Exercising just to eat more

Is it bad that I force myself to work out just so I can eat more? I have a feeling that may be why i'm not loosing like I should be. For 2 weeks I was always under my daily calories, but now this week I am always hungry. I don't get it, it's so frustrating!

Replies

  • tequila09
    tequila09 Posts: 764 Member
    I do this!! I exercise sometimes just to be able to eat some ice cream with the bf! He is alwaysss eating at night so I like to have quite a few calories for dinner and after dinner snacks. I don't always eat all of them but I like to have them as a cushion just in case. You just have to experiment and find out what works for you!
  • StrawberrySt
    StrawberrySt Posts: 235
    I do it. I plan my day without exercise and if I want dessert (normally greek yoghurt and fruit) I have to do cardio. I make sure I have a small amount of calories left (100-200)

    I'm also not looking to lose weight quickly. I've set me goal at 1/2lbs per week and am eating at my BMR. Slow and steady wins the race!

    Do what you are comfortable with and what you feel is sustainable for you. This is not a diet for me but a lifestyle change so I have to be able to keep it up long term
  • OTchic
    OTchic Posts: 205 Member
    if you are being under your calories it makes sense that you are starving you really need to stick to what your calorie goal is. i was also eating under my calorie goal and found myself hungry so im back up to eating my calorie goal not starving and still losing. I do exercise to eat more like if ive met my calorie goal and still want to eat something i will and then ill work it out.
  • flechero
    flechero Posts: 260 Member
    Typically you exercise to be healthy and get in shape and to avoid loss of lean mass when losing weight... eating more is needed because of the extra calories you burn..... if you just work out so you can eat more, I would guess you aren't working out as hard as you would otherwise be so you may be overestimating the calories burned and that would be my guess as to why your loss is slowing down.

    Eating under your calorie goal isn't better... safe sustainable weight loss isn't quick, so base judgements on weeks not days. No one got fat overnight....

    Good luck!
  • JanSmelly
    JanSmelly Posts: 143 Member
    I workout so I can eat more. When I see the numbers on my HRM it forces me to work harder so I can get those calories.
  • amivox
    amivox Posts: 441 Member
    lol, guiltyyyyy, but even if I don't exercise, on rest days I calorie spike so I NET over my goal and eat as much as I do if I was working out that day (1900-2100 cals)

    I lose weight this way and I sometimes have to force myself to eat all of my exercise calories back, lol. :-P
  • o2bADyer
    o2bADyer Posts: 208
    I absolutely do this! I'll record what I'm having for the day and if there is something that is pushing me over my calories, I'll hit the gym longer to make up for it. I don't see a thing wrong with it.
  • aslaurais
    aslaurais Posts: 14 Member
    In fact I did that today! I had around 150 calories left and had a great amount of energy to have a good workout! I use all my calories. I think if I starved myself I would binge and end up not losing and maybe even gaining if I ate that whole pint of ice cream that I'd been craving. Like all the others have said; go with how you feel. It's different for all of us but the above works for me. : )