Eating back Exercise Cals?

sabified
sabified Posts: 1,035 Member
edited September 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I dont' always eat back my exercise calories (I usually don't, actually) But I'm usually not hungry enough to want to eat them back... but I always feel bad when I complete my entry for the day, and the lil blurb comes up saying I'm starving myself!

Is it ok to not eat my exercise cals, even when it puts me at that low a calorie level for the day, if I'm truely not hungry? Or should I just try to eat something to get them back anyway?

Replies

  • twinmama1987
    twinmama1987 Posts: 566 Member
    that them back anyway. not enough cals= starvation mode which= no weight loss.
    been there!!
  • photorific
    photorific Posts: 577 Member
    Not to get into the debate over yes or no, but it seems like whatever you're doing is working for you...
  • marjen002
    marjen002 Posts: 112
    Same happens to me, I wonder the same thing...
  • Laddiegirl
    Laddiegirl Posts: 382 Member
    I go back and forth on this because I feel the same way, I'm generally not hungry enough at the end of the day to eat my exercise calories. If I do, I usually use them for a splurge snack and even then I don't use them all. I think as long as you keep having movement towards your weight loss goal then you're probably fine.
  • marpeters
    marpeters Posts: 205 Member
    I think that over time it is important to eat to 1200 calories a day or close....or your body will begin to use less calories even with exercise. I was experiencing the same issues about not wanting to eat much more. Other days I'd be really hungry and eat my calories for the day. It seemed that I lost more weight AFTER I had eaten more calories. But I also think it's really really important to pay attention to our bodies and not just eat to fulfill a number.
  • IAMQUEEN
    IAMQUEEN Posts: 52
    You should eat them to your body needs the energy.
  • Lexino
    Lexino Posts: 153 Member
    Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't....don't shove a ton food in your mouth if your not hungry, that's how a lot of us got here in the first place. I know there is HUGE debates about this, but I don't think it's accurate for everyone. If I've eaten 1500 cals but still have 600 exercise cals, and I'm not hungry, no I'm not going to eat them, if I've only had 1000 cals and a lot of exercise cals to eat too I will eat a PB sandwich and some nuts or something because I know I haven't eaten enough. Listen to your body, and you will figure out when you need to make yourself eat something. This is just MY opinion and it works for me :)
  • tcdawley78
    tcdawley78 Posts: 69 Member
    I usually don't eat my exercise calories... I just make sure I eat at least 1200 calories a day. I eat a lot of veggies, so some days I have to push just to eat 1200! If I ate my exercise calories, too, I'd be eating over 1700 a day. As long as you're still losing steady, you're fine. If you stop losing, then add in some calories and it should pick back up... This is what has been workin for me, and I've lost 50lbs since March and still losing!! :happy:
  • Lexino
    Lexino Posts: 153 Member
    But I also think it's really really important to pay attention to our bodies and not just eat to fulfill a number.

    Very well put!!
  • crystalgreear
    crystalgreear Posts: 10 Member
    I had a trainer tell me that I should always try to replace (eat) half of the calories burned during exercise so that I am not starving my body but still getting the extra benefit of exercise. Seemed like a good, balanced approach.
  • becalee26
    becalee26 Posts: 185 Member
    I usually throw in a cheat day or at least a cheat meal during the week to make up for some of the excercise calories that I didn't eat during the week. I know with WW you keep a tally of the excercise points and you can eat them anytime during the week so not necessarily the day that you worked out. I am trying not to stress myself out with eating like I did a few months ago and just gave up. It got too stressful, am I eating enough, I am eating too much, am I eating too many carbs, ect ect. you can really drive yourself crazy!
  • TrishJimenez
    TrishJimenez Posts: 561 Member
    I usually throw in a cheat day or at least a cheat meal during the week to make up for some of the excercise calories that I didn't eat during the week. I know with WW you keep a tally of the excercise points and you can eat them anytime during the week so not necessarily the day that you worked out. I am trying not to stress myself out with eating like I did a few months ago and just gave up. It got too stressful, am I eating enough, I am eating too much, am I eating too many carbs, ect ect. you can really drive yourself crazy!

    I like that idea also.
  • sabified
    sabified Posts: 1,035 Member
    I usually throw in a cheat day or at least a cheat meal during the week to make up for some of the excercise calories that I didn't eat during the week. I know with WW you keep a tally of the excercise points and you can eat them anytime during the week so not necessarily the day that you worked out. I am trying not to stress myself out with eating like I did a few months ago and just gave up. It got too stressful, am I eating enough, I am eating too much, am I eating too many carbs, ect ect. you can really drive yourself crazy!

    I like this idea too...

    thanks for the advice guys, I don't think I'm going to force myself to eat to replace the cals, but I will definitely keep watch for if it happens too often or something. My body's pretty good at telling me when I'm hungry, so I think I'll be ok, lol :)
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