We are pleased to announce that on March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor will be introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the upcoming changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!

Does anyone else exercise so that they can eat more?

02oakleyb29
02oakleyb29 Posts: 12 Member
edited January 23 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm just wondering...I hate days when I do not work out because I feel like I do not have enough to eat. I am set to eat 1200 calorie per day. When I don't exercise, I find it very hard to stay within that calorie range and if I do, then I have cravings and am hungry at the end of the night and end up drinking like 4 bottles of water to fill up. When I do work out, I have about an extra 600 - 800 calories to eat and feel so much better. I usually don't even end up eating all my exercise calories cause exercising seems to make me not as hungry (not sure why).

Anyone else feel the same?
«13

Replies

  • lilpoindexter
    lilpoindexter Posts: 1,122 Member
    HA HA...what an appropriate question.....I was still hungry this evening...but i was pretty much done with my calories...So i dusted off the ol bike, and burned 492 calories...now i wondering what I'm going to eat!!!:wink:
  • 02oakleyb29
    02oakleyb29 Posts: 12 Member
    HA HA...what an appropriate question.....I was still hungry this evening...but i was pretty much done with my calories...So i dusted off the ol bike, and burned 492 calories...now i wondering what I'm going to eat!!!:wink:

    So I am not the only one lol.

    I also make sure that I exercise if I plan on eating out and/or having a few drinks. I just think that is being responsible :)
  • melindasuefritz
    melindasuefritz Posts: 3,509 Member
    ya i do..............
  • snooj
    snooj Posts: 69 Member
    Yep! Now that I'm on break with lots of time--my job is waiting for my immigration stuff to come through, so until then I'm forced to be on vacation ;)--I've added a couple days of cardio to my workout plan. It's really just so I can up my daily calories.

    Why don't you spread out your calories more over the week? I eat the same amount every day regardless if I work out or not. Work out days are more brutal as a result, but this way there's never a really low calorie amount where I'm dying.
  • iowaoly
    iowaoly Posts: 35 Member
    Yes, and I am just beginning. I'm still hungry so if I want more food I have to exercise.
  • SarahBean89
    SarahBean89 Posts: 16
    I do the same thing as well. If I know I will be having a girls night that might involve a martini or two, I do extra exercise the day of, and the day after.

    And I have been seriously craving ice cream all day, and am considering doing an extra 20 minute walk just so I can have it! :blushing:
  • mackemom
    mackemom Posts: 277 Member
    YEP!
  • srk369
    srk369 Posts: 256 Member
    That's why I switched to the TDEE-% method. I was working out 5-6 days a week training for a half marathon and it was strange to have 1-2 days that I ate less. I now work out 5 days a week and it's so much easier to have a consistent goal. I also work out at night, so what if I planned on 6 miles but only ran 4? Then I'm about 200 calories short!
  • SteelySunshine
    SteelySunshine Posts: 1,092 Member
    I went on a walk one night just so I could have :"extra" mayo in my pasta salad.
  • MommaChocoLatte
    MommaChocoLatte Posts: 389 Member
    Yes because even with my custom goals set above the 1200 (1320) mark, I am very short so as I lose weight I get close to 1200 and it's not enough. I don't get a chance to exercise every day so I set myself to sedentary and log it when I do. It ends up being close to 4-5 days a week for about 30 min per day but I like to make sure. It's easier for me to keep track.
  • CLFrancois
    CLFrancois Posts: 472 Member
    every Saturday, pizza night.
  • craigmandu
    craigmandu Posts: 976 Member
    I do that on occasion, nothing wrong with it...you get a little extra "fitness" activity in. As long as you are maintaining your deficit and accurately recording the exercise, it's almost a win/win!
  • tmauck4472
    tmauck4472 Posts: 1,785 Member
    No because I consider my weight loss up to my calorie intake and my overall health and fitness due to my exercise. I think differently but it's helped me to lose almost 200lbs.
  • craigmandu
    craigmandu Posts: 976 Member
    No because I consider my weight loss up to my calorie intake and my overall health and fitness due to my exercise. I think differently but it's helped me to lose almost 200lbs.

    Just want to say I think 200lbs of loss is an absolutely AMAZING achievment. You should be extremely proud of yourself!
  • teebeegeebee
    teebeegeebee Posts: 218 Member
    ok

    lets ask a question - why 1200 calories?

    I tried 1200 and gained weight for exactly the reasons you have said - I'm hungrier than hell

    So I switched up to 1450 base line , I excercise most days ( 2hours Gym time) I add back a portion of my burn to the db here - I don't trust the MFP database its skewed probably down to the number of different inputs

    I use http://www.freedieting.com/ as this is a standard db - this checks my hrm/gym and other apps reported calorie burn. I test my gym out every week and the cals burnt is within 1% so its pretty good

    When I enter my burn I use a spreadsheet to calculate what I add back - it deducts approx 20% based on my BMR/BMI/Fat weight which I check every week and update

    Then just to kill the fat some more I have changed my sugar intake to have a base line of 35grammes/day - the first week I was so very hungry but I got through it and now im less hungry. When i get a craving now a glass of water/cup of tea does the trick
    Now my sugars float around the 50g intake with exercise and i really am starting to notice just how sweet things can be

    hope this is helpfull you can add me if you want to discuss more - there is also a group on here and the mentor is just awesome her knowledge is outstanding

    Matt
  • Songbirdcw
    Songbirdcw Posts: 320 Member
    I went on a walk one night just so I could have :"extra" mayo in my pasta salad.

    This made me LOL! Hilarious! I don't blame you.
  • highervibes
    highervibes Posts: 2,219 Member
    According to my TDEE and BMR I eat 1800 calories/day, and I STILL exercise to eat more lol Food is fuel that happens to taste good so I do my best to make sure I have to fill the tank more often heheheh. Will work for food!
  • xcmtnracer
    xcmtnracer Posts: 426 Member
    Of course I do.
  • Yeah I'm set for about 1300, I find this very hard to stay close to or under..sooo yeah when I do exercise, I go hard so I can gain back about 500-700 lol. I'm still consistently losing weight so eating more doesn't bother me lol, I love to eat!
  • Livylove90
    Livylove90 Posts: 14
    Did just that a few hours ago, treated myself to a whole wheat tuna sandwich :) it was delicious
  • hasters
    hasters Posts: 2
    I feel the same way. I'm hungry but have used up my calories so it makes me start exercising again. I guess that's better than eating and not exercising more.
  • 970Mikaela1
    970Mikaela1 Posts: 2,013 Member
    Nah ...i go to bed. Lol sometimes maybe:)
  • nikilis
    nikilis Posts: 2,305 Member
    I can eat ok on my non exercise days, but I feel a bit restricted.

    I am pushed to exercise so that I can eat as much as I want. I like eating around 2000 and if ive had a good run of excercise I need to be careful on the rest day.

    so yeh YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
  • berriboobear
    berriboobear Posts: 524 Member
    HA HA...what an appropriate question.....I was still hungry this evening...but i was pretty much done with my calories...So i dusted off the ol bike, and burned 492 calories...now i wondering what I'm going to eat!!!:wink:

    So I am not the only one lol.

    I also make sure that I exercise if I plan on eating out and/or having a few drinks. I just think that is being responsible :)


    I think in that case it's smart, if I'm aware I'll be "splurging" on a meal, I'll definitely plan my meals and workouts around it : )
  • 00shana00
    00shana00 Posts: 1 Member
    i just started and I am so hungry.. any low calerie healthy filling foods. i am struggling finding foods.. so now i am running at night to have a cocktail!
  • luckydays27
    luckydays27 Posts: 552 Member
    Heck no, I exercise so I feel better and get more fit. I eat because my body needs fuel.

    I eat my TDEE - 20% (most days anyway) and never feel hungry. This equates to 1800 cals a day. I dont eat back my exercise cals because I am already eating enough. Since changing to this method two weeks ago, I have lost 4 lbs. I consider this to be a huge success given I was at a standstill for weeks before this and always hungry.

    I am no longer hungry and far happier by upping my cals and have no need to exercise more so I can eat more.
  • CatBird128
    CatBird128 Posts: 14 Member
    Doesn't the elliptical come with a beer holder on it just so we can burn the extra calories while we consume them?
    ;)
  • sangeyvang
    sangeyvang Posts: 182
    that was my thought before my work out today. lol.
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
    I don't have to because I use the TDEE method. 2000 calories a day, every day. No hunger, no headaches, plenty of fuel for weight training and running.
  • tmauck4472
    tmauck4472 Posts: 1,785 Member
    No because I consider my weight loss up to my calorie intake and my overall health and fitness due to my exercise. I think differently but it's helped me to lose almost 200lbs.

    Just want to say I think 200lbs of loss is an absolutely AMAZING achievment. You should be extremely proud of yourself!

    Thanks and I am, but also very sad to think I let myself get that way to begin with.
This discussion has been closed.