MORE calories???

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CeciHarper
CeciHarper Posts: 37
in Health and Weight Loss
Okay, II am confused... So I eat my calories for the day, then I workout & TA DA!!!! You EARNED MORE CALORIES.... So, yea, now I'm confused. Now I'm exercising, then I get more calories??? :noway: Call me crazy, but doesnt that defeat the purpose???

Do I need to eat again after I exercise to burn more calories?

Should I eat? I am sure I'll eat something else, something small, but not 1000 something calories at 8:00 at night..

HELP!!!! :glasses:

Replies

  • MzBug
    MzBug Posts: 2,173 Member
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    MFP has already figured in the amount of calorie restriction you need for a loss when it gives you your target #. When you exercise you burn more calories, so you will be going under your target # and will need to increase your intake to get back to your target, or somewhere close to it. Many people do not eat back the extra cals from exercise, many do. Many eat back some of them to get them to the 1200 minimum NET cals.

    After a work out you should eat or drink something rich in protein to help your tissues regenerate. Many agree that a glass of chocolate milk works well...yummy too!

    Good Luck!
  • Chenoachem
    Chenoachem Posts: 1,758 Member
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    This site builds in a calorie deficient for you already. So eat your exercise calories and enjoy the reward for working out.

    I know some people eat their exercise calories and some don't. I have lost all my weight by eating at least most if not all of my exercise calories each time.

    Enjoy.
  • fitterpam
    fitterpam Posts: 3,086 Member
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    You should eat some of those calories back - the program already builds in a deficit for you based on what you said you wanted to lose weekly (500/day for 1lb, 1000/day for 2lbs). If you are consistently under a healthy calorie deficit, your body chemistry will change and you will find it harder to lose weight.

    I don't eat back all of mine because I find that they are slightly inflated (they are only estimates and do not take into account the calories that you would have burned regardless of whether you were exercising or not). Generally I eat back about 50-75% of my calories from exercise.

    I probably wouldn't try eating it all now. Know for next time that you need to eat more on your workout days than the basic amount. For tonight, if it's 9:00, like it is here, I would have a protein-y snack (like a PB smoothie) and call it quits....
  • kpopa
    kpopa Posts: 515 Member
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    From what I've been reading from other posts, this is something you can choose to do or not to do (eat your exercise calories that is)

    As long as you're staying above 1200 calories per day then you should be ok. My general rule is that if I'm hungry, I will eat. I wouldn't eat calories just to eat them...does that makes sense? basically you don't want to go into starvation mode, in which you wont lose weight and you'll be fatigued and doing your body more harm than good.

    Hope that helps
  • CeciHarper
    CeciHarper Posts: 37
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    OOOOOOo chocolateeee........ ** droooolll ** okay, I'm done.. That would be SO yummy if I had some chocolate milk! [haha]

    WOW! I didnt know all of this... I just thought I was going to eat to just not loose anything!


    Ya'll are awesomeee!!! I am loving these answers! Thank you thank you thank you!!!!

    :flowerforyou:
  • melizerd
    melizerd Posts: 870 Member
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    I'm at 1280 calories a day (2lb/week weight loss) so I find that if I don't eat back about half my exercise calories I'm STARVING. I hate feeling like that so I figure eating half of them back is a good compromise.

    I'm on day 42 of my new life and I'm down 17lb so far so it seems to work out well for me. I also drink a TON of water which helps curb the munchy feeling.
  • LuckyLeprechaun
    LuckyLeprechaun Posts: 6,296 Member
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    wow this has been a hot topic today...


    this thread is chock full of good info:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo
  • CeciHarper
    CeciHarper Posts: 37
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    So I was still feeling "shakey" since I exercised, so I looked in my cabinet for protein... BINGO, Albacore tuna... I chopped up a pickle, mixed it all together & ate that & Woah! I feel like a new woman! How fantastic!!! Thanks so much for the information & suggestions!!! I really feel so much better! Thanks!

    YIPPEEEE!!!!!

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