The Flaw in 'Earning' More Food on MyFitnessPal
For many MyFitnessPal users, the promise of “earning” extra calories through exercise is a powerful motivator. The app uses data from linked fitness trackers or manual inputs to add calories to your daily budget, making it feel like you have permission to eat more after a workout. While this sounds logical in theory, this approach is a common stumbling block for weight loss. The problem lies not with the app itself but with the accuracy of the data it receives and the psychological behavior it encourages. For most people, consuming the calories credited for exercise is counterproductive to their goals.
Why Your Calorie Burn Estimate is Inaccurate
At the core of this issue is the unreliability of calorie burn estimations, particularly from wrist-worn devices. Studies have repeatedly shown that most consumer-level fitness trackers provide inaccurate data on energy expenditure.
Limitations of Fitness Trackers
- Reliance on generic formulas: Trackers use algorithms based on general population data rather than accounting for individual variations in metabolism, muscle mass, and fitness levels. As you lose weight, you burn fewer calories, but your device may not adjust accordingly.
- Sensor interference: Wrist-based sensors, which measure heart rate via light sensors, can produce inaccurate readings due to rapid arm movements, sweat, or even wrist tattoos. This is particularly true for weightlifting and HIIT workouts, where sensor accuracy decreases significantly.
- Activity-specific errors: The margin of error can vary wildly depending on the activity. While some trackers are acceptably accurate for steady-state cardio like jogging, they can significantly overestimate calories burned during walking or strength training.
The Double Whammy: Overestimation and Underestimation
When you combine the overestimation of calories burned with the human tendency to underestimate calories consumed, you create a perfect recipe for a stalled weight loss journey. A person might burn a projected 500 calories during a workout but realistically only burn 300, while also under-logging their food intake by 20%. This can easily erase a modest calorie deficit and lead to a weight-loss plateau or even weight gain.
The Psychology of Earning Food
The practice of eating back calories can also foster an unhealthy psychological relationship with food. It creates a 'reward mentality' where exercise is viewed as a means to earn treats, rather than a healthy habit in its own right. This mindset can lead to overeating and can undermine the progress you've made. It perpetuates the idea that food is something you must earn, rather than fuel for your body. For sustainable health, it's better to separate exercise from food intake and focus on creating a consistent, healthy eating pattern.
A More Reliable and Sustainable Approach
Instead of relying on a variable 'net calorie' goal, consider a more reliable method:
- Set a conservative baseline calorie goal: Start by setting your activity level to 'lightly active' or 'sedentary' in MyFitnessPal and choose a modest weight loss goal (e.g., 0.5-1 lb per week). This sets a conservative daily calorie target that already factors in some level of daily movement.
- Turn off exercise calories: Go into your MyFitnessPal settings and disable the 'exercise calories' feature. This prevents your daily budget from being adjusted by potentially inaccurate estimates.
- Use exercise as a bonus: View your workouts not as a way to earn more food but as a way to increase your calorie deficit. This ensures your weight loss is driven by consistent, controlled nutrition rather than inaccurate tracking. The calories burned during exercise simply accelerate your progress without the risk of overeating to compensate.
- Prioritize overall nutrition: Focus on eating nutrient-dense foods that will keep you full and energized throughout the day. Emphasize lean protein and fiber, and stay hydrated to support your body's needs.
Comparison: Eating Back vs. Static Goal
| Feature | Eating Back Exercise Calories | Setting a Static Calorie Goal |
|---|---|---|
| Calorie Goal | Dynamic, changes daily based on logged exercise. | Fixed, consistent daily target. |
| Accuracy | Prone to significant error due to inaccurate tracker estimates (overestimation is common). | More reliable, as it doesn't depend on variable activity tracking. |
| Weight Loss Potential | Often stalled or reversed due to underestimating food and overestimating burn. | More consistent and predictable, as it relies on a controlled deficit. |
| Psychological Effect | Can foster a 'reward' mentality tied to food, potentially leading to an unhealthy relationship with eating. | Encourages consistency and separates exercise from food intake, promoting a healthier mindset. |
| Sustainability | Requires constant, meticulous tracking and adjustments, which can be difficult to maintain long-term. | Simpler to follow and more sustainable over the long haul. |
Conclusion
While MyFitnessPal is a valuable tool for tracking nutrition and monitoring trends, relying on its 'net calorie' feature to eat back exercise calories is a flawed strategy for most individuals. The inaccuracy of calorie burn estimates from fitness trackers, combined with natural human error in calorie consumption, makes this approach unreliable and often counterproductive. For sustainable and predictable weight loss, a better strategy is to set a static, consistent calorie target based on a realistic activity level and treat exercise as a powerful tool to increase your overall calorie deficit. This approach fosters a healthier relationship with food and provides a more solid foundation for long-term success.
