Eating exercise cals the next day okay or no?

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justinegrey
justinegrey Posts: 59 Member
in Food and Nutrition
This isn't a question about whether or not I should eat exercise calories back... After using MFP for 3-4 weeks, I've tweaked the system for myself in a way that works for me (1350 calories a day, eating back exercise calories, usually exercising 300-900 cals off a day, am down 8+ pounds and 3% body fat) based on my BMR/TDEE.

What I'm wondering is does it screw up my metabolism if I eat them back another time?

Example - If I ate 1000 net one day, I would eat the extra 350 I missed some other time that week. I'm trying to eat them all back on the day of, but i was looking at my reports and notice that some days I'm still only netting like 1000 and know that's not good.

thanks in advance!

Replies

  • ltgarrow
    ltgarrow Posts: 342 Member
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    Personally, I set my goal a little higher. Around what I might normally eat in a day(within reason) and not eat back my excersize calories. With that being said, if you go over one day and stay well under the next, it does even out in the end as far as I'm concerned.
  • tiffanyheth
    tiffanyheth Posts: 510 Member
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    I feel that carrying your calories over is a bad idea. Sleeping sort of resets the body. But that's just my opinion. I'm no doctor!
  • NaurielR
    NaurielR Posts: 429 Member
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    I've been doing this recently. It's only been a couple weeks so I can't tell you how it affected me in the long term, but so far I feel no different than when I was eating my exercise calories back on the same day. Some people may tell you that you need to eat at least your BMR everyday, but so far I've had success netting low one day and high the next. If that changes in the future I might switch back, but personally I think the body is more than well equipped for something like this.
  • tekwriter
    tekwriter Posts: 923 Member
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    I think it evens out over the course of the week. However I am not a Dr. or Guru either.
  • justinegrey
    justinegrey Posts: 59 Member
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    Personally, I set my goal a little higher. Around what I might normally eat in a day(within reason) and not eat back my excersize calories. With that being said, if you go over one day and stay well under the next, it does even out in the end as far as I'm concerned.

    Interesting, thanks. The reason I keep mine lower and eat back calories is because I feel like it motivates me to exercise more. But I'm glad this is working for you.

    And thanks to everyone for your opinions. The resetting after sleep is something to consider, definitely. I know people have cheat days if they are good every other day so I was thinking it could be similar. I'm going to try and stick to the same day for cals earned but not get down on myself if I do too little/too much once in a while. Best of luck to everyone with your goals!
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    Personally, I set my goal a little higher. Around what I might normally eat in a day(within reason) and not eat back my excersize calories. With that being said, if you go over one day and stay well under the next, it does even out in the end as far as I'm concerned.
    This is how I approach it. I do not "eat back". Never have. I eat enough to fuel my body over the long run. And, if I don't reach the magical number one day, I figure I will in the next day or so. if I go over the magical number on one day, I figure it will even out. 3500 calories.... seems to me my body doesn't reset its counter at midnight.
  • littlelily613
    littlelily613 Posts: 769 Member
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    I wouldn't do that. I do know some people that eat by the week instead of by the day, and it seems to work for them, but I don't think it would work for me. I'd get too confused. :P
  • trb85
    trb85 Posts: 81 Member
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    While I try to eat to my goal every day, I don't stress if I'm over/under one day. As long as I'm good on my weekly calories, I don't stress.

    I just don't make it a habit of overeating in the middle of the week, then trying to starve at the end of the week just to come in at my weekly goal. But if I know that I have a big meal/event/whatever coming up, I'll bank some calories for that.
  • SmartAlec03211988
    SmartAlec03211988 Posts: 1,896 Member
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    Yes, if I have an abundance of left over calories from the previous day, I most certainly do make up for them the next. Hasn't hindered my weight loss in any way.
  • lelaspeaks
    lelaspeaks Posts: 163 Member
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    I don't because my daily energy expenditure (TDEE) varies depending on what I did that day.
  • Flowers4Julia
    Flowers4Julia Posts: 521 Member
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    I look at my weekly averages and don't worry so much about the day to day. Funny, when you listen to your body, it tends to make you eat higher on some days and lower on others.

    I know in the beginning of trying to lose weight, it is good to train yourself to eat even calories every day. But, some weeks will just call for fluctuations and that's okay!

    I know on days I really workout hard and I'm just tired, that I don't want to eat at my goal, then the next day I tend to make up for it.

    Good Luck!
  • hofosho1020
    hofosho1020 Posts: 179
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    I generally see that if I'm under one day and a little over the next it all shakes out in the end. This is kind of how the WW program would work too...you'd have a bank of "extra calories" that you could use all at once or spread out day to day.
  • breckinloggins
    breckinloggins Posts: 8
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    For me, I don't do this because experience has shown that adding little "exceptions" to my weight loss plans inevitably leads to a slippery slope that ends in "no weight loss plan".

    So it's a self-discipline thing. If you can give yourself an inch without taking a mile, go for it. I can't.
  • LemonMint6
    LemonMint6 Posts: 76
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    I look at my weekly averages and don't worry so much about the day to day. Funny, when you listen to your body, it tends to make you eat higher on some days and lower on others.

    I know in the beginning of trying to lose weight, it is good to train yourself to eat even calories every day. But, some weeks will just call for fluctuations and that's okay!

    I know on days I really workout hard and I'm just tired, that I don't want to eat at my goal, then the next day I tend to make up for it.

    Good Luck!

    This! Usually the day I work out if I just eat when I'm hungry, I don't eat all my cals back, but then on my rest day I want ALL THE FOOD! :)

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