eating exercise calories

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kaitimae
kaitimae Posts: 727 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Evening, everyone!

I am just wondering how many of you eat your exercise calories, or even part of them? Is there anyone who does not eat them at all? I am new here, and I have never been presented with this idea before.

If I were to eat my recommended calories for the day (~1600) PLUS my exercise cals (~700 today) that would be 2300 calories, which seems like an AWFUL lot to me. I am at 1800 right now, and feel good about that.

Mostly I just want to know what the rest of you do!

Replies

  • ambercole
    ambercole Posts: 426
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    ME! (raises hand) I lost 120lbs by eating my excercise calories. If I don't eat them, I don't lose weight. Works for me.
  • akrae
    akrae Posts: 18
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    I never eat all of them, but occasionally I'll eat a few.
  • Rachickidee
    Rachickidee Posts: 1,632 Member
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    I try to eat them. But sometimes I cannot, especially when I workout late and then have a lot of calories at night. I need to learn to spread out my calories if I am going to get a good workout in in the evening. But for the most part I usually eat about half.
  • lisablueeyes
    lisablueeyes Posts: 213 Member
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    I don't think I'm eating enough of them!!
  • fxst78
    fxst78 Posts: 221 Member
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    If you are only "Earning" a small amount of exercise cals then it is not a big deal but for you with a diet of 1600 and doing 700 cals worth of exercise you should be eating at least 300 of them back to get your overall intake back over 1200. (1600-700+300=1200)
  • KeriA
    KeriA Posts: 3,275 Member
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    Here is a post on this topic with alot of info about how MFP works
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10665-newbies-please-read-me-2nd-edition

    I actually don't eat all of them but sometimes I eat alot of them if I am hungrier one day. If you don't eat enough your body goes into survival mode and fights against losing. I figure that if I haven'testimated my intake or exercise calories perfectly the exercise calories I don't eat may give me a fudge factor. Many find varying the calorie intake and exercise helps.
  • Annis2
    Annis2 Posts: 1
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    I did eat my exercise calories and lost 3 pounds, It's fun me and my friend go walking on the weekends so we can drink some wine,with friends and yes we have lost weight, my friend lost 6 pounds and i lost 3 pounds. Sometimes I think I want to move faster and eat only the regular calories without the exercise but oh my I get fatigued. I walk on my day of from going to gym or running.
  • JMun
    JMun Posts: 409
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    myfitnesspal (MFP) counts my exercise calories really really high. When I monitor my heart rate and calculate my actual exercise cals its less than half of what MFP counts.

    That said, generally NO I don't eat mine. If I find myself ravenous then I'll eat them but usually in the form of something high protein. I just try and listen to what my body is telling me.

    I'm loosing 2 lbs a week (for 11 weeks now).

    But what works for me might not work for you.. the only way to know is to just experiment with it. Use MFP reports and keep an eye on how you loose.
  • cycle4fun
    cycle4fun Posts: 26
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    Sometimes I eat half of them. But most times it just allows me to eat something extra that day, like having a small treat; a bag of 100 cal. chips or toast with peanut butter. My cycling appr. burns 700 calories, and if I would eat all that I won't lose weight. It does not make sense to eat all the calories that I burn. For me it is the 'traditional way' to losing weight; less food, more exercise. It works for me.

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