the fullness factor.

I am curious about any one else's success in regards to working out and eating till full.
I recently learned I love doing cardio at the gym. I logged several hours in last week alone. But my problem is that I don't really want to resort to fast food just to replenish those calories. Can I just stop eating when I am full? I recently quit ww for this program and I like it much better. I've lost 55 so far so this isn't an entirely new concept to me. But the exercise is. Clearly I wouldn't want my body to go into starvation mode. One day last week I had a net 135 calories consumed but I didn't feel like eating more. I was not just not hungry. But I felt full

Replies

  • Eat when you're hungry. If you're not hungry, don't eat. You don't need to eat back exercise calories. Some people recommend you do, some think you shouldn't. Do what feels right to you. Hungry after working out? eat. Not hungry? Let it be.

    ETA: MFP sometimes seriously overestimates calories burned. Take it with a grain of salt.
  • I should clarify, I like this better than ww!
  • I was hoping to hear that. But I wanted to hear someone else's opinion

    The calorie count does seem a bit high but I get mine from runtastic and runkeeper seems to have similar figures. I would like to think that exercise calories are more like the gold star at the end of the day. Cash them in if I need to, other wise just watch them grow.
  • NCchar130
    NCchar130 Posts: 955 Member
    I agree, stop when you're full/satisfied.

    There will be plenty of days most likely when you'll be hungrier than normal. You can 'bank' calories on the less hungry days and then eat more on the hungry days. I've done this all along. I look at my totals for the week instead of worrying too much about each particular day.
  • LPCoder
    LPCoder Posts: 404 Member
    I am curious about any one else's success in regards to working out and eating till full.
    I recently learned I love doing cardio at the gym. I logged several hours in last week alone. But my problem is that I don't really want to resort to fast food just to replenish those calories. Can I just stop eating when I am full? I recently quit ww for this program and I like it much better. I've lost 55 so far so this isn't an entirely new concept to me. But the exercise is. Clearly I wouldn't want my body to go into starvation mode. One day last week I had a net 135 calories consumed but I didn't feel like eating more. I was not just not hungry. But I felt full

    Why do you feel like you have to resort to fast food? You can eat nuts and cheese which are calorie dense and just a few ounces provides a healthy caloric intake. Listening to your body is important, but 135 net calories is not sustainable in the long run. WIthout baing able to see your diary, I can't provide more feedback than that.
  • I referred to fast food because like you mentioned it is calorie dense and it made a good example. I could get calories in a hurry as opposed to stuffing my face. I keep a pail of mixed nuts around, partially because I love them but also because of the protein and healthy fats. But you are right, just a handful (2 ounces) is 280 calories. Although they make the perfect snack imo, it can and will send fat levels and sodium levels through the roof.

    Nuts and cheese will provide such nutrients but at that point we are talking about eating just to be eating. And I would think that would develop even worse habits.
  • takumaku
    takumaku Posts: 352 Member
    Do what feels is acceptable to you. You are accountable for your actions. I personally follow the motto, "eat to workout", not "workout to eat". Translation: I eat back my workout calories. This works for me. I have been following this plan for a few years now. ^_^

    I also strive to get 1g of protein per lb of lean body mass and .35 g of fat per lb of lean body mass.
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
    Eat when you're hungry. If you're not hungry, don't eat. You don't need to eat back exercise calories. Some people recommend you do, some think you shouldn't. Do what feels right to you. Hungry after working out? eat. Not hungry? Let it be.
    Hunger (or lack of hunger) is not always the best sign of how much food your body needs. For example, it's not uncommon for people to lose their appetites when they consistently undereat. I listened to my body and found myself with 85 lbs to lose. Lately, if I was eating what my body told me to, I'd probably end up losing much more weight than I intended. Listening to my brain is actually working out much better.
    I would like to think that exercise calories are more like the gold star at the end of the day. Cash them in if I need to, other wise just watch them grow.
    It seems there are a lot of people who like to see it that way, but that's not really how MFP is designed to work. Assuming you're following the goal MFP gave you (and haven't customised your own based on your TDEE) then that goal was given to you on the assumption that you would eat back exercise calories. Otherwise, MFP would have given you a higher goal, taking any planned exercise into account.
    Do what feels is acceptable to you. You are accountable for your actions.
    Ultimately, ^this.
  • TDEE?
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    TDEE?
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    ^ The first post in this thread explains TDEE as well as a lot of other things that you may find helpful.
  • billp222
    billp222 Posts: 2 Member
    am new to this, what do you think about saving calories? I lik pizza nd beer on friday night. I am under my calories goal during the week and would like to binge on friday night.
  • Rayman79
    Rayman79 Posts: 2,009 Member
    am new to this, what do you think about saving calories? I lik pizza nd beer on friday night. I am under my calories goal during the week and would like to binge on friday night.

    Perfectly fine. Don't go nuts but if your average intake is below maintenance on an ongoing basis you will still lose weight. Just make sure you are getting decent nutrition on each day, this is more important to consciously think of when keeping calories low.
  • billp222
    billp222 Posts: 2 Member
    thanks i am 62 and tryting to lose wight. Hope this works, so far it makes me more aware of what i am eating, does anyone feeel the same?