question about extra calories earned

fannyanntut

Hello myfitness pals!

I was wondering if someone could tell me if I HAVE to use up all my daily calories which I've earned through exercise. I'm trying really hard to get on the wii fit at least 4 times a week and wasn't sure if it would be detrimental not to use up all the extra calories I've earned sometimes...don't get me wrong. I have a man-size appetite so I'm happy to eat them all but wondered if not using the extras will help me loose weight quicker?

any help would be appreciated

x

DanOhh

I would usually eat back about half my calories back.

ashlee954

No you don't have to. The important thing is to make sure you eat 1200 NET calories (1500 for men). So if your exercise created such a deficit in which you only actually allotted yourself 800 cals for your body to run off of then I would eat 400 of your exercise cals.

chrissym78

My nutritionist told me to listen to my body. On days when I work really hard and burn lots of cals, I get hungrier and find myself wanting to munch. Other days I'm ok. That was good advice. I don't always eat them all, but I try to eat part of them.

fannyanntut

thanks for the help, its very early days for me and I already have oodles of calories but its nice to know I'm not only earning more but am getting up and active too.

thanks again x

erickirb

My nutritionist told me to listen to my body. On days when I work really hard and burn lots of cals, I get hungrier and find myself wanting to munch. Other days I'm ok. That was good advice. I don't always eat them all, but I try to eat part of them.

The only problem with waiting until you are hungry to eat is that your stomach and stretch and contract making it take a different amount of food to feel full even if your nutritional requirements don't match your hunger. If you overate for 3 days your stomach will be stretched and on the third day will take more food to feel full even though you don't need that much to meet your nutritional requirements. Hunger is probably not the best way to judge if you need to eat or not.

Try to get a feel for your energy levels instead; I can feel my eyes get heavy or I get a little cranky when I need food, regardless if I "feel" hungry in my stomach.