Do you eat your exercise calories or leave them alone?

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Replies

  • Stefanie99
    Stefanie99 Posts: 45
    No, I don't.

    I already have a hard time meeting my calorie goal, 1800. I usually come in under, between 1600-1700. I don't think I could eat back my exercise calories even if I wanted to.

    Which is why I don't log my exercise. I wish there was a way to log it without MFP automatically adding them to your food chart, but since there's not, I just don't log my exercise at all.

    Not to be rude. But how did you put on weight in the first place if you can't even eat this lower intake???

    Because the food I'm eating now is WAY healthier.

    Healthy food usually has lower calories than non-healthy food.

    Now I have a big sandwich for lunch with low-cal cheese and meat and lettuce and tomato, and usually a fruit, for around 500 calories. Before, I would've gone to McDonald's or Taco Bell, had a 32-ounce Pepsi or Coke, and an extra large meal, for probably well over 1,000 calories.

    Now I have a fish fillet, green beans, and a baked potato for dinner, for around 600 calories (with my drink). Before, I would have a huge plate of spaghetti with meat sauce, a baked potato (yes, you read that right), garlic bread, and a side salad, + probably another 32-ounce Pepsi, for probably around 1,500 calories.

    Also, one of the biggest differences is, before, I would drink absolutely no water. Now, I drink *at least* 64 ounces a day, which I believe helps to make me feel fuller.

    I actually just went in and lowered my calorie goal to 1,700 because there's no sense keeping it at 1,800 when I obviously don't need it that high and I don't want it tempting me. :smile:

    Okay fair enough. Why not add high calorie healthy food such as: olive oil, avocado, nut butters, nuts, seeds, fruit, and if all else fails, drink more calories, a lot less filling.

    But why do I want to purposely add more calories?
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    Okay fair enough. Why not add high calorie healthy food such as: olive oil, avocado, nut butters, nuts, seeds, fruit, and if all else fails, drink more calories, a lot less filling.

    But why do I want to purposely add more calories?

    Since you have a lot to lose, based on your ticker, you should be fine eating less. For those with less than 50 or so lbs to lose eating too little can lead to the loss of a large % of lean muscle, instead of the fat they are looking at losing.
  • Stefanie99
    Stefanie99 Posts: 45
    Okay fair enough. Why not add high calorie healthy food such as: olive oil, avocado, nut butters, nuts, seeds, fruit, and if all else fails, drink more calories, a lot less filling.

    But why do I want to purposely add more calories?

    Since you have a lot to lose, based on your ticker, you should be fine eating less. For those with less than 50 or so lbs to lose eating too little can lead to the loss of a large % of lean muscle, instead of the fat they are looking at losing.

    That sounds right.

    I think 1700/1800 calories is a pretty good number, for me anyway, right now. I actually thought it was way too much, since every time I've dieted in the past, I always did 1000-1200, but my doctor advised me to go higher since I'm going to be working out also. Plus, I figured none of those diets in the past ever worked, obviously, so I probably shouldn't do the same thing again, lol.

    Right now, because I have severe foot pain when I walk or run, or even do the elliptical, I'm only exercising off probably less than 500 calories a day. As the weight starts coming off, and I am able to exercise more or longer, I'm sure I will need to look more closely at my calories.

    *Edited for spelling
  • rlmadrid
    rlmadrid Posts: 694 Member
    Okay fair enough. Why not add high calorie healthy food such as: olive oil, avocado, nut butters, nuts, seeds, fruit, and if all else fails, drink more calories, a lot less filling.

    But why do I want to purposely add more calories?

    Since you have a lot to lose, based on your ticker, you should be fine eating less. For those with less than 50 or so lbs to lose eating too little can lead to the loss of a large % of lean muscle, instead of the fat they are looking at losing.

    That sounds right.

    I think 1700/1800 calories is a pretty good number, for me anyway, right now. I actually thought it was way too much, since every time I've dieted in the past, I always did 1000-1200, but my doctor advised me to go higher since I'm going to be working out also. Plus, I figured none of those diets in the past ever worked, obviously, so I probably shouldn't do the same thing again, lol.

    Right now, because I have severe foot pain when I walk or run, or even do the elliptical, I'm only exercising off probably less than 500 calories a day. As the weight starts coming off, and I am able to exercise more or longer, I'm sure I will need to look more closely at my calories.

    *Edited for spelling

    Honestly, I wouldn't put too much stress on the numbers here. I aim for 1700-2000 cals a day and only work out (intensely) 5 times a week. I'm also within 20 lbs of my goal weight. That said, I recognize that life gets in the way of perfect dietary balance.

    Some easy ways to up your calories with beneficial foods are:
    Natural peanut butter (100 cals/tbsp)
    Chia seeds (about 65 cals/tbsp)
    Greek yogurt (they vary greatly, PC brand plain is 120 cals in a 1/4 cup)
    Nuts (high cals, about 300 or more in a 1/2 cup)
    Avocado (yummy, beneficial fats for 275 cals/whole)

    Those are just some ideas. You can also look to protein shakes to replenish your body after any sort of weight training (and resistance cardio). Most shakes average 120-150 cals per serving with 25 g of protein. I hope some of that helps. However I will say that if I am truly not hungry, I don't bother eating just to reach goal. Who knows, maybe the next day you'll be so hungry you'll eat an 8 ounce steak? It balances over the week, not necessarily daily.

    Good luck!
  • heidimaggott5
    heidimaggott5 Posts: 29
    I WAS eating mine, and was not losing , so as soon as I have recovered from my sinus infection, and start working out again, I won't!
  • Softrbreeze
    Softrbreeze Posts: 156 Member
    Some people exercise just so they CAN eat! Eat if you're hungry. Each to his/her own.
  • tansygreen
    tansygreen Posts: 85 Member
    Over a week I usually average out at eating about 2/3 of exercise cals back. I hardly every do on the same day I exercise though. It takes my appetite a while to catch up. I exercise about 4 times a week. I never eat low enough claories to be under 1200, because I have a good appetite.
    I wouldn't forve myself to eat them back just to make numbers add up, but if I look at my average over a week it is always more than half eaten back, if that makes sense.
  • FitBunnyEm
    FitBunnyEm Posts: 320
    I, unlike most people on this forum, do not think it necessary. Eat if you're hungry! I end up eating like 80 - 100 back after intense workouts. My goal is 1200/day.
    this is what i do too...
  • treromano
    treromano Posts: 38
    I eat some back it all depends how hungry I am and what I happen to eat that day!
  • koen612
    koen612 Posts: 83
    I eat all my exercise calories back. I believe in fueling your body. You dont expect to use your car and have it run properly, and not break down with no fuel in it right? Then why do that to your body? Your body is the most complex machine you have treat it right.
  • deb7727
    deb7727 Posts: 3 Member
    It depends on the day and what I'm doing I try to stay at the 1200 calories but I know that those extra calories are them if I want to use them.
  • hedalpedal
    hedalpedal Posts: 7 Member
    I have been using them as a buffer.

    But the machines at the gym and the calculator on MFP seem to be too good to be true. After some digging, turns out they are. Using a HRM is a great way to go, but if you can't afford one or not want to use one, try this:

    http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calories_burned.htm

    On a very small sample size it seemed to work pretty accurately compared to a HRM. I like that website a lot, and I use it all the time.

    So you might not have so many calories to play with anyway.

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