To eat or not to eat... that is the question!

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iRun4wine
iRun4wine Posts: 5,126
in Food and Nutrition
Being relatively new here, I have seen some of the debate over whether or not to eat your extra calories earned by exercise :noway: However, I'm not exactly sure of the logic regarding why you SHOULD eat them, or the logic behind why you SHOULD NOT eat them... anyone want to explain it to me so that I can form an opinion? Right now I haven't been eating the exercise calories most days, but I'd love to hear the reasoning for each school of thought so I can decide what's best for me and my goals. Thanks! :flowerforyou:

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  • iRun4wine
    iRun4wine Posts: 5,126
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    Being relatively new here, I have seen some of the debate over whether or not to eat your extra calories earned by exercise :noway: However, I'm not exactly sure of the logic regarding why you SHOULD eat them, or the logic behind why you SHOULD NOT eat them... anyone want to explain it to me so that I can form an opinion? Right now I haven't been eating the exercise calories most days, but I'd love to hear the reasoning for each school of thought so I can decide what's best for me and my goals. Thanks! :flowerforyou:
  • amelia_atlantic
    amelia_atlantic Posts: 926 Member
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    Honestly, I always thought the philosophy was "Eat less, Exercise more". It just seems counter productive to me to eat my exercise calories. I'm not in this to break even, y'know?

    I do NOT eat my exercise calories because I figure every calorie burned is closer to burning off a pound. The calories I consume in a day are just sustenance for energy and my workout later.

    I definitely welcome any advice to the contrary, though! :wink:
  • Hermit4Hire
    Hermit4Hire Posts: 197
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    This thread below is a comprehensive discussion to answer your question.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo
  • MacMadame
    MacMadame Posts: 1,893 Member
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    I don't eat mine either, at least not as a regular thing. I have several reasons for this:

    (1) It's impossible to know how many calories you've really burned -- everything is just an estimate. I'm not risking my weight loss by accidentally eating too much.

    (2) The point of exercising to me is to improve my health and fitness. It's not to "earn" indulgences. Eating your exercise calories sets up the wrong mental messages to me and I don't want to go there.

    (3) That's not how the program my doctors have me on works and I'm not taking the advice of some web site over what my doctors tell me to do. :wink:

    OTOH, if I have a day where I think I've burned off 1200 calories via exercise and I feel hungry, I'll eat more that day. (Or the next day as it's usually the next day when I feel the hunger.) I won't eat them *all*, but I might eat 100 or 200 more calories that day... whatever it takes to not feel draggy and to have adequate energy.
  • iRun4wine
    iRun4wine Posts: 5,126
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    :noway:

    WOW! Might have to read that through a few times in order for it to make sense.

    Thanks!
  • amelia_atlantic
    amelia_atlantic Posts: 926 Member
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    (1) It's impossible to know how many calories you've really burned -- everything is just an estimate. I'm not risking my weight loss by accidentally eating too much.

    (2) The point of exercising to me is to improve my health and fitness. It's not to "earn" indulgences. Eating your exercise calories sets up the wrong mental messages to me and I don't want to go there.

    (3) That's not how the program my doctors have me on works and I'm not taking the advice of some web site over what my doctors tell me to do. :wink:

    I agree with all these things! :drinker:
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
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    I eat them because I know I burn about 1600 calories from normal activity, and MFP sets me up with a baseline of 1200 calories. So I'm already in a 400 calorie deficit without exercise. At my body fat % there's no reason to increase that by the 700 calories I usually burn exercising. It's about hormones, not numbers. An 1100 calorie deficit doesn't translate to faster sustained fat loss. I linger between a 200-500 calorie deficit.
  • Delaina1
    Delaina1 Posts: 168 Member
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    (1) It's impossible to know how many calories you've really burned -- everything is just an estimate. I'm not risking my weight loss by accidentally eating too much.

    (2) The point of exercising to me is to improve my health and fitness. It's not to "earn" indulgences. Eating your exercise calories sets up the wrong mental messages to me and I don't want to go there.

    (3) That's not how the program my doctors have me on works and I'm not taking the advice of some web site over what my doctors tell me to do. :wink:

    I agree with all these things! :drinker:



    I also agree! I only eat my exercise calories if I'm really hungry or need evergy...I don't want to think that I work out just so I can indulge myself later...that mindset can't be healthy!
  • Hermit4Hire
    Hermit4Hire Posts: 197
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    I wouldn't really consider it "indulgence" It's more an equation of bio-chemistry and fuel. But if not eating the extra calories works for you...cheers! :drinker:
  • jesse1117
    jesse1117 Posts: 124 Member
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    I eat them because I know I burn about 1600 calories from normal activity, and MFP sets me up with a baseline of 1200 calories. So I'm already in a 400 calorie deficit without exercise. At my body fat % there's no reason to increase that by the 700 calories I usually burn exercising. It's about hormones, not numbers. An 1100 calorie deficit doesn't translate to faster sustained fat loss. I linger between a 200-500 calorie deficit.

    i agree with this. a deficit is a deficit, it doesn't "work more" if your deficit is larger.i have lost 30 pounds this way (unfortunately i went through some tough times and gained all the weight back :cry: ) also it is easier to stick to a diet when you allow yourself to eat food.
  • MacMadame
    MacMadame Posts: 1,893 Member
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    a deficit is a deficit, it doesn't "work more" if your deficit is larger.

    Of course it works more. It takes a deficit of 3500 calories to burn a pound of energy. If you eat 200 calories a day less than you burn, it will take you 17.5 days to burn off a pound. If you eat 400 calories less a day then you burn, it will take half that time.
  • abbylove08
    abbylove08 Posts: 215
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    i think it's really an individual-case thing.

    there are some people who have more success by not eating the calories, while others will gain weight if they don't eat them because their body may NEED those calories. I think it's just a matter of trial and error and seeing what works for you. Maybe don't eat them back for a couple of weeks, and if you aren't losing weight, then start eating some of them. your body NEEDS fuel to lose weight, it's just a matter of how much YOUR body needs.

    I will usually eat back a bout 1/2 of my exercise calories
  • Mom_To_5
    Mom_To_5 Posts: 646 Member
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    I don't eat mine either, at least not as a regular thing. I have several reasons for this:

    (1) It's impossible to know how many calories you've really burned -- everything is just an estimate. I'm not risking my weight loss by accidentally eating too much.

    (2) The point of exercising to me is to improve my health and fitness. It's not to "earn" indulgences. Eating your exercise calories sets up the wrong mental messages to me and I don't want to go there.

    (3) That's not how the program my doctors have me on works and I'm not taking the advice of some web site over what my doctors tell me to do. :wink:

    OTOH, if I have a day where I think I've burned off 1200 calories via exercise and I feel hungry, I'll eat more that day. (Or the next day as it's usually the next day when I feel the hunger.) I won't eat them *all*, but I might eat 100 or 200 more calories that day... whatever it takes to not feel draggy and to have adequate energy.

    I agree also, i don't eat my exerecise calories either, as when i did i just stayed the same and that is not wht i want.
  • Phoenix_Rising
    Phoenix_Rising Posts: 11,417 Member
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    This thread below is a comprehensive discussion to answer your question.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo
  • mamaof2girls
    mamaof2girls Posts: 332 Member
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    a deficit is a deficit, it doesn't "work more" if your deficit is larger.

    Of course it works more. It takes a deficit of 3500 calories to burn a pound of energy. If you eat 200 calories a day less than you burn, it will take you 17.5 days to burn off a pound. If you eat 400 calories less a day then you burn, it will take half that time.

    Unless that 400 calories puts you under 1200 for the day, and then your body can go into starvation mode. Which will in turn keep you from losing pounds.
  • MacMadame
    MacMadame Posts: 1,893 Member
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    It's a myth that if you eat under 1200 calories a day, you won't lose weight.

    http://www.healthscience.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=512:are-you-in-the-starvation-mode-or-starving-for-truth&catid=102:jeff-novicks-blog&Itemid=267

    http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=35501

    http://caloriecount.about.com/truth-starvation-mode-ft28742

    Also long as you are in a calorie deficit, you are going to lose weight. It might not be a healthy weight loss and it might cause you other problems, but you'll still lose weight.
  • MTGirl
    MTGirl Posts: 1,490 Member
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    It's a myth that if you eat under 1200 calories a day, you won't lose weight.

    http://www.healthscience.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=512:are-you-in-the-starvation-mode-or-starving-for-truth&catid=102:jeff-novicks-blog&Itemid=267

    http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=35501

    http://caloriecount.about.com/truth-starvation-mode-ft28742

    Also long as you are in a calorie deficit, you are going to lose weight. It might not be a healthy weight loss and it might cause you other problems, but you'll still lose weight.

    Well, I seen a lot of people here experience that myth! Eventually, yes you will continue to lose weight, but soooo many people have stalled out at 1200 or so calories, quit losing for weeks, upped their calories to a more normal, functional number and started losing again. I see you have had great success with your method and that's great - but most of our bodies won't let excess weight go with out adequate fuel to keep your metabolism going strong. Generally, that is more than 1200 calories.

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