The less I exercise, the more I eat

i know what you mean the same happens to me!

i find eating lots of vedge helps as it fills you up and had few calories. try raw carrots as a snack as there slightly sweet and fill you up, or normandy fromage frais, as this can be had with homey or fruit and has soo few calories

hope this may help a little.

I know how you feel 100%. I tend to have that "all or nothing" attitude, so on days I don't work out I am not as motivated to eat healthy--partly because 1200 calories (my daily limit on MFP) is not realistic for me and I feel defeated before I start. On days I work out, I think: "I got myself to the gym today, I'm going to make darn sure I didn't ruin my efforts with food choices!" That's why I don't take rest days anymore, just days where I might do a little less.

I have been caring for a sick baby this week and haven't been to the gym... I've been walking, but it isn't helping. I am eating like mad... I think it's just boredom, but I'm used to working out 90 minutes (or more) per day! It's driving me CRAZY!!!

*I also eat a lot the day after not eating enough net calories...

Oh, I feel for you so much! I hate it when my daughter is sick! It really does take a toll on your fitness as well. :-(

MFP doesn't account for the fact that you ate much less than you should have the day before, and the extra calories don't "roll over." But my body is saying it needs to catch up!

The cals aren't suppose to roll over. If I eat back most of my calories I'm fine the next day because I didn't, in a way to put it, starve myself. If you were to eat back most of the cals during your intense day's you will probably find yourself less hungry the next days.

I don't agree with all the posts saying, "rolling over calories" is a bad thing. You should look at your caloric intake on a larger perspective, say, weekly. Just make sure to do your math and not just estimate your weekly intake.

I am maintaining my weight for over a year now. I exercise 2-3 times a week (strength and cardio), usually burning around 600kcal. Since I go to the gym in the evenings I usually don't manage to eat up my exercise calories, leaving me with a deficit of, say, 400-600 that day. I tend to eat a little more the next day (usually it's around 200-300 extra calories I need to be satisfied). I have learned to listen to my body - it just needs some extra energy for recovery and building muscle!

You may have noticed that these eating habits leave me with some extra calories to spend each week. I use them on the weekends or special occasions, i.e. for a nice dinner on saturday. This works perfectly for me, even without tracking everything I eat.

So, instead of stuffing yourself on exercise days, listen to your body's signals and just allow yourself a little more food the next day. Of course - make sure you don't overeat and stay within your long-term limits. You might also think about what kind of food you're giving to your body. Generally speaking, you will need some carbs before exercise and some protein afterwards.

There are even diet plans that recommend to vary your daily caloric intake in order to spike your metabolism. Just google "caloric cycling", this actually describes pretty good what I've been doing naturally without any plans.