Question about eating exercise calories...

JayBet98 · January 2009

Hi, I'm fairly new, and have been reading the posts about eating your exercise calories...I just have a quick question...I often can only work out at night after all the fam has hit the sack...for those that do the same, do you "project" or guess at what your exercise will be and then eat those calories (becuase I typically try not to eat 3 hours before bed, and wouldn't be eating AFTER the workout).

JayBet98 · January 2009

Hi, I'm fairly new, and have been reading the posts about eating your exercise calories...I just have a quick question...I often can only work out at night after all the fam has hit the sack...for those that do the same, do you "project" or guess at what your exercise will be and then eat those calories (becuase I typically try not to eat 3 hours before bed, and wouldn't be eating AFTER the workout).

songbyrdsweet · January 2009

It's really important to eat after you workout.
Not eating after a certain time won't increase your fat loss. There is no time of day at which you start gaining fat. Eating after a workout provides your body with nutrients to repair your damaged muscles. Estimate what you might burn, and plan a small meal afterward. Believe me, you will not benefit from skipping your post-workout meal. It doesn't have to be big--a bowl of cereal with a cup of milk will provide carbohydrates and protein for repair.

Dave198lbs · January 2009

you will also learn here that you can eat whenever you want....depending on what kind of workout you are doing, you can even have a protein shake while you lift weights...eat some oatmeal before working out...you dont have to eat three hours before ....but also...yes...sometimes I project workout calories to plan my meals...can be a drag if something prevents the workout you already ate

PolarQueen · January 2009

Wow Song. You are so great. Thanks for be so helpful all the time. I learn something every day and it is amazing at how wrong I have been looking at things all this time post MFP.

I would eat at least what you expect to burn. But maybe save some for a string cheese or a protein shake for after workout. Great Question By the way.

tresa1234 · January 2009

Aaah ... I was having the same worries ... I'd plan my day including exercise, eat what I'd planned, and then something would happen and I wouldn't get my workout in and be over by that much.

So, what I decided to do is log today's exercise calories on tomorrow's date. Then tomorrow at the start of the day I know exactly how much to eat. I think this might have a couple of advantages ... and if you read this, Songbyrd, please chime in because I really don't know if I'm right or not, and I also wonder if there is a downside to doing it this way.

One thing that is supposed to be helpful in keeping from plateauing or breaking a plateau is switching things up as far as calories & exercise goes. If my workouts vary from day to day, then each day I won't be exactly eating what I burned on that day, but somewhat more or somewhat less depending on what I did the day before. For example, say I don't exercise today so tomorrow I am supposed to eat my regular, no exercise calories. Tomorrow, I do exercise, but I only eat the regular calories because I log the exercise on the following day. So tomorrow I will go under what MFP plans for me. Another day, I might have worked out a lot the day before but then take a day off exercise. That day I will eat more than my body thinks it needs that day because I didn't burn those calories in the same day.... maybe that makes sense ... anyway, it's what I've been doing and it seems to work out okay! I hope it will keep my body guessing about what I'm up to! :laugh:

songbyrdsweet · January 2009

Aaah ... I was having the same worries ... I'd plan my day including exercise, eat what I'd planned, and then something would happen and I wouldn't get my workout in and be over by that much.

So, what I decided to do is log today's exercise calories on tomorrow's date. Then tomorrow at the start of the day I know exactly how much to eat. I think this might have a couple of advantages ... and if you read this, Songbyrd, please chime in because I really don't know if I'm right or not, and I also wonder if there is a downside to doing it this way.

One thing that is supposed to be helpful in keeping from plateauing or breaking a plateau is switching things up as far as calories & exercise goes. If my workouts vary from day to day, then each day I won't be exactly eating what I burned on that day, but somewhat more or somewhat less depending on what I did the day before. For example, say I don't exercise today so tomorrow I am supposed to eat my regular, no exercise calories. Tomorrow, I do exercise, but I only eat the regular calories because I log the exercise on the following day. So tomorrow I will go under what MFP plans for me. Another day, I might have worked out a lot the day before but then take a day off exercise. That day I will eat more than my body thinks it needs that day because I didn't burn those calories in the same day.... maybe that makes sense ... anyway, it's what I've been doing and it seems to work out okay! I hope it will keep my body guessing about what I'm up to! :laugh:

That sounds like a fine idea. It's still important to have something after you work out, but you don't have to eat exactly the assigned calories every day. It's more about an average over time.

tresa1234 · January 2009

Thank you Songbyrd! I figured it was probably okay, but it's nice to have some expert input! :happy:

I can't eat much right before a workout so I always do eat something after ... and always have what my daughter used to call a "bednight snack" because I hate waking up at 4:00 a.m. hungry!

JayBet98 · January 2009

Thank you Songbyrd! I figured it was probably okay, but it's nice to have some expert input! :happy:

I can't eat much right before a workout so I always do eat something after ... and always have what my daughter used to call a "bednight snack" because I hate waking up at 4:00 a.m. hungry!

I like that idea too! I have had good luck with the variation of calories as well. Thanks all for the input!

MissResa · January 2009

One thing that I love about guessing how much you plan to work out is that you feel obligated to do the exercise once you've written it down. If I write that I did 35 minutes of cardio, and then count those calories burned toward a snack, I won't feel right until I do my workout!!!:happy:

Question about eating exercise calories...

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