Do you eat what you burn?

mrsknotts

I'm just wondering if you're supposed to eat the calories that you burn? My MFP says I should be eating 1200 calories a day, but some days I go to the gym and burn 600, does that then mean that I should be eating another 600 calories to make up for it?

Erica9903

You shouls NET as least 1200 calories a day per MFP. I struggle to net that many on a regular day let alone a workout day. Hope this helps!

Mollydolly10

Yes. If you need a net calorie intake of 1200

1800 cals intake (eating) - 600 cals burned (exercise) = 1200 net calories.

ZebraHead

Yes.

Oompa_Loompa

You shouls NET as least 1200 calories a day per MFP. I struggle to net that many on a regular day let alone a workout day. Hope this helps!

I dont get how people stuggle to eat 1200 calories a day!! lol i wish i had that problem. I am starting to go to the gym more just so i dont go over lol

mrsknotts

I'm having a hard time reaching 1200 I feel so full! I don't know how I'm going to re-eat those calories after I work out. Especially because I prefer to work out in the evening when my husband goes to bed.

Cherrycandy

I eat a little, but never all the extra ones. I dont feel like im accomplishing anything if I do?

ZebraHead

Figure in your exercise in the morning and eat the calories through out the day.

hpsnickers1

I'm having a hard time reaching 1200 I feel so full! I don't know how I'm going to re-eat those calories after I work out. Especially because I prefer to work out in the evening when my husband goes to bed.

Eventually your body will get used to it. I recently increased to 300 more per day and was hard at first but is getting easier. And I dropped another pound doing it.

AmyMooreOrLess

Most definitely - If you don't you risk going under 1,200 calories. That's dangerously low and your energy levels during workouts will lack. As well, you probably won't lose weight as your body will cling to every last ounce of fat hoping not to starve. Enjoy the extra calories. You need them working out!

taso42_DELETED

I'm having a hard time reaching 1200 I feel so full! I don't know how I'm going to re-eat those calories after I work out. Especially because I prefer to work out in the evening when my husband goes to bed.

You can slightly increase the calories in the meals you have earlier in the day so you don't have to load up at night. If you bump each meal up by a little, it will add up fast.

misschaplin

It s difficult to get it right, especially as I am new. But Im hoping I will find a way to eat the extra calories needed.
I have never come across this idea of eating more?
I aways thought the less you ate the more you lost, I am now starting to realise this might not be the case.
So am going to do my best to get my calories to 0 every day.

But today for example I am apparently supposed to eat another 678 cals before I go to bed in 3 hours, thats just NOT going to happen, so surely Im not supposed to force feed myself?
I mean I could do it if I binged.....but Im sure that would be defeating the object?

Im pretty confused about this too tbh

ZebraHead

a few small foods that are high in calories (and good for you):

Dry roasted nuts

Cheeses

peanut butter

brittanywil

try eating cheese or nuts they have a lot of calories for not a lot of volume

mrsknotts

Thank you guys!! I love having a question answered so quickly on here! Also, is working out mon-fri pretty average and taking weekends off? My gym is kind of far away and gas is so expensive right now it's so much easier to go after work. It's going to be mentally tough to realize that i have to eat more to lose weight. I think we are all under the impression to lose weight you have to eat less. Now I'll be eating more than before, and hopefully cutting the pounds off

garysgirl719

Also, you do not have to eat all of your exercise calories. There are a few factors involved: Is the calorie burn registered exact? Did you factor all your food exact? Plus, MFP gives you calories per hour, and some of those are in that exercise number.

mountainrun26

Eat the extra calories because you need to refuel to keep from getting hungry and running too much of a deficit. Your body will go into defense mode and you will stop losing weight. You will still be on target. On my long workout days I have a good time because my daily limit goes up from 1280 to 4300 and I can pig. Healthy food of course. If I don't, my body won't recover and adapt to the workouts. {I'm training for Ironman and losing too much weight per week is worse than not losing enough.}

phinners

Most definitely - If you don't you risk going under 1,200 calories. That's dangerously low and your energy levels during workouts will lack. As well, you probably won't lose weight as your body will cling to every last ounce of fat hoping not to starve. Enjoy the extra calories. You need them working out!

This is the bit I struggle to understand - the 1200 cal thing. The MFP worked out I should only take in 1050 cals/day if I want to lose 2lb per week. I read everywhere that a loss of 2lbs a week is considered a healthy loss. Yet it means taking in less than 1200 cals.

anubis609

http://shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com

mountainrun26

You should eat them to stay on target. At least eat most of them. If you don't get enough fuel your fat burning mechanism will definitely slow down and you will be defeating the purpose. Eat the extra calories and enjoy.

mrsknotts

Good question. I guess what worked for my body when it weighed 167 pounds doesn't work for my body now that I weigh 122 pounds. I was staying well under 1000 to lose at first but I have hit that wall and started to gain again. I think they're right about the starvation mode thing. The less I eat now the less I lose. I wonder if eating those calories back is why they say that chocolate milk is such a good thing for you to have after a work out. Think Whey protein is similar in its affects on the body after a workout as chocolate milk?