A common dilemma...

carpediem3

Some people say don't eat your exercise calories back, others say its essential. I've read a lot about this, yet I'm still unsure whats best...

Take for instance today... I burned 1400+ calories from 2 straight hours of tennis. I've already eaten 660 calories, thus far today, and my net is negative 793. I never can make my net +1200 on a day where I only burn say 500 calories during a workout so how the heck can I get even close today?!

At best I just might barely hit an even 0 for my net today. On an average day I'd have to say my net runs +700 to 1000.

With all that rambling, am I doing harm to my self and my progress even if I don't hit 1200 as my daily net?

cL0ver

BUMP

jennro7781

bump

philssis

If you're not feeding your body adequately it won't let go of your excess pounds. Eat right and eat enough. Feed your body with nutrients it needs and it'll reward you!

Newfiedan

it is easy to rectify that with proper planning, bigger meals, spreading out the cals over the day, there are simple ways you can make up cals quickly with good foods like almonds, walnuts, peanut butter, chicken, beef, etc. My go to for a quick make up for calories is a protein smoothie with skim milk I can get 500+ cals into 1 smoothie easily using a banana, some frozen blueberries and milk. So yes you do need to eat more a net of 1200 is best if you want to make sure you are burning off fat and not burning up muscle. Try to get 1 gram of protein in for every pound of bodyweight if you are doing a lot of cardio to preserve the muscle you have.

jellybaby84

I'd say today is impossible for you. Do you often do that much exercise? If you do then you're going to need some help with what to eat on those days, I don't have any good advice. But if it's a one off then I'm sure you'll be fine. Nobody can eat 2600 calories in one day!!

dlaplume2

There are always going to be those days when it just isn't feasible. Marathon runners don't eat all the calories they burn during a race. If you play tennis everyday then you need to set your activity level to active and let it be accounted for that way. Your body will adjust. If it is only once in a while then you won't go into starvation mode.

People do need to eat their calories back within reason and with some common sense.

rileamoyer

I would do the best you can to eat back the execise calories. You probably won't make it 100% every time, but there will be days you go over, so if you watch your trends, you should be ok.

TROPIKALPUNCH

You can only eat what you can eat. In my opinion, part of the reason we have gotten to the point that some of us have gotten to is because we have eaten food even if we aren't hungry so part of this journey is to listen to your body. Eat if you are hungry.

On days when I have taken long hikes (burned/earned lots of extra calories) I am sometimes ravenous and sometimes not. If I'm hungry I will eat and get to or close to my net. Sometimes I am not so hungry so I don't worry about eating my calories back.

How's that for a non-commital answer?! :flowerforyou:

meggonkgonk

On 1 day no you are fine. On multiple days or on a regular basis, YES.

Your body doesn't care WHY you can't get all those cals, if you eat too low, it will slow your metabolism down making you have to eat less and less to continue losing. Find a way to fuel the workouts you do- calorie dense foods Nuts, oils, fats (yes- fats!), proteins, ALL important parts of your diet that will help you reach your goals.

CynPierce15

If you are varying that much day to day, try to look at your calories by a weekly goal instead of daily. Its good to keep your body guessing what you are doing day to day.

Personally, I try to only eat half of my calories gained from excerise, that way I see the benefits of my workout.

Newfiedan

I eat back all my exercise cals almost all the time and I certainly see every benefit of my workouts. The point that almost everyone on here that joins up does not clue into that say things like that is that mfp starts you out with a caloric deficit to begin with to shed the fat, so depending on how many pounds you have to lose then not eating back the cals from workouts can negatively impact fat loss, and for those whom have a lot to shed then it is safe as you are never near that minimum line. 2 consecutive days in a row being low are ok if you go high on the 3rd, otherwise you are slowing down your metabolic rate and working against your body.

zeeeb

i don't understand when people say that they can't eat their calories... for me it's so easy to get to 1500 calories in a day, and if i need to eat more, a handful of nuts and a banana and milk drink there you are...

i don't count calories obsessively but roughly it would go

breakfast 300 calories
lunch 400 calories
tea 500 calories

add a few snacks, and i'ts easy done. a healthy stirfry with rice and chicken can easily be 500 calories.

really, is it that hard to eat that? my lunch roll is roughly 400 calories, and all it is is a 9 grain roll with a few healthy toppings and a coffee. i have a built in healthy appetite and never fear going under, and if i do, it's only a couple of hundred calories, which doesn't bother me.

then a few nutritious snacks, a couple of drinks here and there and it creeps right up above 1500 so quickly.

velix

I eat - on average 75-85% of my exercise calories back, no fail. When the occasion calls for it, I eat them all 100%. You can eat good, healthy high calorie foods easily, but as mentioned above, it might take some planning and strategic eating (again, as mentioned above, a handful of nuts - tons of calories for a little bit and still good for you; a protein bar after your workout, a shake, etc...). Sometimes, some added tweaking of food and eating patterns might be needed to meet your goals.

I also see the benefits of my workouts even if I eat back most of my calories. I still have 35-40lbs to go, but my muscle definition is clear on my arms and legs, even at 194lbs....

leslielove

I'd say today is impossible for you. Do you often do that much exercise? If you do then you're going to need some help with what to eat on those days, I don't have any good advice. But if it's a one off then I'm sure you'll be fine. Nobody can eat 2600 calories in one day!!

have you never been to mcdonalds? of course people can eat that much!

my boyfriend regularly eats 2800+ calories a day and its completely clean. eggs, beans, various meats, nuts, guacamole, cheese, fruit, dairy. its not that hard.

Newfiedan

lol 2600 in 1 day, hell I did that in 1 meal when me and the wife went out to a nice restaurant, 18 oz t-bone, 1 baked potato, 1 bowl seafood chowder, garlic bread, 2 beers. 2600 done.

auntiebabs

Try it out both ways and see what works best for you.

My general rule of thumb, I'll eat them if I'm hungry, but I won't force them if I'm not.

jellybaby84

I meant 2600 calories of healthy food that stays within the fat allowance we get. I know it'spossible to eat a pile of junk but why bother working out if you're going to do that!

Also, I can believe it's easier for men.

Newfiedan

actually nothing I ate was junk, I eat proper food not loaded down with crap my diet is almost totally clean, the only bad thing out of that meal was the beer. My wife has no problem maintaining her caloric intake either and losing consistenly, she is down over 60 pounds and is at her last 10 now with around 1500 cals a day.

olyrose

I always just try to make sure the net is over 1200 calories. Sometimes I'm too full to eat more, or decide last minute to go to the gym and am not able to plan for it ahead of time.

I also know that the calculations for how many calories burned are higher than the machines at the gym, and since I haven't used a real monitor, I don't know exactly what I'm burning. I don't want to overestimate the calories I'm burning then try to eat it all back!

millerll

Are you sure you're really burning 1400 calories playing tennis for 2 hours? That seems high to me, but I admit I don't play tennis, LOL! If you are getting your calorie burns from a heart rate monitor, then they're pretty accurate. If you're using this site's database, I've found the numbers to be too high for a lot of cardio.

So you may not actually be burning as much as you think. Hence, less to eat back. Unless you're using a heart rate monitor, I would cut the site-given cals in half or by a third, and try to eat those. Good luck!

rosiedoes

I'd say today is impossible for you. Do you often do that much exercise? If you do then you're going to need some help with what to eat on those days, I don't have any good advice. But if it's a one off then I'm sure you'll be fine. Nobody can eat 2600 calories in one day!!

Oh my dear, I promise you, give me the right foods and I could eat that in one meal!

raven1114

i try to eat back most of my exercise calories.