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    To eat or not to eat your exercise calories?

    Posts: 157 Member
    edited October 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
    To eat or not to eat your exercise calories? That is the question.

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    • Posts: 38 Member
      Personally, I tend not to myself. I aim for around 1400 calories and sometimes only get around 900. I eat when I'm hungry, but I'm not nearly as hungry as I used to be, and I eat a LOT smarter. I also burn anywhere from 500 to 1500 calories per day running or cycling.

      I am "obese" and still losing weight despite the critics who say I should be in starvation mode. I am feeling more alive and healthy, so until that changes, I probably won't change my eating habits. My guess is that when I get within 20lbs of my goal I will probably need to eat a bit more and not be so aggressive with the weight loss.
    • Posts: 614 Member
      I don't ,but I stopped losing so...I'm gonna start!
    • Posts: 2,209 Member
      smiley-eatdrink033.gif
    • Posts: 172 Member
      it is a personal choice. I almost always eat them back.. I only get 1400 kcals a day and that is not enough food to keep me satisfied so I use my exercise calories to make up for it. I tell people joking that I exercise so I can eat... but it is kinda true.
    • Posts: 220 Member
      i usually eat most of my exercise calories back. mostly because i am working out hard and my body needs the fuel. i stall out during workouts if i dont eat enough. you'll get both sides of the spectrum on here though. find what works for you.
    • Posts: 435
      To use the search function or read the sticky threads. THAT is the question.
    • Posts: 303 Member
      I eat them if I am hungry and leave them if I am not.I like to listen to my body
    • Posts: 300 Member
      Lately I have been eating back at least half. I just find I have more freedom to eat more when I exercise but I only do so if I feel like it. If I don't feel the need for more food I don't eat more just to make the numbers work out on the screen.
    • Posts: 361 Member
      ooooooohh....HOT TOPIC. Watch out!

      Lot's of opinions on the site regarding this...I have done both. I am currently in a phase where I stopped eating them ALL back. I think you have to find your happy medium. When you work out hard, you need more cals. Listen to your body. I lost a bunch in the beginning when I did not even understand the concept of eating them back...and I wasn't. When I learned and figured it out, I upped my cals and stopped losing....

      Good luck!
    • Posts: 3,000 Member
      If ive done some good burn, i can have the skin on my chicken legs.

      If not, i dont.

      :)
    • Posts: 44 Member
      Sometimes I do sometimes I don't. find what's best for you and listen to your body, if you feel hungry eat if you don't' feel hungry then don't force your self,
    • Posts: 197
      My coach tells me that for the human body to function properly, women need at the LEAST 1200 calories a day and men need at the LEAST 1400 calories a day. I am on a 1400 daily calorie goal. I try to keep my "net" at 1200 or somewhat close to my calorie goal. If your body isn't getting enough it will go into survival mode or starvation mode causing the metabolism to slow down and causing you to not be able to lose weight anymore. Hope this makes sense! :)
    • Posts: 794 Member
      I don't eat back my calories. I have noticed that when I tack my food intake I have a real hard time reaching my 1200 cal goal as it is that there is no way I can possibly eat the cal I worked out for. I tend to be between 900-1100cal when I am making good food choices.
    • Posts: 4,852 Member
      I use mine to make arts and crafts
    • Posts: 34,476 Member
      . .. . . . . . :huh:
    • Posts: 11
      Don't eat back your calories. You will notice the difference. Also, I suggest you take a look at this link for more info: http://caloriecount.about.com/eating-back-exercise-calories-ft35823
    • Posts: 583 Member
      I don't.

      I wouldn't trust myself to get it right. I don't have an HRM and can't afford to buy one so I don't know for certain how many calories I burn and I'm not going to risk overeating.

      If I did have an HRM I probably still wouldn't bother as I find that the less I eat the more I lose. But I'd feel less guilty if I needed them for a special occasion.
    • Posts: 2,351 Member
      To beat a dead horse, or not to beat a dead horse... use the search function or check out some sticky notes

      OR... www.shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com
    • Posts: 3,966 Member
      To beat a dead horse, or not to beat a dead horse... use the search function or check out some sticky notes

      OR... www.shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com

      I'll only eat them if they come from beaten dead horse meat.
    • Posts: 2,351 Member
      show previous quotes

      I'll only eat them if they come from beaten dead horse meat.

      mmmmmmmmmmmmm freshly beaten meat
    • Posts: 256 Member
      I usually eat them, but if it's the end of the night and I am not hungry and I still have some left, then I won't eat them!
    • Posts: 15,228 Member
      I use mine to make arts and crafts

      HAHAHA!!!
    • Posts: 404 Member
      I dont eat them all to allow for error in logging and I am consistently losing weight...I am the lowest I have been in 7 years but also...I workout hard.
    • Posts: 4,852 Member
      show previous quotes

      HAHAHA!!!

      Keep an eye out for my etsy store coming soon! hahaha
    • Posts: 2,985 Member
      To beat a dead horse, or not to beat a dead horse... use the search function or check out some sticky notes

      OR... www.shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com

      Bravooooooo. *spartan clap*
    • Posts: 1,759 Member
      show previous quotes

      mmmmmmmmmmmmm freshly beaten meat

      Thank you both for this.
    • Posts: 1,359 Member
      Most of the people who ask this question have already made up their mind.
    • Posts: 3,280 Member
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    • Posts: 8,059 Member
      I eat them if I am hungry and leave them if I am not.I like to listen to my body
      At the risk of sounding like a jerk, I have to say that "listening to our bodies" is the main reason most of us are here to lose weight. I've reached the conclusion that my body is terrible about telling me how to eat properly, and I've spent the last several months re-training it by using my brain to make sure I'm eating enough and the right kinds of calories.
      To beat a dead horse, or not to beat a dead horse... use the search function or check out some sticky notes

      OR... www.shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com

      deadhorse.gif
    • Posts: 3,966 Member
      show previous quotes
      At the risk of sounding like a jerk, I have to say that "listening to our bodies" is the main reason most of us are here to lose weight. I've reached the conclusion that my body is terrible about telling me how to eat properly, and I've spent the last several months re-training it by using my brain to make sure I'm eating enough and the right kinds of calories.
      show previous quotes

      deadhorse.gif

      w220091404.jpg

      Beat my meat!
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