Working out to eat?

TateFTW

Exercise IS important in keeping our metabolism going as we lose weight. The truth is, our body works against us when we want to lose weight. Losing weight means restricting calories. It means in a slight way, our body is going into starvation mode and depleting its stores of fat.

That's what we want right? To get rid of that fat? Well, our body evolved over a long period where this was a last resort. Before food was plentiful, it helped if humans could store un-used energy as fat for leaner times (like when we were starving for periods of time).

Fast forward to today, and we're essentially evolved to keep the weight on in case we have limited access to food. It help us survive for millennia before farming.

Exercise actually represents very little of the overall calories your body uses. It usually only represents 25% of our body's caloric needs. The reason it's crucial to losing weight is because our body resists losing weight by slowing down the metabolism (and this is where exercise is so important).

Keep up the good work! I sometimes don't want to use my calories that I earn through exercise. As long as you're getting enough calories, nutrients, and minerals to sustain what your body needs (save a few hundred calories short a day to actually LOSE weight), then you're good to go.

If you get exactly what your body burns a day, then you stay exactly where you are on the scale. All successful weight-loss programs comes down to calories in and calories out.

Sorry for the long post!

+1. Nice to read a post I actually agree with completely.

championnfl

Both because able to eat more,negative because you have to eat more! You know always look for the positive!

lilRicki

I work out so i can eat...especially if i'm going out for supper...or i'm "in the red" in my calorie goals...sometimes i strap on the HRM and JUST work out until i've balanced out my calorie goals...but i try and switch up how many calories i eat (as long as i'm staying above 1200)...it helps when losing weight.

amelia_atlantic

Totally fine! It's all about balance!

whittrusty

Absolutely eat your workout calories!! They figure out your calorie limit assuming that you are not working out, so if you are, you've burned more calories than expected. I tend to leave about 250-500 calories uneaten, unless I'm just really hungry that day. By all means, if it will help you to stay on track by eating those extra workout calories, I say go for it. You earned them!

binary_jester

I am finding I have to cut back my workouts because I was creating a caloric hole I was unable to eat my way out of. Workout less, eat more. If this works...

edorice

You need to reboot your thinking. Working out just to eat more is never a good thing and you will not get the results you want. Food should be looked at as FUEL. FUEL your body. Don't live to eat! Eat to Live!

I have been trying to look at it as fuel. I mean, I'm sitting here eating freakin' baby carrots. Not from enjoyment, but because it's a veggie. However, I do realize that I can eat a little more because i exercise a lot.

ItsMeTime

This is the point! Calories in v. calories out for weight loss. What would be bad is if you obsess over it in anyway. For example, measuring is a great practice but if you refuse to eat anything that you can't weigh/measure and you stop enjoying meals with people because you won't be able to measure every little thing that is probably not good. So if you obsessively count your calories and exercise calories then you may need to evaluate how you think about food. But what youre doing is what we should be doing.

Keep up the good work!

vaavamom1

Positive. I love doing cardio since i can eat a lil more without feeling guilty :laugh: