Do you eat your burned calories?

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gillian_gail
gillian_gail Posts: 66
in Food and Nutrition
I've noticed that on the days that I exercise, I actually eat less than on the days that I don't. I have a really hard time getting to my calorie goal on a normal day, but when I exercise I'm finding it even harder.

So my question is, do you all eat the extra calories you gain when you exercise? Also, is it better to try and eat those extra calories or just try to stick with your original daily goal?

Thank you in advance for any responses. Looking forward to reading them :happy:

--Gillian--
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Replies

  • evanbeek
    evanbeek Posts: 42 Member
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    I only use them if I have a special occasion or am feeling like splurging a little. Otherwise, as long as you meet your base calorie goal, anything left over is just extra lost weight. : )
  • lazygirllosesweight
    lazygirllosesweight Posts: 190
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    Most everyone here is going to tell you that you MUST EAT THEM OR YOU WON'T LOSE WEIGHT!

    I never eat them. I've lost 44 lbs (and counting).

    I think it's up to you.

    In my opinion, the most important thing is that you make sure you are fueling your body. If you feel weak or sick then you aren't eating enough and you need to bump it up. But if you feel fine and you are meeting your goals, then do what works for you.

    Also, I've heard that increasing your calorie intake can help if you've plateaued. I don't have any experience with that, so I'm not sure. (What I mean, is yes, I've plateaued. But to this point they've been small plateaus so I haven't fiddled with my calories trying to fix it.)
  • jheller
    jheller Posts: 194
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    No. Why would I want to increase my calories to cover what I burned - that's the point of burning in my opinion. I also consider those burned calories a hard earned reward for working out. But you know some days are tough and you just need that little extra helping at dinner or something sweet in the evenings (not often but occasionally!) and knowing that I exercised and burned those calories gives me greater options to manage my food.

    I really wish this site did not add them into your daily intake - it seems counterproductive.

    Jessica
  • hiddensecant
    hiddensecant Posts: 2,446 Member
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    If you have over 100 lbs to lose, it's not entirely important to eat all your exercise calories. But do try to get in your 1700 at least.

    Maybe you can try a glass of chocolate milk after your workouts (170 calories).

    NOTE: Typically, you should eat your exercise calories. Especially those of you on 1200 calorie diets .. that's what your body needs to function minimum. When you exercise to burn off an extra 500 calories, you leave your body with a mere 700 calories to do all the important stuff (like keep your heart beating).
  • cds2327
    cds2327 Posts: 439
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    yes, you need to
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    My opinion after a few months here .

    Generally yes, you should eat them back. BUT there seems to be some instances where if you don't eat them back it's ok. This probably is the single most confusing aspect of this site.

    The site sets you up to start at a caloric deficit. Sometimes its a pretty big deficit. So, when you exercise and don't add back what you've burned, you can get into a dangerously high deficit. (unhealthy)
    I think a lot more people would be better off starting at an "even" caloric balance and then they can use exercise calories to create thier deficit.
  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
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    I work out everyday so I'm hungry all day even on days I don't work out because my metabolism is still going...so on days I don't work out, I really have to manage my food well or I'll be STARVING. So on days I work out, yeah, I tend to eat every last one. Eating my exercise calories works for me.

    If not eating yours helps you lose weight and you're not hungry, then you should be fine. Just remember that not eating them is creating a larger deficit so eventually it could stall or slow your weight loss and when that happens, it's time to think about eating some or most of them.
  • de1amo
    de1amo Posts: 266 Member
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    when your young your metabolism is naturally more virilant--i dont think there is an answer to this-we are all unique and we have different diets with different components--i never eat all my exercise calories but come as closer to possible on other headings--a cup of chocolate is not going to give a good boost to the metabolism no matter what time you take it--the sugar in it has no purpose in the body other than rot your teeth--if you eat healthily and arent hungry your doing the best you can--

    i feel less hungry on the days i exercise and need less calories than when i am sitting around thinking about my next meal-like today when i am resting after a heavy session on the machines yesterday--rest is as beneficial as exercise in all this--think healthy think substainable and long term--i have crash dieted and it comes back and you lose your muscle in the process
  • leix
    leix Posts: 176
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    Ive only recently heard about this. So far ive lost 44lbs not eating my exercise cals.
    Some days i'll eat a little back, but i wont get all of them.
    I just try to hit my main daily goal as some days i cant even do that.
  • de1amo
    de1amo Posts: 266 Member
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    in the theory of this place you have been fortunate not to push your body into starvation mode and a stop to the weight loss -i have done the same with my loss of 24lbs and still dont eat many of my exercise units--i sense i am slightly older than you so bang goes my theory of age and bmr affect!
  • Umpire57
    Umpire57 Posts: 389 Member
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    I know many are going to hate this but I have to say, If I didn't eat them I would be starving. People always ask this and say they can't eat all their calories. I have to say I have NO issues eating mine while eating healthy and I still average what they say I will which is 2 pounds a week.
  • de1amo
    de1amo Posts: 266 Member
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    like i said i dont and i still lose 2lbs a week and that is a higher percentage for me because i am smaller. i dont eat my calories back but i get hungry the next day--im sure the 2 are linked but i grind it out and keep under my allowance of 1200 cals. the max i have eaten here is 1600 cals++ im sure i could eat more if i drank some beer or a chocolate as someone suggested but i would feel that isnt the point of dieting and those type of things have no nutritional goodness
  • lazygirllosesweight
    lazygirllosesweight Posts: 190
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    I know many are going to hate this but I have to say, If I didn't eat them I would be starving. People always ask this and say they can't eat all their calories. I have to say I have NO issues eating mine while eating healthy and I still average what they say I will which is 2 pounds a week.

    Well, I think that's different. If I were starving, I'd eat mine. Obviously it's a bad idea to deprive your body of the energy it needs. But I think people who claim you MUST or you're doing it wrong are a little extreme. :)
  • de1amo
    de1amo Posts: 266 Member
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    yesterday i had 900 calories of exercise and i start from only 1200 thats about an 75pc increase--i wouldnt want to eat that much if i could physically do it while keeping on only healthy foods
  • LuckyLeprechaun
    LuckyLeprechaun Posts: 6,296 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo


    there is a wealth of info on this thread. I recommend eating them. our biggest losers recommend eating them.

    you wouldn't try to drive your car cross country and not refuel the tank right?
  • timbotina
    timbotina Posts: 1,130 Member
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    I usually try to stay in my alotted calories (before exercise)...so far I have lost 30 lbs. doing so......but there are days when we go out to eat or go to a party (tis the season for graduations and weddings) so I do splurge some then...but I feel as thought I am not on a diet just trying to be healthy 80% of the time and bad 20% of the time......doing it this way doesn't seem very had and has more staying power.....also if you are working out and you are hungry....eat a little more but only if you want....don't consume calories just to meet a certain number.....that is senseless.......eating healthy all day whether you exercise or not should leave your body satisfied.......just MY opinion.........
  • KaySaver
    KaySaver Posts: 92 Member
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    Yes! Yes! Yes!

    Eat those calories!

    You may have been eating up to 2000 or even 3000 calories before you started MFP, and just by changing your daily calorie intake you can lose weight!

    So if you change the way you eat and you are losing calories why would you then exercise and not eat those calories? You will end up starving your body and your body will hold onto everything it can and make losing weight even more difficult then it already is.

    Your body needs so many calories just to survive and live even if you don't do a damn thing. So eat those calories in a healthy way, add the exercise and eat those calories.

    Your body will see that you are feeding it and exercising it and it will reward you by speeding up your metabolism and get rid of those unwanted unhealthy pounds!

    You need to learn how to re-eat so that you don't get back into this situation, like so many of us. Yes before I used to not eat the calories and I did lose weight but look where I am right now! After four times of losing the weight I am right back where I started because of not doing it correctly.
    This time after a lot of reading and research I'm doing it the right way and I am keeping this weight off for good!
  • de1amo
    de1amo Posts: 266 Member
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    when you get your initial bmr rate for your calorie count it is obtained by giving your start weight-as your weight goes does your bmr reduces thus meaning you need less calories to live-so if you dont reduce your intake your weight loss will reduce or stop as many do---i started with a bmr of 1717 and now i am down to about 1612 so i need 100 less calories than at the start--so eating my total forcast would stop my loss!
  • silversurfer
    silversurfer Posts: 3
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    Yes, always, always, always eat back the calories you burn through exercise. Believe me you will still lose weight. I know it seems like the wrong thing to do, but it's not. The link below explains the reasoning behind this:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo
  • de1amo
    de1amo Posts: 266 Member
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    very interesting--made some sense but it presumes you exercise everyday but most of us rest every other day as prescribed by the instructors at gyms-- i find the calories i get credited the day of the workout are harder to consume because my body is revved up and burning the fat store i want to erradicate--the day after when i rest is when i need my excess calories as my body searches for stores.

    i have never eaten back my calories and have consistantly lost the weight down to my present which is 5lbs off my goal --i am reconsidering my goal because i have been advised i should be aiming for lean plus 15pc fat which means another 8lbs total to go. i eat healthily and have basic rules that i hope has put the fat in the metabolisms reach to consume--i dont drink with meals i dont eat after 7,30pm and i rest well -simple practical things i think have sense--i cant eat my calories back because i havent got the appetite to consume that much food!--i do about 900 calls on a workout day and that is a 75pc ramp on my 1200 rest day allowance--

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