Who has had continued success eating exercise calories?

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Just thought I would put a poll out there to see who is having success eating their exercise cals. I haven't been and because of that am way under my cal goal on days I do exercise. I have read some newbie threads and there are several very informative posts by Banks which state eating your exercise cals is a must. I myself over the years would always eat under the cals stated on here because I do exercise and I have not been able to lose weight....so I'm thinking that maybe I am not eating enough and that's why I can't lose weight. So let us know....how closely do you follow the cal goal guide?
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Replies

  • wpij25
    wpij25 Posts: 161
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    Me!! :happy: losing pounds and inches and it's great!!

    I stay with in 100 calories...it is too hard to be exact. :wink:
  • StPattysGrl
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    I always eat my exercise calories and have had success! Down 12 lbs today :)
  • ChubbieTubbie
    ChubbieTubbie Posts: 481 Member
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    I've lost 25 pounds eating my exercise calories---it's helpful because on days that I work out hard, I get to treat myself to a little extra and it helps to keep me motivated. That, and I'm always starving after a good workout!!
  • Dakota1235
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    I always eat my exercise calories and have lost 6 pounds since starting Jan 3 (just about 2 pounds per week). I am not looking for fast weight loss, just permanent, and I know my body will just stop losing if I don't eat enough. ;0)
  • AggieCass09
    AggieCass09 Posts: 1,867 Member
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    I didn't previously eat my exercise calories back last year when I was only exercising 3 times a week at about 300-500 calories per session. I was doing great with my weight loss progress (~1.5 lbs a week) UNTIL I started working out 6 times a week at the beginning of this year. I didn't change my diet, nor was I hungry, but the weight stopped coming off. Then I looked back at my net calories for the month of December versus the month of January and realize that in Dec. I was right at 1200 net but for Jan i was only at 810! When looking at the reports, my total calories are dead on 1200 but my net are much lower and quite sporadic. No wonder why the scale has stopped going down! I didn't even realize I was doing this to myself. So, I am really focusing on hitting my net calories (+/- 100) for the rest of this month and all of Feb to see what the scale does. I recommend eating most (if not all) of your calories back...starvation mode is real and once you are there it takes a while to come out. Good luck!
  • mikeveggie68
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    i have never heard that but i am new to all this calorie counting stuff, so i will start eating my exercise calories and tracking, thanks
  • MelissaL582
    MelissaL582 Posts: 1,422 Member
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    I follow through- eat healthy, exercise and eat most.. if not all my exercise calories. It does work :smile:
  • scagneti
    scagneti Posts: 707 Member
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    I do! I try to stay within up or down 50 calories (unless I don't exercise, then I try for as close to 1200 as possible). I tend to underestimate the exercise though so I'm not consuming too many calories. I started Jan 3rd and have lost 9 lbs to go from 156 to 147, so it's working! Plus I can see it in my stomach, face, legs, and butt (just not my arms :ohwell:
  • meggonkgonk
    meggonkgonk Posts: 2,066 Member
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    Me! (I do similar to the above poster but I have a +/- range of 100 cals of my goal. So w/o exercise 1250-1450)


    26 lbs and counting!
  • TateFTW
    TateFTW Posts: 658 Member
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    I eat them religously. I also follow a plan where some days I have a higher intake, lower on others. On my higher intake days sometimes I have to eat extra to make my goals, but I always try to eat all of my cals. If I end up under one day, I go over enough to make up for it the next day.
  • melhoffman
    melhoffman Posts: 11 Member
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    When I exercise i burn between 900-1000 calories in a workout...so I eat will eat back about 100-200 calories for a preworkout snack...like 1tbsp of peanut butter and 5 saltines but thats normally about it. I've lost 25lbs over 5.5 months.
  • chelleymae1105
    chelleymae1105 Posts: 36 Member
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    Yup these are the same ones I read when someone in my other thread mentioned that I do a search on eating exercise cals. I am going to start doing that this week and I hope it helps!
  • DeeDeeLHF
    DeeDeeLHF Posts: 2,301 Member
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    I have found that eating some of my exercise calories works best for me. I tend to leave about 100 on the table on the days I exercise and as close to 1200 as possible on the other days. I try to workout 6 days per week.

    I will admit that I love the wiggle room that exercise calories gives me and has been the best motivation to exercise!!! If I couldn't eat them I probably wouldn't exercise.

    D
  • beckysiz
    beckysiz Posts: 54 Member
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    I do. I have tried it both ways and I realized that the reason I plateaued was because I wasn't consuming enough calories for all the muscle I was gaining. I try to eat almost all of them. Must work because I have lost almost 90 pounds...
  • MooseWizard
    MooseWizard Posts: 295 Member
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    I started in Nov, with just diet change alone. Added exercise later, but have been eating my calories as recommended, and I am still losing at the same rate as before.
  • beautyqueen1979
    beautyqueen1979 Posts: 151 Member
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    I eat my exercise calories and have done since I started last June. Some days I might not be able to make it, and sometimes I eat into the red (but not by much). I AIM to eat at least 1/2-3/4 of my exercise calories back, if not all. Usually I leave 100-200 over just for issues of miscalculation of calorie burn/portion size of the food I have eaten. I give myself about 1350-1400cals a day before exercise. My eating habits are not exactly stellar or perfect by any standard, but I do believe in giving your body the energy to handle the exercise you are putting it through :)
  • chelleymae1105
    chelleymae1105 Posts: 36 Member
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    I do. I have tried it both ways and I realized that the reason I plateaued was because I wasn't consuming enough calories for all the muscle I was gaining. I try to eat almost all of them. Must work because I have lost almost 90 pounds...

    Thank you so much! I am going to try it this way for the next month and see what happens
  • chiliflea
    chiliflea Posts: 695 Member
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    I'm so glad I found this thread! I've been eating my exercise calories but today after exercising I still have 1203 calories to eat between now (3.30pm) and bedtime!:huh:
    Ah well Guess I'll be eating well tonight!!
    Yum yum!! :bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile:
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    That's what worked best for me. I had to go to a small calorie deificit and eat my exercise caloies in order to lose any weight.
    But I didnt have that far to go. ~ 15 lbs