Survey, eating exercise cals.

Chelsinicole63

I know this is a common topic, but i wanna see how many people it works for. I dont eat mine, and my weight loss is shaky. Anybody had this problem? Will eating my exercise cals help me lose?

bonnienm

When actively losing weight I always ate my exercise calories. It took about 6 months to lose my weight but I wasn't hungry and any plateaus were short lived thankfully! When I did plateau I just raised my calorie intake for the weekend and it usually kicked my metabolism back up.

lazygirllosesweight

I don't eat mine unless I feel like I'm not fueling my body enough for the workout I'm doing. (Which is rare.) My weightloss has been pretty steady, depending upon my level of dedication to my diet on any given week. haha.

I would suggest that the weight loss struggle you are having is due to how few pounds you need to shed. The less you have to lose the harder it is to lose it.

pfenixa

I do eat my exercise calories. In fact, I have days that depend on my exercise calories so that I'm not 200-500 calories over my recommended daily intake. I eat better, but some days the meals and snacks I end up having only leave me with 200-300 calories for dinner, and that's usually not high enough. :laugh:

I've been eating the calories since I started here in March and I've been consistently losing weight since the first couple of weeks.

bluiz13

i'm just starting to really track my calories and pay close attention to them...right now i am not going to eat them.....or for the most part i'm leaving at least a surplus of 500 calories in the bank so to speak...i am concentrating on eating only what is given to me for a few weeks to see how this works out....i am also committed to exercising 5 times a week doing a mixture of cardio classes, strength training classes, treadmill walking, outside walking and running....i'm giving myself at least a few weeks to get on an steady level before i start playing around with numbers....if i dont lose as much as "they" say i should - 1 lb per week then i'll modify what i'm doing.....

i agree with a poster above, you "only" have a few more pounds to go and your body might very well be holding onto them...you may need to kick it up a notch and or change your routine a bit to break thru a plateau if that is where you are at....

good luck and stay the course...it will all work out in the end - or so they tell me lol....
denise

jerren

I tend to leave a bit. I do this because of margin of error.

aippolito1

I say if you're doing everything right - drinking lots of water, watching your sugar & salt, eating enough protein and at least 25g of fiber everyday - and NOT eating your exercise calories and NOT losing weight... then sure, try eating them! Start off small. Eat half. If that doesn't work, eat 75%, if not, eat ALL. I've always eaten mine and the more I eat of them (as long as they're GOOD calories), it seems I lose pretty easily (minus the whole last month of a plateau).

fitandhealthy

I do eat my exercise calories, and am losing weight consistently. I'm only weighing myself once a month, and not due to weigh in again until the 1st, but I know that I'm very close to hitting my final goal way ahead of schedule. I work out 5 or 6 times a week, and feel very weak if I don't eat the extra calories. I guess it really is true about going into starvation mode. I eat 6 meals a day, work out 5-6 times a week, eat the exercise calories, and have lost at least 20 pounds since I started in March.

de1amo

i keep to my calories on rest days but on exercise days i cant get anywhere close to the extra allowed calories--to go from 1200 to about 2600 is nearly physically impossible for me --i even eat things like bulgar wheat which has excessive numbers and just cant stomach anymore food at the end of the day--i was 853 calories and a bunch of other shortages yeaterday--i didntt store the numbers to carry forward to today--once its past the day is a new day!--i have consistantly lost weight i am down 23lbs but i am new to this site--i joined because i was sensing i was flat lining--i was eating about a 1000 calories a day regardless of the amount of exercise--it will be interesting to see what will happens at my next weigh next week

kakocalis

I definitely eat mine. In fact, it's kind of my reward for working out. I am really active (playing soccer twice a week is my hardest workout) and I need the energy refuel afterward. It's so much healthier than what I used to to which was to not eat anything after soccer (hoping I'd get "more" out of my workout), meanwhile, landing myself in "starvation mode", which actually caused me to gain weight after burning 500+ calories.

Mellie13

I did not, but hit another platea so started eating most of them and have started losing again.

RedneckWmn

When I'm working out and burning 500+ calories I try to eat at least half of my exercise calories. I wasn't doing this at the begining and my weight loss started to flat line. Staretd eating more and start losing again.

mommyhof3

I tend to leave a bit. I do this because of margin of error.

Me too I eat some of my exercise calories but I don't eat all of them just in case I made a mistake

iguanaliz

I, too, eat my exercise calories or at least most of them. I'm just too hungry after a heavy work-out not to eat them! Plus, I earned 'em dangit! I also find that it keeps me accountable -- when I see that I am getting close to my 1,200 for the day, but still have a meal to go, I'll make myself squeeze in a workout so that I can fit that meal in without going over my net for the day. The result is that I am now working out much more regularly than I ever did before. To me, that's a greater improvement than even the weight loss because I really do feel so much better about myself and my body since I've been exercising, and that change in perspective happened before I started actively dieting.

julip

I try to eat mine,although I do leave some for error. A handful of nuts are supposed to help with belly fat and add alot of calories.

Bee28

I usually most of them and I am consistently losing 1lb a week. Have you tried zig-zagging your calories? Some poeple swear by that.

00trayn

In the past week, I've really upped my exercise so I'm burning at least 300 calories a day. And I've found that eating them back has been really beneficial. I don't eat all the of them back on days where I burn 500+, but I eat at least 75% of them every day. And I've lost 2 1/2 pounds this week doing it. I definitely think my body needs the extra fuel, especially with the 30 Day Shred kicking my butt, so eating the calories are really helping. And I'm putting good extra calories into my body. Olive Oil on salads or a fruit smoothie, not empty carbs. That's definitely the key I think, eating your exercise calories but eating the right foods.

scweegie

I eat them!

Most diets are based on a 2000 calorie intake, becuase I believe the body burns somewhere around that many calories a day without exercise. (The reason I am in trouble is I ate way more than that in a day, portion control!) When you start MFP it already calculates how many calories you should eat in a day to lose the weight. For example I am on a 1200 calorie plan. So there is already the 800 calorie deficit, and that is just based on a diet change.

Then I add my workouts, which can range from 200 - 800 calories burned. If I burn 800 calories that gives my total for the day at 400, which I believe is an unhealthy intake. There are many articles on this site on this topic about not eating enough and going into a "starvation" mode.

I have lost steadily, and slowly. But now I think i may need to start eating more, or my metabolism has started to kick in.

This is an everyday debate on here. I would say eat them, or stay close to the goal MFP has calculated. Also be accountable for your diary entries, did you really only have one slice of cheese? I know I tend to "cheat" and must get back on task at times. Also a heart rate monitor (HRM) is a great tool to buy, it will give you a more accurate calorie burn.

Ok good luck everyone!

chgudnitz

I eat em all

Have a good weekend.

LittleSpy

I try to eat 100% of mine to reach around 1300 NET cals daily.

Won't lose weight anymore if I don't. Also, yum!

CasperO

I eat most of them, leave a little for a margin for error. I'm also reasonable about it. Yesterday I was on the bicycle for over 3 hours and burned off about 2500 calories, which gives me about 4500 to eat for the day. Nope, not happening, Paul Bunyan didn't eat that much.

krislshoe

I always eat at least half of my exercise calories.....I was stuck at the same number for over a week and someone suggested eating back most of my excercise calories so I tried it and continue to lose at a nice steady pace.....so yes...eat back those exercise calories.

funkyspunky871

I'm only weighing myself once a month, and not due to weigh in again until the 1st, but I know that I'm very close to hitting my final goal way ahead of schedule.

Was just reading through everybody else's posts and you've got me so excited for your weigh-in! I really hope you hit your goal! Promise you'll tell everybody on MFP.

---

No, I don't eat my exercise calories, because I don't really exercise that much. I'm going to start very, very, very soon, but I still don't think I'll eat them back. Seems to me like it defeats the purpose of exercising? Calories in, calories out... And more calories in? Not for me right now. Besides, I heard that if you get stuck, that's the best time to start eating them back (or half of them).

SHBoss1673

I eat most of them, leave a little for a margin for error. I'm also reasonable about it. Yesterday I was on the bicycle for over 3 hours and burned off about 2500 calories, which gives me about 4500 to eat for the day. Nope, not happening, Paul Bunyan didn't eat that much.

maybe not, but Michael Phelps ate about 11000 a day during his training (granted, he trained 6 hours a day, but still).

lvfunandfit

Yup! I eat them and I look forward to it!

Chelsinicole63

I usually most of them and I am consistently losing 1lb a week. Have you tried zig-zagging your calories? Some poeple swear by that.

no i havent, what do you do for that?

somigliana

I definitely do eat most of them and try my best to make it "good and healthy" calories or at least a protein shake.

Because I'm close to my goal weight, I have to be careful about having a large calorie deficit. My body is very skittish about not getting enough calories.

canstey

No, I don't eat my exercise calories, because I don't really exercise that much. I'm going to start very, very, very soon, but I still don't think I'll eat them back. Seems to me like it defeats the purpose of exercising? Calories in, calories out... And more calories in? Not for me right now. Besides, I heard that if you get stuck, that's the best time to start eating them back (or half of them).

You have that backwards if you are using MFP. MFP has already determined your maintenance calories and then deducted the 1-2 lbs per week deficit needed to reach it without having to do any exercise. The reason so many people have it in their heads that exercise is what creates the deficit is that is what is needed if you don't change your eating habits. If you are following MFP's guidelines then you have changed your eating habits, have a healthy calorie deficit, and your weight loss cannot be increased by adding exercise. Otherwise what can happen over time if you exercise regularly and don't eat them is your body has to start making choices.

Body: "Hmm. I was doing fine with the nutrients I was getting from this lower calorie diet and had enough fat reserves to make up the energy deficit but now there is all this extra muscle to repair. I don't have enough nutrients to cover everything and the energy gap is larger than the fat reserves can accommodate. Time to start stealing nutrients from the less important organs and slowing down the process. Also, maybe I should just use some of the muscle for energy because it is just wasting energy anyway. Less muscle, less energy needs."

Exercise increases the need for nutrients and calories. Either you were eating too much before you started exercising or you are eating too little after starting to exercise. Now with the minimum MFP daily calorie intake of 1200, some people might actually be getting more than enough nutrients and calories to support all the normal functions and moderate exercise without having to go over 1200.

I eat my exercise calories because I am at the limit without exercise. If I don't eat them then my workouts fall apart from lack of energy. As it is it takes my body about 4 days to fully restore my energy reserves after a maximum effort ride so I can do another maximum effort ride.

Bee28

I usually most of them and I am consistently losing 1lb a week. Have you tried zig-zagging your calories? Some poeple swear by that.

no i havent, what do you do for that?

Here's a link that explains it. Also, if you search zig-zagging on the forums here on MFP, there's a bunch of info about it people have posted.

http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm#

xonophone

I eat them, each and every one! And consistently lost 1-2 lb per week, while my goal was to lose only 1 pound per week.

ccgisme

I've been stuck for a while, so I'm trying to stick to 1900 calories per day (which is 1.5 lbs loss per wk for me) and leaving my exercise calories uneaten. This seems to be working in the short term. If I feel really hungry, I will eat those calories, but I try to eat lean protein, vegetables and fruits.

Although, if I find a bag of these Mr. Wong's Dragon Fire Doritos that Valqis is talking about, the I will plan a special work out so I can eat a small bag on top of my normal meals. :bigsmile: