When is it okay to eat exercise calories back?

sistumxid
sistumxid Posts: 6
in Food and Nutrition
I lift heavy at the gym for an hour and a half every other day. On those days I'm not, I'm cycling 20 miles at a 17- 20mph ( getting a good cal burn). I've been experimenting with eat calories back but I'm not sure when I should count them back.

I work from 3pm to 1130pm job. I goto the gym or cycle after work at midnight. I'll only have a protein shake after my lift or cardio session. I'll goto bed and not eat until 11ish. I will get all my calories (1500) for the day between 11 amand 8pm.

When should I count my excerise calories back in? Using my HRM, GPS, and Runtastic app, I'm burning 1000-1100 calories during my bike ride. I'm guessing I burn around 300-500 calories during my lifts. I lift heavy, short rest periods, 3 sets for 8 to 10 reps with 3 lifts per body group ( full body work out).

So again, I'm experimenting with eating calories back / reaching my net calories. But I'm not sure if I should count the expected calories or what I burned 10+ hours ago. Does that make sense? I work out at the end of my day and don't eat from 9pm to 11am. I dont eat for 14 hours except a protein shake.

If I know I'm going to bike tonight, should I eat calories backbfor that day or does it matter if I eat them back 15 hours later?

Thank you

Replies

  • knra_grl
    knra_grl Posts: 1,566 Member
    Are you hungry? If you don't feel that you need to eat I would maybe eat extra calories by adding higher calorie foods to the times I do eat. Exercising that much you should eat something back. Just my opinion, I am no expert but if I was exercising that much I am pretty sure I would be hungry for the extra cals. I try not to eat all my extra cals earned back but today I ate about 1/3 of my exercise calories, I usually eat more but I had a huge dinner and don't really see myself being hungry later.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf

    It doesn't matter WHEN you eat the calories back. You can eat them back right away, eat them before you actually burn them, save them to eat the next day, or whatever other combination that fits your schedule.
  • sistumxid
    sistumxid Posts: 6
    No, I don't think I feel hungry. To be honest I don't know what hungry feels like, reason why I got so heavy in the first place LOL.

    I think I'll just stick to eating my calories back the next day. It seems to be working for me it looks like.

    I started at 274lbs back in August and had dropped down to 220lbs at the end of Januray. After that my weight loss stalled and I only lost 10 lbs from Feburay to April. It could have been a couple of things (my diet did not change, but I joined a gym and I hindered muscle loss and I believe gained muscle doing a body recomp) but I started dropping weight again since I started eating my calories back and now I'm down to 200lbs.

    Good read, thanks for the link Dianne/

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