Should You Add Active Calories to MyFitnessPal?

January 10, 2026 •

3 min read

Studies suggest that some fitness trackers can significantly overestimate calorie burn, with some reports suggesting errors of up to 50%. This means that the extra calories you see in your MyFitnessPal diary after a workout may not be as accurate as you think, directly impacting your weight management efforts.

Quick Summary

Deciding whether to add active calories to MyFitnessPal involves weighing the inaccuracy of calorie burn estimates against fueling your body's needs. The best approach depends on your goals, exercise intensity, and reliance on tracker data versus internal hunger cues.

Key Points

Tracker estimates are inaccurate: Fitness apps and devices often overestimate calories burned.
Choose your strategy: For weight loss, set your activity to sedentary; for maintenance, use calories cautiously.
Listen to hunger cues: Your body’s hunger signals are a better guide than a tracker.
Eat back high-intensity calories: Demanding training may require eating back calories to fuel recovery.
Manual adjustments are an option: You can edit calorie burn if you know your device overestimates.
Consistency is key: Focus on overall progress rather than daily exercise estimates.
Hydrate first: Drink water if hungry after a workout, as thirst can mimic hunger.

Understanding Active Calories and MyFitnessPal

MyFitnessPal uses the principle of "calories in, calories out" (CICO). When you log exercise, calories are added back to your daily total. The app’s initial calorie recommendations factor in your activity level. Connecting external trackers syncs active calories, adding them to your diary. However, the accuracy of these numbers is often questioned.

Why Exercised Calorie Estimates Can Be Misleading

Fitness apps and wearables estimate calorie burn with algorithms that may not be perfectly accurate for everyone. Inaccuracy stems from:

Device Overestimation: Trackers and gym machines often overestimate calories burned, potentially negating a caloric deficit if you eat them back.
Base Activity Level Double-Counting: Setting MyFitnessPal's activity level above "Sedentary" already accounts for some daily movement. Tracker data adds an adjustment, potentially double-counting less intense activities.
User Error: The MyFitnessPal food database has user-generated entries that can be inaccurate. This, combined with exercise overestimation, creates a margin of error.

Two Main Strategies for Handling Active Calories

The approach you take with active calories depends on your goals. Some prefer setting MyFitnessPal's activity level to "Sedentary" and not logging exercise to maintain a consistent calorie goal. Exercise then contributes to a larger calorie deficit. Another strategy involves syncing trackers but using caution, listening to your body's hunger signals rather than strictly eating back estimated calories. You might eat back a portion if genuinely hungry, which is often necessary for high-intensity training.

How to Manage Active Calories for Your Goals

Tailor your approach to your objectives:

For Weight Loss: Be cautious. Ignoring or eating back only a portion of exercise calories is often best to maintain a predictable deficit.

For Weight Maintenance or Muscle Gain: Eating back active calories may be more suitable to support fuel and recovery needs, especially with rigorous training.

Comparison of MyFitnessPal Active Calorie Strategies


Feature	Strategy 1: Ignore Active Calories	Strategy 2: Use Active Calories Mindfully
Best For	Weight loss focus, moderate exercise routines, simplifying tracking.	High-intensity training, performance goals, muscle building, maintenance.
Accuracy	High. Relies on a consistent, fixed daily target rather than variable estimates.	Variable. Requires user judgment to counteract device overestimation.
Complexity	Low. Simplifies the daily calculation and meal planning process.	Moderate. Requires active evaluation of hunger and calorie estimates.
Hunger Cues	You may need to eat slightly less than your appetite suggests on exercise days, but will feel a consistent pattern of fullness.	You can more freely respond to hunger cues on high-activity days.
Accountability	The fixed calorie target makes it easy to stay on track and maintain a deficit.	The fluctuating target requires more discipline to avoid overconsumption.

Conclusion

Deciding whether to add active calories to MyFitnessPal depends on your goals and listening to your body. While the app adds exercise calories to balance energy expenditure, potential overestimation can hinder weight loss. Setting a sedentary activity level and using exercise for an extra deficit offers a predictable weight management approach. For intense training or maintenance, listening to hunger and cautiously eating back some calories provides necessary fuel. Use the app's numbers as a tool, not a strict rule, focusing on consistent progress and your body's signals.

More information on how MyFitnessPal calculates goals is available on {Link: MyFitnessPal website https://support.myfitnesspal.com/hc/en-us/articles/360032626011-How-does-MyFitnessPal-work}.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, especially for weight loss. Trackers often overestimate calorie burn, and eating all back can negate your deficit. For weight loss, eat back only a portion if truly hungry, or none.

MyFitnessPal adds back exercise calories to balance energy intake with expenditure, providing a larger budget on active days. It's an estimate based on logged activity or synced data.

Set your activity level to "Sedentary" in your MyFitnessPal goals and do not log exercise or sync your tracker.

Estimates from trackers and gym machines are inaccurate and often inflated. Use them as a general guide, not precise measurement.

Differences are common. You can manually enter the gym machine's estimate into MyFitnessPal if preferred, but remember both are estimates.

For high-intensity training (like marathon prep) or muscle gain, eating back some or all active calories is crucial to fuel performance and recovery. Listen to your body.

Yes, many log exercise to track activity for fitness progress, even without counting the calories towards intake.