignoring Exercise Calories (Recommended)
Calorie Accuracy	Estimates are often highly inflated, leading to inaccuracies.	Relies on a more stable and predictable deficit, improving accuracy.
Weight Loss Progress	Can slow or stall progress by inadvertently negating the calorie deficit.	Leads to more predictable and consistent weight loss over time.
Consistency	Daily calorie targets fluctuate significantly based on activity levels.	Daily calorie target remains consistent, making adherence simpler and more sustainable.
Psychology	Creates a mindset of 'earning' food, which can be mentally taxing and lead to frustration if weight loss stalls.	Fosters a healthier relationship with food by decoupling eating from exercise.
Fueling Workouts	For moderate exercise, you are already fueling your workouts within your base calories.	Focuses on eating quality, nutrient-dense foods to fuel performance without overeating.

More Effective Ways to Manage Calories and Exercise

Adopt more reliable strategies for managing calories and exercise for weight loss:

Prioritize a Solid Nutritional Plan: Accurately track food intake. Consider weighing food initially for better portion understanding. Maintain your calorie goal consistently, independent of workouts.
Adjust Based on Progress, Not Daily Burn: Monitor weight trends over several weeks. If progress stalls, make small adjustments to your overall daily calorie intake (e.g., 100-200 calories) rather than trying to perfectly track every workout.
Listen to Your Body: Focus on real hunger cues. If genuinely hungry post-workout, opt for nutritious, protein-rich foods for recovery. Stay hydrated, as thirst can be mistaken for hunger.
Use Exercise for Health, Not Just Calories: Frame exercise as a way to improve health, build muscle, and boost mood, rather than solely a means to 'earn' extra food. This promotes a more sustainable fitness mindset.

Conclusion

The MyFitnessPal feature that adds exercise calories, while seemingly helpful, can be detrimental to weight loss due to inaccurate burn estimates and the risk of erasing the necessary calorie deficit. Disabling this feature, setting a conservative activity level, and focusing on consistent dietary intake offers a more predictable path to sustainable results. Prioritize accurate food tracking and let your overall progress guide any calorie adjustments, instead of relying on potentially inflated exercise numbers. For additional tips on using MyFitnessPal effectively, resources like the TriageMethod blog offer advanced guidance.(https://triagemethod.com/how-to-get-the-most-out-of-myfitnesspal/)

Frequently Asked Questions

No, MyFitnessPal's exercise calorie estimates are generally considered inaccurate and often overestimated. They rely on averages and do not account for individual metabolic differences, which can lead to overeating and hinder weight loss.

MyFitnessPal adds back calories burned during exercise to maintain the user's target calorie deficit. The idea is that you've 'earned' those calories back by working out, but this is often a misleading and counterproductive approach for weight loss.

For most people, especially those seeking weight loss, it is not recommended to eat back exercise calories. Doing so can easily cancel out the calorie deficit, which is the primary driver of weight loss. Instead, focus on a consistent dietary intake.

To turn off the feature, navigate to 'More' in the bottom menu, then 'Goals', and scroll to the bottom. Find 'Exercise Calories' and toggle the setting off.

A negative calorie adjustment means your activity tracker reports a lower daily calorie burn than MyFitnessPal's initial estimate. This will deduct calories from your budget if enabled. This setting can only be changed on the MyFitnessPal website.

A better strategy is to set a conservative activity level (like sedentary) in your goals and ignore daily workout additions. Rely on a consistent, moderate calorie deficit and monitor your weight trend over time for any necessary adjustments.

Yes, absolutely. Exercise provides numerous health benefits, including increased fitness and mood. While its role in creating a calorie deficit is often overstated, it contributes to overall energy expenditure and is a vital part of a healthy lifestyle.