Not sure if you will workout??

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PennStateChick
PennStateChick Posts: 327 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Ok, so how do you handle food when you aren't sure if you will workout? At this point, I am training for a bike ride and like to get in as much training as possible. I usually ride for 90-120 minutes when I get out. However, due to the current weather, life in general, and only about 2 hours of sunlight after work, I never know if I will get a ride in or not. I ALWAYS plan to ride, but realistically, it doesn't happen. Tonight, I did a 18 mile ride. I had dinner at like 8pm. Its now 9:40 and I am exhausted. I have like 600 calories left. Im not hungry. And I know its not a huge deal occasionally, but its been a pretty good riding week and this isn't the first time this week. And before everyone tells me to eat a jar of peanut butter, that's not what this is about. I know how to fill up those 600 calories. Im just curious how people handle these situations in their lives.

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  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
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    I only eat exercise back if I really feel hungry after something like your ride. Also, tomorrow you may not ride but be a bit extra hungry from today's workout so you could use some of those calories then.
  • hope25
    hope25 Posts: 188 Member
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    Could you spread out those exercise calories over the week. say knowing you will go out about 3 times getting 600 cal. each time spread that 1800 over the week?
  • albertabeefy
    albertabeefy Posts: 1,169 Member
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    On big exercise days I only eat available calories IF I'm below or very close to my BMR.

    As long as I'm well above my BMR I'll not bother.

    This happens to me often when I do cycling centuries - I'm about 215lbs at my 'competitive' weight (yeah, I'm a heavy-*kitten* cyclist - I'm built for sprinting and downhills, not uphills) and burn an amazing amount of calories on a century, especially a mountain one (well-over 10K calories TDEE)... I pretty much cannot eat my TDEE on those days so just don't try.

    EDIT: As for eating too much because I didn't exercise ... I always schedule my last day of the meal for after my evening workout... no workout = much smaller meal ...
  • PennStateChick
    PennStateChick Posts: 327 Member
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    Thank you all for the quick responses! You had some great advice.

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