Eating the calories you burn

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Alexandria1213
Alexandria1213 Posts: 152 Member
in Introduce Yourself
I have heard that you are suppose to eat the calories you burn. Is this true? Cuz I don't understand why you would go burn 500 calories just to eat the 500 calories. Somebody help me out?
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Replies

  • dericcarson
    dericcarson Posts: 78 Member
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    Tons of topics on should I eat my exercise calories? Just go to search....(: Good luck!
  • taso42_DELETED
    taso42_DELETED Posts: 3,394 Member
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    http://shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com/ - all the mysteries of the universe explained
  • Jelleebean
    Jelleebean Posts: 212
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    that link made me giggle :D
    thanks taso42 :D
  • cricketannie
    cricketannie Posts: 184 Member
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    http://shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com/ - all the mysteries of the universe explained
    Oh my freaking goodness thank you for that! I needed that laugh.
    I actually had a post about the same question. so now...I get it. I am fitness/exercise retarded, I guess. hahaha!
  • ka_bateman
    ka_bateman Posts: 230 Member
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    I never eat my exercise calories. I am however watching several seasons of the Biggest Loser on hulu right now. They burn up to 6000 calories every day but nobody eats over 1800. You're right it doesn't make sense....so I don't eat them back. I know that I have to burn 3500 calories a week to lose a pound of fat. So I don't care what they say, I'm not eating those calories! =)
  • arhzon
    arhzon Posts: 150
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    Exercising strengthens your muscles and helps your overall conditioning. When you are setting up your profile to lose weight already, you are taking the calorie deficit you need to lose weight. While you are losing weight, if you exercise, you are helping get yourself in better condition, building muscle, developing a resistant to lactic acid, and as muscle develops, your body will naturally start to burn fat off better than it did before. If you are already taking a 500-1000 calorie deficit in a day, and you burn off 500 more without eating them back, you may or may not go to bed feeling really hungry and weak. This leaves you less likely to exercise (i.e. condition) in the near future, as well as, if you have burned a lot of calories, possibly doing damage to your body.

    I'm not going to give the whole "starvation mode" shpeel because we've all read it a thousand times here.
  • Helice
    Helice Posts: 1,075 Member
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    I eat my exercise calories atm...
    But only because i have set my daily net goal fairly low.
    Iv done this so that im more likely to exercise.. Because iv lost alot of my determination...
    Such as i cant have that chocolate biscuit unless i burn off the calories first, etc..

    Whereas if i had the motivation to just exercise then i would up my net goal, and then plan to not eat my exercise calories back..

    Whatever works for u.
  • Danahimself
    Danahimself Posts: 279 Member
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    Tons of topics on should I eat my exercise calories? Just go to search....(: Good luck!
  • SDkitty
    SDkitty Posts: 446 Member
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    From all the topics I've seen this guy explained it the simplest that I've found:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/173853-an-objective-look-at-eating-exercise-calories

    :flowerforyou:
  • Losing2Live69
    Losing2Live69 Posts: 743 Member
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    If you put gas in your car and you drive more than usual you need to put more gas in it to keep it going. Its the same thing with us. Don't fuel up and we will eventually poop out.
  • erinkeely4
    erinkeely4 Posts: 408 Member
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    This question is posted SO often that I think there needs to be a FAQ!
  • JellyJaks
    JellyJaks Posts: 589 Member
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    Depending on how much I exercise in a day, I don't always eat all of my exercise calories back. I just listen to my body and if I feel hungry, I eat. If not then that's just more weight that will eventually come off :smile:
  • camille97
    camille97 Posts: 91
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    I never eat my exercise calories. I am however watching several seasons of the Biggest Loser on hulu right now. They burn up to 6000 calories every day but nobody eats over 1800. You're right it doesn't make sense....so I don't eat them back. I know that I have to burn 3500 calories a week to lose a pound of fat. So I don't care what they say, I'm not eating those calories! =)

    This is true, however it is likely they will gain it back as soon as they stop exercising so radically, and also, people who are more overweight are capable of having much larger calorie deficits because they have much more fat for the body to fuel itself with. It truly depends on your body, I would suggest talking to your physician.
  • dericcarson
    dericcarson Posts: 78 Member
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    This question is posted SO often that I think there needs to be a FAQ!

    seriously
  • jujubean1992
    jujubean1992 Posts: 462 Member
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    the sum of every post about this>>> eat them or don't, what ever works for you. just don't get your net under 1200 calories.

    also i've read on many other sites that you should never eat more than 1000 calories less than you burn in a day, exercise and BMR included.
  • Losing2Live69
    Losing2Live69 Posts: 743 Member
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    I never eat my exercise calories. I am however watching several seasons of the Biggest Loser on hulu right now. They burn up to 6000 calories every day but nobody eats over 1800. You're right it doesn't make sense....so I don't eat them back. I know that I have to burn 3500 calories a week to lose a pound of fat. So I don't care what they say, I'm not eating those calories! =)

    A large portion of those 3500 calories are already figured into the deficit MFP figures into our calories allowed every day. Like for me...I have a deficit of something like 500 calories a day. That right there is a total of a 3500 calorie deficit a week.
  • jujubean1992
    jujubean1992 Posts: 462 Member
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    If you put gas in your car and you drive more than usual you need to put more gas in it to keep it going. Its the same thing with us. Don't fuel up and we will eventually poop out.

    QFE! {quoted for emphasis}
  • Licacorona
    Licacorona Posts: 118 Member
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    Exercising strengthens your muscles and helps your overall conditioning. When you are setting up your profile to lose weight already, you are taking the calorie deficit you need to lose weight. While you are losing weight, if you exercise, you are helping get yourself in better condition, building muscle, developing a resistant to lactic acid, and as muscle develops, your body will naturally start to burn fat off better than it did before. If you are already taking a 500-1000 calorie deficit in a day, and you burn off 500 more without eating them back, you may or may not go to bed feeling really hungry and weak. This leaves you less likely to exercise (i.e. condition) in the near future, as well as, if you have burned a lot of calories, possibly doing damage to your body.

    I'm not going to give the whole "starvation mode" shpeel because we've all read it a thousand times here.

    What he said^ When I first joined, I had no idea why my remain g calories increased once I submitted my exercise. After I read a similar post about this, I ignored but kept wondering if I should be eating my exercise calories. Well, I would end up going to bed starving and by the time the weekend got here I was exhausted and then for a couple months I stopped losing weight altogether because I'd splurge half the week.

    This week I jumped back on the wagon and I have eaten my exercise calories all week. Not only am I more focused, I also have more energy and I haven't slept feeling hungry. My weekend is almost halfway sone and I haven't splurged (as I did before). Listen to your body. It will def lead the way!
  • janiecorona
    janiecorona Posts: 248
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    I never eat my exercise calories...I know that I have to burn 3500 calories a week to lose a pound of fat. So I don't care what they say, I'm not eating those calories! =)

    ^ THIS. I never eat them back either.
  • Fitnerd
    Fitnerd Posts: 16 Member
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    Even though I struggle with weight - I have a very sound understanding of body systems, exercise physiology, and metabolism. In most cases - the funny link posted early in this topic is correct - YES. HOWEVER - the true answer should be - IT DEPENDS. Every one is an individual - and just like the millions of variables that make us each unique in appearance (hair color, eye color, size of our nostrils - etc.. ) Each of us is unique in how our body responds to calorie deficits, exercise etc.

    Bottom line -

    Figure out what works for you, try it - if you lose weight (1-2lbs a week) then you're right on track - if you don't - don't eat the extra - just make sure you eat enough to sustain your daily level of activity.

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