Are you eating the calories earned from your workouts?

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I have only been using MFP for a little over a week now, and things are going great. The only issue I have, if you can even call it that, is the guilt I feel every day when I close out the day. I do not tend to eat the extra calories that I earn when I work out, and I always get the message that I am not eating enough calories, and am below my calorie goal for the day. I wanted to know if everyone tends to eat these calories, and if I should be doing so.

Replies

  • veddar79
    veddar79 Posts: 205
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    Definitely. I workout out sometimes just to be able to eat/drink more. I've been losing steadily...
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    you should eat the exercise calories back. you dont have a huge amount of weight to lose, so too large a deficit can do you more harm than good.
  • DaveAsh8
    DaveAsh8 Posts: 76 Member
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    i am trying to eat back my defecit.. but i really struggle. weirdly i used to be able to eat way over my reccomended daily allowance for calories.. but now im finding I am filling myself up with half the calories I was eating before my diet as the portion size is bigger but so much healthier meals.... In fact I am kind of getting put of from doing excercise as its more calories I have to eat and struggling to force myself to eat when full.
  • trophywife24
    trophywife24 Posts: 1,472 Member
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    I did not while I was actively trying to loose. Now that I am maintaining my weight, I will eat some of them.... if I am hungry. I don't eat calories just because they're 'there', kwim? But if you're hungry, eat.
  • jobylou72
    jobylou72 Posts: 8 Member
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    Ahhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!
    But can you use the extra for booze????
    I flipping hope so cos I certainly do.x
  • mnolan3313
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    I think I just need to get out of the mindset of "less is more," and start eating them. I have noticed better results when I do eat more. I was on Weight Watchers for 3 months and lost 20lbs, but became stagnant for about 6 weeks, so I am trying this approach now. It has really been working well for me so far. Thanks for the input.
  • kaotik26
    kaotik26 Posts: 590 Member
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    I usually don't just because I know that the exercise calories are not accurate, usually a lot higher. If I go over my original goal on days when I exercise I don't fret about it but just because it says I earned 449 I don't make an effort to eat all that back. The way I see things is the whole reason why I am needing to lose weight now is because I ate when I wasn't hungry so now I eat only when I need to.
  • lornaloo3
    lornaloo3 Posts: 102
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    If I'm hungry I eat some or part of them back, but I don't make it a rule to eat them all back automatically nor do I make it a rule to never eat them. It's about listening to your body, figuring out what you need, and making the healthiest choice you can for yourself.
  • mayamagallanes
    mayamagallanes Posts: 85 Member
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    I was going back and fourth on this. I decided I wont eat all of them back. Usually I am hungry after I workout so I have a sandwich or some fruit ect just something to hold me over till breakfast (I workout from 630-8ishpm everyday) Everyone is different though so do whats best for you! I try and take in 1200 calories during the day but I have found it hard to eat those since I have been filling up on good nutritious food and I dont seem hungry at all. To cut down on the deficit I will eat afterworks IF I AM HUNGRY. Good Luck!