Do I have to eat my exercise calories?

AlmostMrsP

I haven't really been eating the exercise calories, I might eat some of them, but I've been trying to stay around 1200-1300 calories no matter how much I exercise. Part of this is that I plan out my meals before I know how much I am going to exercise. I may add in a cup of fro yo or something if I worked out a lot. I'm also generally pretty full around 1200 calories. Is it going to be a problem or slow down metabolism if I don't eat them?

Thanks!

Rae6503

It might. How many calories are you burning? How tall are you?

LisaKyle11

YES...try to eat most!

spampeg

http://shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com/

birdlover97111

I don't...Like I've said in prior posts, it defeats the purpose unless you are just trying to maintain...I've never eaten mine back and I'm losing just fine...Good luck on your journey... :flowerforyou:

Jolenebib

You just want to make sure you have enough fuel to fuel your workout. If you're feeling sluggish or light headed during a workout, you haven't had enough to eat. You'll get more out of your workout and probably burn more calories and be more efficient if your body has some fuel. The recommended number of calories are those to allow you to lose weight and that is a NET total. So if your total calories required are 1200, that's food + exercise. So if you burn 400 calories working out, you should eat 1600 calories throughout the day. But if you're not feeling overly fatigued, you're probably fine. It depends on your body. I personally need the extra calories for a workout and feel sluggish on only 1200 food + exercise.

stephski07

I'm glad you asked this coz i was never sure, i felt guilty for eating all my exercise calories. I usually have quite a good understanding of how these things work but i just cant get my head around why it is a good thing to eat your exercise calories earnt? I shall just do as i'm told until it doesnt work for me!

dayzeerock

SEARCH FUNCTION, PEOPLE!!! Someone just asked this less than two minutes ago!

taso42_DELETED

I don't...Like I've said in prior posts, it defeats the purpose unless you are just trying to maintain...I've never eaten mine back and I'm losing just fine...Good luck on your journey... :flowerforyou:

yeah, i think we corrected you in a previous thread as well.

mark03264

If you set up MFP right to start with then the daily calorie goal that MFP gives you already has a calorie deficit built in to lose weight. That said, you should eat close to the calorie goal MFP gives you each day including eating back most of your exercise calories. Depending on how far under the daily calorie goal you are you are very likely to cause your body to hang onto to the fat it has slowing down or even stopping fat lose. It may not happen right away but eventually you will most likely plateau.

If you have a lot of weight to lose you can get away with it longer but as you have less to lose your body will plateau easier.

MrsCon40

I don't...Like I've said in prior posts, it defeats the purpose unless you are just trying to maintain...I've never eaten mine back and I'm losing just fine...Good luck on your journey... :flowerforyou:

yeah, i think we corrected you in a previous thread as well.

Yes, I do believe she was corrected.

ilookthetype

I like to check these threads and read what the 'oldies' say. Fantastic entertainment when I'm almost finished with work!

reese66

I don't...Like I've said in prior posts, it defeats the purpose unless you are just trying to maintain...I've never eaten mine back and I'm losing just fine...Good luck on your journey... :flowerforyou:

^^^

Wrong answer.

Eat them, they are added back to your calorie intake for a reason, your body needs them!!!

AlmostMrsP

Thanks to everyone who answered. Sorry for the topic being double posted, I just looked at the other thread and it looks like we posted them at almost the same time. I'll go check the answers there also!

TrishJimenez

there are two methods to weight loss to create a calorie deficit. You can either eat maintenance and exercise to create a deficit. Or you can eat a calorie deficit but if you do go to the gym then you eat your exercise calories back. You should not do both. You will shut down your metabolism over time. Though some people have enough fat reserves that they can do this for awhile.

taso42_DELETED

there are two methods to weight loss to create a calorie deficit. You can either eat maintenance and exercise to create a deficit. Or you can eat a calorie deficit but if you do go to the gym then you eat your exercise calories back. You should not do both. You will shut down your metabolism over time. Though some people have enough fat reserves that they can do this for awhile.

Every now and again someone comes along and sums it up so succinctly. :flowerforyou:

cdevine10

You should up your calories and definately eat your exercise calories. I was just like you a couple weeks ago. I did not loose anything for like 3 weeks and was eating 1200 calories without eating all of my exercise calories back. (not hungry either) Well 2 weeks ago I started eating 1300 calories and all of my exercise calories. Lost a pound that week. This week I can already see the difference and can not wait to get on the scale this week. Also I have noticed that I am more hungry and I think it is because my metabolism is going up.

You will get the hang of it, just play with your calories and see what pushes your body to start loosing those pounds

TK421NotAtPost

I haven't really been eating the exercise calories, I might eat some of them, but I've been trying to stay around 1200-1300 calories no matter how much I exercise. Part of this is that I plan out my meals before I know how much I am going to exercise. I may add in a cup of fro yo or something if I worked out a lot. I'm also generally pretty full around 1200 calories. Is it going to be a problem or slow down metabolism if I don't eat them?

Thanks!

An alternative method might be to set your daily deficit pretty low, like say....200 calories and aim for a weekly calorie deficit by filling in the remaining calories via exercise. Basically you'd be aiming for a weekly calorie deficit instead of a daily one. This way you'd have flexibility in your workout schedule and you can just eat at the same level every time regardless of whether or not you happen to workout that day or not.

Of course, this method would reduce MFP's utility.....

skaulakh

i am a medical student, and the following is what i hav learned. technically, can can eat only around 1200-1300 kcal and u will not harm ur body, even if you are working out. if you eat below 1200 kcal u will cause ur body to go into starvation mode, and thus ur metabolism will slow down. that being said, most people crave more calories when they are working out consistently. if you are still hungry after eating the 1200-1300 kcal on a day when u hav worked out, make sure u eat more food, especially protein. this will keep ur metabolism high and ensure weight loss success. keeping urself hungry will cause ur body to operate in starvation mode and actually slow ur weight loss efforts. hope that helps

mark03264

there are two methods to weight loss to create a calorie deficit. You can either eat maintenance and exercise to create a deficit. Or you can eat a calorie deficit but if you do go to the gym then you eat your exercise calories back. You should not do both. You will shut down your metabolism over time. Though some people have enough fat reserves that they can do this for awhile.

Well Said!

janet_pratt

I lost 100 pounds a few years ago and have been plateaued for 3 years. I gain if I eat my exercise calories, but I think it's because I've been dieting so long that my metabolism is kind of screwed up. I would say start out eating your exercise calories and if you are losing, great. But then later if you plateau, you have somewhere to go, you can start cutting them then.

proats

i am a medical student, and the following is what i hav learned. technically, can can eat only around 1200-1300 kcal and u will not harm ur body, even if you are working out. if you eat below 1200 kcal u will cause ur body to go into starvation mode, and thus ur metabolism will slow down. that being said, most people crave more calories when they are working out consistently. if you are still hungry after eating the 1200-1300 kcal on a day when u hav worked out, make sure u eat more food, especially protein. this will keep ur metabolism high and ensure weight loss success. keeping urself hungry will cause ur body to operate in starvation mode and actually slow ur weight loss efforts. hope that helps

"Starvation Mode" is a myth.

Also, there is no such thing as "keeping your metabolism high: by eating frequently. Both of those have been scientifically disproven. Here is some literature on the subject:


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17413096
This study compares 1 meal/d to 3 meal/d. In the experiment, subjects who only consumed 1 meal/d saw a decrease in fat mass, and the hormone cortisol.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8...ubmed_RVDocSum
This shows no difference on the effects of 2 meals/d compared to 5 meals/d on DIT (diet induced- thermogenesis), BMR, and Energy Expenditure. Meaning, the 5 meals/d did not increase the metabolic rate.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19943985
This study shows there was no difference in weight loss between subjects with high/low meal frequencies.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9155494
Evidence supports that meal frequency has nothing to do with energy in the subjects.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11319656
Yet again, no difference in energy in the subjects compared to 2 meals/d to 6 meals/d.


Basically, the only thing that matters in terms of fat loss is taking in less calories than you expand. Thats all there is to it. Meal frequency plays no part in it.

taso42_DELETED

i am a medical student, and the following is what i hav learned. technically, can can eat only around 1200-1300 kcal and u will not harm ur body, even if you are working out. if you eat below 1200 kcal u will cause ur body to go into starvation mode, and thus ur metabolism will slow down. that being said, most people crave more calories when they are working out consistently. if you are still hungry after eating the 1200-1300 kcal on a day when u hav worked out, make sure u eat more food, especially protein. this will keep ur metabolism high and ensure weight loss success. keeping urself hungry will cause ur body to operate in starvation mode and actually slow ur weight loss efforts. hope that helps

"Starvation Mode" is a myth.

Also, there is no such thing as "keeping your metabolism high: by eating frequently. Both of those have been scientifically disproven. Here is some literature on the subject:


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17413096
This study compares 1 meal/d to 3 meal/d. In the experiment, subjects who only consumed 1 meal/d saw a decrease in fat mass, and the hormone cortisol.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8...ubmed_RVDocSum
This shows no difference on the effects of 2 meals/d compared to 5 meals/d on DIT (diet induced- thermogenesis), BMR, and Energy Expenditure. Meaning, the 5 meals/d did not increase the metabolic rate.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19943985
This study shows there was no difference in weight loss between subjects with high/low meal frequencies.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9155494
Evidence supports that meal frequency has nothing to do with energy in the subjects.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11319656
Yet again, no difference in energy in the subjects compared to 2 meals/d to 6 meals/d.


Basically, the only thing that matters in terms of fat loss is taking in less calories than you expand. Thats all there is to it. Meal frequency plays no part in it.

These studies dispute meal timing, and I'm sold - meal timing is not too important..

How do you conclude "starvation mode is a myth" from that? Look into Adaptive Thermogenesis...

proats

These studies dispute meal timing, and I'm sold - meal timing is not too important..

How do you conclude "starvation mode is a myth" from that? Look into Adaptive Thermogenesis...

Those studies deal with meal timing.

What I was saying about Starvation Mode was in reference to the OP's worries about being in starvation mode. Honestly, the whole idea of a starvation mode is kinda contraversial. You metabolic rate will decrease more as you create a higher deficit due to an increase in exercise. Actually, women tend to see the biggest drop.

What I was saying is that I have never seen a study where the actual metabolic drop can't just be explained by the massive drop in caloric deficiency created. Bsically, that all metabolic "slowing" is explained by a caloric deficiency, not by some phantom force that only kicks in after a certain calorie number is reached. Hope I am explaining that right.