"I feel like a Snickers, so I'm gonna run 2 miles..."
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yes, as long as the thoughts are positive and reinforcing (self talk)
This is a good method because it activates your REWARD system and you will notice to have a higher appreciation for food while you work for it, and don't take it for granted.
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You don't look like a Snickers....0
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Ice cream - yes
Snickers - never0 -
I do a crazy cardio and weights workout before I know I'm gonna have a night out eating and drinking...0
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For me, it's not. My mother and sister both suffered from ED so I spent my entire twenties being afraid to count a calorie. Now that I'm doing it, it's not scary (though time consuming sometimes). But anyway, logging exercise for me is dangerous because I am not very far from walking 20 minutes to burn off something I wasn't supposed to eat, etc.0
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I don't believe it is the healthiest mindset to have BUT I'd still say it's better than just eating a snickers (or whatever) and not worrying about it. This will lead to weight gain over time.
OP: you mentioned larger calorie intakes and longer cardio to compensate. I would also like to add, what about different types of foods? Some people could go the other way eating what they consider "clean" foods that may not fit into their calorie allowances also e.g. I feel like a baked potato, so I'm gonna run 2 miles". Is this mindset any better/worse than rewarding with "junk" food?
This is how I typically think.
If I know I'm going to have a high calorie dinner or whatever, I plan for it and eat lightly/fast earlier. I may also exercise that day. (Although I exercise most days I guess)
If I'm at my cal target and I want to eat one snickers, I'll eat it and drop cals the next day. I always work with weekly averages basically.0 -
Does it fit into my calories for the day? If yes, it's all mine. No exercise needed.
I usually try to do 6:1 and "fast" one day per week in order to have a day where I eat maybe 3500-4000 calories without care. This day would include drinks, things drenched in cheese, etc. No exercise needed.
I am still trying to bring my weight back down from vacation which means I need to be okay for awhile. But yesterday I wanted more candy after already eating ice cream so I was already at my limit. I went for a nice long walk and then ate the candy. To be clear, it doesn't have to be junk food---I don't care about that stuff it's all about numbers.0 -
Depends on where you are mentally and how active you've been that day.
If you've just finished a marathon, re-fed, and freak out about an extra Snickers enough to go run another 2 miles ... I think you have a major problem.0 -
ChrisDavey... I am totally with you in terms of shifting the mindset to "cleaner" foods as a reward over the "junkier" foods.
Case in point, I had a HUGE surplus going late in the day, and I had recently shifted from using MFP to Fitbit in terms of measuring output vs. the input and macros I enter into MFP. I've noticed that fitbit has me on a tighter leash some days and gives me mountains more on my real active days, where MFP was much more stagnant. This makes sense to me, because my work can be very sedentary, with hours of sitting at a desk.
This particular day was a weekend where I had been up with the kids, did a good run, yardwork, etc. I had burned over 4000 kcal and eaten only 1600 by 8pm. I was freerolling at that point. In the past, that would have meant cake, candy bar, etc.
Instead, I gave myself a potato, a peanut butter sandwich on wheat, some fro-yo, and a chocolate milk. Still not the "healthiest" of foods necessarily, but all told, probably much more nutritious use of calories compared to the alternative... and nearly as satisfying.0 -
I have thought like that. I'm recovering from that line of thinking, but I still have a bit of a ways to go until total freedom.
I hate it.
IFing frees me from that. That's why throwing in a fast day or two per week is my maintenance plan. I prefer to have a catch all that allows me the freedom to enjoy food without concerning myself about the "cost".
I'd rather keep exercise in the context of being beneficial to my overall health, and physique goals, than as a tool to allow me to eat the proverbial snickers.0 -
I have pretty good self control with moderation. The way I see it, I spend at least 4 days a week eating really well - only eating when hungry and making the right choices. So if I want a candy bar or some pizza, I'm getting it. I'm still not going to eat a bag of fun size Twix or a whole pizza (like I've been known to do in my life), but I will eat what my body and mind desire. I will simply never be the person who enjoys going entire weeks with no junk food.0
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I think it depends on the person. It makes since if you can maintain it and only have the one snickers but for someone who is addicted to unhealthy food it could be like fueling the fire.0
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I'm in a similar boat as MadDog... I will never have a normal relationship with food. For me, it's like an addiction, so the term "moderation" has no meaning. It's either zero donuts, or a dozen donuts... No in between. I realize many may not get that, but a heroin addict cant just have a little heroin once in a while...
So I just don't keep any of the "junk" in the house. Even buying a single candy bar is tricky, because it starts a pattern of buying another and another, etc.
I've learned to control my demons and eliminate 98% of the junk from my diet! and I'm in a good place. I can afford to eat "worse" at this point, but it would be opening a Pandora's box. However, given how tightly I track everything, and given that I do not want to live a life of deprivation, I am curious to try the approach of allowing myself the "junk" contingent on me working it off (above and beyond my normal routine). My hope is that I either end up deciding that the junk is not worth the extra work, and that's great. Or it is worth the extra work, and I can hold myself accountable. I just want to make sure that even though it is win-win in theory, it would be the same in application.
Dude, I feel you. I'm another "all or nothing" type. I gained a good 140 lbs off the back of this way of thinking. In the past the only success I had with weight loss was heavily restricting my trigger foods, which are various sweets. So much of a trigger were they that they would trigger me to overeat on foods that I normally wouldn't have a problem at all resisting.
I now fold everything into my diet. I make my diet about 70-80% of meat, veg, fruit, healthy fats. I love eating this way and it makes me feel great. However I finally allowed my old favorites back in. I have learned moderation, but not the way most people around here define it.
I am not a "2 cookies a night" guy; people around here who brag about having "treats" every night, with their half a cup of ice cream, might as well be living on Uranus to me. If I get a pack of oreos there is a very real possibility that I'm eating the entire thing. I finally, after much, much trial and error arrived to the point where I stopped moralizing my food choices, dropped the guilt and consternation, and actually embraced my natural inclinations. So I play to the strengths, instead of fighting the weakness. I go out and buy a pack of oreos, or a half gallon of ice cream, or a box of snack cakes, whatever, and give myself full permission to eat as much as I want. And I do. The big difference is that I've just finally learned how to let it go. So I'll have a monster day, week, or hell sometimes a couple weeks, of eating all the sweets and then go weeks, or months, without. I now tell myself that I can have what I want, as much as I want, so this actually has led to me finally being able to just say "OK, well if I can have it when I want, as much as I want, then I can just wait".
IFing has helped me tremendously to avoid weight overages for the most part and intuitive eating has done wonders to eliminate the peripheral triggering sweets use to do with the other foods. So now my pack of oreos doesn't need to be accompanied by a pasta dinner, or a huge burger and fries. The biggest thing was learning I had nothing to fear with these foods, and that the tools I use now finally give me the freedom, and control, I need to manage my "all or nothing" approach to these trigger foods.
I'm having my cake and eating it too.
At this point I don't even want to change.0 -
I have a strong feeling IFing is going to be integral to my future, and I've already done some test runs.
I can tell you, for example, I haven't had a slice of pizza in 6 months. Come nfl Sundays, I may have a half a pizza and a bowl of Cheetos. But now, I'll throw in a monster run on Monday and fast that day to make up. I hope that should be a reasonable approach.0 -
It can be done but it has limits.
Your body can only take so much exercise. Which means that yeah you can burn off that treat but it's still going to put wear and tear fatigue on your joints and muscles. So yes by all means use it a little. Just don't go overboard and over train.0 -
Saw this topic line on my home page - and thought I'd chime in even though I'm not (yet) in maintenance.
I see no harm in it. I sometimes have days where I eat in a higher range - but I still want to make my goal deficit of 500 calories - so I work harder to burn more. Making my goals is very important to me. In general though I fit treats in without having to work extra to make up for them.
It can also depend on the person. I've never really had an emotional connection to food, my weight gain was due to laziness. Both in activity level AND in what to eat.0 -
IIFIMM. Hate to be so passe, but if I burned an "extra" 400 cals that day, I'll eat something "fattening" (I hate that term by the way, because either everything or nothing can be fattening, lol), that night if i want to. But I wouldn't specifically plan it that way. My way of eating is relaxed and flexible- as long as I'm in a defict 80% of the time while cutting, it's all good....0
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Boy... Some of you took me super literally with the Snickers. It was more of a metaphor.
I see lots of people saying if it's for a small treat or snack or moderation, it's ok. But what if I want a real binge day? Let's say I don't want to borrow from other days, I just want my 1500 budget to be a 3000 budget for the day. Does a 15k morning run validate or negate my afternoon binge? Or have we crossed some undefined threshold?
Isn't this, basically, how MFP (as opposed to TDEE) works? You eat back your exercise calories, so if you have a bunch of exercise calories... Most people seem to exercise each day to gain more calories every day, I suspect some people actually exercise a lot every day to be able to eat pretty much anything.
If you have a big even and know you are going to be indulging, build up a deficit. Obviously (and from your posts I expect you feel it is obvious as well but someone is bound to not think so) be sure to hit you macro/micro nutrient goals that day rather than simply gorging on chips, but otherwise enjoy your feast. (of course you may end up feeling ill the next day if your body isn't used to that type of feasting anymore - but that is a different issue)0 -
We've all said something like that before. Either proactively or reactively.,, we've run off a slice of pizza after the fact, or worked out ahead of time in anticipation of a snack or meal.
Is this healthy and effective for a maintenance lifestyle? No facetiousness.
I would imagine that if you are measuring and hitting your marks with these adjustments, then it's fine. I also would think that the thought process of action/consequence as it relates to junk food and exercise is a good balance. Yet... I dunno... Something about the philosophy seems almost unnatural.
Do you subscribe to this approach? Has it made you snack more? Have you maintained? Any thoughts to add?
^ I do this as well big time, but I munch a protein bar... its as bad as a snickers but at least your spared having another shake XD0 -
It can be done but it has limits.
Your body can only take so much exercise. Which means that yeah you can burn off that treat but it's still going to put wear and tear fatigue on your joints and muscles. So yes by all means use it a little. Just don't go overboard and over train.
^This guy is right... you'll run a risk of resenting training and neglecting your body as well, or cheating on your off days falsely promising yourself you'll make it up.0 -
Boy... Some of you took me super literally with the Snickers. It was more of a metaphor.
I see lots of people saying if it's for a small treat or snack or moderation, it's ok. But what if I want a real binge day? Let's say I don't want to borrow from other days, I just want my 1500 budget to be a 3000 budget for the day. Does a 15k morning run validate or negate my afternoon binge? Or have we crossed some undefined threshold?
Isn't this, basically, how MFP (as opposed to TDEE) works? You eat back your exercise calories, so if you have a bunch of exercise calories... Most people seem to exercise each day to gain more calories every day, I suspect some people actually exercise a lot every day to be able to eat pretty much anything.
If you have a big even and know you are going to be indulging, build up a deficit. Obviously (and from your posts I expect you feel it is obvious as well but someone is bound to not think so) be sure to hit you macro/micro nutrient goals that day rather than simply gorging on chips, but otherwise enjoy your feast. (of course you may end up feeling ill the next day if your body isn't used to that type of feasting anymore - but that is a different issue)
Completely agree. The entire point of MFP is counting calories. And counting exercise due to exercise. It' all calories in the end.
Last week I had 600/calorie slices of pizza. It wasn't a "binge" or whatever silly and stupid term. I had two slices and later I did 1200 calories worth of exercise.
This coming Sunday I'm planning to go to a Sunday Brunch where I'm probably going to clear away ~5000 calories. I have my logging already done along with the associated exercise.
Whether it's 50 calories or 5000 calories, the idea is exactly the same, Calories out > calories in. There is no "threshold" that's being crossed.0 -
The day I work out, I usually end up with a deficit because I'm not overly hungry. I'm always starving the day AFTER a workout, and I always feel guilty for going over my calorie goal since I didn't work out that day. Instead of going day by day, I've switched to a weekly total and it seems to help me quite a bit. There are some days where I just don't feel like eating and I am lucky to reach 800 calories and then the next day I may hit 2200. As long as I continue to lose at a healthy rate, I don't see any issues with my methods. My stomach doesn't reset at midnight, so I don't see a reason why my diary needs to.
I think that's a healthy approach......... plus you're always keeping your body "on its toes" so your metabolism doesn't just slow down. Also, it teaches you to eat when you're actually hungry, not just because you have calories left for the day.0 -
Better than regular snickers, in my opinion. YUM. haven't had one of those in like 3 years now...its been too long....and not because I've been dieting......I just haven't seen them around in the stores.0 -
Interesting question I've pondered myself. Bumping to read later. Because, well, gotta go to the gym before I have that cocktail tonight.0
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Ditto the 'all or nothing' type. I can't do the treat thing, though some can with no problem.
I will say this: Having that candy bar will usually (not always) result in you wanting another candy bar at some point. I find that cutting something like candy bars out entirely for a long enough period of time will eventually kill the craving for them. Most of the time.0 -
I think I'm at peace with this approach. I love food, wine, and cocktails. In order to fuel my body for my workouts; I need to throw some higher calorie burn exercises in my routine in order to enjoy the martini or pork belly and make it work with meeting my macros. I can't take those treats out of my standard calorie allotment without risking a cr@ptastic workout. Cr@ptastic workouts give me a sad.
While I will monitor my thoughts for anything trending in the unhealthy mentality direction (I just ate three pizzas, so I'm going to run for fifteen hours a la a Lifetime movie), I'm currently okay with my balancing act.0 -
Yes I do this and it's like a reward system sort of. I'll go biking for an hour and then I can eat extra calories without feeling guilty or worse gaining weight.0
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No,I'd just eat the snickers and not use exercise as punishment. I used to be a binger, I used to also over exercise when I couldn't binge. Nope,not gonna do that again. One snicker won't hurt you. Eating one to two everyday will. Eat it, move on...get a great training session in next time without thinking of the darn candybar and don't exercise extra due to it.
I never use my training sessions to burn off food. (totally different mindset than i had years ago when i was a runner.)
I think now that I compete in powerlifting and kettlebell sport, I see my training sessions as totally Separate from eating. Yes, it fuels my workouts..but I don't use it as a reward and neither do I use exercise as a punishment.I love my training sessions and will not make myself use them as punishment. They are for performance only. If i eat a 1200 cal piece of cheesecake. Done. Move on. Maybe I will have a kick-*kitten* squat session the next day due to it, but I won't do anything other than what i planned because i ate some candybar/cheesecake/cookie or whatever..0 -
@apriltrainer
Just because I view exercise as a vehicle for adding calories doesn't mean I view it as punishment.
I added weight lifting to my routine, I've always wanted to get back into it. Also, my current routine didn't allow me to eat enough calories to have the things I wanted. So I started weight lifting.
I mean, a lot of the reason was to eat more food, but I don't view it as a punishment.0
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