What happened to you when you ate your exercise calories?

jo_marnes
jo_marnes Posts: 1,601 Member
edited September 24 in Motivation and Support
Nothing?
Gained weight?
Lost weight?
Improved performance?

PLEASE I need some answers. I'm still struggling to eat them. I've managed to up my calories to my maintenance amount (not inc exercise) by my weight is up and down by 2-3 kgs all the time. I've not really been able to accurately figure out whats happening as I've been sick and injured a fair bit lately, so exercise has changed about a lot and my appetite has been yo-yoing.

I'm feeling run down but not sure whether to eat more or rest more.... I have a number of health issues going on at the moment.

I have a trip 'back home' coming up (Easter) and I want to look and feel my best.... any advice appreciated xxx

Replies

  • AlwaysWanderer
    AlwaysWanderer Posts: 641 Member
    I gained... So I dont eat them any more and I'm losing... :happy:
  • Suzy12
    Suzy12 Posts: 284
    I also gained. But be prepared for a deluge of replies on why you should eat them.
  • pocketsam
    pocketsam Posts: 134
    Lost a stone (14 lbs )

    Took about 3 weeks - was on 1200 plus exercise cals

    Now maintaining. have 1600 plus exercise cals. Still eat most of them. Still sitting at 98 lbs (plus 0.6 during TOM)
  • swt228hrt
    swt228hrt Posts: 16
    I sometimes eat them, but I never use all of them... So I'm still losing
  • rherrin5
    rherrin5 Posts: 136 Member
    I eat most of mine back. I just make sure I NET 1200 or a little more. I do not like to go below that because then I will gain. If I do 5 miles and burn 500 cals, I eat about 400 back. Sometimes a little less, sometimes a little more. Really depends on the person and their body. Some will gain if they eat them back, maybe due to slow metabolism, not sure. I lose a pound some times slightly more per week from eating back. Try a week doing both and see how it works for ya. I just think that if your having a bon fire you have to give it wood to keep burning and my way of thinking is you have to keep your body fueled so it keeps burning cals. Works for me, but this is a very very debatable subject hahah Your going in to the lions den here LOL! I do not argue over it, but most will and do. Good luck to ya in whatever works for ya :)
  • Inkedsquid
    Inkedsquid Posts: 42
    For me, it depends on what kind of workout I do. For example, yesterday I burned about a thousand calories by doing calisthenics + an hour and a half of tennis. I ate back over half of those calories. But if I do a simple workout and only burn 400 or 500 calories, I don't eat them back.
  • louisee294
    louisee294 Posts: 140 Member
    Ive decided that everyone can eat their exercise calories, its the base calories that needs to change. I thought at first that I couldnt eat them when i was on the recommended 1200 cals, but I have now lowered my basic cals to 1000 and I eat ALL of my exercise calories, and I'm losing 2 lbs a week :)
  • krd82
    krd82 Posts: 53
    When I ate mine, my weight didn't go up or down. Its been two weeks now and I haven't lost a lb. So I'm going back to not replacing mine.
  • JulieBoBoo
    JulieBoBoo Posts: 642
    I eat most of mine and I still lose. My loss is set for 1.5lbs a week but I usually lose 2+. I'm not one of those people who burn like 700+ cals a day though. A really good day will see me burn 300 cals but most days I'm between 175-250 cals burned.

    I'm fine with losing it a little more slowly because I like the idea of giving my skin a chance to catch up. I have so much to lose that loose skin is a real concern for me.

    Oh and I don't trust the exercise calculator here. I either use the readouts on the machines I'm using or halve my time when entering it here because I do feel the totals here are out of whack.

    I say try a few different ways and see what works best for your body. Just be sure to add strength training and stretching along with the cardio.
  • jjjghoffert
    jjjghoffert Posts: 17
    I try not to eat more than half of my exercise calories and I don't worry if I don't eat them
  • sandradickie
    sandradickie Posts: 40 Member
    I GAINED!! So, I try not to tap into them unless absolutely necessary. It sort of defeats the purpose to me. I KNOW, I EXPECT a lot of replies that are completely opposite. Do what works for YOUR body! GOOD LUCK!!
  • QueenofCups
    QueenofCups Posts: 365 Member
    It fluctuates for me. Like someone else said, it all depends on base calories and the type of workout.
    I lowered my base calories to 1380 and only eat some exercise calories back when I do really intense workouts like calisthenics or kickboxing or running. If I just walk on the treadmill or play with the kids, do housework or dance I do not eat them back (consciously). I usually don't even make my base calories, in fact. I try to stay over 1200 GROSS cals. But I know you are "supposed" to stay above 1200 NET. I have my good days and bad days. I find everyone has to get a groove that works for their bodies, since no 2 bodies are alike.
    So, to answer your question, I either stay the same weight or lose when I eat my exercise calories.
  • rshunk
    rshunk Posts: 167 Member
    I don't eat much of them, usually just what I took in with my supplements that I use when I work out. I think it is one of those things that varies with everyone, some can eat all their exercise cals and still lose and others can't, I can't. Experiment a bit and find what works for you personally.
  • Nataliethin81
    Nataliethin81 Posts: 315
    Maintained. I'm now eating less of my exercise calories back and zig zagging my calories everyday.
  • Suedre
    Suedre Posts: 435 Member
    I gained, at first. It took about a week to level out then the weight started going down again. I never use MFP's exercise calories estimates though, they are way too high for me.
  • cnjbarry
    cnjbarry Posts: 91 Member
    I think your best bet is trial and error. I am an advocate for eating them ( but maybe not all) but there are alot of people who say that you shouldnt. I tend to lose more and feel better if I eat them but that being said my cal intake is pretty low so if I dont eat them back I am well under 1000 cals. I also think that MFP estimate for cals burned is a little high. I think it is all a matter of what works for you
  • david081
    david081 Posts: 489 Member
    I think it all depends on how accurate MFP calories are for both exercise and food items, and also whether you record exactly what you are eating to the gramme - In theory it should work, in practice I don't trust the variables, and just relax a bit if I have exercised loads and allow myself to go over the limit, maybe 25% I have averaged 2.5lb a week since starting mid Jan. I know thats 1/2lb more than recommended, and maybe I should eat a few more exercise cals... A bit of trial and error works, as we are all a bit different, except for the calorie deficit issue which is common to us all I guess!!

    Best of luck!

    rgds, David
  • jenocelot
    jenocelot Posts: 47
    If I think of eating exercise calories back, it becomes a 'can I have this if I do that' game. It gets me all messed up. I lose and/or maintain best when I exercise LOTS and avoid junk, baked goods, white flour/white sugar. And I sometimes do well not tracking and just doing that. Whatever works for you!
  • callipygianchronicle
    callipygianchronicle Posts: 811 Member
    Well, I don’t think that the responses to this question, are actually going to tell you a thing. What you’re searching for is something deeper than the exhausting exercise calorie debate. I eat most of mine, most of the time and have since day 1. I have consistently lost weight and inches while doing so.
  • austepants
    austepants Posts: 356 Member
    I just started eating back some or all of my exercise calories last week and I lost 2.9 pounds last week. I'm sold on the idea not just bc the scale moved but bc of all the info I have read on it. :) I just make sure I keep myself above 1200 calories so I don't freak my body out and make it think it is starving.
  • sassyg
    sassyg Posts: 393
    I felt able to do something OTHER than lay on the couch reading and watching TV all night, and I stopped craving burgers (as much LOL)

    I should add - I only have a small deficit, too, but it made all the difference
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