Do you eat your exercise calories or leave them alone?

124

Replies

  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    To those who eat them back... so at the end of the day you end up "in the green" with extra calories? I don't want to eat mine back but I just feel hungry and those little green numbers make it so tempting...

    I consider it a great day if I'm within 100 calories, under OR over, of my goal.
  • catwoman131
    catwoman131 Posts: 55
    To those who eat them back... so at the end of the day you end up "in the green" with extra calories? I don't want to eat mine back but I just feel hungry and those little green numbers make it so tempting...

    I try to end up pretty close to my goal. For some things, though, like Aikido, I think the calorie calculations are going flat-out for the full period of time, and our classes just don't do that. So I enter between 1/4 and 1/2 of the time I *actually* worked based on perceived intensity, and then eat THOSE. So for a 120 minute class I would enter 30-60 based on energy level of the class. It seems to be working well so far.

    Edited: This solves the 'but it's greeeeeeen' problem which I also have. It's a lot more work to enter 120 minutes and then figure out how many calories I really should eat.

    Really -- try it for a month (or two weeks if you start gaining rapidly, but I doubt you would) and see how much you lost. If it's right where MFP says you should have been, your calculations are good. If you're losing faster, you're likely underestimating exercise calories or overestimating food calories. If you're losing slower, the opposite is likely. Adjust and continue.

    Thanks, that helps a bunch!
  • vallemic
    vallemic Posts: 278 Member
    I eat them... unless I'm not hungry... and that's rare! HA!
  • TheyCallMeTaterSalad
    TheyCallMeTaterSalad Posts: 41
    I eat them if i'm hungry but if i'm not I don't. It's working for me so far. :)
  • virichi
    virichi Posts: 2
    What exactly ARE net calories? is the amount i need just to breath and for my organs and all that to work?
    and i hve a heart rate monitor but it never tells me how many calories I burn, is there a certain brand that i should buy?
  • lolly2721
    lolly2721 Posts: 56 Member
    For me it depends on the day. Some days I just need the calories. I eat my calories (1500) and sometimes will eat back about half of the exercise calories. Tonight will be one of those nights as Wednesdays I run 3.5 miles then do 2 hours of martial arts. I need the carbs :) I say that you need to just make sure that you stay healthy while you slowly lose weight. At the very least, eat your daily calories. If you go over a day or two then don't worry about it.
  • marieautumn
    marieautumn Posts: 928 Member
    i used to not eat mine back, but recently i bought a HRM which caused my work outs to become much more effective. Instead of burning 100-200 calories, now i'm burning 600-1000 calories at the gym and i go almost every day. So now i eat them back because if I don't I feel drained of energy and some times dizzy because my body doesnt have enough fuel. (MFP has me at 1200 net calories)
  • AllDIVA
    AllDIVA Posts: 45 Member
    Absolutely NOT. LOL My trainer would kill me. Calories in vs calories out. If you are not hungry then why eat them back? It will take longer to lose the weight. There are other calorie counters that don't add them. Try it will out eating them back and see how the weight loss works for you. If you insist on eating them back then do, but see how the weight loss works that way.
  • workkoutchick96
    workkoutchick96 Posts: 145
    LEAVE THEM ALONE! i think it kind of defeats the purpose of working out if your just going to eat back your burn.
  • Katie1951
    Katie1951 Posts: 312 Member
    If I'm hungry then I do, if not, why waste the calories?

    Calories in vs calories out. Pretty simple.
  • rhonniema
    rhonniema Posts: 522 Member
    Depends on if i'm hungry or not.
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
    I eat them. All of them.
  • BeckyLH
    BeckyLH Posts: 117 Member
    I leave them alone.
  • reedkaus
    reedkaus Posts: 250 Member
    no offense, but people need to start to learn how to use the "search" function on the message board page. this topic has literally been beat to death...
  • ktrn0312
    ktrn0312 Posts: 722 Member
    Bump.
  • RenovatingSuzanne
    RenovatingSuzanne Posts: 56
    Depends. Mostly I don't but if I've had an excessively hard or long workout then I'll eat some of them back. I don't go out of my way to do it though and I always eat them as healthy calories. It's not like I've got 900 extra calories so I'm having ice cream and chocolate, it's more protein or veggies for me.

    All that being said, it's your journey and have you to take it the way it works for you.
  • BeckyLH
    BeckyLH Posts: 117 Member
    no offense, but people need to start to learn how to use the "search" function on the message board page. this topic has literally been beat to death...

    You're right, I've just answered the same question in two separate threads in the space of a few minutes lol
  • 2fat4knees
    2fat4knees Posts: 25 Member
    Depends on the day...if I'm really hungry or ate high calorie foods ( likely if I go out to a restaurant) then I use all my calories, other wise I don't eat my exercise calories and generally don't eat all my calories anyway because I'm on a pretty high calorie limit because of my current weight so, if I eat healthy, I can usually easily stay below my limit and "save" those extras...that way, I don't feel I've blown the whole week if I do scarf pizza or burger and fries or whatever one day a week...
  • Stefanie99
    Stefanie99 Posts: 45
    No, I don't.

    I already have a hard time meeting my calorie goal, 1800. I usually come in under, between 1600-1700. I don't think I could eat back my exercise calories even if I wanted to.

    Which is why I don't log my exercise. I wish there was a way to log it without MFP automatically adding them to your food chart, but since there's not, I just don't log my exercise at all.
  • reedkaus
    reedkaus Posts: 250 Member
    no offense, but people need to start to learn how to use the "search" function on the message board page. this topic has literally been beat to death...

    You're right, I've just answered the same question in two separate threads in the space of a few minutes lol

    thank you. i swear this topic is posted multiple times every day. i'm not trying to hate on you, OP, just hoping to enlighten a few people that may not know that MFP was nice enough to install a search bar so you can look for answers without even posting
  • Mesi13
    Mesi13 Posts: 10
    The idea of eating your exercise calories is so that you eat less than you burn, but still get enough nutrition to be healthy. If you're eating 1200 and burning off 500, you aren't leaving a lot of fuel for your body.

    This.
  • BrunetteRunner87
    BrunetteRunner87 Posts: 591 Member
    I wouldn't bother to exercise if it didn't mean I could eat more.
  • marieautumn
    marieautumn Posts: 928 Member
    LEAVE THEM ALONE! i think it kind of defeats the purpose of working out if your just going to eat back your burn.
    MFP already builds in a deficit so even if you dont work out you are still going to be negative 500 calories a day in order to lose weight. so if you burn 800 calories working out, that means you're in the hole 1300 calories and have only netted 400 calories for the day which is not healthy.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    LEAVE THEM ALONE! i think it kind of defeats the purpose of working out if your just going to eat back your burn.

    Bad advice. Not eating them means you are taking away an already reduced calorie intake, that your body requires, and directing it to exercise, leaving even less for your body to live on.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    No, I don't.

    I already have a hard time meeting my calorie goal, 1800. I usually come in under, between 1600-1700. I don't think I could eat back my exercise calories even if I wanted to.

    Which is why I don't log my exercise. I wish there was a way to log it without MFP automatically adding them to your food chart, but since there's not, I just don't log my exercise at all.

    Not to be rude. But how did you put on weight in the first place if you can't even eat this lower intake???
  • marieautumn
    marieautumn Posts: 928 Member
    No, I don't.

    I already have a hard time meeting my calorie goal, 1800. I usually come in under, between 1600-1700. I don't think I could eat back my exercise calories even if I wanted to.

    Which is why I don't log my exercise. I wish there was a way to log it without MFP automatically adding them to your food chart, but since there's not, I just don't log my exercise at all.

    Not to be rude. But how did you put on weight in the first place if you can't even eat this lower intake???

    ^^this
  • dbarchus
    dbarchus Posts: 42
    I always eat them. :)
  • Stefanie99
    Stefanie99 Posts: 45
    No, I don't.

    I already have a hard time meeting my calorie goal, 1800. I usually come in under, between 1600-1700. I don't think I could eat back my exercise calories even if I wanted to.

    Which is why I don't log my exercise. I wish there was a way to log it without MFP automatically adding them to your food chart, but since there's not, I just don't log my exercise at all.

    Not to be rude. But how did you put on weight in the first place if you can't even eat this lower intake???

    Because the food I'm eating now is WAY healthier.

    Healthy food usually has lower calories than non-healthy food.

    Now I have a big sandwich for lunch with low-cal cheese and meat and lettuce and tomato, and usually a fruit, for around 500 calories. Before, I would've gone to McDonald's or Taco Bell, had a 32-ounce Pepsi or Coke, and an extra large meal, for probably well over 1,000 calories.

    Now I have a fish fillet, green beans, and a baked potato for dinner, for around 600 calories (with my drink). Before, I would have a huge plate of spaghetti with meat sauce, a baked potato (yes, you read that right), garlic bread, and a side salad, + probably another 32-ounce Pepsi, for probably around 1,500 calories.

    Also, one of the biggest differences is, before, I would drink absolutely no water. Now, I drink *at least* 64 ounces a day, which I believe helps to make me feel fuller.

    I actually just went in and lowered my calorie goal to 1,700 because there's no sense keeping it at 1,800 when I obviously don't need it that high and I don't want it tempting me. :smile:
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    No, I don't.

    I already have a hard time meeting my calorie goal, 1800. I usually come in under, between 1600-1700. I don't think I could eat back my exercise calories even if I wanted to.

    Which is why I don't log my exercise. I wish there was a way to log it without MFP automatically adding them to your food chart, but since there's not, I just don't log my exercise at all.

    Not to be rude. But how did you put on weight in the first place if you can't even eat this lower intake???

    Because the food I'm eating now is WAY healthier.

    Healthy food usually has lower calories than non-healthy food.

    Now I have a big sandwich for lunch with low-cal cheese and meat and lettuce and tomato, and usually a fruit, for around 500 calories. Before, I would've gone to McDonald's or Taco Bell, had a 32-ounce Pepsi or Coke, and an extra large meal, for probably well over 1,000 calories.

    Now I have a fish fillet, green beans, and a baked potato for dinner, for around 600 calories (with my drink). Before, I would have a huge plate of spaghetti with meat sauce, a baked potato (yes, you read that right), garlic bread, and a side salad, + probably another 32-ounce Pepsi, for probably around 1,500 calories.

    Also, one of the biggest differences is, before, I would drink absolutely no water. Now, I drink *at least* 64 ounces a day, which I believe helps to make me feel fuller.

    I actually just went in and lowered my calorie goal to 1,700 because there's no sense keeping it at 1,800 when I obviously don't need it that high and I don't want it tempting me. :smile:

    Okay fair enough. Why not add high calorie healthy food such as: olive oil, avocado, nut butters, nuts, seeds, fruit, and if all else fails, drink more calories, a lot less filling.
  • shanndigity
    shanndigity Posts: 34 Member
    I started to but I started this group lead by a contestant on the "biggest looser" he said that the FDA is mandated to say eat them back.

Categories