Exercise and eating additional calories

njsousa

I've been earning between 300 and 450 calories 6 days a week and the 1 day a week when we golf, walk and carry about 800 additional calories. I eat some of them but am worried if I eat to many it will effect my weight loss. Does anyone have a rule of thumb they use for this? If you earn 300 extra calories eat 150? Or something like that?

stephanieharmon

I am currently doing a nutrition class and my NET calories are 1250 .. which means whatever I exercise and burn I then need to eat to maintain the net calories. I realize this will slow down weight loss a little, but in the long run I know I will maintain better and my body will not go into starvation mode and start storing fat more. I think if you are doing heavy exercises then half would be acceptable instead of eating a huge amount of calories. I would stick with high protein type foods after exercise and help with the rebuild of cells and muscle that are being stressed during exercise. Good luck !!

RachelLovitt

All I have read and heard states that you should eat enough so that your net calories remain at your goal. My goal is typically 1200 net calories per day. So if I burn 400 calories in my workout, I would actually eat 1600 calories that day for a net of 1600 - 400 = 1200.

Goal_Line

My personal rule of thumb is: if hungry eat them back, not not, don't.

Basically listen to your body.

kiminikimkim

I ate 25% - 50% of my burned calories back. I lost an average of 1lb a week. Finally reached my goal this summer.

Now that I am maintaining @ 1300 cals, I eat 50% to 100% of my calories back. My weight fluctuates between 1-2lbs + or -. I keep an eye on the scale and adjust accordingly.

flyingpurplemonkey

My personal rule of thumb is: if hungry eat them back, not not, don't.

Basically listen to your body.

I second this!!

I don't think that weight loss should be about set rules. It should be about doing what is best for your body so you can be healthy. Generally, your body will let you know what it wants.