Eat bad and work it off later?
CB8504
Posts: 29 Member
Does anyone else eat poorly such a 1,000 calorie meal from McDonalds and then worked out that evening and burn 1,000 calories? Or even the other way around. Having a 500 calorie deficit at the end of the day and thinking it's ok to eat that candy bar because you have an extra 500 calories? Does that make it ok or just not as bad?
I feel like this is what I do. I'll eat unhealthy food and go over my calorie limit and think to myself "it's ok, I'll just work out an extra 30 minutes tonight"
I know what I need to do. I'm just wondering if anyone else does this.
I feel like this is what I do. I'll eat unhealthy food and go over my calorie limit and think to myself "it's ok, I'll just work out an extra 30 minutes tonight"
I know what I need to do. I'm just wondering if anyone else does this.
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Replies
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I definitely exercise more so I can eat more. I neve eat something and then try to work it off. That's a slippery slope for me.8
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Its a no on both points. First if you are doing MFP correctly it rewards you kinda already for the exercise cause its added on top of your daily calories to lose weight, you get these to eat these back (or a portion depending on how you are handling them in MFP).
As far as working off a large meal, #1 I would not feel like it later because I did just get through eating a large meal, and #2 I would have already planned that meal in my day ..
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I've done it for YEARS. I don't consider any meal "bad". Just calorie dense with low nutrition.
I've heard the dumb adages of "food is for fuel not for fun" etc. and lol those are the ones who are usually the biggest food snobs out there. Not only do they judge how people eat, but then have the audacity to complain to them about how poorly those people eat and how "elite" that they themselves eat.
I actually had friends at the gym like that and when I invited them over for a party, they asked if they could bring their own food to eat there. Not like they were getting ready for a show or anything. Never invited them again to another party.
OP, let me just throw in that if low quality nutritious food was all it took to stay in shape, then penitentiary inmates should be out of shape and obese. Thing is, they're not.
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Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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I don't make up for it by killing myself in the gym -- what I'll do is eat light the next day. I go out to breakfast with friends every other Saturday, and I'll eat cut calories the rest of the day and Sunday to make up for it.3
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I don't label my food as good or bad - it is just food. And I don't punish myself for eating it.8
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I prefer to increase activity in general to leave enough calories to be able to eat foods I like in the portions I want, or to be able to work in a not-part-of-my-regular-diet treat by banking some calories over the course of the week to fit it in. The "eat first, work later" never works for me because either the work doesn't fit into my schedule, or it doesn't nearly cover the calories I just ate (See also: "Thanksgiving: Because running a 5k totally covers the calories in these 3 slices of pie").
If I go over my calories, I go over. I can try to make up for it a little later in the week by eating a little less over a few days, or I can just accept it and lose a little less that week. I try not to add in additional exercise to "earn" more calories, as regular, scheduled exercise is a better plan for my life, and it seems like it is just the other side of the same coin in terms of creating a potentially problematic relationship between higher calorie foods and exercise.
It was honestly just easier to stop eating most of those things than trying to figure out how to "fit" them in, because the reality is that they don't really fit with my goals and lifestyle.4 -
There are some red flags in your post, calling foods bad, thinking you have to "work them off", etc. Any food can fit in the context of an overall healthy diet, and punishing yourself for eating by exercising isn't a sign of a healthy attitude about food or exercise.
What are your goals? Weight loss? How much are you trying to lose? What rate of loss have you selected? What calorie goal are you working with?
When you enter your stats and a reasonable goal rate of loss, MFP will give you a calorie target which has a deficit built in.
Eat a variety of foods within that calorie goal - focusing on those that provide nutrition, satiety and enjoyment. There's nothing wrong with eating McDonalds, it can fit in your calorie goals for the day or week.
Log your food as accurately as possible, ideally using a food scale
When you exercise, log and eat back at least a portion of those calories.
Be patient and read the stickied most helpful forum posts .
Good luck.5 -
I don't feel that's a healthy mindset to have with regards to eating and exercising. However it's extremely common. Exercise shouldn't be punishment for eating something"bad" nor should there be guilt associated with it.3
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if i am going for a long run (which would likely burn 800+ calories) then i would be more inclined to then eat whatever i wanted that fit in my boosted calorie goal.
cant say i have ever done it the other way round cos i dont find exercising after a massive meal very comfortable.0 -
Ready2Rock206 wrote: »I don't label my food as good or bad - it is just food. And I don't punish myself for eating it.
Why should working out to burn a few extra calories be considered "punishment"? Exercise is good for us.3 -
I sometimes do extra exercise to compensate for overeating (whether good or bad food). But I'm more likely to just eat less or fast the next day.0
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suzannesimmons3 wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »I sometimes do extra exercise to compensate for overeating (whether good or bad food). But I'm more likely to just eat less or fast the next day.
A 1000 in one go though?
I'm sure I've overeaten by 1000 calories many times. By fasting for just 24 hrs I can under eat by more than 2000. So what?1 -
WinoGelato wrote: »There are some red flags in your post, calling foods bad, thinking you have to "work them off", etc. Any food can fit in the context of an overall healthy diet, and punishing yourself for eating by exercising isn't a sign of a healthy attitude about food or exercise.
^^^This...
You are IMO heading for an eating dis-order if you view food/exercise as a reward/punishment...
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WinoGelato wrote: »There are some red flags in your post, calling foods bad, thinking you have to "work them off", etc. Any food can fit in the context of an overall healthy diet, and punishing yourself for eating by exercising isn't a sign of a healthy attitude about food or exercise.
^^^This...
You are IMO heading for an eating dis-order if you view food/exercise as a reward/punishment...
Not necessarily. Comparatively some foods are good and some are bad. Exercising need not be punishment. It can actually be fun if you choose correctly.2 -
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suzannesimmons3 wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »suzannesimmons3 wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »I sometimes do extra exercise to compensate for overeating (whether good or bad food). But I'm more likely to just eat less or fast the next day.
A 1000 in one go though?
I'm sure I've overeaten by 1000 calories many times. By fasting for just 24 hrs I can under eat by more than 2000. So what?
But she's not talking about fasting she's talking about working them all off in one go at the gym....that's disordered even if you don't think it is.
Based on what?1 -
Just remember the saying 'You can't out-train a poor diet'. A 1000 calorie burn is HUGE - not something your average joe or jane is going to accomplish. Sure, we will all over-indulge once in a while - but if you do so on a regular basis, you will gain weight. It's far easier to over-eat by 500 or 1000 calories; a lot tougher to burn these calories.3
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Call it a refeed and start again the next day. Exercise shouldn't be punishment and trying to burn 1000 calories at the gym in 1 day isn't worth it. Chances are the only weight gain you may see on the scale the next day would be due to water weight (sodium and carbs).2
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I call a 1000 calorie meal dinner... actually usually it's closer to 1400/1600. Granted my daily allowance is 2300-3000, but No, there's nothing wrong with eating your exercise calories.
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Does anyone else eat poorly such a 1,000 calorie meal from McDonalds and then worked out that evening and burn 1,000 calories? Or even the other way around. Having a 500 calorie deficit at the end of the day and thinking it's ok to eat that candy bar because you have an extra 500 calories? Does that make it ok or just not as bad?
I feel like this is what I do. I'll eat unhealthy food and go over my calorie limit and think to myself "it's ok, I'll just work out an extra 30 minutes tonight"
I know what I need to do. I'm just wondering if anyone else does this.
No. That would require I run slightly more than a half marathon, and that definitely isn't happening after gorging on fast food.3 -
.. The "eat first, work later" never works for me because either the work doesn't fit into my schedule, or it doesn't nearly cover the calories I just ate (See also: "Thanksgiving: Because running a 5k totally covers the calories in these 3 slices of pie")....
bwahaha. yep. Ours is an 8K.. and I'm pretty sure it doesn't cover the free post-race yogurt, banana, orange, and beer calories (let alone pie).
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Need2Exerc1se wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »There are some red flags in your post, calling foods bad, thinking you have to "work them off", etc. Any food can fit in the context of an overall healthy diet, and punishing yourself for eating by exercising isn't a sign of a healthy attitude about food or exercise.
^^^This...
You are IMO heading for an eating dis-order if you view food/exercise as a reward/punishment...
Not necessarily. Comparatively some foods are good and some are bad. Exercising need not be punishment. It can actually be fun if you choose correctly.
I agree, but if you view it as punishment, to me it's another story...2 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »There are some red flags in your post, calling foods bad, thinking you have to "work them off", etc. Any food can fit in the context of an overall healthy diet, and punishing yourself for eating by exercising isn't a sign of a healthy attitude about food or exercise.
^^^This...
You are IMO heading for an eating dis-order if you view food/exercise as a reward/punishment...
Not necessarily. Comparatively some foods are good and some are bad. Exercising need not be punishment. It can actually be fun if you choose correctly.
I agree, but if you view it as punishment, to me it's another story...
I suppose it is, though I don't think the OP necessarily views it this way (but maybe she does). I think a lot of people who exercise for health view it in the same manner. Something that must be done. Is that also disordered?0 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »There are some red flags in your post, calling foods bad, thinking you have to "work them off", etc. Any food can fit in the context of an overall healthy diet, and punishing yourself for eating by exercising isn't a sign of a healthy attitude about food or exercise.
^^^This...
You are IMO heading for an eating dis-order if you view food/exercise as a reward/punishment...
Not necessarily. Comparatively some foods are good and some are bad. Exercising need not be punishment. It can actually be fun if you choose correctly.
I agree, but if you view it as punishment, to me it's another story...
I suppose it is, though I don't think the OP necessarily views it this way (but maybe she does). I think a lot of people who exercise for health view it in the same manner. Something that must be done. Is that also disordered?
I would not say dis-ordered, yet it certainly sucks the joy out of it...1 -
Only every day. Also, to burn a 1000 calories (if you have a HRM and are in a steady state factor) it took me 83 mins last week.2
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I don't consider any meal "bad" (unless it's gross or rotten/spoiled), but if I'm going to eat a large calorie surplus I am well aware that I am going to have to compensate for that in some way. For me, it may be cutting calories in the days after or extending my running distance in the surrounding days. I would not try to burn off 1,000 "extra" calories in one workout session though.0
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I personally think its easier to pre-log calorie dense foods and work out for fitness goals. That way, exercise doesn't feel like a punishment to atone for my sins2
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Does anyone else eat poorly such a 1,000 calorie meal from McDonalds and then worked out that evening and burn 1,000 calories? Or even the other way around. Having a 500 calorie deficit at the end of the day and thinking it's ok to eat that candy bar because you have an extra 500 calories? Does that make it ok or just not as bad?
I feel like this is what I do. I'll eat unhealthy food and go over my calorie limit and think to myself "it's ok, I'll just work out an extra 30 minutes tonight"
I know what I need to do. I'm just wondering if anyone else does this.
No. That would require I run slightly more than a half marathon, and that definitely isn't happening after gorging on fast food.
It would be a half marathon for me, too. Generally speaking, if I eat over TDEE one day I'll eat under the next. If I can't comfortably cut that much in one day, I'll spread it over 2. I have been known, however, to add miles to compensate for drinking more wine than I originally budgeted. That's probably even more disordered!
ETA: anyone know text for the "cheers" emoticon?0
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