Eating your Workout Calories??

kristian_2001
kristian_2001 Posts: 2
edited December 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
Is it absolutely necessary to eat your workout calories? I mean, I'm new to this and all, but I would think you wouldn't want to eat them. Aren't you supposed to move more and eat less???

Replies

  • Mommy020508
    Mommy020508 Posts: 1
    I try not to eat mine. It hasn't hurt me, lol.
  • skylark94
    skylark94 Posts: 2,036 Member
    MFP is designed with a deficit already built in, so even if you don't exercise you will lose weight. Whether you do or not is up to you. If you find yourself hungry, you absolutely should eat.

    I try to eat back 1/2 to 2/3 of my exercise.
  • raystark
    raystark Posts: 403 Member
    I don't think in terms of "exercise calories" as much as keeping an eye on my calorie deficit for each day. My fitbit does a great job of balancing out my calorie burn with the calorie intake I log on MFP during the day so I just keep an eye on those stats and as long as I am running a calorie deficit of 250 to 1,000 towards the end of the day it's all good.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    It depends - if your daily goal is at 1200, you've eaten your 1200 but burn 300 in exercise, then your net calories is only at 900, which is pretty low.

    Personally, I make it a rule to never net below my BMR, which is the amount of calories the body burns if I just lay in bed all day. If I need that many calories (for me it's around 1430) just to exist, then how much more does my body need if I am out of bed, moving around through daily life? Add exercise to that, and the body needs even more fuel. :bigsmile:
    Aren't you supposed to move more and eat less???
    Yes, move more, and the eating less part depends on how much you have been eating and what types of food. Food is fuel, and asking your body to suddenly exercise hard and then not give it the basic fuel it needs is detrimental in the long run.

    Check out this topic - great info there and it helped me and a lot of other MFP members: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
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