Should you really use the extra calories from exercise?

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hchase101
hchase101 Posts: 2
in Health and Weight Loss
I am a bit confused about the extra calories you are awarded when you exercise. It is extremely important to eat that many more calories or will you lose more weight if you ignore them? I am set at 1200 calories because I sit at a desk all day. But I do zumba twice a week and walk about thirty minutes the other days. I find it's hard to use up all the calories I am given on a zumba day. Any suggestions? Thank you.
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Replies

  • mamasmaltz3
    mamasmaltz3 Posts: 1,111 Member
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    I eat back about 80% of them.
  • Mistyblu08
    Mistyblu08 Posts: 580 Member
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    I feel the same way- I dont feel like I am doing as well when i am eating them all back...as long as I dont get lower than 1200 cals a day I figure I am good and then when I do have a day where I want sweets...I have those cals to fall back on
  • BrunetteRunner87
    BrunetteRunner87 Posts: 591 Member
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    I exercise so that I can eat more!
  • jodiegauv91
    jodiegauv91 Posts: 20
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    I don't think it's particularly important to eat them back entirely. Usually you will eat part of them back because more exercise makes you more hungry, but if you have a few hundred left and don't feel like you need the food, I don't see anything wrong with that. I just try to listen to what my body needs rather than follow the exacts number!
  • poeco76
    poeco76 Posts: 139 Member
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    For me personally, I take it day by day and try to listen to what my body is telling me. If I'm hungry, then I eat some of them, if I'm not, then I don't see the need to eat mindlessly. Generally speaking, the more/harder I workout though, the hungrier I am, so often times I need the calories to keep myself going. I don't want to be weak and unable to do my workouts, but I also want to lose. I think we find the balance with this over time, and you may need to experiment a bit to see what works for you. There are folks who do eat all the exercise calories and still lose, but that doesn't happen to work for me.
  • nsmpal
    nsmpal Posts: 11
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    For me personally, I take it day by day and try to listen to what my body is telling me. If I'm hungry, then I eat some of them, if I'm not, then I don't see the need to eat mindlessly. Generally speaking, the more/harder I workout though, the hungrier I am, so often times I need the calories to keep myself going. I don't want to be weak and unable to do my workouts, but I also want to lose. I think we find the balance with this over time, and you may need to experiment a bit to see what works for you. There are folks who do eat all the exercise calories and still lose, but that doesn't happen to work for me.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    If you are accurate in your intake and burns, and you exercise a lot, then you probably ought to be eating them. I will crash and burn if I don't, but also, I am very honest and accurate about calories in and calories out.
  • nsmpal
    nsmpal Posts: 11
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    I agree with her, sometimes I eat them back. Listen to your stomach. My sister eats her exersize calories back and she is consistently losing weight.
  • megsmom2
    megsmom2 Posts: 2,362 Member
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    yes. you should use them. Your body needs good fuel to function...even when, and especially when, you're losing weight.
  • mystikalbeanz
    mystikalbeanz Posts: 192 Member
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    I just read on another post that when you calculate your TDEE - 20% that you should eat the same # of calories a day and not eat back any exercise calories because thats already calculated into your TDEE. Which makes sense but now im confused because others say that since you have the 20% deficit already taken out you can eat back your exercise calories to keep you at that deficit and maintain muscle. Can anyone clarify this. I dont understand why it has to be so confusing and controversial.
  • yanners2002
    yanners2002 Posts: 6
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    Again I think you need to listen to your body. Sometimes I eat all of them but most of the time I have a couple hundred left over. I lose consistently also. I also exercise a lot, sometimes earning an extra 1000 calories.
  • TheRealParisLove
    TheRealParisLove Posts: 1,907 Member
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    I let my body be my guide. If I am hungry, I eat back my exercise calories. If not, then I don't worry about it.
  • adswillis27
    adswillis27 Posts: 76 Member
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    I just read on another post that when you calculate your TDEE - 20% that you should eat the same # of calories a day and not eat back any exercise calories because thats already calculated into your TDEE. Which makes sense but now im confused because others say that since you have the 20% deficit already taken out you can eat back your exercise calories to keep you at that deficit and maintain muscle. Can anyone clarify this. I dont understand why it has to be so confusing and controversial.

    TDEE includes exercise calories. If you calculate your BMR then you should be eating your BMR plus exercise calories. Hope that helps.
  • Mguilmot
    Mguilmot Posts: 232 Member
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    When I burn 800+ I eat maybe 150 of them. I burn a lot, and I almost never eat them. I'm not losing muscle, and still losing lots of fat. Honestly, I don't really care about eating more when I exercise.
  • lifescircle
    lifescircle Posts: 108
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    You know... this question comes around a lot and I've read a lot of response. And it got me thinking some more...

    If you're really working out hard, you'll need those calories, probably not all, but definitely a lot of them.

    If you're not really working out that hard, then probably not.

    If I go for a casual 2 mile walk, I don't eat back those calories burned as I really didn't expend that much energy.

    I think when you have a hard workout, you know it and you know you need to eat... got to or you'll just run out of energy.

    Unfortunately, I do see a lot of "I exercise so I can eat more", which is not the point of it... not at all.
  • abbylg1983
    abbylg1983 Posts: 177 Member
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    I am not a big fan of eating for the sake of eating. If you've had 1200 calories and are not hungry, I don't see the point in forcing yourself to eat. I think if you get to the point where your body needs those extra calories, you WILL be hungry. If you are at 1200 calories and you just finished a really tough zumba class and you're hungry, by all means, eat. Hell, if you're at 1200 calories and you're hungry you should eat even if you haven't exercised that day- just make it something healthy. But I wouldn't eat just to meet some arbitrary number.
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
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    I track my calories burned with my Polar FT60 heart rate monitor and eat back 85% of my exercise calories and leave 15% for error.... I have lost a few pounds doing this method.... Best of Luck.....
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
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    Unfortunately, I do see a lot of "I exercise so I can eat more", which is not the point of it... not at all.

    Why not? It's worked great for me - it gives me a little extra incentive to exercise.

    You have to be realistic about how many calories you are burning, and not use 15 minutes on the treadmill as an excuse to eat a Whopper with Bacon.
  • lifescircle
    lifescircle Posts: 108
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    oh... and over-estimating calories burned can mess you up.

    It's best to get a HRM or if you can't then I definitely would not eat all those calories back because they are probably way out of whack.

    A lot of people screw themselves up going by generic calories burned and eating them all back. When in fact, they didn't burn that many calories at all.
  • lifescircle
    lifescircle Posts: 108
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    Unfortunately, I do see a lot of "I exercise so I can eat more", which is not the point of it... not at all.

    Why not? It's worked great for me - it gives me a little extra incentive to exercise.

    You have to be realistic about how many calories you are burning, and not use 15 minutes on the treadmill as an excuse to eat a Whopper with Bacon.

    "Why not?" what?

    You contradicted yourself.

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