Ate exercise cal's back....and gained....am NOT sold!

newmooon56

This is something I will never understand. People stress so much about calories but dont really eat the right things anyway. Eat when you are hungry and not just to eat your calories. Eat healthy foods like fruits and veggies and lean meats and you wont have to worry about gaining weight. Dont snack on sugars and carbs and only eat what your body truly NEEDS, not what you WANT. At that point, you wont have to worry about what your caloric intake is... sound about right????

No. You can get fat if you eat too much fruit, vegetables, and lean meats. You can also not get enough nutrients if you under eat your calories even if you are eating those foods. Plus, sugar and carbs are not the devil.

Shes got a lot right- and def. on the right track. Sugar is close to the devil if its added and/or white. NOT needed for health- that would be a want. Allowed? Up to you - log it - enjoy it - but lets not kid ourselves there is nothing healthy about cake or white bread for that matter.

A varied diet of nutrient rich foods is ideal. A diet with some REAL LIFE sprinkled in (burgers on the grill, ice cream and an occasional fatty steak) wont screw you up if you keep portions REAL for these foods. Yes, you can eat whatever you want- any time you want. What are your goals and will that way help you or hinder you?

2 big problems in america today- no one has a clue what a portion is- on any food- nutrient rich or nutrient void. And there are too many garbage choices on the market. If your meal starts by ripping open a box with a smiling character on the front- you are not making the best choice. If you open a lot of cans to get your veggies and fruits you are doing yourself a huge dis service. Fresh foods as close to nature's way is best. Processed food- white foods- sugar filled or fat filled foods that have ingredients made in a lab- worst choices.

Some ppl end the posts with "Simple, right?" Actually for some its not- theyve never eaten healthy, they grew up allowed to be picky and now they need to learn to eat right and enjoy it- NOT SIMPLE for these types Im sure.

wild_wild_life

To those who say they do not "believe in" eating exercise calories -- do you know what your deficit is? Do you understand how MFP came up with your calorie goal? MFP comes up with your calorie goal based on a certain deficit BEFORE EXERCISE. In other words, if you dont exercise, you should lose X amt per week (whatever you set it to). This defcicit is safe and healthy. If you then burn more calories and don't eat more, your deficit is larger. This may be fine, or it may make your deficit too large. Eat them or don't eat them, but a deficit of over 1000 per day is considered too aggressive for sustainable, healthy weight loss. Just be smart about it.

Yes, one reason I am flexible with it is because MFP estimates my deficit to only be about 200 calories on 1200 calories.

FWIW, MFP estimated my maintenance to be 1540 before exercise and that seems to be a couple hundred calories too low. I think it may not be as accurate on the low end of the spectrum.

zombilishious

MFP database is NOT accurate - not in the food database user foods or the exercise calories burned. I found it was easier to set custom goals with my total daily calorie intake of about 1500, and either logging my exercise at the very end of the day or, like I've seen others do, log it as burning 1 calorie.

kittuk86

When I joined MFP last year, I was scared to eat back my exercise cals! As time passed, I began eating back my exercise cals! Now a days, I almost eat all my exercise cals back, my weight keeps doing +1 or -1 but I can see inch loss!!! N thats what matters!

Capt_Apollo

don't eat them back!!! Drink them!!!!!




seriously, try 1-2 scoops of vanilla protein powder, 6-8 ounces of OJ, and a handful or two of frozen berries and make a post work out smoothie. refreshing and replenishing. and helps prevent the EAT ALL THE THINGS mood you get an hour or two after a hard work out.

emnk5308

I had no loss when I ate all my calories back. I do sometimes just because I have a bad day and need to eat them back.. but I try not too. SO far it is working out for me. I'm not sickly or tired or hungry and I'm losing.

apriltrainer

Most people overestimate their exercise burn, that's why. When I used to do cardio-I would wear a polar ft 60 and if I told mFP how much I ran it would give me 100 cals I earned! But my polar heart rate monitor specifically set to me???

40.

I rarely use machines in the gym but those ARE VERY wrong as well. On the bike? It told me I burned 300 cals in the hour! My hrm??

120.

Think about that.

apriltrainer

Most people overestimate their exercise burn, that's why. When I used to do cardio-I would wear a polar ft 60 and if I told mFP how much I ran it would give me 100 cals I earned! But my polar heart rate monitor specifically set to me???

40.

I rarely use machines in the gym but those ARE VERY wrong as well. On the bike? It told me I burned 300 cals in the hour! My hrm??

120.

Think about that.

queenhiphop

I think people who eat exercise calories back just want an excuse to eat more and more ****. If you're going to diet, diet. Don't sit there making up excuses to eat all the crap that made you overweight to start with.

MaraDiaz

Someone recently posted a study that shows heart rate monitors can be off quite a bit, especially for females, even good HRMs. So given that, unless my body tells me to by making me weak, dizzy, or genuinely hungry, no way will I eat all my exercise calories back anymore.

You just have to figure out that zone area where you feel good and are still losing. It has to vary individual to indivdual anyway. That said, anyone taking prescription diet drugs should really be more careful, as your body will not always be able to tell you that you really do need to eat more. I'm not a doctor, that wasn't medical advice, blah blah, just a tip from someone who has taken diet pills before, be careful about listening to your body on those!

mirandamayhem

"I think people who eat exercise calories back just want an excuse to eat more and more ****. If you're going to diet, diet. Don't sit there making up excuses to eat all the crap that made you overweight to start with."

I'm sorry but that's a really ignorant statement. Everyone here has to learn what works for them. And everyone here wants to lose weight, otherwise they wouldn't be here. For some though, they'll be working the body harder, and maybe they will need to eat back some of their calories. Others will be grossly overestimating how hard they do work, not intentionally, but because it's not something they've thought about. And personally I don't want to DIET, I want to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight through life style changes that are achievable and possible over my life time. Not continue a yo yo effect of dieting then gaining. But you go ahead and diet if that suits you

vikkijaye

I don't eat my exercise calories back usually, but if i do i usually make sure i still have some left over. It seems counter productive to eat back what you have burnt off? obviously unless you are well under your calories.

mirandamayhem

This is something I will never understand. People stress so much about calories but dont really eat the right things anyway. Eat when you are hungry and not just to eat your calories. Eat healthy foods like fruits and veggies and lean meats and you wont have to worry about gaining weight. Dont snack on sugars and carbs and only eat what your body truly NEEDS, not what you WANT. At that point, you wont have to worry about what your caloric intake is... sound about right????

Pure logic and sense!

apriltrainer

OVEREXERCISING can be just as bad as "dieting.:

I really hate that word. DIet.

Eating back exercise cals is not sustainable over the long run either. God forbid there should be an accident or injury.

Get the DIET (or let's just say a "healthy way of eating " ) under control.

So if a worse case scenario happens...you WONT have to count on exercising to lose or maintain that weight. On a busy day you might be able to control what you put in your mouth alot better than trying to get to the gym or even just workout at home with children, etc.

I have friend who ran like crazy last year. Lost a lot of weight. Ate well...

And then she injured herself.

Gained 40 lbs because she counted on exercise.

joeamendiola

I never heard of eating back your exercise calories. It doesn't sound right to me. I figure more calories I burn is a plus.

apriltrainer

There's all this BROscience on not being in a catabolic state. I hate to say it but alot of women have fallen for it. Women who shouldn't be following what 20 something bodybuilders do.

If someone has alot to lose I wouldn't even worry about your body going for muscle tissue instead of fat. I mean..that's what our FAT is there for. When you are TIRED after your workout your body is going to go after your Fat. LET IT!

now if you are 90 lbs and one of those cardio queens at my gym doing an hour of the elliptical, then an hour on the treadmill, then an hour on the bike ...by all means eat them exercise cals back and then some.

But if you truly need to lose weight... let it go after your fat.

Just let it.

Don't eat back your exercise calories. YOU will not starve. You will not waste away. Just continue lifting and you shall be ok.

mirandamayhem

OVEREXERCISING can be just as bad as "dieting.:

I really hate that word. DIet.

Eating back exercise cals is not sustainable over the long run either. God forbid there should be an accident or injury.

Get the DIET (or let's just say a "healthy way of eating " ) under control.

So if a worse case scenario happens...you WONT have to count on exercising to lose or maintain that weight. On a busy day you might be able to control what you put in your mouth alot better than trying to get to the gym or even just workout at home with children, etc.

I have friend who ran like crazy last year. Lost a lot of weight. Ate well...

And then she injured herself.

Gained 40 lbs because she counted on exercise.

This is true. I gained 2 stone last summer with broken ankle. Though I really wish I'd got fit before hand. It was an effort to get any where on crutches. And a lot of the gain was depression through not being able to do anything along with family issues. But it's worth looking at life like you might not be able to always exercise. On the other hand, if i can learn to tune in to when I really am hungry, this who to eat back or not to eat back becomes irrelevant, as I'll simply do what my body needs. Ask a naturally slim person whether they eat back their exercise calories, chances are it's never even crossed their mind, they et when hungry!

suziecue66

There's all this BROscience on not being in a catabolic state. I hate to say it but alot of women have fallen for it. Women who shouldn't be following what 20 something bodybuilders do.

If someone has alot to lose I wouldn't even worry about your body going for muscle tissue instead of fat. I mean..that's what our FAT is there for. When you are TIRED after your workout your body is going to go after your Fat. LET IT!

now if you are 90 lbs and one of those cardio queens at my gym doing an hour of the elliptical, then an hour on the treadmill, then an hour on the bike ...by all means eat them exercise cals back and then some.

But if you truly need to lose weight... let it go after your fat.

Just let it.

Don't eat back your exercise calories. YOU will not starve. You will not waste away. Just continue lifting and you shall be ok.

I was reading a book by someone who lost heaps of weight at a rapid pace. She says when you are very overweight don't worry so much about losing muscle. Most of it will be from fat.

apriltrainer

I am reading the Reverse Taper Diet...and just started implementing it for a contest I will be doing(contest is Oct.) COmplete opposite of what I used to do. The heavier you are...the less you eat because your fat is what you want the body to go for...

But as you gradually lose weight and you have less fat...the more you actually eat because you don't have enough fat as a buffer. It's supposed to take you to maintenance level.

Totally opposite of what I used to do for contests.I used to start high and then go low the closer I got to a contest and be all crabby and rebound at the end.

So those people who have ALOT of weight to lose really shouldn't worry. Fat is there to use for fuel. It won't be if one is constantly eating.

Plus as society innundated with food messages all the time..it's hard to seperate true hunger from just a craving. people need to get used to not feeling 100% full. There is NOTHING wrong with that. Nothing.

mirandamayhem

I am reading the Reverse Taper Diet...and just started implementing it for a contest I will be doing(contest is Oct.) COmplete opposite of what I used to do. The heavier you are...the less you eat because your fat is what you want the body to go for...

But as you gradually lose weight and you have less fat...the more you actually eat because you don't have enough fat as a buffer. It's supposed to take you to maintenance level.

Totally opposite of what I used to do for contests.I used to start high and then go low the closer I got to a contest and be all crabby and rebound at the end.

So those people who have ALOT of weight to lose really shouldn't worry. Fat is there to use for fuel. It won't be if one is constantly eating.

Plus as society innundated with food messages all the time..it's hard to seperate true hunger from just a craving. people need to get used to not feeling 100% full. There is NOTHING wrong with that. Nothing.

Yup, people definitely need to get used to feeling hunger and not being scared of it, but also of eating before they're at the ravenous stage and likely to overeat. It's all about balance, isn't everything?