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calorie intake and exercise...

joyfulmommaof2
joyfulmommaof2 Posts: 95 Member
edited September 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Are you supposed to eat all the calories that you burn during a workout? I try but I cant. I feel like if I do... I am way overeating!

Replies

  • jrich1
    jrich1 Posts: 2,408 Member
    yes you already have a deficit built into your cals, so yes, eat some or most of them back
  • bellanean
    bellanean Posts: 220
    I try not to eat the calories I worked out but sometimes i do dip into them.
  • ashlee954
    ashlee954 Posts: 1,112 Member
    Some people eat them and some don't. I would listen to your body. If you're not hungry then don't force feed yourself. Be careful you are not eating too few calories though. I believe the minimum for men is 1500 and for women 1200.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    If you are logging exercise calories correctly, yes. This means using a heart rate monitor to monitor caloric burn then back out the calories you would have burned at rest durng that period anyway. (most people burn 1 -1.5 cals per minute at rest so if you workout for 30 minutes and burn 260 calories you would enter 230 (260 - 1x30min) into MFP and eat all of them). If you calcualt caloriec burn differently eat 50% to 80% of them.
  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
    Are you supposed to eat all the calories that you burn during a workout? I try but I cant. I feel like if I do... I am way overeating!

    It might help to think of it like this: The calories MFP gives you is based on NORMAL day to day activities (per the level you set). MFP is already has the deficit needed to lose weight built-in, so If you exercise, you burn more - your body needs more fuel. In theory you could lose weight faster by not eating them, but it's not recommended to lose more than 2 lbs/week due to the stress it puts on your body.
  • sabrinafaith
    sabrinafaith Posts: 607 Member
    I don't eat all my exercise cals. I always have an extra 400 exercise calls remaining at the end of the day. This works for me though bc I workout so much and I really only need 1500 calories and 110 grams of protein a day to feel satisfied.
  • SheehyCFC
    SheehyCFC Posts: 529 Member
    In theory, you ARE supposed to take in those calories (that you burnt exercising). But I find it best not to "dip in" too far because I am often over a few calories here or there on other days... over a week it tends to balance out.
  • joyfulmommaof2
    joyfulmommaof2 Posts: 95 Member
    Thanks everyone for your input. I guess what I am doing now is ok. I do sometimes dip into my workout calories... and I don't want to force myself to eat if I don't want to.
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