Exercise Calories-Do you eat them or not?!

kelseyk14
kelseyk14 Posts: 95
edited October 1 in Fitness and Exercise
I have heard mixed opinions...do you eat your exercise calories or not? What has worked for you?

Replies

  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo
  • JennLifts
    JennLifts Posts: 1,913 Member
    I do. and it's glorious!
  • BeautyFromPain
    BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
    Do what works for you.

    I personally do not, but I am not completely all about calories I just eat when I am hungry

    :)
  • aLatz13
    aLatz13 Posts: 60 Member
    I eat them. my weight loss has been pretty slow, but if i dont eat most of them back i go crazy and wake up STARVING the next day. you have to make sure you stay sane or you're not really going to stick with it. The way I see it, if it takes a while for me to lose it, it becomes more of a lifestyle change and is therefore going to stay off.
  • Pidders89
    Pidders89 Posts: 1,169 Member
    I don't but mainly because i feel i dont need too :)
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I lost most of my weight before joining this site and before ever hearing of the "eat your exercise calories" thing. I had just been eating healthy only when hungry and until full and exercising regularly. But when I started logging I came out pretty even most days, so yes I was eating them.
  • manjingirl
    manjingirl Posts: 188 Member
    Only if I'm hungry. Otherwise I let them go through to the keeper.
  • mbb0301
    mbb0301 Posts: 33
    Yes. You need to replenish the energy. Think of it like this: do you sweat and not replenish the water to stay hydrated?

    Also if you don't eat them, your putting your body in starvation mode and it will store calories instead of burn them.
  • ansy96
    ansy96 Posts: 55
    I don't eat my exercise calories because I just can't eat about 2200 daily. So I stick to 1200-1300 calories. I think it's ok, but I have to eat the exercise calories:)
  • coppercurlz
    coppercurlz Posts: 65
    Seriously people? Seriously? YES!!!!!! EAT YOUR EXERCISE CALORIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    http://www.shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com/
  • ibbray04
    ibbray04 Posts: 227 Member
    If I'm hungry, I'll eat them, if I'm not, I don't eat them.
  • juliapurpletoes
    juliapurpletoes Posts: 951 Member
    Yes without a doubt! It's the way this program was designed to get results which I did!!
  • ibbray04
    ibbray04 Posts: 227 Member
    Seriously people? Seriously? YES!!!!!! EAT YOUR EXERCISE CALORIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    http://www.shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com/

    Really??? You have to do what works for YOUR body. If you're losing weight while NOT eating your exercise calories AND you're not hungry, you are fine NOT eating them.
  • AlisonMacKay
    AlisonMacKay Posts: 112
    I think it depend on the person. If it works for you to not eat them and your losing weight go for it. I usually eat most of them I love food so when I have extra to eat I go for it.
  • ANeWcRe8N
    ANeWcRe8N Posts: 1,180 Member
    There are days I eat none, some, or all.. just depends on how hungry I am. My totals are always at least 1200 calories though
  • springtrio
    springtrio Posts: 429 Member
    I took off 107lbs. w/o "eating them". Tried it about a month ago, and gained. I know what works for my body. Personally, if it's not going to benefit my body, it's not going in me (and too much does not benefit me at all). One thing is though, if I feel I need the extra calories I eat them.
  • RNewton4269
    RNewton4269 Posts: 663 Member
    Sometimes I eat them..sometimes I don't. Depends on how hungry I am. Food is the fuel we power our bodies with so it makes sense to eat back what you burn sometimes.

    I think if you are hungry..I say eat them.
  • Gennawest
    Gennawest Posts: 171
    I NEVER eat them. I do not eat them for a variety of reasons:

    1) I have never heard about eating more to lose more until I came on here- although I have no reason not to trust the dynamics of this site, I do not trust the theory of eating extra to lose more.
    2) I do not have an HRM, so I am not able to tell exactly what I should eat. I had planned to get one, but never got around to budgeting the money for it.
    3) I have lost over 90 lbs in about seven months- I think I have got my weight loss pretty figured out.
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
    Seriously people? Seriously? YES!!!!!! EAT YOUR EXERCISE CALORIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    http://www.shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com/

    Ah the pushy my way or the highway people.. gotta love them!

    To Op:
    I do what my body tells me.. If I'm hungry, I eat them.. if I'm not hungry, I don't. There really is no right or wrong answer.. it's all about what works for you because its your journey.. not anyone else's.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    Seriously people? Seriously? YES!!!!!! EAT YOUR EXERCISE CALORIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    http://www.shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com/

    Really??? You have to do what works for YOUR body. If you're losing weight while NOT eating your exercise calories AND you're not hungry, you are fine NOT eating them.

    Please keep in mind that hunger is not the best indication of your body's nutritional requirements.

    If you are not losing while eating them then you are doing something wrong or have a slow or damaged metabolism. Essentially it is math, and the math works if you have a properly functioning metabolism.
    Other issues why you may not lose while eating exercise calories are:
    -Over estimating how many calories you are burning (using MFP or the machine estimate, or not backing out maintenance cals from cals burned according to your HRM)
    -Under estimating how many calories you are eating (not measuring and weighing food)
    -You have the wrong weekly goal given your stats and goals (too large of a deficit)
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    I took off 107lbs. w/o "eating them". Tried it about a month ago, and gained. I know what works for my body. Personally, if it's not going to benefit my body, it's not going in me (and too much does not benefit me at all). One thing is though, if I feel I need the extra calories I eat them.

    sounds like your metabolism has slowed down due to too long of not eating enough, now when you eat what you should you gain due to this damage.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    I NEVER eat them. I do not eat them for a variety of reasons:

    1) I have never heard about eating more to lose more until I came on here- although I have no reason not to trust the dynamics of this site, I do not trust the theory of eating extra to lose more.
    2) I do not have an HRM, so I am not able to tell exactly what I should eat. I had planned to get one, but never got around to budgeting the money for it.
    3) I have lost over 90 lbs in about seven months- I think I have got my weight loss pretty figured out.

    1) MFP is different and sets your caloric intake assuming you will not workout. If you have a caloric intake from a trainer or nutritionist they will take into account your exercise and give you mare calories/day than MFP does. But when you do workout MFP adds them back so at the end of the week your overall deficit would be the same in either case. If you don't eat them I would suggest setting your daily intake at 250-500 higher than MFP does.
  • springtrio
    springtrio Posts: 429 Member
    I took off 107lbs. w/o "eating them". Tried it about a month ago, and gained. I know what works for my body. Personally, if it's not going to benefit my body, it's not going in me (and too much does not benefit me at all). One thing is though, if I feel I need the extra calories I eat them.

    sounds like your metabolism has slowed down due to too long of not eating enough, now when you eat what you should you gain due to this damage.

    Thanks, dr. but I'll still to my doctors and nutritionists advice. It hasn't slowed down at all. I'm losing big every week and have for quite sometime.
  • Jill_newimprovedversion
    Jill_newimprovedversion Posts: 988 Member
    You'll get a a bazillion responses to this-

    My suggestion is see how it affects YOU- try one week of NOT eating them back

    and one week of eating ALL of them back ( or at least MOST)

    THAT'll give you the answer YOU're seeking- IF it affects YOU or not.....
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    I took off 107lbs. w/o "eating them". Tried it about a month ago, and gained. I know what works for my body. Personally, if it's not going to benefit my body, it's not going in me (and too much does not benefit me at all). One thing is though, if I feel I need the extra calories I eat them.

    sounds like your metabolism has slowed down due to too long of not eating enough, now when you eat what you should you gain due to this damage.

    Thanks, dr. but I'll still to my doctors and nutritionists advice. It hasn't slowed down at all. I'm losing big every week and have for quite sometime.

    Yes it has or it would be impossible for you to gain when eating exercise calories, as all that is doing is keeping your deficit at your goal amount (500 cals for a 1 lb/week loss) if you can gain on a deficit, then your metabolism is damaged.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    You'll get a a bazillion responses to this-

    My suggestion is see how it affects YOU- try one week of NOT eating them back

    and one week of eating ALL of them back ( or at least MOST)

    THAT'll give you the answer YOU're seeking- IF it affects YOU or not.....

    This advise is okay but I would try 3-4 weeks one way before switching to try the other, as it takes your body a while to get use to what you are doing.
  • springtrio
    springtrio Posts: 429 Member
    I took off 107lbs. w/o "eating them". Tried it about a month ago, and gained. I know what works for my body. Personally, if it's not going to benefit my body, it's not going in me (and too much does not benefit me at all). One thing is though, if I feel I need the extra calories I eat them.

    sounds like your metabolism has slowed down due to too long of not eating enough, now when you eat what you should you gain due to this damage.

    Thanks, dr. but I'll still to my doctors and nutritionists advice. It hasn't slowed down at all. I'm losing big every week and have for quite sometime.

    Yes it has or it would be impossible for you to gain when eating exercise calories, as all that is doing is keeping your deficit at your goal amount (500 cals for a 1 lb/week loss) if you can gain on a deficit, then your metabolism is damaged.

    Like I said, I take my medical advice from medical professionals not people in online forums.
  • ladysandy
    ladysandy Posts: 82
    Seriously people? Seriously? YES!!!!!! EAT YOUR EXERCISE CALORIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    http://www.shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com/

    Really??? You have to do what works for YOUR body. If you're losing weight while NOT eating your exercise calories AND you're not hungry, you are fine NOT eating them.

    I've never heard about eating your exercises until I came here, don't you exercise to LOSE WEIGHT??? I agree; you have to do what's BEST for YOU! Try not eating them for a week, then eat them, and then just eat half, you'll see what works best for you!
  • dragonflydi
    dragonflydi Posts: 665 Member
    If you are not losing while eating them then you are doing something wrong or have a slow or damaged metabolism. Essentially it is math, and the math works if you have a properly functioning metabolism.

    After reading this question on here a number of time, it's clear that people don't realize when their metabolism has been altered/slowed and/or damaged, which is what happens when people yo-yo diet, routinely eat too few calories basedon their daily energy expendature, etc.

    I (personally) do eat my exercise calories back ... now.

    I would say that I didn't do that before, but actually what I was doing before was just merely not eating enough at all for the intensity of the workouts I was doing to begin with and then also not eating back my calories and I plateau'd for nearly 6 months, even put some of what I had lost back on. Not until I talked with a trainer and he had me adjust my food dramatically, including eating my workout calories back did my body finally respond. It took a while for my metabolism to respond, but it finally did and since then I've lost an additional 34 lbs (for a total of 117), have dropped my body fat to the "athlete" range and I eat a lot, which is good because I love to cook ... and to eat! :)
  • OneFitMom_
    OneFitMom_ Posts: 151 Member
    I only eat back 200 of my exercise calories on my cardio only days. I eat between 1600-1800 cals everyday though.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories