What to do on high exercise day?

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graysmom2005
graysmom2005 Posts: 1,882 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey friends. As many of you know, I'm a fitness instructor. Thursdays are nutty as I teach two spin classes, but I also helped out a friend who got injured...so today I will burn..without counting afterburn, which for me is HIGH....between 1400-1600 calories. I'm still trying to lose weight so I don't want to eat a bucket load...but this is a lot of calories. I'm not sure how big to go...eat a lot? Eat normally? This week have all been two a days, so at least a 1000 calorie burn pretty much every day. Thanks for answering!!

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  • nlewis22
    nlewis22 Posts: 107 Member
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    I would just do what your body wants you to do. Eat your normal meals, and if you're still hungry 20-30 minutes later, have a little snack. You're burning more than enough to keep losing weight, so don't punish yourself by denying the energy that it needs.
  • balfonso
    balfonso Posts: 370 Member
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    Well I'm no nutritionist but I usually just listen to my body. If I'm "feeing" hungry I'll drink water, and if I'm still hungry I'll eat.
  • hottottie11
    hottottie11 Posts: 907 Member
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    Does your activity level include you work as a fitness instructor?

    If not, log those calories and eat up to your goal. If everything is accurate (calorie intake, calories burned, activity level), then your deficit will still be there.

    If you include your work as a fitness instructor into your activity level and this is an abnormally high day, log those instead and eat up to your calorie goals.


    Either way, you have to eat to fuel your body, which means you should eat a little bit more today than normal
  • KacieHetrick
    KacieHetrick Posts: 259 Member
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    I'm new to exercising, only recently have I started doing Zumba and I do the Zumba 4 x's/week a 60 minute class 3 x's and a 30 minute once a week. I saw your post and I'm curious what is afterburn? Thanks in advance for your help!
  • fitaliciag
    fitaliciag Posts: 373
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    I would just eat like normal and have extra (healthy) calories if you are still hungry. Listen to your body. I have days like that and I NEVER EVER eat all those calories back. gross.
  • Bamacraft
    Bamacraft Posts: 175 Member
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    dont over eat it will just leave you feeling bad and eventually constipated. Eat plenty of quality protein and carbs (high fiber oatmeal with some PB for a snack) which will increase the calories count without extreme portion sizes. Next time this is coming plan to eat better a couple days prior....you dont want to over tax and under eat or your immune system will be vulnerable..lots of water and take a day or two rest when this surge ends.
  • graysmom2005
    graysmom2005 Posts: 1,882 Member
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    I'm new to exercising, only recently have I started doing Zumba and I do the Zumba 4 x's/week a 60 minute class 3 x's and a 30 minute once a week. I saw your post and I'm curious what is afterburn? Thanks in advance for your help!
    Afterburn is when you're still burning quite a few calories after a workout. I may look down and see I burned 450 during a class. Talk to my friend for 10 minutes...look down..and I've burned 540. So the accelerated burn keeps going awhile after you're done.
  • mcrowe1016
    mcrowe1016 Posts: 647 Member
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    Eat a little more over the next couple of days so your weekly total is about where you want it.
  • KacieHetrick
    KacieHetrick Posts: 259 Member
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    Oh ok! Thank you! I learn something new every day! I was recently diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease (this is good news because now I at least found what was wrong with me, they treated me for it and now I'm losing weight for the first time in 5 years!). I've lost 20 lbs in the past month, seems like a lot but for someone that hasn't had a metabolism in 5 years this was effortless. I'm now realizing that I need to step up my game, I haven't lost anything in a week, I live in out in the country-closest gym is 40 minutes away. Is spinning something I could do if I purchased a stationary bike? That sounds like a really great work out!
  • Paige1108
    Paige1108 Posts: 432 Member
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    If you are still trying to lose I would say eat as many of those calories as you can. You are playing in a healthy weight range and this makes it even more important to eat the calories your body needs each day. When I was still trying to lose, I had to eat all my calories each day, and yes hungry or not I had to eat them, or I would not lose that week.

    Of course that was just my experience, but also if you don't eat the calories your body is very likely to take a very big bite out of muscle and not fat, to make up the deficit, and you definitely don't want that.

    This is just my 2cents. I'm sure you'll do great.

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