Do you eat your extra workout calories, and why or why not?

t_illan

So I am a little over a month into my second attempt on losing weight, first attempt I got pregnant half way to my goal weight. I have been stuck on a plateau for the past two weeks. I was just looking over my weekly calorie summary and my first two weeks that I lost about 10 lbs I was only about 250 calories under my weekly goal. For the past two weeks that I did not lose any weight I was about 2,500 calories under my weekly goal. Also, I did not start working out until these past two weeks.

My question is, should I eat the extra calories I get from working out, or not? And why, or why not?

Appreciate any feedback!

metacognition

I think it's a good idea to eat more on the days that you exercise.

I don't know if eating all of your exercise calories is a good idea, but I always try to add 100 - 300 calories on days that I exercise, especially if it involves weight training.

Duck_Puddle

I do, because I would keel over from exhaustion if I didn't. I burn 3000-3500 a week running. If I didn't eat those calories back, there's no way I could run that much-plus I'd be b!tchy, miserably and generally unpleasant. But that's me. I have not plateaued (although generally a plateau is more like 6 weeks, not 2).

Kitamarie97

MFP suggests eating back some if not all of the calories you earn from working out. The told me that 1200 cal diet I am on should already allow for weight loss without working out so 1200 cals is not enough when I exert energy working out. I eat when I am hungry so I avoid sending my body into starvation mode. If I am hungry I eat healthy choices, but I do not aim to eat back the calories I burn.
Hope this helps Good Luck!

JessHealthKick

if you aren't eating back the calories you exercise, you are basically telling your body 's*** just got real, there is no food and lots for me to do, let's conserve energy!'

Excuse my Aussie language, but that is what happens, you freak your body out and it holds onto the fat and weight. Start eating a bit more (fill the workout calories with veggies and protein shakes) and you will feel more energetic and hopefully that'll assist with the weight loss

ladymiseryali

I eat about 80-90% of my exercise calories. It's been working so far, as I've lost 3.6 lbs in the span of a couple of days this month. It's common sense to eat more on days when you move more. Eat less on days that you may not move so much. It took my fiance drilling that into my head for me to actually listen. lol

TheConsciousFoody

I try to eat them back, otherwise I wake up starving in the morning and try to eat the cat. When I wasn't eating them back there were also times when I'd wake up in the middle of the night really damn hungry. I also noticed my weight loss stalling when I wasn't eating them back.

Pearlyladybug

I try to eat them back, otherwise I wake up starving in the morning and try to eat the cat. When I wasn't eating them back there were also times when I'd wake up in the middle of the night really damn hungry. I also noticed my weight loss stalling when I wasn't eating them back.

:laugh: mmmm cat

KANGOOJUMPS

no, i never ever do.

Minerva624

Sometimes. I get fully easily even if I get a lot of exercise so it's hard for me to eat more than 1,500 calories. I always eat back at least half of them.

XXXMinnieXXX

I eat around 1700 and don't eat them back. The only time I'd eat more is if I felt weak or hungry. I just listen to my body. Works for me.

Zara

raeless2011

My goal is to not eat them back, but my exercise burns from 200-400 calories. I don't usually eat them, since my goal is to lose weight, and I feel that weight loss is an equation of calories in/calories out. I also set my goal at 1600 calories per day. If I go over the 1600, I don't stress, when I I exercise. But I am learning, that on days I go out to eat, I need to exercise so I have more flexibility in food choices/preparation.

tdfarmer

Yes, I'm currently at goal. After losing 15 lbs I plateaued. I was not eating back exercise calories. I was encouraged to start eating back and did not have a problem since. Infact I think it accelerated my wait loss. Reach my first goal very quickly after.

NutellaAddict

Eat most if not all back.

aszwarc

I not only don't eat back my exercise calories, I eat 200-300 less than my daily allotment. I'm trying to lose 75 more pounds, and I've been losing a couple pounds a week since adding exercise to my routine. I'm not going to change that until I have to. And I sometimes struggle to eat enough calories so that MFP doesn't scold me when I finalize the day, especially if I'm trying to keep my macros relatively balanced.

majope

Yes, of course I do--as far as I'm concerned, it's a no-brainer (unless you're using the TDEE -20% method, in which your exercise calories are already accounted for). I don't worry if I'm a little under at the end of the day because I only have my deficit set to lose half a pound a week, but I find if I am 300 or more calories under, or even 200-ish for more than 2 days in a row, I'll be starving and low-energy the next day and have a hard time sticking to my planned calories.

I think that fueling my body as well as possible during weight loss is more important than trying to get the weight off quickly by taking shortcuts--plus, it's more sustainable in the long run.

kmorganlfc

I eat some of them back only because I've reached a point where eating them all back would be eating for the sake of eating.I am never hungry enough to eat them all back, and I find it's easier to go over on days that I don't exercise. Then I have to be a bit more careful. It's taken a few months to reach this point, however.

t_illan

Thank you so much everyone!!!
I think I'm gonna start eating more on the days that I exercise.

Thank you!

Terree_G

It's very simple. My 1560 per day is my TDEE less 20%. So my deficit is built in. If I exercise and burn 300 calories, I can eat them back but I still haven't touched my deficit.

NKF92879

Yes, I do. I love food, and I'm one of those people who will exercise so that I'm able to eat more. Go ahead, judge me. I don't give a rat's patootie what some random yahoo on the internet thinks of my lifestyle choices. It works for me; I've lost over 20 pounds (15% of my body weight for reference). However, just because it works for me doesn't mean it'll work for everyone. Talk with a medical professional (my go-to-girl is a friend with a Master's Degree in health & fitness awareness), do some trial and error, and find what works best for you and your lifestyle.

Nimadi486

I always eat at least some of them back. If I didn't I wouldn't have enough energy to get a good workout in.

heypurdy

I'm always more hungry on days I workout. So yes, I eat back at least some of the calories.

NualaTW

I try to, but some days when I workout hard I end up with 500-600 extra calories, which is a whole meal! I'm just not always hungry enough to eat them all back, and I feel like I have to force feed myself to do it. But I'm currently eating around 2000 cal/day, so eating a lot all day long anyway, which is probably why I'm not so hungry.

pwnderosa

I eat every calorie I sweated for and have lost a steady 1lb a week since joining here in Sept. Because I love food & doing things this way encourages me to work out a lot more than I ever had, I am getting so in shape now I can hardly believe it! Never dieted that way before joining up here but I am loving it!

teresamckinnon

I have found that eating 10 small meals help and increased water intake. I also do not eat after 7 pm which is 3 hours before I go to bed. I drink 8 oz of water during that time. Good luck!

tonytoo

Nope, never.

bd12310007

I suspect MFP overestimates the burn, so no.

glitterstreet

Sometimes. I don't eat them unless I feel like I really need them. I burn about 400 calories a day and MFP has set me at 1200 calories and I usually average around 1300 gross.I eat all my exercise calories on the weekend and feel guilt free about it.

diannethegeek

I eat them back because I want to lose more fat and less muscle.

mlogantra76

Yes, but since I don't use a hrm, I don't eat back all of the calories estimated by mfp. I tried not eating them and I was so hungry at night I could have eat my pillow. And I was so grumpy during the day, it was terrible!

257_Lag

I eat at least half and usually all of them. It's the only thing that motivates me to exercise most days truth be told. Seems to be working for me. If I don't I feel run down the next day.