Why I don't eat my exercise calories.

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24

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  • luvbwfc
    luvbwfc Posts: 107 Member
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    I don't eat them religiously, but if i've done 800 calories at the gym (half my daily allowance) I tend to be hungrier, so don't worry about going over my base target by a few hundred.
  • Devonanne
    Devonanne Posts: 102 Member
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    Makes sense - do what works best for you! Personally, I almost always eat mine, even if I only burned 200-300. Reason being that I am ALWAYS hungry enough to eat all of them, and on days I don't exercise I find it extremely hard to stay under. This is great motivation to exercise..because I know if I don't earn some extra calories I'll be hungry! I am losing 1-2 lbs a week so it seems to be working :)
  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,522 Member
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    I don't even track calories burned during exercise. I just keep everything consistent and adjust calories as necessary to maintain progress.
  • annimal74
    annimal74 Posts: 25
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    I always have a high protein shake after I workout (260 cals) but I workout 6 days a week and burn between 700-1000 calories at the gym a day and I eat 1300 cals a day including shakes. I still have a very slow appetite which I'm told is a good thing however can be very frustrating when you need to eat and your not hungry at all. But I keep trying for 1300 everyday :)
  • summer827
    summer827 Posts: 516 Member
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    That makes sense! I usually eat mine, but they aren't many! I'm 5' and 119 lbs and I try to be very conservative in measuring my calories burned, so as not to out-eat my fitness program.
  • fatty2fit88
    fatty2fit88 Posts: 116 Member
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    My daily calorie intake is about 1600 and I try to burn 500 per workout average.... i don't usually eat mine.... because honestly 2100 is a bit too much for me if I'm eating clean.

    haha when I'm eating 'crap foods' its easy...all I need is some B&J :D
  • kiwipearls
    kiwipearls Posts: 43
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    I eat mine, because I burn a lot.

    If you're burning 125-200 calories a day, sure, don't eat them.


    But on days I burn a minimum of 600 calories (as high as 2500) - I have to eat.

    I agree, it really should depend on how much you have burned/exercised.

    I don't eat back all of my exercise calories either - but I don't burn heaps at the moment so don't need to give myself any more energy.

    But if I was burning a lot I would eat a healthy snack like an apple or something (or sometimes my mint slice biscuits (naughty) - just to get me through to my next big meal.
  • samb
    samb Posts: 464 Member
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    I personally agree 100%. I eat if I am hungry, don't eat more if I am not. I listen to my body and it seems to work very well. If I do eat back my exercise calories I end up gaining or maintaining and not seeing the results I am looking for. I agree it is likely because everything is estimated and those estimates are not 100% correct. I intend on getting a HRM though so I will actually know calories burned more accurately, however, I still plan to stick with what I am doing and just eating when I am hungry. I will probably slowly try to start eating back those calories more and more as I do get closer to my goal in order to maintain easier. But for now, it seems just listening to my body is the best route. And as other posters said it is difficult to even want to eat that much while eating clean. :)
  • lorals05
    lorals05 Posts: 47
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    I just eat when I am hungry, or when I have time to eat. With my job it's hard to have regular meal/snacks. I sometime eat some of my calories burned back later in the day, but usually I don't eat enough calories to have it make much of a difference. The only time I really get close is if I go out to dinner or drink a few beers.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
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    It's a totally valid (and probably the more common) way to go. Just make sure you set your calorie target to something that reasonable resembles your TDEE (including exercise). The math works out the same either way.

    So in other words, I can eat my 2500 a day + exercise,
    OR, I can eat my 2800 a day and ignore exercise calories. (since my average burn of 300 is factored in).
  • chinadoll725
    chinadoll725 Posts: 36 Member
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    I don't eat mine back either, I kinda think, what's the point on exercising if I'm just gonna eat back what I just burned??? I do eat a little extra the days I lift.
  • Barneystinson
    Barneystinson Posts: 1,357 Member
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    I don't even track calories burned during exercise. I just keep everything consistent and adjust calories as necessary to maintain progress.

    I do the same. I concern myself more with a weekly caloric intake than a daily number based on activity levels.
  • jb2323player
    jb2323player Posts: 15
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    I agree..I eat betw12189612.png
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Countereen 1200-1500 also but exercise more when needed lol
  • emmab0902
    emmab0902 Posts: 2,337 Member
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    Most importantly FOR ME the reason I dont is that I know I would easily get into the trap of linking eating to having exercised, which is a slippery slope to "I haven't exercised today/haven't burned enough today so I have to eat less." etc etc. A

    :huh: how is this a slippery slope? if you don't exercise during the day, you should eat less....

    For some people it can be. I think being aware of your own red flags and working healthily to avoid them is a positive thing. I didn't say it was for everyone, I made sure I was very careful to point out the post was about ME not generalising to others.
  • Jeff92se
    Jeff92se Posts: 3,369 Member
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    Hell yeah I eat them. I fricken' hungry as hell after working out.
  • PBJunky
    PBJunky Posts: 737 Member
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    So I guess you aim for the figure on the left hand side?

    photos-of-thin-and-fat-girls.jpg
  • emmab0902
    emmab0902 Posts: 2,337 Member
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    So I guess you aim for the figure on the left hand side?

    photos-of-thin-and-fat-girls.jpg

    Eh?? How do you make that assumption based on the post?
  • quevro03
    quevro03 Posts: 1
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    I burn a lot too. I do Insanity and weight train. If I didn't eat the extra calories that I am allowed...I WOULD STARVE. I'm already creating a 500 deficit so to burn up to 1000 more a day on top of that, just wouldn't work for me either. :)
  • beduffbrickie
    beduffbrickie Posts: 642 Member
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    middle women in pic in my fav!

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