When do I eat my "workout" calories?

Dusty73085

As the thread title states...when is the best time to consume the calories that I have burned off while working out? Before or after you work out? And, what are the best foods to eat, in order to get those calories back?

I bought a heart rate monitor yesterday, that is also a calorie tracker, so I will have a fairly accurate idea of how many calories I have burned that day. Once I get through each of my different work outs (I am on the P90X Lean plan) I should have a general idea of how many calories I burn for each workout. Since I will know that number, would it be better to eat them before or after my daily workout?

katlou2

I'm curious to see what the pro's say here. This is a good question that I don't know the answer to. Do we have to eat our exercise calories?

Annabelle_M

I heard that you should eat them after as your body is still burning calories after working out. I was wondering the same thing about eating them back. I thought in order to lose weight we stick to the 1200 calorie intake plus exercise but not eat more than 1200 calories. I hope that I'm wrong and we can actually eat back what we work out, but idk!!

I love using my heart rate monitor! Mine tells me how many calories are burned also, and it is more accurate than what they have listed/calculated here. (It depends on your own heart rate versus a calculated formula.)

spob

Although you should never eat a big meal before you work-out you should eat a small protein and complex carb. Accoring to what I learned from an "Eat to Burn " session that I went to. When you work out particularily with interval training you rev your engines. They become fat burning machines in fact after a good work-out where you have raised your heart beat and challenged your muscles, your body continues to burn calories at an excelerated pace for much longer than period of time than with just a cardiovascular activity. I was taught that the food you eat after is burned. I am no expert but I am following this theory and it is working for me!

Melis25Fit

Can I ask, how much/what brand was your HRM that is also a calorie tracker? I'm really interested in purchasing one! Let me know!

borisda

Hi Dusty
I have a protein shake immediately after my weights session and whilst I'm doing my cardio. The shake is 300 cals and about 40g of protein. As for the rest of the cals then I try and eat them that evening but trying to avoid eating to late, although I have a large glass of milk and a table spoon of peanut butter before I go bed to give my protein a boost and to give my body something to keep my matabolism going through the night. I don't always eat all my cals (tonight I've got 1575 left and my milk/peanut butter comes in at 300 ish cals) and as long as I've had a good balanced diet that day I don't worry.
I hope this helps but it would be nice to get other opinions.
Take care Jay : ))

Lea10

Hi I dont eat my workout calories I just consume 1200 a day some days its below that and I am loosing weight fast

maddox22

As far as eating them back--yes, you definitely should. The base rate MFP gives you is what you need to eat just to stay alive, minus however many you need to cut to get to your weight loss goal. If you're also exercising, but not taking in any more calories, you're setting yourself up for problems. You'll either be starving and binge, or you won't have the energy to get through your workout.

As for when to eat them: Typically, you'll get the best quality workout if you eat something before your workout (to give you energy to get through it) and then eat something after too (to help your body refuel and start rebuilding). Unless you're working out super early (which I do), you should generally eat a carb-oriented snack an hour to an hour and a half before your workout (to give it time to digest). What and how much you eat depends on the intensity of your workout. If you're just walking a few miles, then half a banana, an orange, some whole wheat toast, or some grapes would be plenty. If you're really pushing it (e.g., running 5+ miles, spinning at high intensity), then you probably want to eat a bit more beforehand to get you all the way through. After your workout, you should eat a small meal or snack with both protein and carbs (such as a small slice of bread with a little peanut butter, or a hard boiled egg and crackers, or cheese and an apple). Again, the intensity of your workout will dictate how much you eat--if you're working at high intensity for a long time, you'll want to eat a little more to help your body refuel. Listen to your body--for example, when I get done with a long run, I just can't stomach the thought of food for at least 45 min or an hour. The best refueling time is within 15-30 minutes after you're done, so I try to eat or drink something light within that time.

Spread the rest of any calories you "exercise off" over the course of the day. Just make sure you are really only putting back in what you burn off--it's really common to think "whew, what a workout, I totally need to refuel!" and drink a huge bottle of Gatorade, when in fact you only burned a couple hundred calories and that Gatorade is 250!

GooBeGone

yes, u're suppose 2 eat back ur exercise calories.

i eat some of mine in the day b/c i workout at nite, i have a chocolate milk as my recovery drink durin my workout b/c it has the same nutrients as the 1's in the store & i have a fruit smoothie after my workout.

the calories work like this for example:

say u naturally burn 2500calories a day doin nuttin but sittin on ur behind. in order 2 lose 1lb a wk u should eat 2000calories a day. therefore u're fuelin ur body minus the calories u're not eatin to lose the 1lb a wk.

if u add exercise 2 the mix, say u worked off 300calories walking 15min down the street at a brisk pace.

so the math now looks like this: u've eaten 2000calories, burned 500calories, & exercised 300calories. therefore ur body only took in 1700calories. in order for ur body NOT 2 go in2 starvation mode (b/c then u wouldn't lose weight) u need 2 eat back ur 300 calories that u exercised off so that u can be at 2000calories for the day.

so please eat ur exercise calories as much as possible.

just think if u did a 5k & ran off 2000calories & u only ate 2000calories for the day ur body would starve b/c it's still gonna burn 2000 MORE calories (2000 normal + 2000for the 5k = 4000calories).

Annabelle_M

Can I ask, how much/what brand was your HRM that is also a calorie tracker? I'm really interested in purchasing one! Let me know!

My HRM was about $100 Canadian and I can't remember the brand, sorry.

Annabelle_M

yes, u're suppose 2 eat back ur exercise calories.

i eat some of mine in the day b/c i workout at nite, i have a chocolate milk as my recovery drink durin my workout b/c it has the same nutrients as the 1's in the store & i have a fruit smoothie after my workout.

the calories work like this for example:

say u naturally burn 2500calories a day doin nuttin but sittin on ur behind. in order 2 lose 1lb a wk u should eat 2000calories a day. therefore u're fuelin ur body minus the calories u're not eatin to lose the 1lb a wk.

if u add exercise 2 the mix, say u worked off 300calories walking 15min down the street at a brisk pace.

so the math now looks like this: u've eaten 2000calories, burned 500calories, & exercised 300calories. therefore ur body only took in 1700calories. in order for ur body NOT 2 go in2 starvation mode (b/c then u wouldn't lose weight) u need 2 eat back ur 300 calories that u exercised off so that u can be at 2000calories for the day.

so please eat ur exercise calories as much as possible.

just think if u did a 5k & ran off 2000calories & u only ate 2000calories for the day ur body would starve b/c it's still gonna burn 2000 MORE calories (2000 normal + 2000for the 5k = 4000calories).

Thanks so much for simplifying this!! I will be sure to eat my workout calories, I was scared to at first!

lisawest

Sian- Good explanation. A couple tweaks I would make in it, but a good explanation! A gentleman by the screen name of SHBoss (aka Banks) just posted this GREAT thread. It covers a bunch of questions (not the "What time" question, but several others). Check it out: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/101833-10-answers-to-common-questions

mrsw510

I generally eat my before. I work out at night, usually about 7pm. I don't want to be eating all those calories back that late at night...

angebean

As the thread title states...when is the best time to consume the calories that I have burned off while working out? Before or after you work out? And, what are the best foods to eat, in order to get those calories back?

I bought a heart rate monitor yesterday, that is also a calorie tracker, so I will have a fairly accurate idea of how many calories I have burned that day. Once I get through each of my different work outs (I am on the P90X Lean plan) I should have a general idea of how many calories I burn for each workout. Since I will know that number, would it be better to eat them before or after my daily workout?

This is a commonly discussed topic here on MFP. There is a lot of information on this thread about exercise calories.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

GooBeGone

oh thanks :blushing:

u can tweak away LOL. i don't mind corrections. i prefer it, that way i know i'm gettin it right lol. but yeah, i just learned this last wk myself. lol :happy:

robin52077

A gentleman by the screen name of SHBoss (aka Banks) just posted this GREAT thread. It covers a bunch of questions (not the "What time" question, but several others). Check it out: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/101833-10-answers-to-common-questions

Banks always has the BEST threads! And this one is no different. I wish there was a way to force everyone to read it while setting up their account to avoid the same questions popping up daily!!!:laugh:

bates

1200 seems like very little cals. Are you sure you're only at -500 deficit?

Dusty73085

Thank you everyone!

I did read SHBoss's thread before I posted this thread (and did a search) but didnt find the "when should I eat the workout calories" question answered. So thank you for those who offered their advice and suggestions!

Becka77

According to my "This Not That" book, it says the best meal after a work out is either a PB&J Sandwich or pasta with meat sauce. It says you need the protein to build new muscle and the carbs to heal old muscles (or maybe it's the other way around, but you get the picture). It also says it is best to eat within 30 minutes after a workout.

Michelle_J

good point mrs.....

SHBoss1673

you guys are making me turn red a little (and my ears are ringing).

Anyway, I think Dusty, you were looking for times of day to eat calories that you burn off with exercise correct?

(I'll assume I am correct here)

The real right answer is, you should always make your best effort to estimate what you will do for exercise before you start your day, and incorporate the additional calories throughout each meal, instead of trying to jam them all in after the workout, this is doubly true if you work out at night or late afternoon.

I realize it's impossible to know how many calories you will burn for the day (unless you exercise UNTIL you hit your calorie goal, which isn't a horrible way to do it actually).

As to when to eat with regards to staying fueled for exercise, well you DON'T want to eat right before hard cardio, that's bad and can lead to stomach pain and cramps, and unless you're eating pure sugar (or white bread, or white rice, or some other simple carb), a lot of those calories won't be converted to energy in time to affect the workout anyway. But I wouldn't recommend this as it's kind of a crap shoot. Better thing for cardio is to eat a modest snack of anywhere from 10 to 30 grams of COMPLEX carbs (depending on how many calories you plan on burning) about 1.5 to 2 hours before your workout. Then after the workout or if you feel like you are fatigued (prematurely) you can have a small snack with both carbs and some protein (1/2 a low sugar energy bar, or maybe some other simple carb like a single slice of mutligrain bread with a serving of peanut butter or almond butter on it are my choice, but really it can be what ever you like. Another good one is an orange or banana and a little bit of almonds or something similar.

km1540

Wow great advise.. I have alot to work on..

km1540

Can I ask, how much/what brand was your HRM that is also a calorie tracker? I'm really interested in purchasing one! Let me know!

I use POLAR Heart Rate Monitors, I use them when i take aerobic classes or even swimming. They have a good range of prices, it all just depends on what you are looking for. The University I work for actually has about 50 sets of POLAR HRM for our PE classes. We want to make sure that the students HR isn't getting to high (which can be very dangerous). You can also download your work out with Polar HRM. so you can see your workout on the computer and see when you hit your peak.

SHBoss1673

Yep, polar ones are good (that's what I have), also Reebok makes a few decent ones, and garmon makes a good one too. Or you could go the body bugg route, but those can be a bit pricey (from what I hear very worth it though).