There it was on my food log tracker, I had an “extra” 200
Calories from walking the trail at work for 40 minutes. Those magical ‘net Calories’ make me feel
like I’ve gotten a bonus in my nutritional paycheck and was entitled to eat an
extra 200 Calories…
This mentality occurs frequently in dieters and fellow food
log aficionados. “I burned an extra 7
Calories from making the bed!”
Unfortunately, all this food/activity logging can
backfire. Calories don’t always act like
cash in your bank account.
The Nutrition Diva—Monica Reinagel (MS, LD/N, CNS), has a great article on her blog and podcast: “How Diet Trackers Sabotage Weight Loss.”
The Nutrition Diva—Monica Reinagel (MS, LD/N, CNS), has a great article on her blog and podcast: “How Diet Trackers Sabotage Weight Loss.”
Logging exercise or having a reminder to workout can build a
great habit. However, it’s not an
incentive to eat more (unless your goal is to gain weight).
Reinagel reports different ways that logging exercise can
mislead your overall Calorie needs.
“If you use a wearable fitness tracker like a Fitbit or
Jawbone or even a low-tech pedometer or step counter, you can use that to help
you select the proper category for your lifestyle.
- Fewer
than 1,000 steps a day is sedentary.
- Fewer
than 10,000 steps or about 4 miles a day is Lightly Active.
- Ten to
23,000 steps or 4 to 10 miles a day is considered Active.
- More
than 23,000 steps or ten miles a day is Highly Active”
(Reinagel, 2016).
Currently, smart phones will track your movement (e.g. iPhones
have the health app that can work well enough to give you a baseline or motivation
to move more).
In addition to getting a solid ballpark on your daily
Calorie needs, the Calories burned from logging activities are frequently
overblown (or they can get logged twice).
Elle Penner, MPH, RD, is the Food and Nutrition Editor at
MyFitnessPal. She answers the common
question “Should
I Eat Back My Exercise Calories?”
Penner recommends the following mindful tips:
·
“Start with a hydration check. Hone in on your hunger cues. Don’t get stuck on the number. Focus on high-quality protein and wholesome
carbohydrates” (Penner, 2016).
Let’s take fitness trackers and food logging habits with a proverbial grain of salt. We know we can
overestimate our exercise or portion sizes at times (and essentially cheat a little) but logs and trackers give
us a picture of our eating habits and activity habits.
Checking your steps may get you to take more
short walks during the day. Tracking
your Calories may give you an idea of where you can add additional produce or other
healthy foods into your diet.
Your
weight or body measurements may provide a more accurate or consistent measurement
of progress outside of Calorie algorithms. Consistency is key to starting and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
References:
Penner, E.(January, 2016). Ask
The Dietitian: Should I Eat Back My Exercise Calories? Retrieved from: http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/ask-the-dietitian-should-i-eat-back-my-exercise-calories/
Reinagel, M. (April,
2016). How Diet Trackers Sabotage Weight
Loss. Retrieved from: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/health-fitness/trends-fads/how-diet-trackers-sabotage-weight-loss
Gina Volsko MS, RDN,
LD is a Registered Dietitian and Health Data Analyst. Follow her antics in health and technology on
Instagram at gina.koko.
