Should I eat the extra Calories I get from working out?

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prettyfitchick
prettyfitchick Posts: 502 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I really have been wondering about this since I have started MFP. When get extra calories from working out should I eat them? What do you guys do? Some times I am hungery enough after doing strenuous activity that I'm happy i have earn them i eat an extra snack or two but most the time i dont have any problems staying with im my calorie limits. but then I wonder if I am supposed to eat them for a healthy weight loss? I am still really new to this any advice would be appreicated

Replies

  • aliciarenee79
    aliciarenee79 Posts: 35 Member
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    Everything I read says to eat them. I eat some of them...but it makes me really uneasy when I do. The times I have eaten them I have lost more weight!
  • Strapples
    Strapples Posts: 36 Member
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    Really it's your choice if you eat them or not. Sometimes you may want to eat something just to keep your body running properly and that is low cal or you might want to indulge. Either way do not FORCE yourself to eat the extra calories, they are just that /extra/
  • abby459
    abby459 Posts: 748 Member
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    I usually let myself eat back half of mine and that seems to be working for me....I just feel too guilty eating them all back especially if I earned a lot that day like over 1000 cals, I cant eat that all back.
  • maryd523
    maryd523 Posts: 661 Member
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    I've been eating all of mine back and I've been losing 2 pounds per week on average.
  • HisPathDaily
    HisPathDaily Posts: 672 Member
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    Don't worry too much about it, but just watch your net calories that they don't get too low ... eating 2000 calories, and burning 1200 (leaving a net calorie intake of 800) is downright unhealthy and dangerous ... but if I burn 800 on a run, I don't usually eat them all back (but at times I do) ... heck, at times I need to burn them cuz I'm over :) ...

    so after you subtract your exercise calories just try to be in a healthy range ... and it's on a week to week basis ... so if you burn a lot one day but don't eat them, and you're a couple hundred over the next day ... it's all in the wash ... don't get too crazy, just make sure you're being healthy about it ...
  • tamanella
    tamanella Posts: 500 Member
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    I think it's really up to the individual. I tend not to eat them back if I can help it, but if I'm extra hungry after working out then I have a healthy snack. I too, like others have said, feel too guilty to eat them all back.
  • ItsMeLori
    ItsMeLori Posts: 346
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    If I am hungry I will extra but if I'm not hungry I won't force myself to eat.
  • petendi
    petendi Posts: 2
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    Don't exercise just to earn extra calories and then eat them, really what's the point. I exercise almost everyday and eat under my calorie allowance. Extra calories earned thru the week allow for a small treat on the weekend, maybe some cheese and a glass of wine or perhaps a dinner out with hubby. Think about it, it makes sence. Another way to look at it is if you have a treat then head straight to the gym to burn off the calories consumed in the treat, i'll bet you think twice about having another splurge. The only way to lose weight is to eat less & move more therefore you need to limit your calorie intake and burn more calories.
  • Heather75
    Heather75 Posts: 3,386 Member
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    Yes. Eat them. Please.
  • HisPathDaily
    HisPathDaily Posts: 672 Member
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    And on that note, if you're looking for a "guide" ... if you are picking a healthy loss rate (1-2 lbs per week) you really should target 0 calories at the end of the day ... so if that's your guide, your answer will be "yes", eat them back ... but if you don't that's fine ... just don't starve yourself ... cuz when you choose to "lose 1 pound per week" MFP already begins restricting your calories so that when you're at zero, you're already below your break even point ... so if ON TOP OF THAT you're leaving yourself with a ton of extra calories (cuz you don't eat back what you burn on a regular basis) your'e going to short yourself too many calories ...

    weight loss faster? Yes ... so is poverty ... but it's not healthy ...

    So be smart and you'll be fine :) ... target zero on your diary as a general rule, and if you go over and under each day during the week, who cares ... but at a weekly basis if you target zero you'll be good ...

    After all, that's what the tool is for! :)
  • mark03264
    mark03264 Posts: 334 Member
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    If you set up MFP right to start with then the daily calorie goal that MFP gives you already has a calorie deficit built in to lose weight. That said, you should eat close to the calorie goal MFP gives you each day including eating back most of your exercise calories. Depending on how far under the daily calorie goal you are, you are very likely to cause your body to hang onto to the fat it has slowing down or even stopping fat loss. It may not happen right away but if you eat way under, eventually, you will most likely plateau. If you have a lot of weight to lose you can probably get away with it longer but as you have less to lose your body will plateau easier.
  • prettyfitchick
    prettyfitchick Posts: 502 Member
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    Thanks Guys for all the feedback. Based on the advice it seems like its ok eat the extra calories If I am hungery but I dont eat all of them which makes sense since I do have my days when i dont work out this is more about a healthy balance and life style change which is why doing this its not all about the pounds for me but losing them will be nice. THANKS AGAIN
  • bhagavatilad1
    bhagavatilad1 Posts: 277
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    Yes, you need to eat extra calories to help you burn fat and you also need to hydrate before during and after a workout if you can. What you're doing is fine.
  • ilookthetype
    ilookthetype Posts: 3,021 Member
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    Babies die if you don't eat at least half back. Sad truth people won't tell you. I'm just trying to save lives.
  • maryd523
    maryd523 Posts: 661 Member
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    Don't exercise just to earn extra calories and then eat them, really what's the point. I exercise almost everyday and eat under my calorie allowance. Extra calories earned thru the week allow for a small treat on the weekend, maybe some cheese and a glass of wine or perhaps a dinner out with hubby. Think about it, it makes sence. Another way to look at it is if you have a treat then head straight to the gym to burn off the calories consumed in the treat, i'll bet you think twice about having another splurge. The only way to lose weight is to eat less & move more therefore you need to limit your calorie intake and burn more calories.

    I disagree with this. I am on 1200 calories per day and I burn anywhere from 400 - 800 calories per day from exercise. If I don't eat those back, my body is operating on 400-800 calories, which is not enough to take care of my needs. I think we need to give our bodies fuel so that it doesn't think something is wrong and needs to hang on to calories. As long as you still have that deficit, you will continue to lose weight AND have energy for work outs.
  • ladysandy
    ladysandy Posts: 82
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    This is a great question, I'm new here and I myself was wondering if I should or not eat my buring calories, so I would eat about half of it, I guess I was okay. It also sounds smart to eat if your hungry, but then again I like what a lady said about if you keep some over so that you can have a CHEAT day on the weekend with hubby and or friends!
    Thanks to all and happy lose :-D
  • annsfilms
    annsfilms Posts: 7 Member
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    I try very hard to eat all the calories, but find that I'm not hungry enough to consume that much food. If I'm eating allot of lean meat and vegetables, but not filling up should I be eating larger positions of meat or adding sweets? What should I be eating besides meat to use up my workout calories and not feel like I've stuffed myself.
  • ibboone70
    ibboone70 Posts: 1 Member
    edited February 2015
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    Nuts are high in calories for a small serving size. On days when I want extra calories I will start the morning off with milk in my protein shake instead of water. Nuts are my go to when it comes to extra calories with out the bulk.
  • tanowicki
    tanowicki Posts: 60 Member
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    You can eat the calories back but be careful that the exercise calculator is accurate. I've found it tends to overpredict which is why many people say to eat only 50% back.

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