Anyone NOT eat all of there exercise calories??

Options
1234568

Replies

  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
    Options
    I bicycle17 to 18 miles every evening and get credited with over 1300 calories. It would be impossible for me to eat those calories in the 2 hour window that I have before going to bed.

    I pre-log my workouts and spread the calories around during the day in the form of healthy whole foods. In your case (because you're VERY active) it would be really tough to eat them all back...but I would suggest pre-logging that ride and perhaps eating 1/2 back. You don't want to short your body the fuel it needs to keep losing or to keep the weight off long term if you are in maintenance.
  • MoonIite
    MoonIite Posts: 341 Member
    Options
    If you decide to start eating back your exercise calories, I would wait more than a week to gauge the result. Sometimes you will see a gain on the scale if you start taking in more calories than you normally do because of water retention. It happened to me when I first started.
  • vmerie
    vmerie Posts: 36
    Options
    I look at it like this-

    The number of calories you have a day is already the 500 deficit. So even if you eat back your exercise calories you are still at the -500. You are just also building muscles.

    Totally agree with this^^^. This keeps your metabolism from suffering. I try to eat at least half of my exercise calories because MFP provides estimates. I use this just as a guide. Going below the 1200 mark is a no no for me. I want to make sure I am getting the proper nutrition to fuel my body. In the past, I've noticed if I did not eat enough calories, I did not lose weight. I will continue to follow what worked for me and continue steadily losing my 2 lbs per week.
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
    Options
    ///"I didn't really understand your last sentence..."////

    lol, the fault is mine, i'm sure, as i am NEW here. I am just beginning to use the daily calorie calculator, and i do not yet fully understand it...yet. Your advice or guidance would be much appreciated, as i really do want to get the best use of that calculator. My plan/goal is, to NOT eat my exercise calories.

    Yesterday, I added in my exercise, early in the day,
    and NOW realize, when i did that
    i think the calorie count for me was increased, and i *thought* i still had like 800 calories left to eat for the day, and i *thought* that 800 left was from my 1200 calorie limit,
    but now i think, MFP calculator increased my 1,200 when i added in the exercise..........is that right? Is that what happens? do you understand my question now?

    I'll use my own personal example. My settings are 1200/day to lose 1lb/week.
    I often burn 500 calories in an exercise class.
    That would mean if i did not eat back my exercise calories on that particular day my NET would be 700 for that particular day. I don't believe in fueling my healthy weight 35 year old body with only 700 calories. So I pre-log that workout and spread the extra around during the day. I'm taking in more than the 1200 on that particular day.

    For all the people in this forum post that said "no, I never eat them back"...how do you think (in my particular example) that fueling my body with only 700 calories NET would be a good idea?
  • hillm12345
    hillm12345 Posts: 313 Member
    Options
    I do not eat back all my exercise cals from MFP. I have a fitbit so I'm able to accurately monitor my deficit on a minute to minute basis. I eat enough to keep the deficit between 1000-750 cals a day :) This week a saw a 1.6 lb loss
  • TrailRunner61
    TrailRunner61 Posts: 2,505 Member
    Options
    I rarely eat them all back, but I do eat when I'm hungry.
  • SkinnyByTammie
    SkinnyByTammie Posts: 28
    Options
    I eat half mine back...the calories burned according to MFP seems super generous, so just to be safe I cut that number in half and it's working quite well for me :-)
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
    Options
    I do not eat back all my exercise cals from MFP. I have a fitbit so I'm able to accurately monitor my deficit on a minute to minute basis. I eat enough to keep the deficit between 1000-750 cals a day :) This week a saw a 1.6 lb loss

    I've often heard that if you need to lose more than 1lb/week (or if you are participating in a plan that is set up for greater than 1lb/week loss) that you should seek the advice of a doctor. Just to make sure you are not doing any permanent damage eating twice the suggested deficit per day on the days you have a deficit of 1,000 instead of the suggested 500. If you have a lot to lose your doctor might support this plan.
  • pink2lady
    pink2lady Posts: 111 Member
    Options
    Which HRM do you suggest?
  • tnichol4
    tnichol4 Posts: 58 Member
    Options
    I usually burn between 700-900 per day therefore i am usually hungry so I end up eating 200-300 back, whenever I am not eating any of them back I plateau so I think eating some back is ok if you want to lose.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    Options
    Is there anyone? Or anyone eat maybe only half of there exercise calories??

    I'm really scared to eat my exercise calories when I've eaten a bit of crap and have gone over my calorie limit? Anyone in the same boat?

    Maybe the problem is eating crap? Calories are calories, but how you process them and how they are deposited as fat varies with food composition.

    I eat exercise calories when I'm hungry - absolutely. And I don't when I'm not. If I go backpacking and hike up mountains all day I'm STARVING and I eat until I feel satisfied (almost always under what I earned, but a lot in absolute terms). I also find myself very hungrier than usual the next few days and I will certainly eat a little extra if I'm under my net goal average for the week.

    If I just go for a walk and earn a few hundred extra calories and I'm not hungry I won't eat just to eat.

    If I am hungry and want something I'll make sure I exercise enough to cover it.
  • marywilsoncline
    marywilsoncline Posts: 301 Member
    Options
    I eat back some of mine everyday because I run at least five miles a day, I must eat to fuel my body. Plus, I've been eating back some of my exercise calories since I started using myfitnesspal almost two years ago and thats before I fell in love with running and I always lost weight. Now I'm on maintance mode and I run everyday and eat back calories and still, I am losing weight. I should'nt be loosing still. Maybe I should eat all them back, but I like to have a nice little calorie cushion left at the end of the day. I think runners should be able to eat what ever they wanted and it not matter b/c we run it off everyday. Even though I think this, I can't let myself eat "whatever I want" though.:wink:
  • basillowe66
    basillowe66 Posts: 432 Member
    Options
    Man, I still have another 20 to 25 lbs I want to lose, it doesn't make sense to eat much more than 1200 per day!!!
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
    Options
    Which HRM do you suggest?

    I used to work with Polar at my last job. They are a wonderful company. Their HRMs are really the most accurate out there. They have a chest strap for the most accurate calorie burn. :)
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
    Options
    Is there anyone? Or anyone eat maybe only half of there exercise calories??

    I'm really scared to eat my exercise calories when I've eaten a bit of crap and have gone over my calorie limit? Anyone in the same boat?

    Maybe the problem is eating crap? Calories are calories, but how you process them and how they are deposited as fat varies with food composition.

    I eat exercise calories when I'm hungry - absolutely. And I don't when I'm not. If I go backpacking and hike up mountains all day I'm STARVING and I eat until I feel satisfied (almost always under what I earned, but a lot in absolute terms). I also find myself very hungrier than usual the next few days and I will certainly eat a little extra if I'm under my net goal average for the week.

    If I just go for a walk and earn a few hundred extra calories and I'm not hungry I won't eat just to eat.

    If I am hungry and want something I'll make sure I exercise enough to cover it.

    Yes, when I eat back all mine they are quality calories. Eating them all back with a bag of Doritos is not what I'm talking about.
  • BlueJean4114
    BlueJean4114 Posts: 595 Member
    Options
    ////". I don't believe in fueling my healthy weight 35 year old body with only 700 calories"///

    oh sure, if i was still at healthy weight, and still very active, i'd be far more concerned about getting Enough calories!!
    But i am currently 33 pounds overweight, so i have to eat less calories than i burn off to lose the weight.

    but whether or not one chooses to eat exercise calories
    but, IS my understanding of how the calculator works right? (i am brand new here)
    DOES adding in the exercise cause the MFP calculator to increase what the calories tells you have left to eat?

    IF so, maybe, i will not write in my exercise til END of day, AFTER i've finished eating. (lol, at MY stage of recovery, there is no risk of ME eating too little to be healthy! rofl, not a problem for ME at this point!!)
  • CarpeDiem48
    CarpeDiem48 Posts: 4
    Options
    I have avoided eating the exercise calories. I think of them as a cushion!
    Carpe Diem,
    Peg
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    Options

    :noway: Saw a lot of responses like this...Why would anyone bother using MFP's GUESStimate when you can use an HRM with a chest strap that actually measures your expenditure?
    Because some people don't have the extra money to buy one right now. :wink:


    Me thinks tis' why they invented Ebay. Tis' where I picked mine up, many moons ago.

    (for 50% off the retail price)

    :wink: :wink:

    Even 50% off is too much for some people. Some people are breaking the bank just to try and eat healthy and get exercise in. A HRM is great if you can get one...if not, well people have been losing weight for far longer than HRM have been around.

    Also, I don't really think it's helpful to make people explain HOW broke they are. If a person says they can't afford it, THAT SHOULD BE ENOUGH! Geez!

    I NEVER asked for anyone to elaborate. I just didn't appreciate the IMPLICATION that the one I purchased was USED simply because I bought it off of Ebay. "Geez!"

    Well and I didn't appreciate the implication that there were more pennies to rub together if only i could find them. :tongue:


    I wasn't trying to imply anything other than the fact that some people don't have it in their budget to buy fancy equipment. I *did* find one at K-mart for $15. I haven't done a bunch of research on it because I am not trying to buy one.

    There are a lot of things that I would *like* to own, things that would make my life easier. But we have extraordinary expenses right now that preclude me from spoiling myself.

    Then next time make to keep your implications to yourself and there won't be a problem. :drinker:

    And now you're on iggy.
    :smokin:
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
    Options
    ////". I don't believe in fueling my healthy weight 35 year old body with only 700 calories"///

    oh sure, if i was still at healthy weight, and still very active, i'd be far more concerned about getting Enough calories!!
    But i am currently 33 pounds overweight, so i have to eat less calories than i burn off to lose the weight.

    but whether or not one chooses to eat exercise calories
    but, IS my understanding of how the calculator works right? (i am brand new here)
    DOES adding in the exercise cause the MFP calculator to increase what the calories tells you have left to eat?

    IF so, maybe, i will not write in my exercise til END of day, AFTER i've finished eating. (lol, at MY stage of recovery, there is no risk of ME eating too little to be healthy! rofl, not a problem for ME at this point!!)

    Yes, you add the exercise in and MFP increases the total your body needs to operate for the day (there is a built-in deficit). By meeting your calorie goals (post workout) you are still operating at a deficit. You're still meeting the deficit of 500 calories/day or 3,500/week to lose that 1lb (1lb/week is the suggested settings). I've heard that the pound/week is the secret for keeping it off for good (and to avoid doing any damage to your organs and metabolism).
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    Options
    The ignore button on here is a wonderful thing. Sometimes I am too slow to use it. :ohwell:

Categories