workout calories

cuz86

Do you guys eat the extra calories you get from working out or just leave them? I probably burn about 500 calories a day with workouts and im worried if i dont eat at least some of them i might not be getting enough food....what are your thoughts?


Thanks

chasekilgannon

You have asked the question that shall bring the war of eating exercise calories to you doorstep. You've been warned.

Rodneymc4

We had this topic in a discussion yesterday and a member sent me this link which was very helpful.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

cuz86

lol @ chasekilgannon ....i had a feeling there would be lots of differences

@rodneymc4 thanks for the link

laddyboy

Do you guys eat the extra calories you get from working out or just leave them? I probably burn about 500 calories a day with workouts and im worried if i dont eat at least some of them i might not be getting enough food....what are your thoughts?


Thanks

It depends. My fitness pal already calculates a daily deficit and depending on yours not eating your exercise calories...especially 500 a day, may put you in starvation mode. Be careful

aeckels616

Eat them, if a) You're already at enough of a deficit to lose weight without exercising, and b) You're sure you're logging them correctly.

MFP will give you the total calories burned during exercise, but it's already assuming that you're burning SOME calories during that same period of the day that you spent exercising. So if you're not subtracting what you would have expended during that time doing normal daily activity (in other words, logging NET calories instead of TOTAL calories burned), then you're double-logging some calories and eating back those double-logged calories could hamper your weight loss.

Lipvanmeier26

I usually don't eat them back but sometimes I do but when I do I only eat about a quarter of them cause I don't feel I should reward myself with food that's how I got this big LOL but if I'm truly hunger not just bored then I eat.....
Each person has to make their own decision

chevy88grl

After a year of learning how my body responds to eating right and working out regularly, I've learned a lot about what my body wants and needs. I really think it is different for different people and therefore, there isn't really a right or wrong answer.

I personally try and eat my exercise calories or my body goes into starvation mode and all weight loss stops. I've realized that my body is very finicky. Everything I read said that as I lost weight and got into better shape, my body made need less. Well. I can tell you that as soon as I drop my calories down (like not eating my exercise calories) - my body freaks out and stops losing weight.

I think the best thing to do is try it both ways and see how your body reacts. See if you lose weight well without eating them and if you don't, try eating them and see how it goes.