Do you eat your extra calories from working out?

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  • Focusonfifty
    Focusonfifty Posts: 105 Member
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    no I don't...and it works for me
  • Coco_Puff
    Coco_Puff Posts: 823 Member
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    bump
  • OtakuEngineer
    OtakuEngineer Posts: 31
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    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
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    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 :)

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