Extra calories from exercise - do you use them?

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danijohnson
danijohnson Posts: 12 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi there! Purely out of curiosity, do you use your additional calories earned from exercise? All of them? Some? None?

I personally have only started to add regular workouts in for the last 3-4 weeks. Sometimes I use the additional calories and sometimes I don't. I don't think I have ever used them all. I am just curious what works for everyone else. I don't want to hurt my metabolism by not eating enough calories, but I am scared to eat too many! :)

Replies

  • alschultz33
    alschultz33 Posts: 199 Member
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    Hey! I try to use up the calories I burn off so I'm always hitting my 1200 calorie goal. From what I've heard, it can definitely hurt your metabolism if you're body isn't getting at least 1200.

    When I started, I would eat my 1200, then workout and didn't bother to eat back my calories. I pretty much did this for the same reason you mentioned...I was afraid to eat too much. If it makes you feel better, eat your calories back with healthier options (fruits/veggies/etc) and you'll feel less guilty about eating more.

    I just recently started making sure I was using them up again after workouts and I swear I'm noticing more weight loss now than I did before.

    Good luck! :)
  • aubreydarko
    aubreydarko Posts: 18
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    I personally do NOT use them, I notice my measurements and weight going down, faster when I do this. Make sure you are getting enough protein though and take a multiple vitamin (your body will hang onto water weight when its deficient in potassium and calcium)
  • Sharyn913
    Sharyn913 Posts: 777 Member
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    It depends on the day, it depends on the work out, it all depends. I personally take each day as they come. I try to work out M-F, and I listen to my body. I eat when I am hungry, and don't eat when I'm not hungry. If I am under, cool, if I go over, it's not the end of the world. I try to look at calories in vs calories out weekly versus daily.
  • APBTChampion
    APBTChampion Posts: 93 Member
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    I usually don't use the calories I gain from the exercise, just because I'm already eating 1200-1500 calories a day. Plus, it also means that if I want to have a splurge day... I can have it and not feel too guilty, because I didn't use them up earlier. Then again, I try not to have splurge days, I just eat what I want in moderation!

    BUT... if you're logging like 800+ calories a day from exercise, you might want to eat a little more, so you can fuel the muscles you're building!
  • sweetkeys
    sweetkeys Posts: 81 Member
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    I don't use them unless I have a special event, i.e. dinner out, holiday, celebration. I find that if I really want to lose weight, I need to exercise, exercise and exercise some more and never eat those extra calories. I always come in at or below my normal daily calories with my food and like to look at my extra calories as payment for the hard work I did exercising.
  • ohh_myy_quad
    ohh_myy_quad Posts: 43 Member
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    Hey! I try to use up the calories I burn off so I'm always hitting my 1200 calorie goal. From what I've heard, it can definitely hurt your metabolism if you're body isn't getting at least 1200.

    When I started, I would eat my 1200, then workout and didn't bother to eat back my calories. I pretty much did this for the same reason you mentioned...I was afraid to eat too much. If it makes you feel better, eat your calories back with healthier options (fruits/veggies/etc) and you'll feel less guilty about eating more.

    I just recently started making sure I was using them up again after workouts and I swear I'm noticing more weight loss now than I did before.

    Good luck! :)

    Time for me to re-evaluate myself and change things up a bit...I exercise regularly and vigorously and have a relatively good diet. But I am often under the 1200 calorie mark and still have only lost 2 pounds in nearly a month's time. I will be more conscientious of what/how much I eat and hope I can jumpstart the weight loss.
  • jzrharv
    jzrharv Posts: 126 Member
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    Sometimes, depends on what activities I've been doing. If I've biked to work and back and did my usual aerobic exercise (elliptical or Jazzercise), I'll eat back the bike calories and try to leave the the majority of the other one's untouched. If it's just the aerobics for the day, I'll try and only eat back half. But if they all get eaten, oh well. And if I don't feel like eating the full allowance of calories for the day, I definitely do not stress over it.

    There's always tomorrow...
  • danijohnson
    danijohnson Posts: 12 Member
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    Thanks everyone! I appreciate all the feedback!!! :)

    It sounds like for now I should just keep doing what I am doing. I know friends on here who eat 1400-1500 calories a day and still lose weight. I am at an allowance of 1200 calories a day and always am at or below that at the end of each day. I just want to make sure I am helping, not hurting, if I am at that level and also don't eat all (if any) of my calories from exercise. If I get to point that my weight loss stalls I may try eating my extra calories and see if that makes a difference. One day at a time! :)

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