Eating back exercise calories

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Mawra
Mawra Posts: 37 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm a strong believer in eating back calories burned at the gym. Learnt it through experience.

But I burn upwards of 1200 calories most days, how do I meet my calorie goals without eating the 'bad' stuff?

Replies

  • mtbdcl
    mtbdcl Posts: 15 Member
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    For me i always try and eat the kind of food that makes me full that contains lots of fiber ..proteins and stuff ike that so that way i wont mess up my diet and stop craving the "bad" stuff ;)
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
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    There's no need to avoid 'bad' stuff as long as you're meeting your calorie and macro goals.

    That said, I am highly suspicious of the claim of a 1200 calorie per day exercise burn. That would require a duration and intensity of exercise that I doubt most people who need to lose weight could sustain.
  • FitPhillygirl
    FitPhillygirl Posts: 7,124 Member
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    juggernaut1974 wrote: »
    There's no need to avoid 'bad' stuff as long as you're meeting your calorie and macro goals.

    That said, I am highly suspicious of the claim of a 1200 calorie per day exercise burn. That would require a duration and intensity of exercise that I doubt most people who need to lose weight could sustain.

    I would think the only people burning 1200 calories through exercise are top athletes. This would require a lot of time and energy.
  • stefankruithof
    stefankruithof Posts: 18 Member
    edited November 2015
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    Eileen_S wrote: »
    I would think the only people burning 1200 calories through exercise are top athletes. This would require a lot of time and energy.

    I'm no 'top athlete', but looking at my last three days I see this:

    Sunday - Ran a half marathon, earned 1300 kcal
    Monday - Walked 24 km at a high pace, earned 1150 kcal
    Tuesday - Biked 38 km and walked 10 km, earned 1200 kcal
    Today - Lazy day at home :#

    Burning over a thousand extra calories a day through exercising takes time, but it certainly isn't for elite athletes only.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    To burn 1200 a day just by working out it would have to be my full time job. I'd be careful with that high of a number. But really it doesn't matter what you fill those calories with. What do you define as "bad stuff"? Without knowing how you classify food I'd say eat calorie dense foods - nuts, nut butters, full fat dairy, eliminate anything "diet", non-fat or low-fat.
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
    edited November 2015
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    stefankruithof wrote: »
    juggernaut1974 wrote: »
    I would think the only people burning 1200 calories through exercise are top athletes. This would require a lot of time and energy.

    I'm no 'top athlete', but looking at my last three days I see this:

    Sunday - Ran a half marathon, earned 1300 kcal
    Monday - Walked 24 km at a high pace, earned 1150 kcal
    Tuesday - Biked 38 km and walked 10 km, earned 1200 kcal
    Today - Lazy day at home :#

    Burning over a thousand extra calories a day through exercising takes time, but it certainly isn't for elite athletes only.

    Um...please make sure you're quoting correctly, because what you've attributed to me, I did not actually say.

    I may not refer to someone who runs half marathons as a "top or elite athlete", but the point still stands - most people - especially those who are in a position to be needing to lose weight - are not running half marathons, and certainly not on a daily basis.
  • Mawra
    Mawra Posts: 37 Member
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    juggernaut1974 wrote: »
    There's no need to avoid 'bad' stuff as long as you're meeting your calorie and macro goals.

    That said, I am highly suspicious of the claim of a 1200 calorie per day exercise burn. That would require a duration and intensity of exercise that I doubt most people who need to lose weight could sustain.
    juggernaut1974 wrote: »
    There's no need to avoid 'bad' stuff as long as you're meeting your calorie and macro goals.

    That said, I am highly suspicious of the claim of a 1200 calorie per day exercise burn. That would require a duration and intensity of exercise that I doubt most people who need to lose weight could sustain.
    juggernaut1974 wrote: »
    There's no need to avoid 'bad' stuff as long as you're meeting your calorie and macro goals.

    That said, I am highly suspicious of the claim of a 1200 calorie per day exercise burn. That would require a duration and intensity of exercise that I doubt most people who need to lose weight could sustain.
    juggernaut1974 wrote: »
    There's no need to avoid 'bad' stuff as long as you're meeting your calorie and macro goals.

    That said, I am highly suspicious of the claim of a 1200 calorie per day exercise burn. That would require a duration and intensity of exercise that I doubt most people who need to lose weight could sustain.
    juggernaut1974 wrote: »
    There's no need to avoid 'bad' stuff as long as you're meeting your calorie and macro goals.

    That said, I am highly suspicious of the claim of a 1200 calorie per day exercise burn. That would require a duration and intensity of exercise that I doubt most people who need to lose weight could sustain.

  • Mawra
    Mawra Posts: 37 Member
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    I put in 2.5 to 3 hours at the gym doing cardio and another half an hour strength training. This is generally 4 days a week with two days of kickboxing or lifting and a rest day. Cardio includes running, and elliptical. And a few minutes on the cycle to cool down. And I've lost 33 kgs (close to 70lbs) with another 30 lbs to go. I don't think it's only the athletes burning that number as someone pointed out.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    I'm not sure what "bad stuff" you're trying to avoid, but there are lots of calorie-dense foods you can eat if you want more calories. When I have extra calories in my day, I add more fat (salad dressings, olive oil, etc), higher calorie fruits and vegetables (avocado, potatoes, sweet potatoes), more grains (rice, pasta, bread), drinks (lattes, wine), or things like cookies, ice cream, almonds, or tortilla chips.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,988 Member
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    Mawra wrote: »
    I'm a strong believer in eating back calories burned at the gym. Learnt it through experience.

    But I burn upwards of 1200 calories most days, how do I meet my calorie goals without eating the 'bad' stuff?

    By eating larger portions of the good stuff :)
  • patrikc333
    patrikc333 Posts: 436 Member
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    I burn ~ 1200 cal for my standard half marathon, that normally takes 2 hours, so it is definitely something people can do without being professional

    this said, it also depends on body weight, height etc, so it will vary according to each one

    there is really no bad stuff, food is food, enjoy your calories with whatever you want as long as you hit your macros and stay within cals limit

    Am I the only one who thinks eating 2-3k calories is extremely easy?
  • robertw486
    robertw486 Posts: 2,390 Member
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    patrikc333 wrote: »

    Am I the only one who thinks eating 2-3k calories is extremely easy?

    Most of the time, that's not a challenge for me. But since I tend to both exercise and eat later in the day, on some days it is a challenge if I don't have the right foods on hand. I've had a couple days where I literally just got sick of eating and wish I could take a nutrition pill, and I like to eat!

    Having calorie dense stuff that I like and will fill any nutritional voids around is a big factor. The other day I had to fill the end of my day with peanut butter and chocolate, since I had eaten light and lean earlier. No heartbreak involved in that decision though!
  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
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    I find it hard to believe you burn 1200cal daily. Why?
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
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    patrikc333 wrote: »
    I burn ~ 1200 cal for my standard half marathon, that normally takes 2 hours, so it is definitely something people can do without being professional

    Again, not saying it's not possible and not saying you need to be an elite athlete to do so. But OP's claim is that is her average, daily burn. Even my most die-hard running friends aren't running daily halfs. And they don't tend to be people with a significant amount of weight to lose.
    Am I the only one who thinks eating 2-3k calories is extremely easy?

    Nope...I hope to have at least that many consumed before the first football game reaches halftime today.

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