Real guilt when eating my exercise cals, and there's plenty!

waisheimli1
waisheimli1 Posts: 23
edited October 1 in Food and Nutrition
h there people

Ive been put on1200 according all my stats, ive never felt to good exercising so much and am starting to feel guilty when eating my exercise cals and can't believe you can still lose when your eating so much!

Anyone got any ideas or experiences to share?x

Replies

  • lisamike95
    lisamike95 Posts: 1
    I eat back almost all of my exercise calories and am within about 100 calories each day. I've lost 35 lbs that way. Before that I wasn't eating back calories and could not lose weight....that was why! I had my body in starvation mode. Eating really DOES work, and I have been doing this program with 7 other friends who have the same experience as me!
  • hm_day
    hm_day Posts: 857 Member
    If your 'net cals' aren't at least 1200 calories after exercising, then you need to eat back some of the calories you lost. If your net cals aren't at least 1200, then your body will hold on to the calories, making impossible to lose the weight or will go into starvation mode.
  • abbydoctor
    abbydoctor Posts: 1
    Hey!
    I feel the same way, like when this tells me that I didn't eat my daily calories when in reality I'm eat 1200+ calories because my exercise ones count towards eating...
    I have heard that it helps to eat them though, but I would rather be losing faster than be eating 1500 calories a day. You know?
    Well, at least now I know I'm not the only one who doesn't like to eat their exercise calories! :)
  • CatMauro
    CatMauro Posts: 225 Member
    Honey, judging by your photo I wouldn't worry about eating those calories. Your body and brain need the food so eat up!!! If you really feel guilty though eat lots of fruit and veggies, it's hard to feel guilty eating a plum or carrots :)
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    Think of it this way if you eat 1200 you lose your goal amount of weight with no exercise. If you burn 800 and eat an extra 800, you are still getting 1200 which is your goal to lose weight. 1200+800-800 = 1200
  • PhilipByrne
    PhilipByrne Posts: 276 Member
    I'm fairly new here and I must admit I'm surprised at how much I'm allowed to eat. I always have additional excercise cals and never use my full quota. Never hungry either. Seems to be working though, have dropped a couple of pounds and clothes getting looser.
  • Asil76
    Asil76 Posts: 477 Member
    I feel the same as you do, I feel guilty and do not eat my exercise calories back (don't even track my exercise anymore) but what I did do is set my weight loss to lose 1/2 pound a week and that brought my calorie in take for the day up to 1460 and I am doing my very best to get up to that, I was also set at 200 for the day but felt it was to low although I had a hard time hitting it most day's. This is a topic where you will see a lot of difference in opinion... each individual is different I do what works for me :happy:
  • amandakay3000
    amandakay3000 Posts: 22
    I do not eat my exercise calories. I have tried it and found that it was not what was best for me. Everyone is different, and there are those who will snap at me and say I'm starving myself. I have lost weight at a healthy rate by doing this and haven't felt this healthy in ten years. And that is what's important to me.
  • melizerd
    melizerd Posts: 870 Member
    So many people think we need to starve ourselves to lose weight. See that ticker under my post. that's 73 pounds that I've lost eating back my exercise calories. I've never been more satisfied and ENJOYING what I eat than since I started here last August. It really allowed me to break that dieting cycle and to find my LIFE here. I eat good food, enjoy it and don't starve myself. That's life and it's beautiful!
  • ailiemarks
    ailiemarks Posts: 15
    Oh my goodness - totally agree with this! I feel like such a failure if I'm getting anywhere near a "net eat" of 1200, but like others I suppose I'd better eat them. I tend to feel pretty tired if I don't...
  • persian_star
    persian_star Posts: 197 Member
    Try upping your protein intake, when exercising (especially when building muscles) your body will need more protein anyway. Carbs are more likely to make you feel fuller and therefore possibly more bloated & as though you've over-eaten. Don't cut out carbs completely though, when I did that I crashed and burned (and ate a huge amount of stodgy chips - uk chips that is, potato and grease ;o) because i just felt completely empty!

    I've been exercising properly for a couple of month (Jillian Michaels) and am contemplating have a protein shake (with milk) instead of toast for breakfast to encourage my fitness.

    Hope that helps :o)
  • RachelSRoach1
    RachelSRoach1 Posts: 435 Member
    I never eat my calories back when I exercise.. I'm on 1200 too. But I feel fine doing this.. my body is getting healthier every day. I will say though that although you don't have to eat them back, Don't make yourself eat if you aren't hungry. I think the point is keeping you strong enough to keep going. But if you finish exercising and eating your calories and aren't feeling well.. as in little energy, dulling hair, feeling lethargic.. that is a good indication you should eat a few hundred more at least.

    If you're still losing weight while eating your calories back.. why mess with something that's working?
  • MissMaryMac33
    MissMaryMac33 Posts: 1,433 Member
    I have a feeling 1200 is already way too low... you set your goals at 2 lbs a week right? MFP will never show lower than that. You don't look like you have much to lose -- I would redo your goals with 1/2 lb a week as your goal and then see how many calories --- don't starve yourself, it can backfire.
  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
    Hello,

    Firstly, 1200 calories as a base will likely undermine your attempt to lose weight. 2 lb/week loss is for obese people, not you--you literally do not have enough body fat for that to work (be happy)!

    I can tell you that eating exercise calories does work. I promise you it will work. Here's my story:

    After maintaining 127 lbs. for most of my adult life, in April 2010 I gained a "mystery" 10 pounds that I could not lose FOR A WHOLE YEAR despite eating only my 18-22 WW points (no extras) and exercising 6 days/week. I was annoyed and feeling that I should not have to "diet" with the amount of exercise I do. In early May 2011, I put on another 5 pounds, got to 142 and ENOUGH WAS ENOUGH.

    Recently I realized (light bulb, thanks to MFP) that my 1st weight gain corresponded to the addition of 3 extra hours/week of exercise, and the 2nd gain corresponded to adding weekly long bike rides, but no increase in calorie consumption--I was NOT EATING ENOUGH. How bizarre is that!!!

    Once I started tracking calories consumed and calories burned, I realized that I had been netting fewer than 800 calories most days (sometimes even negative calories!) for more than a year -- the same year I carried around an extra 10 lbs. while I was starving myself! duh!!

    I am really grateful to MFP for helping me to figure this out, and I want to help others realize it too -- EAT MORE, LOSE MORE! Woot!!!

    Here is a really wonderful post that put the lightbulb on for me:

    FOR THE PEOPLE WHO WORK OUT LIKE CRAZY AND AREN'T LOSING:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/196502-for-the-people-who-work-out-like-crazy-and-are-not-losing?hl=for+people+who+work+out+like+crazy

    EDIT: BTW, I ate 2692 calories yesterday--burned 1176 with a 2 hour hilly bike ride averaging 18 mph on the flats. I never eat fewer than 1530.

    People who can lose without eating their exercise calories are usually quite far from goal, with a relatively high percentage of body fat. A fit body is very different than an unfit body. Once you hit the point of a healthy to athletic level of lean muscle mass, you will NOT be able to lose without feeding the muscle mass properly.

    Ask any athlete whether they eat 1200 calories / day. Probably they eat as much as 3000 or more.

    blessings.
  • lgubbels
    lgubbels Posts: 27 Member
    There is already a deficit built into your MFP calorie goals. If you aren't eating close to what they are recommending, your body will go into starvation mode and you may actually gain weight. Once here and there is not terrible, but if you do it too often the results will be the opposite of what you want. I try to leave no more than 200 calories uneaten, exercise and non-exercise, and I usually get within 50.
  • SarahofTwins
    SarahofTwins Posts: 1,169 Member
    When I first started I would net around 1000cals...I did lose most of my weight till recently and since I started eating all of my exercise calories back now its been coming off. Just make sure you do what works best for you, other people will have their opinions. Listen to your body when you are hungry and drink plenty of water. Good luck to you:flowerforyou:
  • theprettyone1010
    theprettyone1010 Posts: 408 Member
    I know a lot of people say to eat back the exercise calories but I don't. I hit a plateau a few weeks ago, so I started eating more but I also doubled my exercise efforts, still leaving a pretty big calorie deficit. Last week I lost 2.6 lbs and so far this week I've lost 1.2.

    So I really think that if you're not eating your exercise calories back but still losing weight, then don't change anything until your body says so.
  • waisheimli1
    waisheimli1 Posts: 23
    Amazing info thank you so much!so ebb if you scoff your 1200 your still outing it in starvation mode because of you exercise cals I get ya!wow can't wait for the scales to still go down, whoopp whoop!
  • waisheimli1
    waisheimli1 Posts: 23
    Big thanks for all you amazing information and sharing all your experiences with me!xxx
  • waisheimli1
    waisheimli1 Posts: 23
    When I first started I would net around 1000cals...I did lose most of my weight till recently and since I started eating all of my exercise calories back now its been coming off. Just make sure you do what works best for you, other people will have their opinions. Listen to your body when you are hungry and drink plenty of water. Good luck to you:flowerforyou:



    I best get eating I guess I've Ben losing around 2pond a week but not exercised as much as I have been in the last week!thank you,x
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