Should you eat the extra Exrecise calories?

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Some days when I exercise I am way under on my daily allowed calories. My question is...in order to loose weight should I be eating those calories? Or as long I am am within my daily range without exercise, am I OK?

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  • funkyspunky871
    funkyspunky871 Posts: 1,675 Member
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    www.shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com

    :)
  • JAG1224
    JAG1224 Posts: 191 Member
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    www.shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com

    :)

    this made me laugh. :)
  • iheartralphie
    iheartralphie Posts: 104 Member
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    I have been wondering this too!!! Because when it says I "earned" extra calories from working out, but I do not use them, I get a warning that I am not eating enough calories. But I don't want to eat too much and not lose any weight!!!
  • doramouse
    doramouse Posts: 160
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    There are a lot of opinions on if you should eat your exercise calories. MFP puts in a calorie deficit for you so if you are eating 1400 per day to lose 1 lb per week, and you exercise and burn 400 then if you don't eat them - you are basically eating only 1000 calories - does that make sense?
    I work out for health and to sometimes be able to drink that glass of wine :)
    My goal is to eat 1/2 to 3/4 of my exercise calories. When I do that - I am losing weight.

    There are lots of threads on this topic.............play around a little and check it out
    Cheers!
  • Christine1110
    Christine1110 Posts: 1,786 Member
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    If you do eat them...make sure you have a HRM so you have a accurate count of what your burning....or you may be eating to many calories.




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  • Nomomush
    Nomomush Posts: 582 Member
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    I have been wondering this too!!! Because when it says I "earned" extra calories from working out, but I do not use them, I get a warning that I am not eating enough calories. But I don't want to eat too much and not lose any weight!!!

    I think that warning only comes up if you do not eat your minimum calorie intake goal (1200, 1400). It doesn't include your exercise calorie deficit.
  • goaskdad
    goaskdad Posts: 11
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    Nomomush is right about the 1200/1400 warning. It only comes up if you don't eat your minimum calories for the day.

    For instance, my daily calorie goal is around 1300, and I ate slightly more than that yesterday, but I also exercised and ended up with a net calorie intake for the day that was well below 1200, but I didn't receive any warning about it being too low (i think that's because I actually did eat more than my minimum 1200 calories).

    I don't know if that makes it good or bad to eat all those 'earned' exercise calories or not, but it definitely seems that the 'too few calories' warning is based solely on whether you've eaten enough calories to cover your daily minimum and doesn't take your exercise calories into account at all.

    Personally, I sometimes do eat all of the exercise calories I've earned, especially if I have a special occasion I'm celebrating with family or friends that involves taking in more calories (like eating cake or having a big BBQ or something). Otherwise, if I'm not actually feeling hungry, I don't eat them just because they're available and I've earned them. I think my body would tell me (by feeling hungry, tired, lack of energy, etc.) if I do need to be eating those extra earned calories from exercise - at least I hope it would.:smile:
  • elliecolorado
    elliecolorado Posts: 1,040
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    If you're hungry eat some of them, if you're not hungry don't force yourself to eat just to reach a certain number.
  • elliecolorado
    elliecolorado Posts: 1,040
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    If you're hungry eat some of them, if you're not hungry don't force yourself to eat just to reach a certain number.
  • iheartralphie
    iheartralphie Posts: 104 Member
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    aaahhh Isee why i was getting the "you are not eating enough calories warning.... apparently my phone has not always been syncing my additions to the site!!!! So on those couple of days it has my correct amount of calories consumed in the phone app but on here it is incomplete!!! That makes sense now :)
  • Nomomush
    Nomomush Posts: 582 Member
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    www.shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com

    :)

    this one is getting old...quickly