Do you eat your exercise calories or leave them alone?

rhonniema

Depends on if i'm hungry or not.

NoAdditives

I eat them. All of them.

BeckyLH

I leave them alone.

reedkaus

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

Bump.

RenovatingSuzanne

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

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

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

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

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

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

I wouldn't bother to exercise if it didn't mean I could eat more.

marieautumn

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

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

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

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

I always eat them.

Stefanie99

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.

erickirb

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.

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

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.