Working out JUST to be able to eat more?

lalalalala34

I work out three times a week, regularly, and then any day I find myself craving a 300 calorie ice cream or something, I make sure I go to the gym and burn at least the amount of calories I intend on having. I was talking to some friends who are also watching their weight and said I'm walking a very tight rope? They think that the mentality of working out to eat isn't healthy. I ignored it until I recently saw the same topic mentioned in a thread about how many people develop unhealthy relationships with this kind of thinking. Opinions?

carrieous

i think your friend are misinformed. Working out is always a good idea, regardless of why you do it. Whatever motivates you to exercise is up to you.

(and i do it sometimes too:)

allison0820

I do this sometimes as well.. I usually workout everyday now, however sometimes I workout with more than one purpose... for instance yesterday I had alot of calories at lunch that left me with 35 calories for dinner... so instead of my usual 30 minute run on Monday's I ran for an hour to get more calories so I could eat... and I earned 775 calories.. and was able to eat and stay under I think you are fine.. Working out is good for you no matter why you do it.. I think as long as you aren't like doing this so you can eat crap everyday all day you are fine.. but doing it to enjoy an extra treat is okay... Even the fittest of ppl splurge ever once in a while...

laineymags22

I noticed I wasnt losing quite as much weight when i would "work out to eat more" as you say. Once I started no logging my activity, i'm not working out hardcore just yet, I stayed within my recommended caloric intake and the weight began to come off at a rate of about 2 pounds per week. I know a plateau is coming so I will increase activity but also increase caloric levels slightly to compensate. Keep in mind that this app over estimates calories burned so you have to tweak your goals accordingly.

Flixie00

Hey, that's how I started out. Now I work out because I love it (and I still enjoy the extra calories). I can stick to my base calories on my rest days, so where's the problem?

besaro

ive been pondering this too. I exercise to eat more and wonder when I get to maintenance and my calories go up will I still have the desire to work out. Not sure.

gpizzy

If the ONLY reason that you ever worked out was becuase you wanted to eat more, then that would be bad. For instance, if you always burnt as many calories as you ate.

However, if you are making healthy choices, eating a healthy amount of calories and simply tell yourself to have a bit more you need to burn a bit more - that's healthy. You're telling yourself you need to 'earn' the food basically which to me is a great mindset. Delayed gratification, or you're working for it afterward. Regardless, it's better than binge binge binge and hope for the best.

cmriverside

I agree that the obsessive nature of calorie counting the way this site is set up CAN lead to "buying" food with exercise. Whether that is a good or bad thing is up to each person.

I eat close to the same amount every day, regardless of exercise, so it's kind of a moot point to me. I don't exercise that much or for that long, and I'm in maintenance now - so that is the way I've come to look at it.

PaveGurl

I feel like the idea is that, while it is okay to occasionally work out to cover a splurge, the key word is "occasionally." It's really easy to outeat your training, and it's really hard to out train a poor diet.

So, y'know, if you are craving something, go for it. But be aware of habits you might be building - and try to keep a healthy relationship with it all

jmcreynolds91

i do this, like on weekends when i tend to eat more with family. I MAKE sure i get a couple workouts in so i wont go over on calories. Dont think there is anything wrong with it.

bpotts44

I think you would be better served to set some fitness goals related to weight loss and working out and use those goals to derive your motivation to exercise.

serenapitala

It can lead to a troublesome mindset and it can be just fine. I don't know you, so I don't know which is likely. Do you feel compelled to work off those calories? Do you feel like you have to work out or you cannot have it? I sometimes know I want a big meal and make sure I up my activity to counter it, but mostly when I want something I plan it into my day and keep my regular workout routine. You're only working out three days a week without the extra days, so you are far from obsessive about exercise in general.
Your friends know you and are more capable of assessing your viewpoint than we are. If they are concerned, you should at least ask why. Maybe they've seen things in yout life that lead them to be worried. My best friend has to remind me not to take on too much. She knows when I'm pushing too hard, even when I don't see it.

mzjessicaxo

To a certain extent it's not bad. If I know I'm going out for dinner or I'd like to have popcorn at the movies I ensure that I burn a few extra, but the rest of the time I stick with my calorie deficit and eating healthy. I agree with your friends.

You are not a dog, don't reward yourself with food.

Reza151

I work out three times a week, regularly, and then any day I find myself craving a 300 calorie ice cream or something, I make sure I go to the gym and burn at least the amount of calories I intend on having. I was talking to some friends who are also watching their weight and said I'm walking a very tight rope? They think that the mentality of working out to eat isn't healthy. I ignored it until I recently saw the same topic mentioned in a thread about how many people develop unhealthy relationships with this kind of thinking. Opinions?

I originally started working out so i could eat more. And then I saw I wasn't progressing so I obssessed over calories, fat content, sugars, carbs, and have a very difficult history with disordered eating. I got to the point where if I felt that I had eaten too much, I would exercise, even if it was at 2 am and i had to get up early. I am in remission from cancer and during my diagnosis, the two weeks in the hospital, I was anemic. Yet that didn't stop me from doing pushups, jumping jacks, and crunches in my hospital room. SO in my experience, it is a VERY thin line you're walking. And remember, fitness happens in the kitchen more than the gym.

NicLiving

Makes perfect sense to me. I'm in maintenance so if I go over my cals I know I need to get a good workout in or else it will show up on the scale. Btw I just ate a paczki so guess I'll be working out tonite lol.

eric_sg61

Working out to eat more.....guilty as charged :bigsmile:

alpine1994

I feel like the idea is that, while it is okay to occasionally work out to cover a splurge, the key word is "occasionally." It's really easy to outeat your training, and it's really hard to out train a poor diet.

So, y'know, if you are craving something, go for it. But be aware of habits you might be building - and try to keep a healthy relationship with it all

Very well said!!

Reza151

I should add, that working out to compensate for eating more isn't bad in itself as long as you don't take it too far and listen to your body. Know your limits.

hpsnickers1

nothing wrong with that. I don't believe in the whole CI/CO thing.

Increase your energy expenditure (i.e. exercise) and your body will compensate by asking you to take in some energy (i.e. eat).

So you are just doing what it wants you to do, before it asks you.

Of course, I use diet to maintain my weight, not exercise. And do my best to live an active lifestyle. That way, structured exercise is not needed...nor wanted.

Anthonydaman

You are not alone, I do the same thing, but with booze

benol1

It depends what your health and fitness goals are, I think.
If you're intention is to lose weight, then that is where MFP comes in very handy. When you set it up, you are eating to a calorie deficit. If you log your work out, you are re-allocated those burned calories so as to still meet your goal weight loss target. Its up to you whether you consume your activity-burned calories as additional food or not. Most people here will consume most of their calories they lost working out. What I have observed is that members here who eat back their workout-burned calories seem to have an easier time of it than those who do not eat back their workout-burned calories.
Personally, I like to earn additional calories by working out rather than eat and then work them off. But what you are doing by eating first and burning those calories later seems to be no different to burning the calories first and then eating those calories.

If your intention is greater health and wellbeing as well as weight loss then in time you may wish to consider substituting the ice cream with a healthier option.
kind regards,

Ben

CorvusCorax77

meh. I did it. It worked for me.

Seriously, are you going to tell me it's "unhealthy" to balance your eating and exercise???? If you become too OCD about anything, that's bad. But come on!

sandylion

I definitely see nothing wrong with this. The program on here is designed to make you lose x lbs a week. If you work out and eat back your calories and stick to your goal and everything is accurate you should be loosing at the rate of your goal. It's not linear, but it should be in the ball park. If you work out and don't eat your calories back, of course you are going to loose quicker, that's not exactly rocket science. You've created a larger deficit by burning more and not eating the calories back again. So, if you want to maintain a say, 0.5lb/week loss and eat a bunch of ice cream, burn an extra 300 calories a day, and chow down! You'll still lose that 0.5lbs/week. If you don't eat the ice cream, you would have lost maybe 1lb instead of 0.5lb.

I think your friends are silly.

1jobean

Someone once told me eat to run dont run to eat. Its all about being healthy. That doesnt mean you cant work harder so you can budget for ice cream but be healthy first then on occasion splurge and make up for it by exercising.

alasin1derland

Its all about net calories. I am a firm believer if you use the 1200 calories everyone starts with regardless of their weight for healthy eating than you can eat whatever you fancy with whatever calories you have left to reach your net goal.

throttle2009

Hey it happens occasionally. If you eat a little extra or something with high cals then you have to go a little harder in the gym, go a little longer on the run etc. Got to make up for it. I do it from time to time and it works out OK.

GauchoMark

nothing wrong with that. I don't believe in the whole CI/CO thing.

Increase your energy expenditure (i.e. exercise) and your body will compensate by asking you to take in some energy (i.e. eat).

So you are just doing what it wants you to do, before it asks you.

Of course, I use diet to maintain my weight, not exercise. And do my best to live an active lifestyle. That way, structured exercise is not needed...nor wanted.

Don't the two bolded parts conflict??

You don't believe in calories in/calories out but you acknowledge that if you increase calories out that you need to increase calories in?

liesevanlingen

I do this all the time because I try to finish up each day with a calorie deficit (I usually aim for 200+ calories extra). I don't always make it, mind you, but I do try.

AlongCame_Molly

I killed myself on the treadmill to earn ice cream yesterday. Check out my diary from last night! I do it all the time!

Milliemocha

I often work out more if I'm going to be eating more than usual or after the weekend when I always eat more. Seems like a sensible solution and I love working out too. Plus if I have some extra cals for something naughty I can enjoy it guilt free :-) whatever works for you I say

rheelizabeth

I kind of do this.... if I know I'm going to eat a lot one day (for instance today, being pancake day!) I will try to burn extra calories... I burned 530 today compared to the normal 350-400 calories I burn 6 days a week.

If I accidentally skip a meal, I try to avoid doing too much exercise so my net calories don't suffer too much.