Eat more after you exercise ?

kraymond927

Hi I'm fairly new to this site. I'm kind on confused , after I add my cardio for the day it says I need to eat more. . . Should I ? Wouldn't that slow down my weight loss ?

Jesster2777

Your goal is to lose Xlbs. Per week. If you stay under your calorie limit you will lose that much. If you eat less or burn more calories you will lose faster. Simple math.

kraymond927

Okay so my body isn't going to go in "starvation" mode or anything right ?

newcraft

There are two schools of thought on this - it's not always as simple as calories-in/calories-out math. You have to do what you're comfortable with and find what works best with your body.

If you exercise intensely and are consistently under your calorie goal each day, and you have no issues with the weekly scale, keep doing what you're doing.

Some people do find that their body wants to replenish the glucose that's lost quickly when you exercise intensely - and it can panic if it's not sure it's going to be replaced right away. That's why keeping on an eating schedule is important. If you're doing the big workouts and the scale isn't budging, it's something to look at. A simple, low-fat protein or healthy carb after the workout can re-assure the body that it's going to get what it wants, so it won't hang onto the calories. But that doesn't always mean you have to eat back the calories you just burned - just a small snack should be enough. I've had periods of time when I was really working myself hard, only to have my weekly weigh-in show no result. If I made sure I was eating my quota, the scale would budge.

Unless you're having an issue with it at the scale, don't give it too much thought.

Pandorian

IF you're following MFP as designed and not doing another "program" using MFP as your tracking base, if you set in your profile to "lose weight" at 0.5, 1, 1.5 or 2 lbs per week your daily calorie goal already contains the deficit you need to lose that weight per week.
Exercising widens that so you get to eat exercise calories back in order to keep your deficit at the "Desired" level.

Other sites do it differently, math wise, but it works out the same. They often give a higher calorie goal initially and expect you to BUILD your deficit via exercise.

IE 1900 calories on MFP plus 500 calories from exercise I can eat 2400 and still lose 2lbs per week
other site 2400 calories and workout 500 calories .... winds up at 1900.... same place..mathed differently

heybales

IF you're following MFP as designed and not doing another "program" using MFP as your tracking base, if you set in your profile to "lose weight" at 0.5, 1, 1.5 or 2 lbs per week your daily calorie goal already contains the deficit you need to lose that weight per week.
Exercising widens that so you get to eat exercise calories back in order to keep your deficit at the "Desired" level.

Other sites do it differently, math wise, but it works out the same. They often give a higher calorie goal initially and expect you to BUILD your deficit via exercise.

IE 1900 calories on MFP plus 500 calories from exercise I can eat 2400 and still lose 2lbs per week
other site 2400 calories and workout 500 calories .... winds up at 1900.... same place..mathed differently

Why can't MFP use your great description in the setup process to explain what is going to happen.

I'm beginning to think they are counting on people not entering food accurately, on the low side, and therefore the forgotten exercise calories really just balances that forgotten food.

rdsxgrl28

I never eat back my calories, not because of any resistance. I just find I simply can't unless I want to have a hot fudge sundae.


I did ask my PT, what he suggested was consuming 20-25gm of protein following a workout. You replenish the body & keep the metabolism racing for a few hours. I do this and I am not hungry again til normal time frame.

kraymond927

Thanks everyone !