I exercise to eat more...

I'm the same. I already was exercising so it's not a big deal for me. I'm on 1220 to lose 1lb per week and I eat back every calorie pretty much. I average 1600 calories per day and I'm losing a pound a week. I can't eat 1220 a day. It's just very difficult. They days I don't exercise I go over my cals, but it hasn't seemed to hinder my loss very much. Weekends can be tough! Lol

Yep me too. I'm on 1200 a day to lose a pound a week and I couldn't survive without exercise calories.

North44 wrote: »

I'm the same. I already was exercising so it's not a big deal for me. I'm on 1220 to lose 1lb per week and I eat back every calorie pretty much. I average 1600 calories per day and I'm losing a pound a week. I can't eat 1220 a day. It's just very difficult. They days I don't exercise I go over my cals, but it hasn't seemed to hinder my loss very much. Weekends can be tough! Lol

Same here

I think you exercise for a number of reasons with the calorie burns just being one. It does make it more sustainable for some people by giving you extra flexibility in your calorie allowance.

Some people it just makes hungrier so they have to eat back, but others it does not, so they dont have to eat them all back. The one thing you should watch out for is that the calorie burns are accurate so as to aboid overestimations and eating calories you havent burned in reality. I eat my calories according to needs, sometimes ive adequately fueld and am not hungry so I cna live without eating all of them back, other times I will eat all.

I absolutely exercise so I can eat more ... but I don't eat all my exercise calories back. I think I've come close a few times, but most of the time I try to leave about half as extra calories burned.

You are definitely not alone!

I normally eat back a portion of my excercise calories.

Just like others have said above, yes, I will sometimes excercise to eat, especially if I know I am going out to eat or to a party where there will be lots of drinks/snacks. On those days, I will up my excercise so I don't have to worry too much about what I am consuming.

Also excercising gives me more energy and helps me regulate my appetite. I tend to drink a lot of water when I excercise so that helps keep me feeling sated.

I usually eat back some of my exercise calories, but I like to leave about 300 calories "on the table" to adjust for any inaccuracies in logging both calories and exercise. This seems to work for me, so far, but I am at about 1300 per day right now, so when I have to cut back to 1200' I guess I will have to walk a little longer!

When I first starting, my main motivator for exercise was definitely to get more calories to eat. Since I started seeing actual progress in terms of my ability to exercise harder and for longer, my motivations have shifted a bit more towards gaining muscle and being fit in general. But I'd still say I'm 60/40 in favour of getting more calories.

I started a new week of C25K last night and did my longest run so far and about 1/2 of the way through I felt like stopping but I decided not to because I knew that if I stopped, I would be missing out on a lot of precious calories. I thought it was quite funny that that was how I convinced myself to carry on, but either way it worked and I finished that run and I'll get the benefit from it. It doesn't really matter what words you use to convince yourself to exercise, as long as you manage to convince yourself and get it done!

I don't always eat them all back now but I think that's mainly because I upped my calorie goal from 1200 to 1460 (which still puts me at 1lb a week) and 1460 gives me enough room to budget for most things that I enjoy. Not all of them by any means, but enough that I don't feel deprived. I usually exercise towards the end of the day and I have my dinner afterwards so often my exercise calories will be used for a dessert of some kind.

I do that. My "normal" calorie goal is 1600, which is kind of low for a 6'5" guy over 200 lbs. So, I get out and ride my bicycle 20 miles and then my goal is above 2100. I don't like the idea of using my average TDEE. Last week, for example, because of bad weather and because I was waking up two and three times a night with muscle cramps, I decided to scale my bicycle riding back significantly. Instead of putting in over a hundred miles, I put in 40. That meant I had more days when I had to stick to 1600, but if I'd been using my average TDEE, I would've gained weight instead of losing.

But my reason for riding isn't to gain calories to eat. I ride to clear my head. Even though I knew I needed the rest, I was disappointed that I couldn't ride more this week.

I eat mine back up to the point it would be if I used TDEE minus 20% method on days that I'm much more active. I am conservative with exercise burned calories I claim and even on slower days I eat a 100 or 200 over MFP numbers (before exercise). I'm lucky I get more calories and will never be as low as 1200. I am losing at a good rate. I eat the extra because I need the fuel to function.

If I become sedentary again for whatever reason, I'll go back to what MFP recommends.

I exercise to stay fit and increase my health, but the by product of being able to eat more is a bonus!

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Ya, I feel better and sleep better when I exercise.