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Does anyone else work out extra just to get more calories?

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Replies

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Not really...it's one of the added benefits of regular exercise activity but I don't workout to burn some arbitrary number of calories.

    That said, when I started this four years ago, being able to eat more was a motivator to exercise...at that time my exercise was rather random and arbitrary and was basically exercise for the sake of exercising. When I started training towards actual fitness goals and started following structured programs to get me there, that changed my outlook.

    Once I started training towards objectives beyond just burning XXX calories I switched to the TDEE method which is more logical to me. Not that MFPs methodology doesn't work...it does...but I think people tend to get overly wrapped up in day to day minutia. I haven't logged in ages and these days I just train to plan and eat according to how I feel.
  • besaro
    besaro Posts: 1,858 Member
    its the only reason I started walking.
  • jhdz95614
    jhdz95614 Posts: 9 Member
    Yeeeuuup
  • dewd2
    dewd2 Posts: 2,445 Member
    One of the cool things about long distance running (and training) is it allows you to eat like a pig and still maintain your weight. :-) So in that sense, yes, I enjoy eating much more because of my training. But that is not the main reason for the training - I train to get faster and live healthier.

    Now, for your case where you are in danger of going over for one day, no way would I add exercise in. Just go over. Look at your calorie goal as weekly instead of daily. For example, on the weekends when I do my longest runs I am almost always in a huge calorie deficit. Then during the week when run less or lift, I am sometimes in a surplus. Over the course of the week it evens out.

    To be successful you don't have to hit your goal every single day. Enjoy life.

    Good luck.
  • JaxxieKat
    JaxxieKat Posts: 427 Member
    I have done that, yes. I tend to aim for a lower daily calorie goal (around 1200), then workout most days so that I can eat around 1300-1400 calories and still maintain a deficit.
  • KatzeDerNacht22
    KatzeDerNacht22 Posts: 200 Member
    Used to, it led to a not so good relationship with food so no, if I will be over for some, I will be, (I workout as scheduled, though, I do try now to walk daily to create a bigger deficit, eating more would kinda work backwards so nope), not making that a habit either. Good luck.
  • canadianlbs
    canadianlbs Posts: 5,199 Member
    voodoozombie69 wrote: »
    why is that the exercise tracker does not deplete the cal burned from strength training? I do one hour and a half 5 times a week and i am just curious.

    'strength training' is so vague it's like 'eating'. you can't tell how many calories someone took in if they just log 'eating, 1 hour'. strength training is kind of like that.

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