Eating your exercise calories

harriyot
harriyot Posts: 58 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm 3 weeks into a diet and exercise shake-up. 1290 calories a day and at least 30 minutes of exercise. My question is this - should I be eating the extra calories I 'earn' from exercise or not? I am wary about it because I don't want to undo all my good work, but at the same time it looks like the amount I'm eating is rather small.

Replies

  • enterdanger
    enterdanger Posts: 2,447 Member
    If I was hungry, I'd eat them. Are you hungry?
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    I'm 3 weeks into a diet and exercise shake-up. 1290 calories a day and at least 30 minutes of exercise. My question is this - should I be eating the extra calories I 'earn' from exercise or not? I am wary about it because I don't want to undo all my good work, but at the same time it looks like the amount I'm eating is rather small.

    The short answer is yes since MFP already has a deficit built in to your calorie allotment and it is designed for you to eat your calories back. Be wary about how much you actually burn though as MFP and people in general tend to overestimate the number. Maybe try eating half back and see what happens.
  • donaldshaw70
    donaldshaw70 Posts: 14
    Yes, eat your earned calories. I ran 12 miles today, burning 1696 calories - if I didn't eat most of them back, I'd faint.
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    I'm 3 weeks into a diet and exercise shake-up. 1290 calories a day and at least 30 minutes of exercise. My question is this - should I be eating the extra calories I 'earn' from exercise or not? I am wary about it because I don't want to undo all my good work, but at the same time it looks like the amount I'm eating is rather small.

    The short answer is yes since MFP already has a deficit built in to your calorie allotment and it is designed for you to eat your calories back. Be wary about how much you actually burn though as MFP and people in general tend to overestimate the number. Maybe try eating half back and see what happens.
  • emilyGPK
    emilyGPK Posts: 83 Member
    I do if I am hungry, just like the standard allotted calories.
  • MikeLAdams
    MikeLAdams Posts: 40
    Try to hit your net calorie goal. If you accurately entered your activity level, age and weight, as well as your weight loss goal, then the net calorie goal MFP calculates for you should be fairly close to what you ought to stick to, and there is no need to undereat. But just as a word of caution, MFP and exercise machines (as well as my heart rate monitor) all seem to over-calculate the calorie burn from exercise.

    If you find that you are losing more or less than expected, then I would suggest correspondingly eating more or less than your calculated net calorie goal. I put in a desired weight loss of 2lbs per week, but I was losing 3.5 lbs per week for a little while, so I reduced my weekly weight loss goal to 1lb per week, and now I am losing at a more comfortable rate.

    Good luck!!!

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