should you eat your exercise calories?

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brightanna
brightanna Posts: 23
in Health and Weight Loss
i never know whether i should eat them or not?!

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  • James10208
    James10208 Posts: 9
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    I think you should eat them if you feel hungry. If you feel hungry your body is telling you it needs more energy. If you have exercised your body will often need to repair your muscle tissue you would have broken down during the exercise. It's also worth remembering that feeling hungry could be for water or for food. I always try drinking some water first, waiting a bit, and then if i'm still hungry having something to eat :smile:
  • InTenn
    InTenn Posts: 99
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    I think you will find that the correct answer is, "It depends."
  • PatientBearTiger
    PatientBearTiger Posts: 475
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    www.shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com
  • dabomb5198
    dabomb5198 Posts: 26
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    When I was in the loss phase I would only eat part of the exercise calorie if I REALLY had to have something. I have been in the maintenance phase for a year and I routinely eat then now. For me, the key was to give in a little instead of going overboard if I allowed myself to starve.
  • dmaster555
    dmaster555 Posts: 73
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    It is better that you don't. People tend to overestimate the number of calories they burned. You probably burned 100 when think you burned 300 and you end up overeating.

    Unless you're in amazing shape and are able to exercise hard for a long period of time, you don't have to eat them and you almost always burned less calories than you think.

    Those calories burned calculators you see in the gym are always wrong.

    This guy above me, james, doesn't know crap, so don't listen to him. your body can repair its muscle tissue just fine.
  • mcdonl
    mcdonl Posts: 342 Member
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    I try to eat enough to be satisfied... not full, but not starving. I could not do it without exercise... I also could not exercise (P90X) without the calories.

    I *THINK* MFP takes your current weight and age, you weight loss goals (Mine is 2 pounds per week) and your life style and assigns you a calorie plan based on a 1000 calorie deficit (Meaning you eat 1000 less than you burn....)

    So, if you burn 500 calories, and only eat 250 of those AND stay under your calorie allowance you would have increased your deficit from 1000 to 1250....

    Again, this is just my interpretation of how MFP calorie goals work.
  • WishComeTru
    WishComeTru Posts: 88 Member
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    You definitely can, but I would avoid eating all of them back. You are already at a calorie deficit to lose weight so the burned calories are like an extra bonus. I'm not sure how big your calorie burns are, but I have effectively lost weight while eating back some of the burned calories. I find too that when I work out a lot, I am hungrier. Usually that's how I would earn myself a yummy treat! :happy:
  • danacate
    danacate Posts: 5 Member
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    Ha! I love it.
  • kimziebaby
    kimziebaby Posts: 133 Member
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    If i had a dime for everytime someone asked that question, lol..

    It depends on your own body. Try eating them back and if you're not losing/maintaining.. then don't eat them.

    I don't eat mine back at all.
  • dmaster555
    dmaster555 Posts: 73
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    It is better that you don't. People tend to overestimate the number of calories they burned. You probably burned 100 when think you burned 300 and you end up overeating.

    Unless you're in amazing shape and are able to exercise hard for a long period of time, you don't have to eat them and you almost always burned less calories than you think.

    Those calories burned calculators you see in the gym are always wrong.

    This guy above me, james, doesn't know crap, so don't listen to him. your body can repair its muscle tissue just fine.
  • peteb79
    peteb79 Posts: 386
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    I think it depends on the extreme.. if your exercising a lot .. like 600 calories then you should more than likely eat some of them back. But I wouldn't go out of my way to eat some back, especially if it is late at night.
  • Aries03
    Aries03 Posts: 179 Member
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    Bump
  • frankie2637
    frankie2637 Posts: 66 Member
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    I definately eat some back in the form of a chocolate treat!!!!!!!!!!! its the only way to keep the chocolate at bay lol
  • russelljclarke
    russelljclarke Posts: 836 Member
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    Here's the theory proven http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/russelljclarke, but you decide (everyone else does)
  • wbgolden
    wbgolden Posts: 2,071 Member
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    I think you will find that the correct answer is, "It depends."

    Not according to that completely unbiased website someone invariably posts when someone asks this question. See the post just after yours in fact. lol
  • TMcBooty
    TMcBooty Posts: 780 Member
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    eat them if you're hungry. if not ..then don't.
  • world2c
    world2c Posts: 178 Member
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    I eat all of mine back, and I still loose my goal every week, but as an FYI, I am normally running (at 6.0 mph or greater) and biking (at 16 mph or greater). I know that if I don't eat mine back, I get the shakes really bad.....I know each person is different, but this worked for me.

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