eating up my workout calories!!!

ashleyjea1985

i dont see the point in working out and burning 500 calories when im supposed to eat back up those 500 calories when i get home??


why not just NOT work out and NOT eat those calories.. isnt that the same thing?

read carefully.. i can either eat 1200 calories, OR go to the gym, burn 500 and then eat 1700. why not just stay home and eat 1200????????

mirahonthawall

You can do either.

Just because you don't see the point doesn't mean it's right, try it your way and see how much you lose.

lulabellewoowoo

For me, my body craves about 1400-1600 calories a day, whether I work out or not. So that gives me an incentive to get my butt moving a little bit. Besides, I like the mental high I get from breaking a sweat, and the physical toning up I see in my body from the exercising. So those are the reason I do the exercising.

Happyoceangirl

Because you feel like you totally kicked some a** after working out! It's about more than the calorie burn, it's about improving cardiovascular health, increasing strength and muscle tone and increasing flexibility. I have more energy, lower stress levels and am generally a nicer person when I'm getting exercise. All those great benefits that you can't get from a seat on the couch!

KanCrav

The way I see it, you can eat the calories and NOT work out, or you can eat them AND work out. You have to work out to keep healthy, so if you burn some calories along the way.... THERES NO LOSS! My spin coach yelled out "Dont cheat your body! I ate McDonalds yesterday and Im not upset cuz I am killing myself over here!" So , if your working out you dont have to starve yourself to loose weight.

cnrogers219

Just ignore the extra calories you gain by gym time, this way your still only eating your allotted calories for the day, and still getting an extra workout, which will most likely give you better and faster results!

NikkisNewStart

Not sure how many of these posts you will make... no one will twist your arm to workout... here I go again...

Working out will increase your BMR... which in turn increases the amount of calories you burn just by being alive... over time you will burn more calories and despite eating your exercise calories (again- to get your net consumed to what your goal is), the deficit between calories in and calories burned will be greater b/c your Basal Metabolic Rate is higher. Plus- your heart will be healthier and you'll gain muscle definition.

If your goal is to just drop weight and not be healthier- then by all means don't eat your exercise calories. I'm sure you will drop tons of weight... as well as drop your metabolism and essentially be a thin "fat" person... aka still unhealthy.

If your goal is to lose weight, be healthier inside and out, increase your metabolism so you are a fat burning machine even when you are not exercising... then you need to eat your exercise calories and get as close to your goal (your net) as possible.

Again- say your goal is 1200. You burn 500. You have essentially only consumed 700 calories. That is not sufficient to fuel your body or maintain health. You may see a drop at first, but as your metabolism plummets, so will your ability to lose weight.

If you eat your 500 calories- you will be back at a net consumed of 1200... which is the MINIMUM you should eat to reach your goal of losing x amount of pounds a week. You will be toned and possibly prevent many diseases by increasing your fitness level. You will still lose weight- probably a lot more- than if you took the first route and didn't consume those calories... because, again, your BMR will increase and you will be running a greater deficit.

example... say my BMR is 2000 calories a day- that's how much my body would need just to be alive and lay in bed all day (I'm too tired to click and view my 'real' number... my MFP goal is 1200 calories... hypothetically this creates a caloric deficit to lose 2 pounds a week.... by exercising and increasing my fitness level, I raise my BMR to 2500 a day b/c my body is better conditioned and needs more calories to function... I'm eating 1200 calories a day... so now there is a greater deficit, i.e. more weight loss going on all the time b/c I'm a fat burning machine!

Food is fuel and your body needs it... but I've only lost 72 lbs using this method so what do I know?

mirahonthawall

Wow....

NikkisNewStart

Not working out will only ensure that your BMR never raises, your metabolism will plummet, and your muscles, heart, and all other organs in your body will not function at their peak ability... exercise can help prevent many diseases such as heart disease... which as a woman you have a target on your back already with this one... not sure why in 2011 we are questioning the benefits of exercise?!?

grumpz

I wonder what your motivation is because that came across as very negative. Never mind being healthy right? Just sit at home & eat. Its not like sitting at home & eating is what made you join this site anyway I assume.

0ssum_Bl0ss0m

You could stay home and just not work out but there are a few reasons I think you should consider exercise as part of your weight loss plan.

Exercising does tone your muscles and help them burn more calories. If you were to do strength training and build muscle, that muscle would burn more calories at rest. Second, exercise can boost your mood and keep your outlook more positive and help you stick to your regimen.

I also find that personally, if I don't work out and earn a few extra calories it's a lot harder to stay close to or right at my calorie goal. I'm able to eat more foods because I'm burning more calories and even though I get to snack all day my calorie total still runs at a deficit. Meanwhile the every-few-hours stream of snacks fuels a revved up metabolism.

mirahonthawall

Just ignore the extra calories you gain by gym time, this way your still only eating your allotted calories for the day, and still getting an extra workout, which will most likely give you better and faster results!

Or not .... This is the exact what the OP is saying, and what everyone is trying to advise against!

nevergonnagiveup

Thank you for that info.... I love to run, therefore I can burn around 1200cal at times. Now I can understand how this system works. I have only started this weight loss "plan' and wish to lose around 10kg to get to my best 'running' weight. My main concern was having enough energy to continue my love of running! Now I will take notice of those exercise 'points' that I am earning and up my calories a bit more. Thanks again!:flowerforyou:

NikkisNewStart

Thank you for that info.... I love to run, therefore I can burn around 1200cal at times. Now I can understand how this system works. I have only started this weight loss "plan' and wish to lose around 10kg to get to my best 'running' weight. My main concern was having enough energy to continue my love of running! Now I will take notice of those exercise 'points' that I am earning and up my calories a bit more. Thanks again!:flowerforyou:

You're welcome! My husband runs marathons and runs daily. It is vital to eat additional calories or you will crash and burn! Your net consumed needs to be at your goal... if you burn too much and do not consume any additional- your net calories consumed will be too low and will critically hurt your weight loss efforts and health in the long run.

It really depends on your goals... whether you're seeking a quick, temporary "fix" or a lifelong change for the better...

championnfl

Hey there!,
Go to my blog & read the topic about how the body consumes calories & why you should eat exercise calories.[written by expert]

ctrlaltdelboy

Some fantastic feedback and advice here, thanks very much for posting Clintswifeymomof4!

Not sure how many of these posts you will make... no one will twist your arm to workout... here I go again...

Working out will increase your BMR... which in turn increases the amount of calories you burn just by being alive... over time you will burn more calories and despite eating your exercise calories (again- to get your net consumed to what your goal is), the deficit between calories in and calories burned will be greater b/c your Basal Metabolic Rate is higher. Plus- your heart will be healthier and you'll gain muscle definition.

If your goal is to just drop weight and not be healthier- then by all means don't eat your exercise calories. I'm sure you will drop tons of weight... as well as drop your metabolism and essentially be a thin "fat" person... aka still unhealthy.

If your goal is to lose weight, be healthier inside and out, increase your metabolism so you are a fat burning machine even when you are not exercising... then you need to eat your exercise calories and get as close to your goal (your net) as possible.

Again- say your goal is 1200. You burn 500. You have essentially only consumed 700 calories. That is not sufficient to fuel your body or maintain health. You may see a drop at first, but as your metabolism plummets, so will your ability to lose weight.

If you eat your 500 calories- you will be back at a net consumed of 1200... which is the MINIMUM you should eat to reach your goal of losing x amount of pounds a week. You will be toned and possibly prevent many diseases by increasing your fitness level. You will still lose weight- probably a lot more- than if you took the first route and didn't consume those calories... because, again, your BMR will increase and you will be running a greater deficit.

example... say my BMR is 2000 calories a day- that's how much my body would need just to be alive and lay in bed all day (I'm too tired to click and view my 'real' number... my MFP goal is 1200 calories... hypothetically this creates a caloric deficit to lose 2 pounds a week.... by exercising and increasing my fitness level, I raise my BMR to 2500 a day b/c my body is better conditioned and needs more calories to function... I'm eating 1200 calories a day... so now there is a greater deficit, i.e. more weight loss going on all the time b/c I'm a fat burning machine!

Food is fuel and your body needs it... but I've only lost 72 lbs using this method so what do I know?

Not working out will only ensure that your BMR never raises, your metabolism will plummet, and your muscles, heart, and all other organs in your body will not function at their peak ability... exercise can help prevent many diseases such as heart disease... which as a woman you have a target on your back already with this one... not sure why in 2011 we are questioning the benefits of exercise?!?

My husband runs marathons and runs daily. It is vital to eat additional calories or you will crash and burn! Your net consumed needs to be at your goal... if you burn too much and do not consume any additional- your net calories consumed will be too low and will critically hurt your weight loss efforts and health in the long run.

It really depends on your goals... whether you're seeking a quick, temporary "fix" or a lifelong change for the better... smile

myofibril

i dont see the point in working out and burning 500 calories when im supposed to eat back up those 500 calories when i get home??

why not just NOT work out and NOT eat those calories.. isnt that the same thing?

read carefully.. i can either eat 1200 calories, OR go to the gym, burn 500 and then eat 1700. why not just stay home and eat 1200????????

You're right. You don't have to exercise ( I assume you are talking about cardio /aerobic exercise here). Your deficit in both scenarios are ultimately the same. When I was at my leanest I was doing no cardio whatsoever. I created my calorie deficit through diet alone coupled with weights to maintain muscle.

However, I was constantly irritable, my mental acuity was impaired and my lifting strength decreased as my calories had to be a lot lower as I was doing no cardio despite eating a clean diet with nutritionally dense food. On the plus side I looked fantastic..

Your body needs a certain level of calories per day to function properly which is why it is better to eat more as well as incorporate exercise to create a deficit. As Tom Venuto says it is better to burn the fat and feed the muscle rather than starve it. Don't also forget the myriad of health benefits you get from exercise.

I think some clarity is needed here on the issue of exercise and metabolic rate though. Aerobic exercise (cardio) and anaerobic exercise (resistance / weight training) will both elevate your metabolic rate during the day meaning your body will to burn off more calories simply doing the things you would do day to day and at rest. Many people advise on doing some sort of exercise daily as a result to keep your metabolic rate high.

However, aerobic exercise (cardio) has very little effect on BASAL metabolic rate (BMR) and in fact can lower it in the long term. Anaerobic exercise (weights / resistance training) can however raise it. Why?

Well, long steady state cardio sessions can create a catabolic state meaning you lose lean tissue (which incorporates muscle.) Weight / resistance training in contrast creates an anabolic or growth state. Muscle takes far more calories to maintain per pound than fat. The more muscle you have the higher your BMR will be. The less you have then the lower it will be. In short more lean tissue = higher BMR.

Now, if you are in a calorie deficit you will not increase muscle to any degree if at all. However, what you will do is preserve it. Why is that important? Well, it means when you come off your diet it means that that your BMR will not have been reduced due to loss of muscle tissue, meaning you have more calories at your disposal therby helping to prevent future weight gain.

If being toned / keeping the weight off are primary goals then a good routine should always include some sort of weight / resistance training. Cardio is fine and important for overall health. Just don't do too much of it unless you want to end up looking like a marathon runner rather than a gymnast. Personally, I think anything more than 45 mins a day is counter productive.

In short, the best routine for overall health and looks would incorporate good diet, weight / resistance training and moderate amounts of cardio.

I'll stop talking now.

cnrogers219

Just ignore the extra calories you gain by gym time, this way your still only eating your allotted calories for the day, and still getting an extra workout, which will most likely give you better and faster results!

Or not .... This is the exact what the OP is saying, and what everyone is trying to advise against!

I simply meant that YES you should work out, and YES you should eat your goal calories, but for example, i am supposed to take in 1436 calories a day.. cool, but when i burn over an extra 1145 calories from gym work out... like i did yesterday, i wont indulge in eating 2500 calories in that day... not when i neither crave it nor need it...especially if you tend to work out later in the day. Thanks sooooo much Clintswifeymomof4 for all that awesome info i learned a lot!!

cnrogers219

Just ignore the extra calories you gain by gym time, this way your still only eating your allotted calories for the day, and still getting an extra workout, which will most likely give you better and faster results!

Or not .... This is the exact what the OP is saying, and what everyone is trying to advise against!

I simply meant that YES you should work out, and YES you should eat your goal calories, but for example, i am supposed to take in 1436 calories a day.. cool, but when i burn over an extra 1145 calories from gym work out... like i did yesterday, i wont indulge in eating 2500 calories in that day... not when i neither crave it nor need it...especially if you tend to work out later in the day. Thanks sooooo much Clintswifeymomof4 for all that awesome info i learned a lot!!

I might still eat up to 1700 or whenever i feel satisfied and not worry, but i was merely trying to point out that she shouldn't look at the situation in that way.