To Eat or Not to Eat?

heresmyinsidevoice

I apologize if this has ever been brought up previously.

After working out and burning off 420 calories this morning, making up that difference through food was a little tough, but I did it and ate healthy - no garbage for me. My calories are set at 1200. Because I burned 420 calories, I ate 1635 (as close to 420 as I could get) so my net calories is 1215. If I eat back these calories, does that maintain the weight I am at already, or does eating the calories back prevent my body from going into "starvation mode"? All these numbers bamboozle me sometimes!

HonkyTonks

Are you hungry? If yes, eat. If no, don't eat. 1215 net is fine.

Dexy_

As long as you are netting at least 1200 you're fine

melaniecheeks

If you were eating at a maintenance level - say 2000 cals as an average for a female - then if you burned 400 cals and ate them back you'd still be at the maintenance level.

But you're not eating at a maintenance level, your 1200 already has a deficit built in to enable your weightloss. So burning 400 cals, then eating them back keeps you at that same deficit level.

Thats the maths, anyway!

therighttrack

I am wondering the same question...because I did the same thing this week. I did good and burned alot of calories working out, but by the end of the day I ended up eating almost all of them back. To me, that feels like it will just keep my weight where it is already...but I do know about the starvation mode you are talking about. If you get an answer on this, let me know.

inge88

The goal MFP sets for you already has a deficit! So by eating 1200 calories, you already eat at a deficit. When you burn 420 calories and don't eat them back, you would increase your deficit by 420. There are endless discussions about whether or not to eat them back (search for: eating back exercise calories). I would advise you to try and eat at least half of them, your body needs energy after a workout.

Fatbuster205

As long as you are netting at least 1200 you're fine

I agree! I think the important thing is working out what is right for you! :happy: Some people eat all the exercise calories back and lose weight. I eat back roughly half and that seems to work for me! I think you need to do trial and error to find what level is right for your body!

nathan72

our bodies are remarkebly efficient...sometimes it might not be 420 calories burned. just listen to your body. eat if you need to, or take some protein after your workout. maybe eat half those calories back. i never trust the "calories burned" numbers. i underestimate them and overestimate calories consumed.

christinacherrelle

I think you should listen to your body, it knows what it wants! Often times we deprive it so much that it stops doing what we want it to do. If you're hungry, eat. If you're hungry for something bad, reconsider or perhaps earn it. In general, I just analyze why I'm hungry and then go from there. Sometimes it's just boredom, depends. And depending on how clean your diet is, a few hundred calories of fruits and vegetables will process much different than a few hundred calories of junk. Anyway I'm rambling. If you're hungry and seeking a healthy snack, EAT!