Do you eat your extra calories from working out?

13

Replies

  • Focusonfifty
    Focusonfifty Posts: 105 Member
    Check out the group "Eat More To Weigh Less". It's full of informative information regarding this topic. You're actually putting your body in starvation mode by not eating your exercise calories. Good Luck.
  • fittiephd
    fittiephd Posts: 608 Member
    I've read on here a lot that you SHOULD eat your workout cals back. I had been eating none or half of them back the past 2 months, but this week I've decided to start eating them back as full as possible without going over fat or carbs. It's healthier that way! I've been doing intense workouts and I really want to have the fuel I need :)
  • gobifree59
    gobifree59 Posts: 56 Member
    I try not to unless I'm really hungry. I don't like to eat anything past 8pm so I can usually tell by 7 if I'm really hungry. On days I eat a lot of fiber, I usually don't need my extra calories.
  • Focusonfifty
    Focusonfifty Posts: 105 Member
    I would eat them as long as you have an HRM to tell you accurately how many calories you are burning!! MFP over-estimates my actual calorie burn by about 50%!! Since getting my HRM, I have had to double up on my workouts. I was eating back calories before I hadn't even earned... I just thought I had because the MFP database told me so.
    So get an HRM & eat them back!! If not, I would only eat half back... just my personal opinion :)
    Good Advice
  • nickyfm
    nickyfm Posts: 1,214 Member
    Nope. Because 9 times out of 10 I'm not any hungrier, and I usually get weeks like this one where I only lose 0.2 pounds if I eat them back -.-. I am injured though, so outside of workouts I normally sit on my butt so that my hamstring can heal, so I can't afford to eat them back.

    But in saying that, if you're famished after a workout, eat!!
  • Barbwhitmore
    Barbwhitmore Posts: 15
    I haven't been eating the workout cals at 1400 cals but at 1200 cals I find that it is hard not to cut into the workout cals (not purposely). I guess I am consistently in the 1200-1400 cals a day range and that is fine for me. I used to eat almost double that so it works for me.
    exactly the same for me. But maybe once or twice a week I let myself have what ever I want :laugh: funny enough usually not to bad for me at this point.
  • tjakatjs
    tjakatjs Posts: 11
    If I ate all the "Earned" calories, I'd be stuffed! Like a pig! I added a sugar cookie from Subway today just because I love them so and was still significantly under my allowed calories for the day.
  • mustangmama3
    mustangmama3 Posts: 173 Member
    I eat them, did from the get go.

    It's the way this site is designed to work. You have a calorie deficit without exercising. Other calorie counting plans include the exercise you SAY you're going to do into your calorie goal. MFP doesn't include it unless and until you actually DO it.

    So another site might tell you to eat, for example 1800 calories, assuming you'll do a half hour of exercise daily and burn 300 calories. MPF will tell you to eat 1500 calories, then if you exercise and burn 300 calories, it adds that to your 1500 for the same total of 1800.
    Yes Ive just been told this!! And it makes complete sense!!
  • tjakatjs
    tjakatjs Posts: 11
    I would eat them as long as you have an HRM to tell you accurately how many calories you are burning!! MFP over-estimates my actual calorie burn by about 50%!! Since getting my HRM, I have had to double up on my workouts. I was eating back calories before I hadn't even earned... I just thought I had because the MFP database told me so.
    So get an HRM & eat them back!! If not, I would only eat half back... just my personal opinion :)
    Good Advice

    I don't find that MFP over estimates my calorie burn by that much, that is if the machines I am using are correct. Typically, MFP is a little lower than what the machines indicate.
  • Colbyandsage
    Colbyandsage Posts: 751 Member
    Yes! I have a HRM and measure food so I feel pretty accurate. If I don't I am tired the next day,
  • ngaireteece
    ngaireteece Posts: 8
    I use mine for a treat but I try not to use all of them. I dont use them all every day either. In saying that, I havent had to decrease my daily food intake very much as I was a pretty healthy eater pre 'my fitness pal'. If you have had to make huge changes in your diet, then I would most definitely eat them! Expecially if you are finding it hard to stay within the suggested amount of calories.
  • mom2five69
    mom2five69 Posts: 18 Member
    I had an excess of calories and ate some of them. I was starving even after dinner, so I took advantage of those extra calories. I'm also drinking water to make sure it's not false hunger. Seems real to me. LOL
  • chicklidell
    chicklidell Posts: 275
    no I don't...and it works for me
  • Coco_Puff
    Coco_Puff Posts: 823 Member
    I just started this week eating all of them. It is scary, but it makes sense, so I need to do it. Not eating them hasn't done the trick, hope this will be the answer!
  • kaykay2113
    kaykay2113 Posts: 6
    It depends for me. If im not hungry I don't eat them.. Today for some reason I am a lot hungrier thanI have been since I started this. ahh! Its so hard to just not go into a store and buy that candy that I want. So far so good. no fast food no pop and no chocolate. :) 30 pounds so farr.
  • kaykay2113
    kaykay2113 Posts: 6
    when you exercise you gain calories back for the day and they want to know if you should eat these calories you have gained back.
  • gordowens
    gordowens Posts: 55
    I have wondered that often myself. Personally, I have been running 2 full 1hour workouts per day which puts me in a deficit every day. I don't see how I could eat the extra 2000 earned plus the 1600 allotted for the 2lb week loss. To be honest I have not been on a scale in weeks to see if it's made a significant difference or not. Just wanted to throw out there that I have been curious on this same subject myself.

    Good evening folks!
  • yag1630
    yag1630 Posts: 92
    bump
  • OtakuEngineer
    OtakuEngineer Posts: 31
    I eat back SOME of them... exercising increases my deficit, but I do eat back a portion of the calories, usually depending on how much exercise I do. I usually try and take in 1700-1800 calories a day with 0 exercise... then when I add exercise I eat back a portion. Essentially what I'm doing is not eating back the calories, but instead giving myself extra fuel for the workouts I'm doing before I actually go and do the exercise.

    I do find though that if I do 1000 calories in exercise, and only eat 1700 for the day, doesn't work for me, I gotta have the extra fuel/eat back some of them.

    Even with a 2 pound a week deficit... if I did one of my 1000 calorie days, I think I'd get sick if I had to eat 2800+ calories.

    I'll throw in a full disclaimer though... I have almost 100 pounds to lose... I know my mom who only has 10 pounds to lose eats back her calories, and exercises mainly so she can have more food in a day... so it probably varies a bit based on how much you have to lose or how much exercise we're talking about.
  • lilmissaphrodite
    lilmissaphrodite Posts: 1
    I talked with a nutritionist last week about this. They said no you do not eat the earned calories. You can, without gain, however if you do not, its just that much more burned off every day. I like the latter option the best :)
  • swati37
    swati37 Posts: 145 Member
    thats a big question in everyone's mind who is set to loose weight..

    in the last 4 months i realized u should eat your earned calories it makes you loose easily and makes sure you dont hit a plateau..
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    I do - because MFP has already created a calorie deficit from my food, I don't need to make it larger by exercising.

    People will always disagree on this one - but I think the main thing is that you understand what happens when you don't eat those calories. In a nutshell - it means you are creating a larger calorie deficit every day.
    For some people that will mean that you lose weight faster, for others it means that your body doesn't get enough nutrition and your weight loss might slow down or stall.
    Or it might mean that your overall calories are very low and you can't stick with such a restricitve diet for long.

    It's your choice, just make sure you understand what you are doing and the possible consquences.
  • marie_2454
    marie_2454 Posts: 881 Member
    My goal on here is set to 1,480 calories (plus whatever I earn from working out) to lose 1 pound a week. I don't usually eat back my exercise calories unless I did a really long or tough workout or I'm hungry. I think it's pretty much just personal preference combined with listening to and knowing your body.
  • PhatAv8r
    PhatAv8r Posts: 150 Member
    Days where I pound out 900-1000 calories in exercise, I am finding it really hard to eat them all. But in reality, the week I lost 4 pounds, I did very well with coming close.

    I don't think you need to eat them everyday, but in reality, your exercise calories should be REPLACED in some respects.. There's someone on MFP here that has a couple sites where he posts and shows that by RELOADING after workouts, you help your body replace the glycogen quickly for your muscles, so it pulls from fat stores for the rest of your energy requirements... good reading..

    Also about fasting, which people say leads to starvation, but he also points out that the body has to go through nearly 84 hours without ANY food to begin acting like it's starving. And that by adding some limited fasting can help with plateaus if not completely prevent them.
  • trinitrate
    trinitrate Posts: 219 Member
    I'm sure everyone is different. In my case, MFP wants me on around 1800 cal and I normally stop around 1500 - 1600 and am very full and satisfied for the day. If I workout, I will eat back only about 20% of those. I do this not to starve, but to make sure I'm not over-estimating my portions. If I'm hungry, I eat something.

    A lot of people on here say that is bad. I really think your body can tell you these things if you pay attention. When I started this I saw that I was a lot weaker / more winded on cardio than I had previously been. Instead of simply bumping my calories by 500 a day, I adjusted when and what I ate.

    Before I workout cardio, I have a portion of carbs ~100 - 200 cal (a banana works great here). This helps boost my workout and keeps me from getting too tired. When I return, I try to eat -some- protein (shakes work great here since I'm not in the mood for a steak after a long bike ride!).

    This intake of calories right around my workout keeps me going well, and I still don't get hungry during the rest of the day. If you're results don't agree with this, do something different ;)
  • _Ben
    _Ben Posts: 1,608 Member
    Moved to food an nutrition
  • Matt_Wild
    Matt_Wild Posts: 2,673 Member
    I don't, ever. I'm on 3500 cals per day as I cut and its the same regardless of me training or not.
  • brendasnz1
    brendasnz1 Posts: 11 Member
    I do. It's my motivation to exercise!!!! ;)
  • killerkat89
    killerkat89 Posts: 22 Member
    Yes, you need to eat the extra caloires you burn from working out, or you will send your body in to starvation mode after a while. I have tried both ways. And in the begining not eatting them will dorp lbs, but after awhile your body starts storing extra "crap" from the food you do eat. So in the long run its better to eat the calories you earn form working out!
  • Kerchinga
    Kerchinga Posts: 25 Member
    I eat them if I'm hungry or to have a treat..otherwise no! :)

Categories