More Exercise = More Food = Weight Gain! =(

Sorry, I can't related to that as my hunger vanishes if I work out. Are you having breakfast before your morning workout?

If you are doing weight training you are going to want to eat more and you have to remember that muscle weights more then fat. Would not worry about it.

lace_444 wrote: »

I need your help!
I am not The Most Active Person Alive! but it appears that I eat like I am. I do gym in the mornings, short cardio and then weight training (Monday to Friday and occasionally on the wknd). I am doing a 30 Day Bikram Yoga challenge this month too. That happens in the evenings. My work is pretty stressful and I run high on adrenaline quite often.

With all of this, I have increased my protein intake and to include protein bars as snacks instead of the odd chocolate here and there, ok maybe everyday to "fight stress". The rest of the diet seems to be staying the same which is basically balanced.

My question is, how do I convince myself that I do not need that extra helping of dinner after "Such a Long Day!" Or that I will survive if I do Not eat that chocolate?

Which method are you using to track your calories? MFP or TDEE?

I had to give up thinking I deserved any food reward for exercising or thinking I could eat back exercise calories. I use a lightly active tdee to figure my needs for the day and stick to that no matter what I do for exercise. It has worked for well over a year now for me.

This was totally me. Before doing MFP consistently I always thought I'd burned way more calories than I actually did and felt like that meant I could eat whatever I wanted. Well, no, just no.

I also love chocolate, but I've recently decided I'd rather see the scale move than eat ALL the chocolate. Lol. I still have chocolate almost every day, but I plan to make it fit within my calorie goal. It can be done. Hershey's is not my favorite chocolate in the world, but they make these little snack bars that make me feel like I'm eating a whole candy bar. I usually eat two and am very satisfied. Last night I had a half of a whole chocolate bar (some other brand they had at the theater), but it wasn't marked in any way so I just felt deprived at not getting to eat the whole thing!

What about coming up with alternate rewards? Instead of an extra helping after such a long day, how about investing in a shiatsu massage pillow, some kind of foot massager, or a scalp Tingler?

As far as diet goes--obviously you need to compensate, *calorie* wise, for the added protein, and you seem to like eating in the evenings (me too!). Can you shift around some of your breakfast or lunch calories to give yourself more room at night? That's what I had to do.

I completely understand your feelings, OP. I had a small treat today ( a brownie) instead of my regular morning snack (usually yogurt and fruit, or nuts or a piece of cheese). I worked out late this afternoon, and was very hungry. Instead of checking the calories I had left, I followed my appetite and ate a whole cup of whole wheat pasta and two chicken sausages, which I should have had 1/2 cup and one sausage. But seeing just that 1/2 cup of spaghetti and one link looked so pathetic on the plate. The end result 282 over my goal, and looking at MFP telling me that in 5 weeks I won't have lost any weight. So, I just have to plan better tomorrow and see how many calories I have left to eat before actually chowing down.

JoRocka wrote: »

Skip breakfast- eat more later.

I don't "do" evening hunger- I get stabby and cranky and I'm SUPER hungry at night- I eat A LOT at night.

So to compensate- I eat nothing in the morning.
I get my calories at night.
I get my calorie goals (ish)
and I lose weight as I need to (although slowly LMAO)

I"m similar and have been experimenting with eating less in the am. It worked *once* but I've gone over otherwise; how do you stay on track?

rainbowbow wrote: »

I prefer to work out at night time for this reason. That way i come home, exhausted, take a long hot bath and then head to bed. I think "Ah, such a long day! Time to relax and sleep!"

This helps me with the "oh, i worked out so i can eat more" process that happens during the daytime if i choose to work out in the morning. Also, i get slightly naseous and DO NOT feel like eating after working out (especially hitting it hard!) so it works out.

I'm the same way. I do my HIIT workouts about an hour and a half before taking a shower and going to bed. I sleep great every time I do this. When I get up in the morning I have a good size breakfast before going to work.

sijomial wrote: »

If you want it badly enough you commit to your calorie goal.
Do that often enough and it becomes a habit.
Once it becomes a habit you become successful.

It starts between your ears!
My big motivator is goals, long and short term. Yours may be different.

I get hungry when i work at times and at times i don't. I do eat more on those day and i lose weight. idk what the issue is. Are you eating within the 30 minute window? Consistency/PERsistency is KING.

Stress causes us to crave sugar and carbs and halts weight loss. Try some anti stress tools..laughter, yoga, self care, a relaxing shower, aroma therapy.

Pu_239 wrote: »

You use the website how it's supposed to be used. Exercise/eat and don't go over often.

Yeah, I assume the person was trying to do so lol...not so easy to do when you're actually burning more calories than some people here even eat in a day.

ncfitbit wrote: »

This was totally me. Before doing MFP consistently I always thought I'd burned way more calories than I actually did and felt like that meant I could eat whatever I wanted. Well, no, just no.

Me too. I've always been active, but I felt entitled to eat whatever I wanted because of it--that's how I ended up here in the first place. I try and really think about how I feel. If I'm ravenous, like I feel like gnawing on my own arm, I eat a small snack--edamame, a few almonds, a couple of dried apricot halves, a couple of crackers with hummus, a hard-boiled egg. I often make myself a cup of herbal tea. If I'm within an hour of eating a meal, I try to hold off (or, since I work at home and make my own lunchtime, I sometimes eat my lunch ridiculously early). Often I look at my diary and reread what I've eaten that day. For some reason, seeing it written down makes me feel full. And sometimes I go over, and that's okay, too. On days that I lift, especially, I give myself 100 calories in leeway (and sometimes I go over by more than that). I've been in maintenance for six months and my weight has stayed steady in any case.

If I'm going on a bike ride or to lift weights, I plan a snack to eat afterwards and have it waiting for me. Failing to do this--even if I'm not the least bit hungry as I leave the house--is a recipe for me rooting through the cupboards and the refrigerator and just throwing random things into my mouth. It's not pretty!

Also, keep in mind that protein bars are just one option, and maybe not the best one. There are plenty of protein-rich low-calorie snacks you can keep around (I do find that protein quells my hunger very effectively). I listed some above, and there's a longer list floating around somewhere on the boards.

I have eaten back every calorie burned (I wear a FitBit) and then some and still lost weight. MFP underestimates for me, but you need to figure out your own burns. It can take a little while, but it's a very useful thing to know. The goal isn't to eat as little as possible. The goal is to fuel yourself well.

I eat the occasional treat a couple of times a week. I believe the healthiest diet includes all foods, in moderation. I always log my indulgences and usually have them on very high activity days.