Exercise Calories - do you eat them?

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Replies

  • angdpowers
    angdpowers Posts: 311 Member
    yea, I eat at least 1/2 of the calories back since MFP calorie tracker isn't a 100% accurate and neither are machines or even my HRM. So, just to be a tiny bit conserative, I eat back half. And besides, when your buring 500+ in exercise? You WANT and NEED to eat more.

    But yesterday I burned close to 1000 with shoveling snow, running, etc and there was no way I was going to eat ALL that back. So I ate my 1430 plus a few extra hundred. Its easier to do if you pick calorie and nutrient dense foods like mixed nuts, etc.

    I didn't like WW because I never felt like i was eating, was hungry and with MFP I get to be a real person and eat food and have dropped quite a bit in under 45 days :)

    Best of luck!
  • blanhe2
    blanhe2 Posts: 88
    Yes, I do. I love to eat :)
  • akaMrsmojo
    akaMrsmojo Posts: 762 Member
    I exercise just so I can eat more. What is the point otherwise.
  • Katrinadionne1808
    Katrinadionne1808 Posts: 95
    why don't you just change the foods you eat on the days you exercise so something that is higher calorie - but obviously not stupid.

    I always take my gym days as an opportunity to eat home made lasagne for example- I make this with turkey mince, pack it full of veggies and make my own sauces - a decent size portion brings it in at around 600 cals - bit more if you want to add some garlic bread into that.

    On my non gym days i tend to eat lower cal foods to make up for the fact I am not exercising - soups being a good example. Although I've seen some amazing cous cous recipes that are low cal so I might make some of them up to have after the gym so I don't go over too much.

    But as previous posters say - you must eat otherwise you're body will probably start to put itself into starvation mode and you will start to store whatever food you do consume.
  • rousehouse
    rousehouse Posts: 133 Member
    Yes, I usually eat them and I'm still losing weight. My wife usually doesn't eat them and she's still losing weight. So, I'm a bit torn on the "right" answer here. I know some people get passionate about this but as long as you're losing, I don't think it matters.
  • ackeebee
    ackeebee Posts: 1,042 Member
    I exercise just so I can eat more. What is the point otherwise.

    exactly this!
  • NutellaAddict
    NutellaAddict Posts: 1,258 Member
    I workout to eat.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    I think as long as you are eating your 1200 cal/day, then you have the choice of eating your excercise calories or leaving them in order to lose weight faster. Sometimes you can even save them up for the weekend. As long as you are burning more than you are eating you will lose weight.

    No, No, No...just no...

    2yu3sw37748.gif

    fast, faster, quickly, etc should never be used in the same sentence as the words weight & loss...

    *facepalm*, ignore this advice, pleeeeeaaaasssseee.

    who knew..calories are like cell phone minutes that roll over...!
  • Givemewings
    Givemewings Posts: 864 Member
    You should eat most of the exercise calories as MFP has already worked a deficit into your figures. Make sure your settings are at sedentary and then eat most of the exercise calories back. It works, I promise! I workout to eat too, sometimes,as Jackdiesel99 mentioned. It's not a bad thing. If you have trouble eating so much, eat calorie dense foods like nuts and peanut butter or avocados.
  • Pixi_Rex
    Pixi_Rex Posts: 1,676 Member
    you have eaten your fill as in you have eaten all your weekly points AND your activity points as well as your daily intake? because if you aren't eating those and just your daily and your still hungry eat back your weekly and activity points its why they are there...
  • gorguslyjealous
    gorguslyjealous Posts: 78 Member
    It depends on the day! Some days I don't feel hungry or can eat really clean foods and have no cravings so I'm fine sticking to the 1200 calories without eating my workout calories. But on some days when I know that I have a big splurge event coming up, I make sure that I burn as many calories as possible while working out because I know I'm going to be eating WAY over my 1200 calories :)

    As long as you're eating at least 1200 calories a day, you're fine. It's when you go under that you're putting your body into starvation mode. If we think about it, shows like the Biggest Loser where they're working out for HOURS a day, they're not eating all those calories back!! They're eating enough to be healthy but are working out as much as possible to burn those calories because once we are 3500 calories in the deficit, we should be losing a pound! :D
  • majope
    majope Posts: 1,325 Member
    Yup. I eat them. They taste twice as good as base calories.

    (And yes, I'm still losing weight--lost 35 pounds doing this two years ago, maintained within 5 pounds since, and am back to lose another 15.)
  • Rebirth08
    Rebirth08 Posts: 174 Member
    Since I need to create a deficit to burn the unwanted fat off, I don't purposely eat my calories; but sometimes, it may happen, which allows me room to eat higher calories in a particular day; But for now, I prefer to not eat my exercise calories; but if my body is hungry, I eat, just hope I pick a good food.
  • markrussell1983
    markrussell1983 Posts: 3
    As MFP already calculates my deficit I always try to eat my calories, normally I struggle to do it with food so have a meal replacement shake or a post workout shake, so know I am getting enough to refuel my body.

    Non exercise days my target is 1860, exercise days can be as high as 2800, so to maintain on exercise days I would have to be eating 3800!! No way I could do that!!!
  • Top_Hat_82
    Top_Hat_82 Posts: 7 Member
    I had reached a plateau and so have started eating some back, and have started losing weight again. I try and eat as much as i feel i need; ie to feel satisfied and not hungry. Try and listen to your body
  • Guggz
    Guggz Posts: 17 Member
    I usually eat somwhere between half and all of my burned cal, but some days none. Just depends. (On saturdays I eat them all).
    You at least have to refuel after your workouts so your muscle recover properly. Some say lot of protein, others lots of carbs. Many kinds of shakes that you could have. You can easilly restore your glucose stores with a banana (good carbs) or two fx. (appr. 100 cal each). It is simple at least, and easy to grab with you anywere. I would up your cal up to 1500. I know that the MFP does say 1200 but I changed mine and I a am 5"5 woman at 167 pounds (76kg) that works out 4 times a week.
  • JWat2020
    JWat2020 Posts: 80 Member
    I only eat my workout calories if I need to (hunger). Ever since I got my fitbit it has given me a lot more calories than I thought I should have (I am more active than I thought I was). If I am hungry I allow myself a little more cheese in a dish for flavor, or a little extra meat on the plate compared to the veggies. I plan on occasionally using my exercise calories on food I wouldn't otherwise eat like pizza or dairy queen. In my book it is a win win. I get motivation for workouts and I get to satisfy cravings that may otherwise trip me up.
  • grobekg
    grobekg Posts: 12 Member
    It somewhat depends on how you setup your profile. If you selected Active or Very Active taking into account your exercise routine, then the exercise calories are already part of your goal. But if you select Sedentary and then log your exercise, those exercise calories are there to be eaten if desired.
  • Brian_VA
    Brian_VA Posts: 125
    Remember that calories burned is only an estimate, and probably a high estimate. The more you do a particular exercise the more adept your body is at doing it and the less energy you actually burn. So eating all of you exercise calories probably will have you over eating. Eating about 1/2 is reasonable, but don't use exercise as an excuse to binge.
  • majope
    majope Posts: 1,325 Member
    It somewhat depends on how you setup your profile. If you selected Active or Very Active taking into account your exercise routine, then the exercise calories are already part of your goal. But if you select Sedentary and then log your exercise, those exercise calories are there to be eaten if desired.
    This seems to be a popular misconception. Activity level is NOT meant to include exercise, but the amount of time you spend on your feet during your normal daily activities and job. MFP only increases your daily calories a little bit (in my case, 120) if you go up to the next activity level.

    MFP is set up to eat your exercise calories no matter which activity level you choose.
  • akaMrsmojo
    akaMrsmojo Posts: 762 Member
    Remember that calories burned is only an estimate, and probably a high estimate. The more you do a particular exercise the more adapt your body is at doing it and the less energy you actually burn. So eating all of you exercise calories probably will have you over eating. Eating about 1/2 is reasonable, but don't use exercise as an excuse to binge.

    Speaking personally, I do not exercise for an excuse to binge. I exercise for my health first and for most. Plus MFP does not take exercise into account. They assume you don't, so exercise is a bonus. Food is not the enemy. Considering my mom had an eating disorder, I am not about starving myself or damaging my metabolism.

    I find people on her under eat in many cases when they do not eat their calories back.
  • GlorianEversea
    GlorianEversea Posts: 22
    Food is not the enemy.


    THIS!

    One of the best parts of this journey so far was realizing that I don't actually have to be at war with hunger! If you don't eat some of the exercise calories back, don't you feel like you're starving???

    There are reasons weight loss may slow if you eat the calories back...the biggest being that your body may actually begin to better produce muscle! But long-term, the science seems to show you should lose weight, sustainably and safely. I am wary of treating the bottom line weight as though the scale can tell you how healthy you are. And isn't health the goal?

    I also hope everyone is staying safe.
  • grobekg
    grobekg Posts: 12 Member
    It somewhat depends on how you setup your profile. If you selected Active or Very Active taking into account your exercise routine, then the exercise calories are already part of your goal. But if you select Sedentary and then log your exercise, those exercise calories are there to be eaten if desired.
    This seems to be a popular misconception. Activity level is NOT meant to include exercise, but the amount of time you spend on your feet during your normal daily activities and job. MFP only increases your daily calories a little bit (in my case, 120) if you go up to the next activity level.

    MFP is set up to eat your exercise calories no matter which activity level you choose.

    It is not as much a misconception as it is a perspective. I set my profile to Sedentary because I have a desk job and then I log my exercise. However some people prefer to have the initial goal set with everything already accounted for, so if they know (or at least plan) to exercise everyday, they decide to set their profile to a more active level and figure they are offsetting it with their exercise. It probably is not as precise, but it is a method used.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    It somewhat depends on how you setup your profile. If you selected Active or Very Active taking into account your exercise routine, then the exercise calories are already part of your goal. But if you select Sedentary and then log your exercise, those exercise calories are there to be eaten if desired.
    This seems to be a popular misconception. Activity level is NOT meant to include exercise, but the amount of time you spend on your feet during your normal daily activities and job. MFP only increases your daily calories a little bit (in my case, 120) if you go up to the next activity level.

    MFP is set up to eat your exercise calories no matter which activity level you choose.

    it's not a popular misconception, it's popular alternatives to setting up MFP.. Essentially, it's estimating your TDEE and then forming a deficit from there. In this case, TDEE includes exercise. And I can tell you, this approach generally works better than the traditional MFP way as you are not estimating exercise calories and you eat the same thing every day.
  • cnlargent
    cnlargent Posts: 199 Member
    I attempt to eat about 1/2 my exercise calories back, but some days I eat most of them back.
  • amyshiel
    amyshiel Posts: 9
    LOL thanks everyone!

    I ate them ALL back yesterday mwuahahaha. I burnt 500cals this morning on a run and I have my lifestyle set to sedentary as when I am at work I am sat at a desk. Though I run in the morning and ride in the afternoon.

    I will eat back at least half of my exercise cals and see where that gets me. I only want to lose 7 to 10lbs that have been hanging on since my daughter was born....that and I am getting older...gah! :laugh:
  • majope
    majope Posts: 1,325 Member
    It somewhat depends on how you setup your profile. If you selected Active or Very Active taking into account your exercise routine, then the exercise calories are already part of your goal. But if you select Sedentary and then log your exercise, those exercise calories are there to be eaten if desired.
    This seems to be a popular misconception. Activity level is NOT meant to include exercise, but the amount of time you spend on your feet during your normal daily activities and job. MFP only increases your daily calories a little bit (in my case, 120) if you go up to the next activity level.

    MFP is set up to eat your exercise calories no matter which activity level you choose.

    it's not a popular misconception, it's popular alternatives to setting up MFP.. Essentially, it's estimating your TDEE and then forming a deficit from there. In this case, TDEE includes exercise. And I can tell you, this approach generally works better than the traditional MFP way as you are not estimating exercise calories and you eat the same thing every day.
    You're talking about something very different. Estimating your TDEE and eating between that and BMR is a great way to go, but it's not how MFP is set up. The different activity levels on MFP do NOT take exercise into account, and several times in the past few days I've seen people claim they do. Just wanted to clarify that since there are indeed people here who seem to think that if they choose anything besides "Sedentary" then they shouldn't eat back their exercise calories.

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