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Do you eat your calories from exercise?

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AmIhealthyyet
AmIhealthyyet Posts: 361 Member
in Social Groups
Okay friends! Please help me decide if I should, or shouldn't, eat the calories I gain from exercise. I am not talking about my daily activity that burns things, I am talking about my work outs! Just want to know what is working or not working for others! Thank you!!

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  • Fairysoul
    Fairysoul Posts: 1,361 Member
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    I have always eaten my cals back and I have lost about 40 pounds. I say go for it!
  • MikeFlyMike
    MikeFlyMike Posts: 639 Member
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    I did NOT eat my calories back when losing weight. (I now don't log so I have no idea).
    I DID eat to satiety but noticed my caloric intake was no where near the amount if I had added back calories back in.
    I tried to explicitly eat high protein and add some fat and that helped tremendously with my workouts and my satiety.
  • Need2bfit918
    Need2bfit918 Posts: 133 Member
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    I eat if I'm hungry, If not I don't .
  • renkatrun
    renkatrun Posts: 111 Member
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    Just starting paleo, so I have been counting calories since Christmas. Lost little until I stopped eating back my exercise calories. I think I probably underestimated what I was taking in, though.
  • AmIhealthyyet
    AmIhealthyyet Posts: 361 Member
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    I eat if I'm hungry, If not I don't .

    For me I am not to that point, I eat regardless and feel the need to count! Would love to become normal and JUST eat when I need to!
  • sheilabeila66
    sheilabeila66 Posts: 8
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    This question came up on the MFP facebook page and someone from the MFP team (and by this I don't mean a user) but someone actually from MFP explained the importance of eating your workout calories to prevent your body from going into starvation mode and hanging on to fat. I am not an expert but my experience has been that if I am working out a lot or at high intensity and I don't eat back most of those calories, I don't lose weight plus I feel really tired and sluggish making it harder and harder to workout.

    I think I am like you in that I can't go entirely on whether I'm hungry or not. I'm not quite there yet (although well on my way I think)! As a general rule I eat back most or at least some of my workout calories. Don't forget your body needs these nutrients to recover after a workout.

    Anyone else agree?
  • lintlin
    lintlin Posts: 32 Member
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    I believe in Calorie Cycling. I think that above all else will keep your metabolism "guessing" and working high. So one day I might eat 2000 cals, the next day only 900, the day after that 1500 etc. At the moment I am letting how I feel determine what kind of caloric day I'm going to have, but if weight loss stalls I will do serious calorie cycling using a plan.
  • AmIhealthyyet
    AmIhealthyyet Posts: 361 Member
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    I do kind of cycle, go for an average over the week as opposed to the daily totals. I do appreciate everyone helps. I do eat a big protien meal after my work outs but struggle to find a 'perfect' system. Haha like there really is one . It makes me nervous to eat more just because I burned 500 calories in a work out.
  • AmIhealthyyet
    AmIhealthyyet Posts: 361 Member
    Options
    This question came up on the MFP facebook page and someone from the MFP team (and by this I don't mean a user) but someone actually from MFP explained the importance of eating your workout calories to prevent your body from going into starvation mode and hanging on to fat. I am not an expert but my experience has been that if I am working out a lot or at high intensity and I don't eat back most of those calories, I don't lose weight plus I feel really tired and sluggish making it harder and harder to workout.

    I think I am like you in that I can't go entirely on whether I'm hungry or not. I'm not quite there yet (although well on my way I think)! As a general rule I eat back most or at least some of my workout calories. Don't forget your body needs these nutrients to recover after a workout.

    Anyone else agree?


    I did just get a heart rate monitor that also counts calories so I think it will help me keep better track of things. I think I will also start logging my food to see if that helps me.
  • impyimpyaj
    impyimpyaj Posts: 1,073 Member
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    I don't right now, BUT that's because I set my calorie goal to maintenance for now. Being short and lazy, my TDEE is only about 1560ish, so I needed a break from eating at a deficit since I haven't been working out to earn more calories. I used to eat my workout calories routinely though, for the reasons outlined above. It helped me feel stronger, and I never once hit a plateau or felt like I was getting deprived or unhealthy.
  • briannadunn
    briannadunn Posts: 841 Member
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    I always gain weight back if I eat my exercise calories back and when I don't I lose. I try to keep it above 1200 calories at a minimum net. Hope that helps. Of course I can't eat beef, dairy from a cow, drink alcohol because I am allergic and bread products make me sick so I don't really have problems eating this way if I am behaving myself.
  • Need2bfit918
    Need2bfit918 Posts: 133 Member
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    I eat if I'm hungry, If not I don't .

    For me I am not to that point, I eat regardless and feel the need to count! Would love to become normal and JUST eat when I need to!
    if you are going over your range on a regular basis by eating those calories i would think differently, but if you are not going over, and your hungry, eat those calories back, but i don't believe you have to even when your not hungry. i didn't intend that to come off as talking about eating in general, just when considering eating those earned calories, so i am sorry if that came off as dismissive.
  • AmIhealthyyet
    AmIhealthyyet Posts: 361 Member
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    [/quote]if you are going over your range on a regular basis by eating those calories i would think differently, but if you are not going over, and your hungry, eat those calories back, but i don't believe you have to even when your not hungry. i didn't intend that to come off as talking about eating in general, just when considering eating those earned calories, so i am sorry if that came off as dismissive.
    [/quote]


    That does help,mic I am HUNGRY and want some healthy protien I should go for it, but not have those "extra's just to eat them!
  • Need2bfit918
    Need2bfit918 Posts: 133 Member
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    if you are going over your range on a regular basis by eating those calories i would think differently, but if you are not going over, and your hungry, eat those calories back, but i don't believe you have to even when your not hungry. i didn't intend that to come off as talking about eating in general, just when considering eating those earned calories, so i am sorry if that came off as dismissive.
    [/quote]


    That does help,mic I am HUNGRY and want some healthy protien I should go for it, but not have those "extra's just to eat them!
    [/quote]yes
  • pattyproulx
    pattyproulx Posts: 603 Member
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    I don't make it a point to eat back my calories. If I find I'm hungry for them, I'll eat but I don't force myself to eat them back. I've had incredibly active days where I've netted negative calories, but I wasn't hungry.

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