When to eat exercise calories?

AngelDog1

Ok. I've read page after page of posts from two different points of view about eating the exercise calories. It seems that half of the people agree that they should eat the calories burned and it seems there are just as many people that say they don't eat their calories burned with exercise. Each person is certainly entitled to their own opinions. I defenitely fall into the category that one should eat the calories burned for a simple fact that my body goes completely insane and wants to eat anything not nailed down if I don't.

But my question is WHEN should one eat their exercise calories???? I work full time and normally get to exercise in the evenings. So should I be eating all day long to prepare? Since it is evening time that I can exercise, I don't think I should wait until after I exercise to eat all those calories (that's a lot of food just sitting in my tummy swimming around for the night). But then again, if I do eat all day long to prepare, I'm sure that life may get into the way and WHOOPS... for whatever reason I don't get to the exercise. UH OH... then I have overeaten (not good).

What do you do if you are in the category of eating your exercise calories?

jrich1

If I am 100% going to work out I will eat more through out the day in preparation for it, I have before went to spin class and worked out and came up at 8pm with negative calories for the day.. so like tomorrow I will bring more to eat at work becuase of spin tomrorow

precioustypeoflove

i think u should eat more during the day the only time i wont is if i work out really late before bed then i may just eat fruit or something really lite!

jamie1888

Yes, you would spread them out throughout the day so that your daily total intake meets your calorie goal for the day. Of course, you are going to be estimating the calories that you burn during your exercise at night. But, you could plug in the exercise in the morning that you THINK you are going to do that day and see what your goal for the day should be. I would just leave yourself a buffer and not eat ALL of the calories, just most of them. That way, if you overestimate the exercise you do for the day or you are overestimating calories that you actually burn from exercise, it's not a big deal..

ashlee954

It does not matter when you eat them. If you eat 'em early then you burn 'em later when you work out. If you eat 'em later then you have already burned a lot of calories before hand (daily activity and/or workouts).

Andre_Demers

Hello AngelDog1,

The question should not only be when but what? What I have always been told by my trainers is that you should eat after the training and eat especially proteins has your muscles need energy. A protein shake with fruits has always helped me, especially my blood sugar, being diabetic it is necessary.

elainecroft

You could always plug in the exercise from the previous day. So, if you work out on Wednesday, plug it into Thursday, and then eat the extra calories that day. That way if you skip a workout you didn't overeat ahead of time.

stormieweather

My "exercise calories" are usually simply a protein bar. It keeps me on my feet until I am able to cook a real dinner. So, if I work out, I eat the bar. If I don't, I dont' eat the bar. All other meals are the same. By the way, a protein bar is between 230 and 240 calories and my workouts range between 350-450 calories (I do more lifting than cardio). So, I have a little cushion in case I overestimate my workouts or under calculate my food.

AngelDog1

Wow! These are some great ideas. Thanks! You all are wonderful!!!

AngelDog1

Wow! These are some great ideas. Thanks! You all are wonderful!!!