Eating back exercise calories; what if I'm not hungry ?

I love burning 1000 cals a day but I'm usually not hungry after my workout...

Replies

  • arcticmonkeygirl
    arcticmonkeygirl Posts: 13 Member
    How do you manage to burn 1000 calories?!??! You are superwoman! please tell me how you do that!
  • MaryBowen27
    MaryBowen27 Posts: 132
    It's really important to eat promptly after a work out (within an hour) for proper muscle recovery. Recovered muscles build muscle mass. The more muscle mass you have, the easier it is to burn fat.

    I generally don't feel particularly hungry after work out either, but I always grab a high protein snack. Hardboiled egg whites, protein shake, greek yogurt and cliff bars to name a few. I will say after doing it for a few weeks, it is easier to eat afterwards. Previously I wasn't eating until 3-4 hours after my mega morning workout (often around 800 cals) and it was showing in my progress, but not in a good way.

    You don't need to eat a ton, but you should eat something!
  • Magoo89
    Magoo89 Posts: 1
    I have the same problem. I am having trouble eating my total calories when I dont work out...when I do, it's nearly impossible to eat that much!
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
    I don't when I'm genuinely not hungry, but by genuinely not hungry I mean 'meh I don't even feel hungry for steak'.
  • DesignGuy
    DesignGuy Posts: 457 Member
    I find eating after a workout to be pretty easy since I go hard when I exercise. But trying to eat back all those cals is tough. Think I will have to look into drinking 2-3 protein shakes on my big workout days (1700 cals via working out) and maybe 1 on regular days.
  • katgirl985
    katgirl985 Posts: 212 Member
    I try to eat something, even if only a few hundred calories after my workouts, but I have the same problem. If you have trouble with "solid" food, try a post-workout smoothie or a protein drink -- I am especially fond of GNC Lean Shakes.
  • engineman312
    engineman312 Posts: 3,450 Member
    try drinking them!! protein shakes are great post work out. two scoops of powder, mixed with 8-10 ounces of fruit juice (i use orange) some frozen berries, and some plain fat free yogurt, and you have a great recover drink.

    2012-02-10_10-54-46_470.jpg
  • PunkyRachel
    PunkyRachel Posts: 1,959 Member
    I eat when I'm hungry, I usually eat back my exercise calories. I don't sweat it if I don't. No biggie in my opinion. If I'm not hungry then I'm not going to force myself to eat simple as that
  • CADF
    CADF Posts: 3 Member
    I have the same problem! Its so hard to eat that much but it is very important to get some protein in after your workout.
  • HonkyTonks
    HonkyTonks Posts: 1,193 Member
    1000 calories is a lot - are you sure you're burning this many?

    Not sure what your calorie goal is, but you should be wary of large deficits - might seem okay now, but can hurt your weight loss efforts in the long run.
  • Michellerawrrr
    Michellerawrrr Posts: 310 Member
    try drinking them!! protein shakes are great post work out. two scoops of powder, mixed with 8-10 ounces of fruit juice (i use orange) some frozen berries, and some plain fat free yogurt, and you have a great recover drink.

    2012-02-10_10-54-46_470.jpg

    This...lol...brilliant :drinker:
  • Becky_Boodle
    Becky_Boodle Posts: 253 Member
    try drinking them!! protein shakes are great post work out. two scoops of powder, mixed with 8-10 ounces of fruit juice (i use orange) some frozen berries, and some plain fat free yogurt, and you have a great recover drink.
    YEP!!!!
    my post workout protein smoothie consists of:
    2 cups frozen berries
    2 scoops protein powder
    2 cups spinach
    1 frozen banana
    1/6 cup sunflower seeds
    2 cups water
    Blend :)
    easy way to add 800 yummy calories back after an 8km run :)
  • I personally don't eat back my calories burned from exercise. I do try to eat smart and healthy. but don't want that much food in me any more. I stick to my 1300-1500 caloreis of food, period. The trick is to spread the calories out throughout the day to avoid hunger later.....
  • jayeve1
    jayeve1 Posts: 2
    I'm new to the site, I'm confused what is eating back your workout calories? I all was thought you wanted the calorie defecit?
  • CalJur
    CalJur Posts: 627 Member
    Search the topics on this subject. There is a wealth of information! In short (my view), if you are not hungry don't eat. I burn a lot as well and sometimes I eat them back and more often I do not. I listen to my body.
  • holy moly! 1k calories O_O
    but anyways, i wish i had that problem lol i usually look forward to burning those calories to eat more haha
  • kazzari
    kazzari Posts: 473 Member
    You guys are depressing me. I'm pretty sure I've never burned more than 300 or 400 calories doing any activity. Maybe 600 doing a sprint triathlon, if I figure 200 for each leg. I guess this is why I never have trouble making up the calories.
  • peanut butter!!!!! :)
  • im confused......am I supposed to be eating back all the calories I burn off when I work out? I thought that to loose weight you had to burn more than you eat. I'm eating the 1200 that Im suposed to get but I dont' worry as much about trying to eat what i burn off. I don't stop at 1200 everyday that i work out though.
    As for not being able to eat after work out. No problem here. I jsut make sure I at least eat something small. Usually it's a hard boiled egg or my favorite....a clif bars.
  • Hi I'm new too but what it means is that you get extra calories when you exercise to add to your total of calories to eat during the day and you have the option to eat the extra calories from the workout or not. The problem sometimes is that the more you workout the more calories you get extra and sometimes it's a lot to eat those extras if you're not hungry I never have that problem because I'm always hungry LOL but I can see how some people have that issue but that's what all that means. I hope I helped! Good luck!
  • I'm new to the site, I'm confused what is eating back your workout calories? I all was thought you wanted the calorie defecit?

    Hi I'm new too but what it means is that you get extra calories when you exercise to add to your total of calories to eat during the day and you have the option to eat the extra calories from the workout or not. The problem sometimes is that the more you workout the more calories you get extra and sometimes it's a lot to eat those extras if you're not hungry I never have that problem because I'm always hungry LOL but I can see how some people have that issue but that's what all that means. I hope I helped! Good luck!
  • LFiestan
    LFiestan Posts: 175 Member
    im confused......am I supposed to be eating back all the calories I burn off when I work out? I thought that to loose weight you had to burn more than you eat. I'm eating the 1200 that Im suposed to get but I dont' worry as much about trying to eat what i burn off. I don't stop at 1200 everyday that i work out though.
    As for not being able to eat after work out. No problem here. I jsut make sure I at least eat something small. Usually it's a hard boiled egg or my favorite....a clif bars.

    I though i was the only one confused. coz thats what i thought too. We dont have to eat all the calories we burned off, we have to have a calorie deficit if we want to lose weight, thats what i know. Anyway, if im hungry after a workout (which i usually am not) either i drink water or spoonful of peanut butter/yogurt or apple or almond...but really, drink loads of water.
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
    im confused......am I supposed to be eating back all the calories I burn off when I work out? I thought that to loose weight you had to burn more than you eat. I'm eating the 1200 that Im suposed to get but I dont' worry as much about trying to eat what i burn off. I don't stop at 1200 everyday that i work out though.
    As for not being able to eat after work out. No problem here. I jsut make sure I at least eat something small. Usually it's a hard boiled egg or my favorite....a clif bars.

    I though i was the only one confused. coz thats what i thought too. We dont have to eat all the calories we burned off, we have to have a calorie deficit if we want to lose weight, thats what i know. Anyway, if im hungry after a workout (which i usually am not) either i drink water or spoonful of peanut butter/yogurt or apple or almond...but really, drink loads of water.

    MFP has already assigned you a calorie deficit based on the weight you said you wanted to lose. So IF your calculation of exercise calories is correct (a large assumption) you could eat them all and still lose. Many people eat only part of them because calculations are quite often high.
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,605 Member
    How are you measuring your burn? If you're using a HRM, rely on those cals. If you're using the mfp calculator, be a bit wary (lop about 100 off that figure).

    I don't burn 1000 + quite so regularly as I used to, but I do still do it several times a week. If you've got a fair bit to lose, and you're working out more than an hour in a day, you'll burn that much easily.

    In terms of eating - engineman's suggestion is a good one. Post workout, the protein thing is important. If you can't fancy a shake, have a handful of nuts or some yoghurt or a milky drink.

    Another tip is to perhaps view your calories in and out in a week long pattern, rather than day by day. If you have heavy workout days, and quieter days, you may find it's the quieter days when you actually feel the hunger.
  • nas30
    nas30 Posts: 9 Member
    Thank you. Really useful. :smile:
  • ffddff
    ffddff Posts: 4 Member
    If you don't feel hungry sometime after an exercise it means you kinda stressed yourself out too much.
    If you do way too much you even will feel nausea.
    Normally if you do exercises regularly your body should adjust itself and you will feel hunger back.
    That was I hear from my instructor when I did mounting hiking.
    According to MFP I burn about 800 doing almost 2 hours of high impact aerobics.
    And I definitely can't repeat such an exercise every day...
  • im confused......am I supposed to be eating back all the calories I burn off when I work out? I thought that to loose weight you had to burn more than you eat. I'm eating the 1200 that Im suposed to get but I dont' worry as much about trying to eat what i burn off. I don't stop at 1200 everyday that i work out though.
    As for not being able to eat after work out. No problem here. I jsut make sure I at least eat something small. Usually it's a hard boiled egg or my favorite....a clif bars.

    I though i was the only one confused. coz thats what i thought too. We dont have to eat all the calories we burned off, we have to have a calorie deficit if we want to lose weight, thats what i know. Anyway, if im hungry after a workout (which i usually am not) either i drink water or spoonful of peanut butter/yogurt or apple or almond...but really, drink loads of water.

    I think we're doing it a good way. I love working out and having those extra calories just in case but I don't feel like I have to eat them all to keep my body out of starvation mode. That why I at least stick to my 1200 that I'm supposed to get. Also, I know it's good to eat after a workout so you're body/muscles have "fuel" to recover so thats why I have a snack and some water right after.
  • HonkyTonks
    HonkyTonks Posts: 1,193 Member
    im confused......am I supposed to be eating back all the calories I burn off when I work out? I thought that to loose weight you had to burn more than you eat. I'm eating the 1200 that Im suposed to get but I dont' worry as much about trying to eat what i burn off. I don't stop at 1200 everyday that i work out though.
    As for not being able to eat after work out. No problem here. I jsut make sure I at least eat something small. Usually it's a hard boiled egg or my favorite....a clif bars.

    I though i was the only one confused. coz thats what i thought too. We dont have to eat all the calories we burned off, we have to have a calorie deficit if we want to lose weight, thats what i know. Anyway, if im hungry after a workout (which i usually am not) either i drink water or spoonful of peanut butter/yogurt or apple or almond...but really, drink loads of water.

    I think we're doing it a good way. I love working out and having those extra calories just in case but I don't feel like I have to eat them all to keep my body out of starvation mode. That why I at least stick to my 1200 that I'm supposed to get. Also, I know it's good to eat after a workout so you're body/muscles have "fuel" to recover so thats why I have a snack and some water right after.

    Unless you have set up an activity level beyond sedentary, MFP is designed to calculate a deficit for you WITHOUT exercise. The exercise you do is added to your calorie goal, so if you don't eat them back, you create a larger deficit than the one you setup initially with MFP.
  • HappilyLifts
    HappilyLifts Posts: 429 Member
    try drinking them!! protein shakes are great post work out. two scoops of powder, mixed with 8-10 ounces of fruit juice (i use orange) some frozen berries, and some plain fat free yogurt, and you have a great recover drink.

    2012-02-10_10-54-46_470.jpg
    LOL! I like your style...less washing up :drinker: