When the body repairs itself...

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PearlAng
PearlAng Posts: 681 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Does it matter what kind of calories it uses? My intake on a day to day basis tends to be on the lowish side, and I work out pretty hard Monday through Friday. Saturdays and Sundays are busy with work and errands, plus I'll try to squeeze some light workouts in on these days. But usually Friday, Saturday and sometimes Sunday I'll end up eating a lot, much of it being calorie dense. Some 'healthy " things and a lot of "unhealthy " things (I try to live by the idea that food is food; it shouldn't be dubbed as "good" or "bad"). So I figured the higher intake would help repair my body from the week's workouts, despite eating things that aren't so "good"

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  • PearlAng
    PearlAng Posts: 681 Member
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    Bump
  • billsica
    billsica Posts: 4,741 Member
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    a calorie is a calorie. The body does not really know.
    You should worry about your macros. Carbs/Fat/Protein ratio.
    Should look into IIFIYM, you seem to be along those lines of thinking anyways.

    when you say body repairing itself. You mean the body repairing the micro tares in muscles.

    This might help explain...
    http://scoobysworkshop.com/gain-muscle-lose-fat/

    ..and when you work out, it creates a bigger calorie deficit, so you should be eating more.
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
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    A calorie is a unit of energy, they're not nutrients in themselves. The body needs energy to perform the processes to repair itself, doesn't matter what food provides those calories. Obviously, the different processes need different materials, which come from different foods. Your muscles are made of protein, for example. Your body also needs to replace lost fluids and electrolytes, and to replenish glycogen stores.

    In general, it doesn't really matter what you eat or where you get your energy from, as long as you're getting enough protein, fat, micronutrients, water etc. I agree that food isn't "good" or "bad", but if, for example, the foods you're eating a lot of are mostly high in fat and sugar, you might find that you're not getting enough protein. If you're not eating a very varied diet, and not eating a lot of fruit of vegetables, then you might not be getting enough vitamins and minerals. I would try to focus more on getting the nutrients you need, and then eat whatever you like after that. If It Fits Your Macros is a good way of doing that.
  • Rocbola
    Rocbola Posts: 1,998 Member
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    It does matter what kind of food that you use to repair. The healthiest foods are obviously the natural unprocessed foods, like fruits and veggies. I have heard many athletes remark that they repair faster on a diet loaded with fruits and veggies.
  • ikearch
    ikearch Posts: 32 Member
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    If you're looking to "repair" your body, it doesn't necessarily need more food or calories but nutrients and amino acids. Fish, sweet potatoes and bananas are my top 3 varieties of foods.
  • BigGuy47
    BigGuy47 Posts: 1,768 Member
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    So I figured the higher intake would help repair my body from the week's workouts
    If you tear down your muscles on Monday the repair process starts immediately. Your body isn't going to wait until Saturday or Sunday to start the repair. The amount of calories you need depends on your goals and the intensity of your exercise. Are you losing, maintaining or gaining?
  • PearlAng
    PearlAng Posts: 681 Member
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    So I figured the higher intake would help repair my body from the week's workouts
    If you tear down your muscles on Monday the repair process starts immediately. Your body isn't going to wait until Saturday or Sunday to start the repair. The amount of calories you need depends on your goals and the intensity of your exercise. Are you losing, maintaining or gaining?
    Im trying to maintain, but I don't know whether or not I actually am. Yes, I have a scale, but due to bad habits in the past, it can be triggering to get on it and I just haven't been able to bring myself to do it.

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