Exercise-->Earn Xtra Cal-->Eat Some More-->NOOO!!!

hungrybear

Hi, I started to head to the gym more because I feel guilty of eating unhealthy things (but still within calories limit) and feel guilty whenever I eat close to my calories limit. I usually earn some extra calories after I gym, and then the trouble begins...I have the urge to eat as a reward of workout and think it is okay as long as I break even or stay close but within the calories limit. I mean it is okay because I'm still within the limit, but I would have gotten more uneaten calories...thus, lose some more weight. Do you guys do this too? Gym and then eat and then feel guilty again? =(

Tamishumate

I dont DO IT, but I want to.. often.
Changing your lifestyle , changing your eating habits, for me at least, is something I have to be aware of at every meal. At every time I am around temptation, every time I am alone( that is the big one) I have to remember that I am changing my life, and choose to be healthy at every turn. Not to say that I dont have a cookie every now and then, or something that isnt good for me, I have it, and log it, and 95% of the time, I have the calories for it, But its stopping at just one that is the hard part. I have lost ALOT of weight , and this is still something I have to think about on a daily basis.
Its not an easy journey we are on, but every night when I go to bed I know it was another day of moving in the right direction ( if you dont count the 4th of July at least, lol) Its knowing when to stop, Have you tried the three bite thing? Someone said somewhere that if you just have three bites, you have satisfied your craving. Give that a try. Maybe move on to something low in calorie that will fill you up instead, so you are full and cant give in to the crap...
Good luck, I feel your pain:frown:

SHBoss1673

I would tend to agree with Tami, it's not that we have a treat here and there, it's how much of a treat we have when we have it.

Also, I think a lot of people out there (and on MFP as well) have no idea what a good, healthy diet consists of, or how important eating healthy is to losing weight.

Especially in the united states, the carbohydrate addiction is immense and overwhelming, everything we look at in the restaurant and fast food industry is loaded with processed carbs, and if you haven't just completed a mammoth 2 hour high intensity cardio session, a 20 mile plus bike ride, or a 10 mile run, your body doesn't need and mostly won't use those and lots of them are just stored as fat. People need to recognize the importance of good food as the primary motivator of weight loss. Exercise is great, but you're hampering your efforts if you eat processed carbs (yes, even those "reduced calorie" meals that have pasta in them are not very good on that front!). All things considered, diet is FAR more important to weight loss than exercise, you can exercise all day, but if you eat mostly crappy food, it's not going to matter, even if you stay under your calorie limit (and in some cases ESPECIALLY if you stay under!)

High fiber, high in whole grains, high in omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, and high in protein is the way to go; stay away from the sauces, white breads, and processed flours and you are doing your body a big favor!

As you may have noticed, processed carbs is one of my pet peeves!

hungrybear

Thank you! I think I just need a reminder about me changing life style. Tami--I would definitely try that 3 bites thing if I cannot control it at the moment. SHBoss--I love whole grains! I don't really like rice, but I started on it again and would only eat brown rice. I love wheat products! A little too much at least, I use to not like bread, but omg, whole wheat/grain bread and tortilla taste so good! I don't over do it though.
Thanks again you guys! I'm going to try real hard to fight it!

MaryinBflo

Hi, I started to head to the gym more because I feel guilty of eating unhealthy things (but still within calories limit) and feel guilty whenever I eat close to my calories limit. I usually earn some extra calories after I gym, and then the trouble begins...I have the urge to eat as a reward of workout and think it is okay as long as I break even or stay close but within the calories limit. I mean it is okay because I'm still within the limit, but I would have gotten more uneaten calories...thus, lose some more weight. Do you guys do this too? Gym and then eat and then feel guilty again? =(

Just because you have uneaten calories does not mean you would lose more weight! There is a reason you are supposed to eat all your calories and your exercise calories. Of course you should for the most part eat the healthy foods to fill up those calories as much as you can stand to anyways!