Extra calories added after working out -- should you eat mor

_GlaDOS_
_GlaDOS_ Posts: 1,520 Member
edited September 29 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all!

I’ve been using MFP for a few weeks now, starting a little before I ended my 90 days of TurboFire. I have found that I usually am good about staying within my calorie range, and now that I have gotten a heart rate monitor, it is even easier to track how many calories I’ve burned during my workouts.

This week I started the ChaLEAN Extreme/TurboFire hybrid, and plan to follow the schedule as much as I can. I only lost about 10 lbs doing TF alone for 90 days, working out 5-6 times a week. I regretfully did not take before and after measurements so I’m not exactly sure how much I lost in inches. I did do this for CLX, so hopefully I can see some progress.

Now, I am curious if my weight loss has stalled (been at the same weight for about 3 weeks now) because of how much (or little) I’m eating. I eat mostly high quality foods and stay within my calorie range on most days, but when I “earn” extra calories I’m not sure if that means I should be eating all of that (seriously, how am I supposed to eat 800 extra calories a day after TF?), or if I should just go ahead and stay within my original calorie range, making sure to get enough carbs, fat, and protein throughout the day? I have done my research on “starvation-mode”, and found that it is mostly a myth, and that people continue to burn fat, not muscle, until they are about 5% body fat. So I know that is not my problem. I also wonder if my body just got used to TF workouts and my metabolism slowed down and maybe the strength training with CLX will help me out there, but not sure…? Anyone else have experience with this with this or other fitness programs? Should I be too worried? I hate putting in all this work without the weight loss results…

Replies

  • jrich1
    jrich1 Posts: 2,408 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    you should eat the extra calories as that is the only way to keep your dialy caloric deficit at your goal amount to lose your goal amount of weight per week. If you burn 600 calories but eat 1200 would be like eating 600 (1200-600) and not working out, which is not enough to survive on. Just make sure you are accurate on your calorie burn estimate. If you are relying on MFP's estimate, I would suggest eating 75% of them as they are usually an over estimation.
  • _GlaDOS_
    _GlaDOS_ Posts: 1,520 Member
    Thanks for the link to that other post-- I'm still confused though...

    I eat around 1500-1600 calories per day normally. If I burn 1100 calories (no joke-- that's TF) there is no way I'm eating that much more! It is even hard to eat an extra 500 calories per day. I also exercise after work, so I don't really know until then how many calories I'll burn until I eat dinner afterward... is it maybe that I should just estimate how many calories I think I will burn in the evening and get more calories in earlier in the day? Maybe it's that I usually eat all of those "extra" calories at night (when I do eat them)...?
  • ladybug1620
    ladybug1620 Posts: 1,136 Member
    Thanks for the link to that other post-- I'm still confused though...

    I eat around 1500-1600 calories per day normally. If I burn 1100 calories (no joke-- that's TF) there is no way I'm eating that much more! It is even hard to eat an extra 500 calories per day.
    Definitely eat them. If you eat 1500 cals per day and burn 1100, then you are expecting your body to run on 400 calories a day? No wonder you are holding on to weight. Starvation mode right there.

    It's not hard to eat them back up, at least try to get to 1200 NET calories. Add avocado, peanut butter, nuts, protein shakes, etc. to your diet and you'll be there in no time. Or...you can do like I do. I allow myself to net below 1200 a few days a week and then I have a cheat day on the weekend.
  • Blackthorne99
    Blackthorne99 Posts: 250 Member
    You need to eat something post workout so that your body has nutrition to repair the muscles that are damaged during the natural process of exercise. If you do NOT eat enough (or soon enough) after a work out, what you end up doing is destroying muscle tissue and NOT repairing it making your workouts harmful rather than helpful.

    What kind of work out are you doing that burns 1100 calories? How long are you working out? You don't have to consume the extra calories AFTER the workout - you just need to increase your overall intake to allow for it.
  • _GlaDOS_
    _GlaDOS_ Posts: 1,520 Member

    Definitely eat them. If you eat 1500 cals per day and burn 1100, then you are expecting your body to run on 400 calories a day? No wonder you are holding on to weight. Starvation mode right there.

    Hmmm now that I think about it, you are probably right... I think I will try to eat my exercise calories for 2-3 weeks and see how it goes. Thanks for the help! This has been frustrating...
  • _GlaDOS_
    _GlaDOS_ Posts: 1,520 Member
    What kind of work out are you doing that burns 1100 calories? How long are you working out? You don't have to consume the extra calories AFTER the workout - you just need to increase your overall intake to allow for it.

    The 1100 calories was from a 45 minute TurboFire workout (Fire 45)... believe me, I was surprised too, because I didn't get a heart rate monitor until I was almost finished with TF. When I started using MFP, I do remember struggling to even get to 1500 calories a day even, so obviously I haven't been eating enough when I was doing TF... which, is such a new world for me, because the 50 pounds I gained after college was because I was eating too much, and now I can't seem to eat enough... so strange.

    Seriously, very much appreciate the help! :smile:
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    What kind of work out are you doing that burns 1100 calories? How long are you working out? You don't have to consume the extra calories AFTER the workout - you just need to increase your overall intake to allow for it.

    The 1100 calories was from a 45 minute TurboFire workout (Fire 45)... believe me, I was surprised too, because I didn't get a heart rate monitor until I was almost finished with TF. When I started using MFP, I do remember struggling to even get to 1500 calories a day even, so obviously I haven't been eating enough when I was doing TF... which, is such a new world for me, because the 50 pounds I gained after college was because I was eating too much, and now I can't seem to eat enough... so strange.

    Seriously, very much appreciate the help! :smile:

    How are you calculating calories burned, if you are not using an HRM I would only eat back 50-75% of them.
  • _GlaDOS_
    _GlaDOS_ Posts: 1,520 Member
    How are you calculating calories burned, if you are not using an HRM I would only eat back 50-75% of them.

    The 1100 calories was WITH the HRM.
  • Blackthorne99
    Blackthorne99 Posts: 250 Member
    That's really odd. Most people who do the Turbofire workout burn between 550-650 calories (based on posts from the Beachbody website). Are you doing it twice a day? Running 6mph burns about 600 calories per hour for a 150lb person. You don't look like you're 300lbs, so I would question how the HRM is calculating 1100 in 45 minutes.
  • _GlaDOS_
    _GlaDOS_ Posts: 1,520 Member
    That's really odd. Most people who do the Turbofire workout burn between 550-650 calories (based on posts from the Beachbody website). Are you doing it twice a day? Running 6mph burns about 600 calories per hour for a 150lb person. You don't look like you're 300lbs, so I would question how the HRM is calculating 1100 in 45 minutes.

    I do not weigh 150, I weigh 193. My heart rate stays between 165-170 for most of the 45 minutes, with the exception of what are called "fire drills" (there are 3 of them during Fire 45). These are meant to bring your heart rate up even more. Mine gets to about 175-178 during these (they last about 60-70 seconds, but very intense if you're doing them right).

    The calculation I've found most often used for women (without a VO2 max calculation) is this one:

    (-20.4022 + 0.4472 x HR - 0.1263 x weight + 0.074 x age) / 4.184 = calories burned per minute

    Weight is entered in kilograms, and after you get the calories per minute, you have to multiply that by however many minutes you exercised. I used this a couple of times to verify the accuracy of the HRM, and it appears to be accurate...

    I also may have some genetics for high VO2 max levels (so I'm told by my family), but have never had this tested so I don't know.
  • scoobysnack1983
    scoobysnack1983 Posts: 13
    try a chocolate or vanilla whey protein shake with bananas, peanut butter, almond milk or plain greek yogurt and ice.... or try a meal replacement shake post workout.... that should help with adding calories since you cant eat that many....
  • _GlaDOS_
    _GlaDOS_ Posts: 1,520 Member
    try a chocolate or vanilla whey protein shake with bananas, peanut butter, almond milk or plain greek yogurt and ice.... or try a meal replacement shake post workout.... that should help with adding calories since you cant eat that many....

    Thanks... I know these work well for some people, but I am really against protein and meal replacement shakes... I know that bothers some fitness people out there, but I prefer real food. I usually eat salad for lunch, so I'm thinking I can add more calories/protein there.
  • scoobysnack1983
    scoobysnack1983 Posts: 13
    peanut butter and apples and banana :) i use the smuckers natural organic! 100 cals a tbsp.... have a few! :)
  • Blackthorne99
    Blackthorne99 Posts: 250 Member
    I do not weigh 150, I weigh 193. My heart rate stays between 165-170 for most of the 45 minutes, with the exception of what are called "fire drills" (there are 3 of them during Fire 45). These are meant to bring your heart rate up even more. Mine gets to about 175-178 during these (they last about 60-70 seconds, but very intense if you're doing them right).

    The calculation I've found most often used for women (without a VO2 max calculation) is this one:

    (-20.4022 + 0.4472 x HR - 0.1263 x weight + 0.074 x age) / 4.184 = calories burned per minute

    Weight is entered in kilograms, and after you get the calories per minute, you have to multiply that by however many minutes you exercised. I used this a couple of times to verify the accuracy of the HRM, and it appears to be accurate...

    I also may have some genetics for high VO2 max levels (so I'm told by my family), but have never had this tested so I don't know.

    0.4472 x 175 = 78.26 Peak Heart Rate
    0.1263 x 193 = 24.3759 Weight
    0.074 x 26 = 1.924 Age



    (-20.4022 + 0.4472 x HR - 0.1263 x weight + 0.074 x age) / 4.184 = calories burned per minute

    Putting these into the formula you posted gives you:

    (negative 20.4022 plus 78.26 minus 24.3759 plus 1.924) = 35.4059 on top

    35.405 / 4.184 = 8.4622 calories burned per minute

    8.4622 calories per min * 45 minute workout = 380.799 calories burned or 507 calories per hour.
  • kell_riley
    kell_riley Posts: 312
    http://www.triathlontrainingblog.com/calculators/calories-burned-calculator-based-on-average-heart-rate/
    Use this site to calculate your cals burned! You must put something o. The v02 max as otherwise it assumes yours is that of a professional athlete! It recommends 35 I believe!
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    I'm with you avoiding protein shakes or meal replacement shakes. My favourite post work-out is good old chocolate milk!
  • wildon883r
    wildon883r Posts: 429 Member
    Don't do like everybody in this thread is telling you to do. Your body will tell you physically when you need fuel above and beyond meals. Having a high protein snack after a workout is not a necessity. Eating your so called calories from exercise back by days end is simple voodoo based nutritional advice. If your not an extreme endurance based athlete like a marathon runner, a triathalon competetor or a olympic swimmer like Michael Phelps you will be just find on 3 meals and a couple snacks. I doubt 1% if even that of the people here are endurance based athletes. Sorry but the truth is that a normal healthy based menu plan that those who don't vigourously exercise is as benefical to them as it is to you. It's fools advice to simply eat more because of exercise.
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