Eating calories you have burned

Terri_74

Hi all, I have been on MFP for a month now and have lost 11lbs. I am going to the gym regularly but am finding it hard to eat the calories I have burnt at the gym...is this wrong? I feel that by eating extra I am going to ruin the good work I have put in so far! Does everyone eat the extra calories they have burned? In the same instance I dont want to ruin it if I am meant to eat the extra...HELP! I'm confused!! (Thats pretty normal for me lol)

AllisonWBaker

I never eat the extra calories!

PJS323

I never eat them either. Sometimes I hit my max, and then other days I just do the minimum. I'm trying to get out of this rut I've had for the last week. Just eat at least 1200 a day, and if you're hungry, eat more.

a_dawn

I don't eat them either. I don't know if I'm helping or hurting my weight loss tho, so it'll be interesting to see what people have to say about it.

nemosarah

I never eat the extra either!! I stick to the 1330 that im given and sometimes a little less when my meals and lower in calories :-) xx

MissMaggie3

I nearly always eat them, I'm losing steadily and eating great food. A win-win situation. :-)

kennie2

you should always try and eat most of them back else you'll be messing up your body

brookeaarnold

I don't eat many of them. My RMR is only 1277 so sometimes I do eat some of them but my personal trainer said you really shouldn't eat them all anyway, especially if you're not up into your higher zones. I'm in pretty good shape and even just doing a light workout on the elliptical won't get me to even zone 1 so I never eat them all.

LittleD311

sometimes i do, but not all of them, and half the time i dont! LOL

wheelieblade

depends on whether or not I'm hungry

Akaratel

I eat them always or atleast half... some days i work hard i may have a couple extra hundred.. I just think of them as a bonus for a day i might mess up But mostly I eat them back... your body needs them to run Your net should be 1200 or whatever limit you have set

poppyloganriley

I don't eat them, but then when one of my kiddos offers me a bite of something they are eating, I don't feel bad if I take it because I know I have that net. They always seem so hurt if I don't want to share!

chevy88grl

I always eat mine back. But, after a year of trying to figure my body out -- I've finally learned that it doesn't do well when I drop my calories too low. Not eating back my exercise calories means I'm not consuming enough calories. For me, this means my weight loss stalls and if I do it for too many days in a row -- I will actually gain weight. So, I ALWAYS eat them back! Always.

Akaratel

I always eat mine back. But, after a year of trying to figure my body out -- I've finally learned that it doesn't do well when I drop my calories too low. Not eating back my exercise calories means I'm not consuming enough calories. For me, this means my weight loss stalls and if I do it for too many days in a row -- I will actually gain weight. So, I ALWAYS eat them back! Always.

This is exactly my issue, i never used to eat enough when i was training martial arts for ten years... I only bounced back and forth between the same 20 pounds... and i tell you i never ate as much as i do on this site... steadily losing 2 pounds a week... except last week... got a little stuck for some reason

SandersWifey

I say if you are hungry eat them, if your not hungry then don't force yourself to eat.

chevy88grl

I always eat mine back. But, after a year of trying to figure my body out -- I've finally learned that it doesn't do well when I drop my calories too low. Not eating back my exercise calories means I'm not consuming enough calories. For me, this means my weight loss stalls and if I do it for too many days in a row -- I will actually gain weight. So, I ALWAYS eat them back! Always.

This is exactly my issue, i never used to eat enough when i was training martial arts for ten years... I only bounced back and forth between the same 20 pounds... and i tell you i never ate as much as i do on this site... steadily losing 2 pounds a week... except last week... got a little stuck for some reason

It's taken a lot for me to get over the "eat less = weight loss" "diet" theory that has been pounded in our brains for so long. Yes, you have to have a calorie deficit to lose weight but when you're busting your butt working out -- you HAVE to eat in order to lose the weight. I wish I would have learned this earlier in my journey. lol.

atomdraco

It depends how you set up your goal.
* If you use MFP as a tool, yes, you eat it back.
* If you are have a set calorie goal without counting deficit by MFP already, no you don't want to eat it back because the exercises is how you create the deficit.
* If you are using MFP and the goal you set have very little lb to lose (say 0.x) per week, well, you don't need to eat it all back so you can create a slightly bigger (but save) deficit from your exercises.

You trainer is right but also wrong, only if he/she understand the MFP already created the deficit for you and could be a big one you are setting too (like > 1lb a week).

If you are using the MFP as a tool to set goal and tracking, read this wonderful blog to help you understand how it works:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/ladyhawk00/view/mfp-basics-78491

Should be find more blog from ladyhawk and others regarding this subject. Good luck.

lisapickering

This is a hot topic on here. I personally eat back most of my calories, there are many people that don't. If you want your body to function properly and increase your metabolism (which is what burns the fat) you need to feed it. I think there are a few things that are important to note (mainly from reading the MANY posts on this topic)
1. If you have alot to lose then you can get away with eating fewer calories, the closer you are to your goal the more important it is to eat the calories.
2. The type of workout that you're doing. I do high intensity workouts 6 times / week where I really push myself, if I don't eat enough I will pass out. If I go for a long walk, those are calories that I'm not as concerned with eating back. If you're burning 100 calories probably not as important to eat them back as if your burning 500+ calories.
3. Alot of people don't eat them back and lose, but at some point stop losing because their body is holding onto the calories knowing that they are scarce, so eating more helps them to start losing again.

If you want to eat them back you should plan for the workout and eat the calories throughout the day. People work out at night and then at 9pm have 500 calories extra that they don't feel like eating. If you eat a couple of snacks throughout the day it's easier to get them in - nuts are great because they are higher in calories.

I'm not an expert, and lots of people will disagree with me but this is my opinion and it works for me!

Good Luck!

Cam_

I usually eat mine back - 99% of the time.

Akaratel

I always eat mine back. But, after a year of trying to figure my body out -- I've finally learned that it doesn't do well when I drop my calories too low. Not eating back my exercise calories means I'm not consuming enough calories. For me, this means my weight loss stalls and if I do it for too many days in a row -- I will actually gain weight. So, I ALWAYS eat them back! Always.

This is exactly my issue, i never used to eat enough when i was training martial arts for ten years... I only bounced back and forth between the same 20 pounds... and i tell you i never ate as much as i do on this site... steadily losing 2 pounds a week... except last week... got a little stuck for some reason

It's taken a lot for me to get over the "eat less = weight loss" "diet" theory that has been pounded in our brains for so long. Yes, you have to have a calorie deficit to lose weight but when you're busting your butt working out -- you HAVE to eat in order to lose the weight. I wish I would have learned this earlier in my journey. lol.

That is what I have been telling my mom... all my life i was told I eat too much and that is why i am overweight... well for the last 25 years i have been eating less.. i really think that martial arts is one of the best workouts... so i was quite annoyed and frustrated... started eating more and there goes that theory.... i too wish I had learned this when i was 19 that is when most of my weight started and i would work out like 1500 calories a day and try to barely eat haha... so annoying - nice to know there is someone similar... I think everyone's bodies work different ways.


or the infamous: when you have a slow metabolism you cant eat that much... well the body's metabolism changes with weight....the things we finally learn as we get older.... I think that the schools should teach children a little better or have personal trainers teach the gym teachers/health teachers a little better...then half the population wouldn't struggle like we have to...

kayrevan

What healthy stuff does everyone eat to eat back your calories? I struggle to eat enough in a day anyway, so when I have to eat back my calories, I really struggle. I do not want to load up on junk just to get in calories.

chevy88grl

I always eat mine back. But, after a year of trying to figure my body out -- I've finally learned that it doesn't do well when I drop my calories too low. Not eating back my exercise calories means I'm not consuming enough calories. For me, this means my weight loss stalls and if I do it for too many days in a row -- I will actually gain weight. So, I ALWAYS eat them back! Always.

This is exactly my issue, i never used to eat enough when i was training martial arts for ten years... I only bounced back and forth between the same 20 pounds... and i tell you i never ate as much as i do on this site... steadily losing 2 pounds a week... except last week... got a little stuck for some reason

It's taken a lot for me to get over the "eat less = weight loss" "diet" theory that has been pounded in our brains for so long. Yes, you have to have a calorie deficit to lose weight but when you're busting your butt working out -- you HAVE to eat in order to lose the weight. I wish I would have learned this earlier in my journey. lol.

That is what I have been telling my mom... all my life i was told I eat too much and that is why i am overweight... well for the last 25 years i have been eating less.. i really think that martial arts is one of the best workouts... so i was quite annoyed and frustrated... started eating more and there goes that theory.... i too wish I had learned this when i was 19 that is when most of my weight started and i would work out like 1500 calories a day and try to barely eat haha... so annoying - nice to know there is someone similar... I think everyone's bodies work different ways.

Yes. Everyone's body is different. I try and tell people that who insist I eat too much. Yes, I DO eat a lot of calories in a day. BUT. I work in retail so I am on my feet 5 days a week for 5-9 hours a day. Running here, there and everywhere. Plus, my hands are always doing something too - folding, putting our freight, etc. I'm ALWAYS busy. Add in the gym (and Tae Bo once a week) and I NEED those calories.

chevy88grl

This is a hot topic on here. I personally eat back most of my calories, there are many people that don't. If you want your body to function properly and increase your metabolism (which is what burns the fat) you need to feed it. I think there are a few things that are important to note (mainly from reading the MANY posts on this topic)
1. If you have alot to lose then you can get away with eating fewer calories, the closer you are to your goal the more important it is to eat the calories.
2. The type of workout that you're doing. I do high intensity workouts 6 times / week where I really push myself, if I don't eat enough I will pass out. If I go for a long walk, those are calories that I'm not as concerned with eating back. If you're burning 100 calories probably not as important to eat them back as if your burning 500+ calories.
3. Alot of people don't eat them back and lose, but at some point stop losing because their body is holding onto the calories knowing that they are scarce, so eating more helps them to start losing again.

If you want to eat them back you should plan for the workout and eat the calories throughout the day. People work out at night and then at 9pm have 500 calories extra that they don't feel like eating. If you eat a couple of snacks throughout the day it's easier to get them in - nuts are great because they are higher in calories.

I'm not an expert, and lots of people will disagree with me but this is my opinion and it works for me!

Good Luck!

I agree with this post. However, I DO workout late at night ( I work second shift) and I do eat after I work out. I like knowing I can come home from the gym and drink a protein shake or eat some fish with veggies and I'll have the room for it in my calories. But, it varies from person to person.

lisapickering

What healthy stuff does everyone eat to eat back your calories? I struggle to eat enough in a day anyway, so when I have to eat back my calories, I really struggle. I do not want to load up on junk just to get in calories.

I eat nuts - walnuts, almonds, pistachios -- they are high calorie without a huge quantity so easy to up your calories with getting stuffed plus lots of good thing in nuts, I have a hard time getting protein in so this helps. Protein bars, peanut butter, avocados.

Akaratel

What healthy stuff does everyone eat to eat back your calories? I struggle to eat enough in a day anyway, so when I have to eat back my calories, I really struggle. I do not want to load up on junk just to get in calories.

I eat almonds (my favorite) , yogurts, string cheese, bananas, glass of skim milk

ashlinmarie

I have the same issue as well. Any type of nut is great, though macadamia nuts are some of the best if you don't have the time because they are one of the highest in calories and good fats. I also make smoothies or eat protein bars.