Eat my 'Exercise' Calories??? Yeah right!!!

Mekob25

O.K., so I've been working hard since January, learning portion control, increasing my activity level & decreasing how much I eat in a day, blah, blah, blah... And recently I'm noticing on some of the message boards that it's healthier to eat the calories that you burned during exercise. So, take today for example; I went to the gym and worked out for 2 hours then I came home & cleaned out my garage, a couple of closets & really did a deep clean to my entire house. I burned almost 1200 calories. I've gotten used to only eating about that amount in an entire day. THERE'S NO WAY I can eat that many MORE calories today!!! :noway: What do you guys think????

Jorra

I understand completely. Eat as much as you can, if you're not hungry, don't eat. One day of a low net won't hurt you, but if this is the pattern every day, try to eat a couple more calorie dense foods like peanut butter to up your intake.

Mekob25

Thanks Jorra! :happy:

chevy88grl

If you're hungry - eat. If you aren't - then don't.

However, on a day to day basis it is important to eat back some of the calories (I eat back all of them - but I've learned that this is what my body wants.. so I listen to it) to insure you are hitting your net calories for the day. Once in awhile won't hurt you, but going weeks and weeks without eating them back will affect your weight loss eventually.

kennie2

You should not have a net of 0. Or anything bellow 1200 its very harmful

realme56

I was eating too low through June and had a slow down in my weight loss. Been eating nearer to my calories for the last 2 weeks and losing weight much more rapidly. Change it up, your body gets used to things and needs a break.

RedHotRunner

I can easily eat that many calories I ran 10 miles this morning and am looking forward to having baby back ribs for dinner tonite

The easiest way to eat back the calories if you're not that hungry is with healthy fats. Pistachios, amonds and cashews do it for me.

Or else a couple of glasses of wine.:drinker:

Edestiny7

You need to kind of plan ahead. On the days you know you will be burning a lot of calories, eat a little more at eat meal, or higher calorie options at each meal, so you do not end up with 1200 extra calories at 7 PM at night. I struggle with the same thing, so I have been there, done that. If I can't possibly eat them all that day, I eat them the next day.

hoosiermama1977

I wear a bodymedia fit so I KNOW what I burn all day. What amazes me as with this website it puts me at needing about 2740 calories per day (after you put in the deficit for losing). On my bodymedia fit I see that on a regular work day I'm burning 3000+ My workouts contribute VERY little to my daily burn - most of it is housework, playing with the kids, grocery shopping etc... in fact some days when I've done my hour zumba and sweated my butt off I've burnt less then the days I have to take the kids along to the grocery store! Anyway, I'm saying that because of that you know that the numbers are you seeing here at mfp are great - but they are not set in stone. If you are hungry eat some of them. If you aren't then don't. If you lose weight then what you did worked. If you never eat them and you don't lose weight then trying eating a few next week. If you always eat them and you don't lose weight then cut back. We all have our own "sweet spots" Even with my bodymedia fit I've learned over the past 6 months - with a1000 calorie deficit average I *should* lose 2 lbs but I NEVER lose when my deficit is that high. My best losses are with a 500-700 calorie deficit. Others don't see a loss with that. We are all different! Find your own sweet spot, listen to your body and don't stress (because I have learned that I NEVER lose weight when I stress a lot or don't sleep enough!)

CraigIW

Eating exercise calories is just a go-ahead to eat if you are hungry from all that exercise. There's no need to force yourself to do it, but a little extra calories from exercise can be handy sometimes.

Jorra

You should not have a net of 0. Or anything bellow 1200 its very harmful

That's not necessarily true, 1200 is not a magic number, just the number MFP uses as its minimum based on average values. A shorter or smaller person can easily eat below that consistently and be just fine. I do agree that a net of zero is not a good thing though.

Eating too little can slow the metabolism and slow weight loss, that's why it's important to have a net bigger than zero. You need to power your body!

Lyadeia

I just do things the old fashioned way before MFP ever existed and this whole idea of eating exercise calories was popular. I picked a number between my BMR and TDEE and started eating that amount no matter what the exercises were that I did. And it works...imagine that. :bigsmile: So even though I should be eating 1200 + exercise calories according to MFP, I actually eat about 1500 and still manage to lose weight and be healthy...

But aside from that, I also wanted to say that you might not want to count cleaning chores as exercise. If you weren't working out regularly, you'd still have to clean, right?

Also, I don't have much faith in ways of calculating exercise calories anyway. HRMs are all different which are different from a BodyBugg which is different from cardio machines which is different from MFP calculations... so basically, no matter what you do it is all just an estimate. And most estimates are really high, if you ask me.

So I wouldn't eat an extra 1200 calories. No way. That's like an extra whole day's worth of food for one trip to the gym. But, definitely eat more than a measly 1200 to begin with. You just have to play with the numbers until you find your sweet spot. Some people eat all those calories, some people eat half, some just eat some...and some like don't play that game at all and I just eat between BMR and TDEE. But in all cases, we all lose weight. :flowerforyou:

Mekob25

I wear a bodymedia fit so I KNOW what I burn all day. What amazes me as with this website it puts me at needing about 2740 calories per day (after you put in the deficit for losing). On my bodymedia fit I see that on a regular work day I'm burning 3000+ My workouts contribute VERY little to my daily burn - most of it is housework, playing with the kids, grocery shopping etc... in fact some days when I've done my hour zumba and sweated my butt off I've burnt less then the days I have to take the kids along to the grocery store! Anyway, I'm saying that because of that you know that the numbers are you seeing here at mfp are great - but they are not set in stone. If you are hungry eat some of them. If you aren't then don't. If you lose weight then what you did worked. If you never eat them and you don't lose weight then trying eating a few next week. If you always eat them and you don't lose weight then cut back. We all have our own "sweet spots" Even with my bodymedia fit I've learned over the past 6 months - with a1000 calorie deficit average I *should* lose 2 lbs but I NEVER lose when my deficit is that high. My best losses are with a 500-700 calorie deficit. Others don't see a loss with that. We are all different! Find your own sweet spot, listen to your body and don't stress (because I have learned that I NEVER lose weight when I stress a lot or don't sleep enough!)

Thank you so much! Very Helpful :happy:

taso42_DELETED

It's simple math, really. It's all about keeping your net calories and calorie deficit at a reasonable level. Eat too few calories and you will sacrifice lean body mass, which means your metabolic rate will decrease, which means you will have smaller, weaker muscles, and your body will store fat more readily. Other ways this may manifest is as a "plateau", or constant desire to binge. It seems this burning desire people have to chronically under-feed themselves is the #2 cause of people not succeeding. I'm assuming OVER-eating is the #1 cause, but after several months on this site, I seriously wonder whether under-eating is actually the #1 problem.

Mekob25

You all have great suggestions. Thank you very much!

IMYarnCraz33

I find it difficult to reach the calories they have me set at.
I am concerned because for the last few days my sodium has been high.
(I don't have the most healthy food in the house--we're on a limited budget as DH has been laid off for 2 years.)
But since I started using MFP (end of June) I haven't even reached my set calories for the day.
Today may be the first time that I do.

MsHQ

I have that same issue. It is hard for me to eat a lot because I'm either full or feel like i'm stuffing my face. My solution has come down to eating more 500calorie meals and 400calories snacks. & not so much eating a bunch of small items in big portions. it's easier that way. Hope this helps.

Bringerofrain

You need to kind of plan ahead. On the days you know you will be burning a lot of calories, eat a little more at eat meal, or higher calorie options at each meal, so you do not end up with 1200 extra calories at 7 PM at night. I struggle with the same thing, so I have been there, done that. If I can't possibly eat them all that day, I eat them the next day.

Exactly! Some days I do 50-60 miles on a bike ride & burn 2-3000 cals on a ride like that! No way can I consume such an amount but I do know when I going to ride like that I'll eat extra cals to begin with & plan accordingly throughout the day. I may not eat them all back but a good portion of it I try too. Your body needs those cals to replenish whats used up & for rest & repair. I also try to eat back good caloric dense foods also

Vcaser

They had my calorie goal set too high (computer programs not being people, it's just an estimate) and I did not start consistently losing until I tweaked my calorie goal down to 1200 a day. If I feel like eating my extra earned calories, I will - if not, I don't. It hasn't impacted me that I can tell, other than I almost HAVE to eat some of my earned calories because my increased muscle mass makes me so darned hungry.

bonkers5975

Mekob, I see whatever you're doing is working! A word of warning though.

I have been on this particular leg of my journey for 2.5 years, and have been hopelessly plateaued since last November. I have always felt like I eat plenty, as I do primal lifestyle; my calories can be anywhere between 1500 and 2000 every single day, and all good, whole foods like nuts, lean meat, tons of veggies, and whole raw dairy etc. But I am highly active. I hike a minimum of 4 miles every day, to 10 mile horseback rides, and do daily barn and farm chores like moving hay, mucking... all high cardio stuff. I can easily burn 1000 calories, every single day.

But I was never hungry. And while I didn't "eat back" all those calories, my overall intake (up to 2000) I thought reflected my caloric need.

Then my hormones got all out of wack. I stopped losing. I'd eat a slice of bread and gain 7lbs and take a week to lose that. My moods have been terrible.

Turns out, I'm compromising my metabolism.

My body thinks I'm starving it. While eating 2000 calories! So I have set my cals at maintanance, which for me, at 5'10 and 238 lbs and Active, is 2510 per day. I'm eating good stuff, but have added back gluten free carbs. I am hitting the reset. It is my last ditch effort to get off these last 40 lbs!

Just know, before you start trying to eat back all those calories, only an hrm can tell you exactly what you're burning. MFP often over or under estimates your burn, and that can put you in adaptive thermogenisis, or cause you to gain! Eat high quality, unprocessed foods, and drink lots of water (I average 15+ glasses a day).

I have to say, I am feeling so much better, eating more. I never felt hungry, but apparently I was needing more. Think of your calories as gasoline. When you drive that car more than usual, you need to top up the tank!

Good luck, and keep on truckin!

Ange

Brandicaloriecountess

I don't eat exercise calories. I eat my meals and snacks and certainly eat a little more if I am hungry!

Micheller1210

Avocados,nuts,oliveoil dressings,cottage cheese 4%,whole milk, these add more cals quickly too :-)

jujubean1992

You should not have a net of 0. Or anything bellow 1200 its very harmful

THIS! it's like trying to drive your car with no gas.

sleepytexan

As you become a serious exerciser, and as your weight comes down, this is something you will need to plan for and do. If you don't, you will at some point damage your metabolism and end up starving yourself while you in fact plateau or even gain weight.

There are many explanations on this site and on the internet. Here is one thread that I found very helpful in understanding WHY you need to refuel your body with the exercise calories:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/196502-for-the-people-who-work-out-like-crazy-and-are-not-losing?hl=for+people+who+work+out+like+crazy

You may encounter many people who will tell you NOT to eat exercise calories, but when you encounter those people, check to see if those are people who are at goal and have been at goal for an extended period of time. Find out if they are athletes, or if they have been fit throughout their lives. Chances are, the people who will tell you not to eat exercise calories are in fact NOT fit and healthy, and unfortunately, they just don't understand.

The key to getting and staying fit and at a healthy weight, is eating right and exercising, that means refueling your body when you demand physical feats.

When people are very large, and/or they have just begun exercising, they will drop weight just from cutting calories--even if they cut too many calories. After a while however, they will get stuck. They will cut their calories more. Then they'll actually gain and become frustrated. How many people do you know of like this? I know of so many overweight people who say they work out hard and only eat 800 or whatever calories a day and can't lose weight. Then when they start eating more they will gain even more, because they have damanged their metabolism.

Please do yourself a favor, read the thread above, check online, ask athletes and/or fit people at healthy weights, trainers, etc. It's actually a beautiful thing--you can eat well and lose weight without starving.

blessings.

taso42_DELETED

You may encounter many people who will tell you NOT to eat exercise calories, but when you encounter those people, check to see if those are people who are at goal and have been at goal for an extended period of time. Find out if they are athletes, or if they have been fit throughout their lives. Chances are, the people who will tell you not to eat exercise calories are in fact NOT fit and healthy, and unfortunately, they just don't understand.

QFE!

sleepytexan

You may encounter many people who will tell you NOT to eat exercise calories, but when you encounter those people, check to see if those are people who are at goal and have been at goal for an extended period of time. Find out if they are athletes, or if they have been fit throughout their lives. Chances are, the people who will tell you not to eat exercise calories are in fact NOT fit and healthy, and unfortunately, they just don't understand.

QFE!

?

jujubean1992

You may encounter many people who will tell you NOT to eat exercise calories, but when you encounter those people, check to see if those are people who are at goal and have been at goal for an extended period of time. Find out if they are athletes, or if they have been fit throughout their lives. Chances are, the people who will tell you not to eat exercise calories are in fact NOT fit and healthy, and unfortunately, they just don't understand.

QFE!

what does qfe mean?

oh and btw i totally agree with sleepytexan!

taso42_DELETED

QFE = Quoted For Emphasis

babynurse123

My question is, are you supposed to est your excerise calories? That is one thing I don't understand, because I see people getting 2000-3000 excerise calories, and I wonder, are they or can they eat that and still lose weight?

HCbaby

This whole eating your earned calories thing is so confusing. I asked the owner of my gym (who is the one who turned me on to this site) if I should be eating my earned calories and he said absolutely NOT! If you are trying to burn calories to lose weight, then why would you eat them again. Makes sense to me. He did say that I need to watch my fat intake and calories. (always meet my base calories) Eat lots of protein and eat more throughout the day. (like every three hours) a healthy snack, like a apple. The eating more thing is hard for me since I'm not much of a eater. He said to eat more throughout the day to keep my body fueled or my body will start to store fat instead of burn it. (Starvation mode). Anyway I just started doing this, this week. I tried the eating what I earned and lost nothing in a month and a half doing this.

sleepytexan

This whole eating your earned calories thing is so confusing. I asked the owner of my gym (who is the one who turned me on to this site) if I should be eating my earned calories and he said absolutely NOT! If you are trying to burn calories to lose weight, then why would you eat them again. Makes sense to me. He did say that I need to watch my fat intake and calories. (always meet my base calories) Eat lots of protein and eat more throughout the day. (like every three hours) a healthy snack, like a apple. The eating more thing is hard for me since I'm not much of a eater. He said to eat more throughout the day to keep my body fueled or my body will start to store fat instead of burn it. (Starvation mode). Anyway I just started doing this, this week. I tried the eating what I earned and lost nothing in a month and a half doing this.

please read the very first post in this thread:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/196502-for-the-people-who-work-out-like-crazy-and-are-not-losing?hl=for+people+who+work+out+like+crazy

you will understand if you read it.