Exercise Calories?

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ferb55
ferb55 Posts: 45 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Are we suppose to eat our exercise calories? Example: I have 885 calories left for the day and I ate over a 1,000 for the day is that ok? Help me out guys.


Even though I have already ate 1,200 calories for the day!

Replies

  • charlichickxx
    charlichickxx Posts: 26
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    thats what they're there for! eat up! id recommend some extra protien to give your body back what it needs after working out :)
  • ganesha303
    ganesha303 Posts: 257 Member
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    Agree with charlichickxx.
  • cutmd
    cutmd Posts: 1,168 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/6556-the-answers-to-the-questions
  • mommyhof3
    mommyhof3 Posts: 551 Member
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    Yep eat them if you are hungry and want to. You NEED to eat a minimum of 1200 calories/day the exercise calories are there for you to enjoy. You earned them.
  • TateFTW
    TateFTW Posts: 658 Member
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    Some people do and some people don't. The idea is that when you exercise, you're using more calories during that day. In order to make sure you maintain the caloric deficit you have set up, you now need to eat more calories. I know, it seems odd, but you still have the same caloric deficit as if you didn't exercise and didn't add exercise to your diary. The health benefits of exercise are still there, and some like being able to eat a bit more.

    Some people prefer just to stick to their original calorie goal. The only problem with this is that the deficit can become some large that your metabolism starts to react and slow down. I've always eaten my exercise calories, and have always consistently lost weight when I stick to the program. Others have needed to not eat exercise calories in order to lose, but there are a number of other variables that could be involved in that situation.
  • pattyisinaz
    pattyisinaz Posts: 20 Member
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    Funny... I had that same exact question this morning. I try to stay at just above 1200 calories wether I exercise or not for weight loss. Once I reach goal weight I think I may change that up a little. :o)
  • AmandaR910
    AmandaR910 Posts: 991
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    I eat my exercise calories if not doing so would make me net less than 1200 calories.
  • lutzsher
    lutzsher Posts: 1,153 Member
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    I like to mix it up to keep my body guessing. Calorie shifting (consuming a different amount each day) works really well for me . . . so sometimes I don't eat any, sometimes half, and sometimes I top it right up and eat all of them but never do the same thing 2 days in a row.
  • ardnek77
    ardnek77 Posts: 17
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    Very interesting stuff. It's just the question I had when I clicked on the board. I guess I will just keep an eye on it and see what works best for me over time.
  • mommyjos
    mommyjos Posts: 98 Member
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    looked at the link given and it's very interesting! thanks!
  • MacMadame
    MacMadame Posts: 1,893 Member
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    Before you eat them, make sure they are accurate:

    http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/20/health/nutrition/20BEST.html?_r=3&ref=fashion&oref=slogin

    Otherwise you are just sabotaging yourself.
  • ferb55
    ferb55 Posts: 45 Member
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    reading that made me get pretty down on myself.
    I enter my weight everytime I get on a different machine and I feel like I am burning those calories, but I guess I am wrong.
  • ErinMarie25
    ErinMarie25 Posts: 733 Member
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    I personally don't, but I don't beat myself up if I go over my original calorie intake for the day.
  • MacMadame
    MacMadame Posts: 1,893 Member
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    reading that made me get pretty down on myself.
    I enter my weight everytime I get on a different machine and I feel like I am burning those calories, but I guess I am wrong.
    Use a HRM instead! It's not perfect, but it's close enough for most people.

    I think the real issue is that we have to look at reality and not some numbers that some machine (or website) puts out. I know when I first started losing weight, every tracking website I went to claimed I should eat all these calories to maintain and that the calories I was eating should give me 2 pounds of weight loss a week. But I was only losing 1 pound. I could have beat myself up about it, but I just assumed the BMR calculations were off and adjusted the numbers to what my reality was and moved on.
  • maroon58
    maroon58 Posts: 289 Member
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    i eat about half back and it seems to work for me. i know some people don't, some people eat half and some people eat them all back! very confusing but i decided to try and see what works for me. also, if i am not hungry i don't them. i don't eat just to eat, kwim? i am trying to listen to what my body is telling me.
  • Booper83
    Booper83 Posts: 70 Member
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    Well, I see some people eat them all back. But, there are days...like today, that I have already eaten breakfast and lunch, then worked out, and now I need to eat a whole days worth again! To me, that's impossible! But I'm not working out too much over what the calories are that they are telling me to burn. But, some days, unless I eat a whole pizza or a big mac at McD's, which I won't do, I could never eat all my calories!!
  • gibran30
    gibran30 Posts: 30 Member
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    i am lost, I am new to this whole thing or keeping track of calories, and exercising etc. I am so excited about learning new things, but I am lost regarding this conversation. What do you all mean by eating your exercise calories?

    I currently try to eat about 1500 calories a day and I exercise 4 days a week
  • Madre2
    Madre2 Posts: 35 Member
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    I don't think so. Because then we would not be making any progress. I try to end my day with a calorie surplus.

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