Using calories earned with exercise

Debx12345
Debx12345 Posts: 210
edited September 21 in Fitness and Exercise
Do people use up the calories they have earned from exercising ? I have just switched from weightwatchers and to be honest find I am struggling to use all my daily allowance let alone ones earned from exercising. I am only in my second week of counting calories so trying to work out best way to use calories. Seems weird rethinking what I can eat and what I need to avoid. With WW was on 16 points and basically not eating very much but also not losing weight. Just wanted your thoughts. Also do you eat most things just in moderation and within your calories. Ie still eat choc and naughty things?

Replies

  • Natural
    Natural Posts: 461 Member
    i eat some of them, not all. well yesterday i ate the kitchen table. let's not count yesterday.
  • sugar4becky
    sugar4becky Posts: 8 Member
    Hi-

    I do NOT use the calories I've earned from exercising. I think I would just end up maintaining my weight, which is not why I am here. Instead, I just focus on calorie counting and staying within my daily allotment (1200 calories for me) and then adding extra exercise to burn even more calories.

    I've tried calorie counting in the past and found that if I go to restrictive and eat only the super healthy things, I end up crashing and then just pigging out on sweets and what not. Because of this, I try to stay within the allotted calories and have some of the "naughty" things in moderation. So far it is working for me.

    Welcome to myfitnesspal! I hope this works better for you than weight watchers did!
  • Peridotite
    Peridotite Posts: 66
    Does weight watcher still work on the 50 calories = 1 point system? If so, I would say you were not eating enough (16 points = 800 calories, but then again Veggies are 0 points). This site only goes as low as 1200 calories a day. Your body may have been in starvation mode. Try to eat all of the calories the site gives you and see how it goes.

    As for the naughty things. Yes, I still eat them all. I try to make sure my calories allow me too, but sometimes I eat them even if they don't:laugh:
  • lushy20
    lushy20 Posts: 215 Member
    im quite a fussy eater so i still basically eat what i did before altho i never really did eat chocolate or anything like that.
    i was a crisp eater but iv now changed my snacks for lower calories snacks. low fat yogurts, weight watchers crisps, e.t.cu
    even with dinners i still eat the same just a smaller portion on my plate now.

    as for the exercise calories i dont eat them unless i feel like i need to go into them and even then its usually only by 100 calories.
    i dont see the point in burning all the calories off if ya only gunna eat them.

    its not the atitude i want. il run for 20 mins so i can eat such and such.

    shouldnt be the reason to exercise just so you can eat more.
    but you shouldnt have that problem like you said you find it hard eating them not unless u want too.

    thats just my take on things.

    good luck with what ever you decide to do :)
  • vickiele1
    vickiele1 Posts: 394 Member
    I don't eat the calories that I've earned from exercise either. Like others who have commented, it seems counterproductive to eat more when you are trying to lose. I have, however, gone over both my allotted calories and the calories I earned from exercising - but that was a fluke day - when that happens, i just move on and get back on track the next day.
  • Natural
    Natural Posts: 461 Member
    i thought eating the calories was to fuel your body for exercise. like putting gas in your tank, the farther you go, the more gas you have to give it? no? i don't eat them all, but i'm not afraid of them either. :) oh well, anyone?
  • WarmDontBurn
    WarmDontBurn Posts: 1,253 Member
    Everything I have read says you should eat your exercise calories (within reason).

    I started August 1st and eat most of my calories and have lost 7 lbs in 23 days. I think especially if you are on 1200 calories if you eat that and then burn 200 you are actually only eating 1000 calories and that just isn't enough.

    I have found you have to do what works for you :) Good Luck!

    ETA: I just wanted to add that most people don't know how MFP calculates things and honestly that includes me...lol. Here is a great post that explains it better then I ever could

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/108153-my-doc-says-don-t-eat-exercise-calories?hl=eating+exercise
  • PLUMSGRL
    PLUMSGRL Posts: 1,134 Member
    The first 2 months I didn't eat my exercise cals- then when the scale was showing smaller #s lost I decided to eat most of them- allowing for error in actual cals burned (getting HRM next month) ... also changed my exercise routine and lost 3.2#s the next week!

    Happy loosing:flowerforyou:
  • PLUMSGRL
    PLUMSGRL Posts: 1,134 Member
    The first 2 months I didn't eat my exercise cals- then when the scale was showing smaller #s lost I decided to eat most of them- allowing for error in actual cals burned (getting HRM next month) ... also changed my exercise routine and lost 3.2#s the next week!

    Happy loosing:flowerforyou:
  • katefor3
    katefor3 Posts: 10 Member
    Depends on the day. Some days I eat into those calories, while others I dont even eat the full allotted total... Also, I dunno about you guys, but I tend to Overestimate the portions when entering the information, so I probably have some calories to give and take as it is... Its not an exact science after all! =)
  • lukat
    lukat Posts: 10 Member
    I eat them. Any other website or plan I have seen that involves calorie counting usually gives a range for calorie goals. For me it was usually 1200-1550 a day to eat. MFP exercise calories usually fit nicely into that range when I exercise, so I keep that in mind when I am planning my meals and snacks for the day.
  • Debx12345
    Debx12345 Posts: 210
    Thanks for that. Seems different people do different things, suppose it is trial and error. Can't believe the bit about weightwatchers 1 point equals 50 cals, no wonder I was not losing weight, cos some days I wouldn't eat all my points and was earning extra bonus points each day through exercise and not using them either !!! This is only my second week and have lost one pound, so going to stay positive, buy a hrm to track exercise and try to stick to calorie allowance. At mo most days I have 200 left over, which is porbably what I earn from exercise. Feel very nervous though that must be working out some calories wrong cos I am eating more than I ever did on weightwatchers! Lol thanks again. Ps you guys seem friendly than the ww message board.
  • Debx12345
    Debx12345 Posts: 210
    Thanks for that. Seems different people do different things, suppose it is trial and error. Can't believe the bit about weightwatchers 1 point equals 50 cals, no wonder I was not losing weight, cos some days I wouldn't eat all my points and was earning extra bonus points each day through exercise and not using them either !!! This is only my second week and have lost one pound, so going to stay positive, buy a hrm to track exercise and try to stick to calorie allowance. At mo most days I have 200 left over, which is porbably what I earn from exercise. Feel very nervous though that must be working out some calories wrong cos I am eating more than I ever did on weightwatchers! Lol thanks again. Ps you guys seem friendly than the ww message board.
  • TheMaidOfAstolat
    TheMaidOfAstolat Posts: 3,222 Member
    I always eat at least 80% of mine. You have to refuel your body. The number that MFP gives you is already in a deficit and you need to replinish it or you will be consuming a lot fewer calories than your body needs to support itself on a daily basis. Please read the 'sicky notes' (the little red thumb tacks). They can explain this much better than I can.
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