Defeating calorie creep through exercise

Lucille4444

The calorie creep definitely exists. I'm finding that while I am able to stick to my general daily meal/calorie plan, a few little extras like additional salad dressing and cheese in my salads are upping my daily calories. I look forward to my daily lunch salad and the extras make it even more appealing.
I am beginning to lift weights several times a week, but also have a stationary cycle. I checked out the calories used if I cycle for an hour daily, and they were more than enough to take care of the salad extras.

lithezebra

Sadly, I've maxed out my exercise allotment and I'm eating as much, and exercising as much, as I really should. I would like to be eating a lot more dark chocolate, and it makes me wistful. <whimper>

wabmester

In the beginning, I would increase my exercise to burn off both excess carbs and excess calories.

That made the exercise become a obsession habit, and I couldn't stop.

I would say that exercise is VERY effective at burning off excess CARBS, but only so-so at burning off excess calories. The reason is that exercise makes you more hungry. You have almost total control over carb-burning, though. It's all about duration and intensity.

Studies and personal experience confirmed a few things for me:

• It's a myth than exercise will boost your metabolism. It's been shown to lower it, probably due to increased metabolic efficiency.
• In terms of health effects the more exercise, the better, and the higher intensity, the better. But there may be a threshold effect for hunger. Try keeping your exercise sessions under 30 minutes to keep the increased hunger away.
• In terms of both calorie burn and carb burn, high-intensity cardio, like running and biking, is better than weight lifting.
• Weights are only useful for increased muscle mass, and the effect is short term, but you'll definitely look better while you're doing it.

FIT_Goat

Do you have long term weight data that suggests you've increased your calories to a detrimental point? Or, are you just looking at a number and thinking, "That's higher than it was and I don't like it."?

If it's the latter, you shouldn't worry about it. A calorie goal is a number with a pretty wide range above and below it to account for the inaccuracy of measuring calories. If it's the former, then you worry about portions and carbs. I'd be more worried about carb-creep than calorie-creep. Trying to consciously add exercise to counter-balance extra calories is dubious, at best. The numbers the machine gives aren't very accurate and there's several studies that show conscious exercise at one point in the day will result in a compensatory reduction in unconscious exercise later in the day. Meaning, if you burn 200 calories running, you'll be 200 calories less active later without realizing it.

Sure, it's possible to forcibly overcome both those caveats, but it takes a tremendous amount of exercise on a consistent basis. Exercise is better thought of as a tool to improve health and fitness, not a way to control weight or compensate for extra food.

Yi5hedr3

Yes, don't count on the accuracy of what your cycle says you are burning. Half as much....maybe. ...

Lucille4444

So I successfully did about 40 minutes on the cycle. I think that will help offset the salad dressing if it is done daily, plus I'm becoming more fit. Yesterday was my lifting day also (I'm lifting every other day).
I definitely feel there is progress

Unknown

This content has been removed.

ndvoice

Back in my skinny days, exercising extra when I indulged, did seem to help me maintain & not gain. It also helped me feel less guilty about indulging. I guess the scale will tell, right?

slimzandra

@fitgoat - I really identify with this idea --> "...will result in a compensatory reduction in unconscious exercise later in the day... if you burn 200 calories running, you'll be 200 calories less active later without realizing it."

I've read recommendations that HIIT Cardio training burns more calories. However, IMHO, if I run HIIT 3+ miles or other HIIT, I find I get home, nosh on something I shouldn't (because I did all that exercise) and then pass out on the sofa for 2 hours afterward. Done that.

In the long game, I find I'm better off just keeping moderately busy, like walking up the stairs instead of taking the elevator (because my legs felt like rubber after my workout.) With HIIT, I also end up getting sore, so I sit at my desk all day. For me, better to keep awake, be active, include moderate exercise, moving and walking briskly. Add in more "unconscious" exercise, like doing squats when emptying the dishwasher, walk to another office instead of picking up the phone or sending an email.

I'm not a believer of 'eat back your exercise calories'. I found it's never an equal trade-- if I do X for and hour I can eat Y. For my 54 year old, female body, Exercise is for toning, firming, and strength. Eating is for weight loss.