Can I eat my exercise calories tomorrow?

RM291
RM291 Posts: 3 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi,

I exercise 4 times a week and often find I am struggling to eat my extra calories the same day, but I'm usually starving all day the next day. Is there an reason I shouldn't "carry over" my calories to the following day?

Thanks for your help.

Replies

  • skinnylion
    skinnylion Posts: 213
    Sure. If that works better for you, as long as you are eating the right amount each WEEK then there's not really a reason why you couldn't carry over calories to a following day.
  • callmecaptain
    callmecaptain Posts: 61
    Then if you carry over the extra from that day then the following day, sounds like you are eating all your calories in that day! :wink:

    Maybe just the first day was short calories.
  • ishallnotwant
    ishallnotwant Posts: 1,210 Member
    I do this sometimes. On my heavy workout days I sometimes don't have much of an appetite, so I go over the next day.
  • RM291
    RM291 Posts: 3 Member
    Thanks Skinnylion.
    On a weekly basis I'm normally over my target by a little, but I think that's because I'm eating my exercise calories even when I don't want them and then eating loads the next day because I'm hungry. I guess it's worth carrying them over for a week or two and seeing if that brings me back down to target. I'm losing weight slightly faster than MFP predicted, though, so eating above my weekly target is giving good results.
  • EnchantedEvening
    EnchantedEvening Posts: 671 Member
    Definitely! I vary my calories every day so my system doesn't get used to the same thing (this can also help prevent plateaus). As long as I hit my calorie goal every week, I know I'm doing okay.

    This is also good if you know you're going to a party or something. I call them cheat days and recovery days. I might allow myself 2000 on Saturday and then make up for it by eating 1500 on Sunday (for example).
  • lornaheron
    lornaheron Posts: 72
    Are you supposed to eat your exercise calories. Iv'e been leaving mine, not sure if i'm doing it right.
  • RM291
    RM291 Posts: 3 Member
    Thanks everyone. I'll try it and see how it goes.

    Never thought I'd be full on a diet!
  • CountDown321
    CountDown321 Posts: 117 Member
    Yes, the idea of the week total being the best measurement is a good way to do it.

    And you should eat some / most. I try not to eat them all really, because its hard to know exactly what we burned. MFP gives a good estimate but everyone is different.
  • radial
    radial Posts: 11 Member
    Are you supposed to eat your exercise calories. Iv'e been leaving mine, not sure if i'm doing it right.
    It looks like you're doing it right :bigsmile:
  • skinnylion
    skinnylion Posts: 213
    Are you supposed to eat your exercise calories. Iv'e been leaving mine, not sure if i'm doing it right.

    Yes, eat them.
  • nickyrobinson
    nickyrobinson Posts: 161 Member
    It's not that the exercise calorie math is hard or anything, but you might as well let MFP do the work for you.

    1) If you don't use an HRM to determine exercise calories, then only log some fraction of your actual exercise time (I use 2/3). This protects you both from over-estimation of calories burned. Then eat all of those extra calories, which protects you from under-eating.

    2) If you want to eat your exercise calories the next day, then log the exercise on the next day.
  • CountDown321
    CountDown321 Posts: 117 Member
    2) If you want to eat your exercise calories the next day, then log the exercise on the next day.

    This is silly. You have to be accountable to yourself if you do it on different days but you wont hurt anything.
  • darrcn5
    darrcn5 Posts: 495 Member
    Yup! I do this a lot. A heavy workout tends to put a damper on my appetite, but I am normally very hungry the next day.

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