Trouble eating the exercise calories

nicolee516

I'm sure people have posted this in the past...I may have even read them...but I was wondering if anyone else has a tough time getting all of their exercise calories in. I am completely stuffed and I am short 700 calories for the day. Do I try to force them, or just let it go.

kambean

sometimes i feel the same way, and will i gain if i eat them or stay the same, or will i loose???

bkegurl36

UGH!! I know exactly how you feel! It is like ok I am not hungry anymore...but I am supposed to eat 700 more calories today!! Its almost like ok what can I eat that is higher in calories that is not tons of food so I feel super stuffed! I know some days I dont worry about them and figure I am not going to stuff myself and make myself sick just so I can eat all of my calories! I just try to watch it the next day and try to plan what I will eat beforehand so I can eat more throughout the day and not find myself at 8 at night trying to find stuff to eat!

bkegurl36

That is what I worry about too. I think to myself I thought I was working out to burn the calories I eat during the day... not so I have to eat more calories because I worked out!

ideretic

I don't see a reason why would you eat them if you are already full! Sometimes I feel lucky that I have some left to spare and sometimes I full and again lucky because it means i'm going to loose weight ( or i just tell myself that). Do we need to eat all the calories?? i though if my goal is 1600 calories per day... and I eat them.. then the rest is extra?

nicolee516

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo


This link was sent to me a couple of months ago when I was frustrated because I was gaining weight not losing. I started to eat my exercise calories and I started to lose weight.

bkegurl36

That is what I thought, but then one day when I added my food and workouts in it told me I was eating too little! IDK I usually don't end up eating the extra, I see it like you do I feel lots better when I have extra to spare!

BrendaLee

That is what I thought, but then one day when I added my food and workouts in it told me I was eating too little! IDK I usually don't end up eating the extra, I see it like you do I feel lots better when I have extra to spare!

If you don't find yourself hungry on days you workout, you may be over-estimating your calorie burn.

bkegurl36

That is what someone told me a little while ago too, but when I add my exercise I notice that the calories it calculates always seems to be a bit higher than what I actually burn. Whenever I do cardio I always enter my weight, age and all that, and I am always checking my heart rate to make sure I am in the target zone I wat to be in. So when I log my exercise for the day I always change my calories to what the machine tells me I burned... IDk maybe I should not be doing that..

hurleycutie142

you are susposed to eat them... but what i do is i eat things that are alittle up in the calories... like i cant go without my low fat chocolate milk after my workout (which is basically like drinking a gatorade) and my protein bars... maybe try drinking the calories.. what i do is have protein shakes but i overload on fruits... bananas are pretty high in calories but there good for u...

nicolee516

maybe...but I put in the exact minutes of what my exercises are into MFP....I don't have a HRM, and can't afford one right now. So I have to go with what it says.

pannellkat

If I had 700 extra calories after a workout and I felt I "had" to eat my exercise calories, I wouldn't know what to eat. I've had days where I have had excess calories to eat but I don't always eat my exercise calories, sometimes I do. I never FORCE myself to eat though. I've lost weight both ways (eating them and not).

breakfast - oatmeal 160 calories
morning snack - half cucumber and laughing cow cheese 50 calories
lunch - 4 oz grilled salmon and cabbage 350 calories
afternoon snack - banana & 1 tablespoon peanut butter 200 calories
dinner - chicken sausage link between 2 slices of wheat bread - 320 calories
snack after dinner - 2 cups of popcorn - 70 calories
I now have 50 calories I need to use up and I just burned off 750 at the gym.....what to do?

I don't worry too much about it. I've been losing weight either way, but everyone is different some people I guess need to eat their calories in order to lose weight. Someone said a protein shake? I guess that would work if your not really hungry.

nicolee516

Thanks everyone. Pannellkat, I was actually thinking of a protein shake. I looked at them at the store today. I didn't get any yet though. I used to drink them and actually mix them in oatmeal and bake it yum!

breezy81

Try adding them in throughut the day with the little things. Like panuts or peanut butter on whole grain crackers or toast, or celery. I have a hard time with this too but, for me at least, if I dont take at least 1/2 my exercise calories I dont loose weight!!

kgrutch

i never eat my exercise calories, i stick to my strict 1200 cals, i have recently attained my goal weight and i will now lighten up a little bit for maintenance but i still think i owuld gain if i ate my exercise calories. i work out/run a lot and it would up my calories by too much.