You Really Should Eat Your Exercise Cals Back!

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  • Angie0rtiz
    Angie0rtiz Posts: 45
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    I face the same problem not eating enough calories. I work out 30-60 min five days a week then play with my kids too. I've noticed I'm under intake by like 5-6 hundred calories and I'm suppose to consume 1400 a day. How are we suppose to eat more of healthy foods when I eat not being hungry to begin with?
  • becoming_a_new_me
    becoming_a_new_me Posts: 1,860 Member
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    If i ate all my exercise calories back every day, I'd probably explode. I work out about 30-45 minutes (fitting it in throughout the day). I already get 1400 calories per day, and if I were to add in another 300-500, I'd be too full. So I usually leave about 300 or more calories on the table, but I am losing and am not worried about it. I rarely go under 1200 total per day so I'm not worried about it.

    I personally don't feel that people should have to eat all them back, but if they want to they can. As long as you get a protien/complex carb in after your workout, you are good.
  • sjkcarter
    sjkcarter Posts: 417 Member
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    I workout 5-6 days a week. But I wake at 4am M,W, F for Jillian, and go to the gym M,W,F after work. I also do jillian on Sat and Sun. If I didn't eat most or all of my cals I would not make it. I do not deprive myself of anything. All in moderation.
  • LaurenAOK
    LaurenAOK Posts: 2,475 Member
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    I face the same problem not eating enough calories. I work out 30-60 min five days a week then play with my kids too. I've noticed I'm under intake by like 5-6 hundred calories and I'm suppose to consume 1400 a day. How are we suppose to eat more of healthy foods when I eat not being hungry to begin with?

    There are plenty of healthy foods that are pretty high in calories and can help you reach your goal. Peanut butter, nuts, protein shakes, etc.
  • KatieTee83
    KatieTee83 Posts: 196 Member
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    As per the OP, no one should be on 800 calories a day. You simply can not get enough nutrition in with such a low count. I see anas all the time who want a fit body ... then starve themselves. You have to feed the machine to get a fit body (not binge either). Otherwise you will be sick.

    Not directed and OP, just in general, no one is going to force a cup cake, potato chips or cruddy food in general, down your throat. That's your choice. I eat clean the majority of the time and eat pre party (such as the Super Bowl party this weekend).

    I also have a busy life, heck we all do. I have a few more kids then the lady above me. Like her exercise is also a choice, you have to make it happen. These things are a way of life or you will be forever "dieting"

    This!!

    Listen, I only have one kid, and she's a baby without any extra-curriculars, etc., and I still find it impossible to fit in decent workouts if I don't plan out my schedule in advance. It was so easy as a single girl, I could hit the gym whenever I wanted and I was only worried about feeding myself. Now all that simple stuff is so much more complicated, you've got to set yourself up for success. I bring my gym bag to work so I can go straight there when I'm off, keep healthy snacks at my desk and bring lunches every day, and I try to use part of my lunch breaks to go for quick walks when I can.
  • elo83
    elo83 Posts: 97 Member
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    It's true about fitting exercise into your schedule.
    Not that exercise isn't important to me but I'm not willing to put in 90+ minutes of exercise everyday.
    I rather spend my free time going out with my friends, hanging out with my husband when I can.
    Reading a book. Etc.

    My whole post is really all about balance.
    Are you ALWAYS going to have 90+ minutes to spend working out every day?
    Are you ALWAYS going to eat less than 1200 calories a day?

    Realistically, that's impossible. There will come a point sometime where you won't be able to do all those things. That's why I fit in exercise when I can and eat whatever I want in moderation. For me personally, this has worked. I've mananged to loose over 70 lbs since I started this journey without EVER feeling deprived and by making changes that are REALISTIC for the rest of my life not by exercising myself to death and eating the bare minimum to stay alive to get the weight off as quickly as possible! Slow and steady is just fine by me!
  • nallbaby10
    nallbaby10 Posts: 86
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    If i ate all my exercise calories back every day, I'd probably explode. I work out about 30-45 minutes (fitting it in throughout the day). I already get 1400 calories per day, and if I were to add in another 300-500, I'd be too full. So I usually leave about 300 or more calories on the table, but I am losing and am not worried about it. I rarely go under 1200 total per day so I'm not worried about it.

    I personally don't feel that people should have to eat all them back, but if they want to they can. As long as you get a protien/complex carb in after your workout, you are good.

    I will follow what u have done lol u have great loss and are an insperation to me! I honeslty have a hard tme getting to 1200 a day with 4 kids i have to plan it to eat it if i dont i forget to eat ( yea go figure how does a large woman forget to eat lol ) i do my best but i can only hit my net is if i eat junk or eat all day long lol
  • zebraspots2069
    zebraspots2069 Posts: 213 Member
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    I joined MFP, to learn how many calories i was actually eating everyday.....i was consuming BAD calories..JUNK FOOD chips, cookies etc . Cutting them out of my diet, I am actually UNDER the alloted calories....
  • becoming_a_new_me
    becoming_a_new_me Posts: 1,860 Member
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    If i ate all my exercise calories back every day, I'd probably explode. I work out about 30-45 minutes (fitting it in throughout the day). I already get 1400 calories per day, and if I were to add in another 300-500, I'd be too full. So I usually leave about 300 or more calories on the table, but I am losing and am not worried about it. I rarely go under 1200 total per day so I'm not worried about it.

    I personally don't feel that people should have to eat all them back, but if they want to they can. As long as you get a protien/complex carb in after your workout, you are good.

    I will follow what u have done lol u have great loss and are an insperation to me! I honeslty have a hard tme getting to 1200 a day with 4 kids i have to plan it to eat it if i dont i forget to eat ( yea go figure how does a large woman forget to eat lol ) i do my best but i can only hit my net is if i eat junk or eat all day long lol

    I completely know what you mean!! If I don't plan out my day completely, I do forget to eat. When I forget, I don't lose weight so I am careful to get some nutrition. Quite honestly, even if you only ate 1200 calories worth of Goldfish Crackers and Fruit Snacks you will still lose weight as long as you have a calorie defecit.
  • DesertMommas
    DesertMommas Posts: 6
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    **gasp**
    at the risk of looking really stupid... we get to eat our exercise calories back?
    omg... i love you....
  • amyy902
    amyy902 Posts: 290 Member
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    trust me when i say its way more than possible for that to happen i know from personal experience, working out 7 days a week and eating little more than 200 cals as an average for a few years got me into a reallllll state. buttttttt its not healthy SO NO ONE DO IT EVER EVER EVER!!!!

    stick to your daily goal and partake in exercise on a realistic scale (3 - 5 tims a week), and you'lll all be fine and great!!! :)
  • GTI_Girl
    GTI_Girl Posts: 207
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    food rocks...why on earth would anyone deprive themselves of it?! I always told people... I don't eat because I am hungry...I eat cause I love the way food tastes!!! lol Which made my new lifestyle change hard...but I just replaced all the naughty things I love to eat, with healthy things I love to eat.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,248 Member
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    **gasp**
    at the risk of looking really stupid... we get to eat our exercise calories back?
    omg... i love you....

    Yep. MFP is a generally very untrusting website, so it doesn't factor what you say you'll burn exercising into your calorie goal unless and until you do it. :wink:
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
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    I had stalled at 42 pounds lost for a while and most of that time I was eating about 1350 calories per day, plus eating back exercise calories. For most of the year I have been here, I had worked out only 2 or 3 times per week b/c of a hectic schedule. A few months back I decided to up my calories with no change in exercise. No changes. Lost my job, started working out a lot more and eating the exercise calories. No changes. Upped my calories again and continue to eat my exercise calories. Lost 3 pounds between last week and this week. Eat, people, eat!
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
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    This thead is full of win. Listen, it's very simple.

    Your daily goal has the defecit figured in. You do not need, nor should you create additional defecit by not eating your daily goal.
    Your daily goal has the defecit figured in. You do not need, nor should you create additional defecit by not eating your daily goal.
    Your daily goal has the defecit figured in. You do not need, nor should you create additional defecit by not eating your daily goal.
    Your daily goal has the defecit figured in. You do not need, nor should you create additional defecit by not eating your daily goal.
  • malliexo
    malliexo Posts: 76 Member
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    I face the same problem not eating enough calories. I work out 30-60 min five days a week then play with my kids too. I've noticed I'm under intake by like 5-6 hundred calories and I'm suppose to consume 1400 a day. How are we suppose to eat more of healthy foods when I eat not being hungry to begin with?

    There are plenty of healthy foods that are pretty high in calories and can help you reach your goal. Peanut butter, nuts, protein shakes, etc.

    Cottage cheese and beans are another way to reach you daily minimum.
  • YummyTpn
    YummyTpn Posts: 339 Member
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    I agree! I also think our culture in general sees abstaining from food as a strength. There is still so much stigma attached to eating, enjoying eating, and especially doing those two things with "forbidden" foods! My ex-husband thinks he's The Bomb because he eats once a day, if that. I think he's just ignorant! He thinks he's srtong for resisting but all he's doing is denying his body of needed nutrition. He also barely drinks water. It drove me NUTS!
  • ninakir88
    ninakir88 Posts: 292 Member
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    i agree with you op, and obviously it worked for you! Looking good!
  • passagestamper
    passagestamper Posts: 9
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    I like your post but I have issues. I am eating 1200-1300 cal/day. my goal is 1300 and I'm told not to go under 1200. It was set at 1300 cal for me to lose 2lbs a week. I am working out for at least 60 min/day 6 days a week. I usually get alot more than 60 though. I am not seeing weight loss. Very frustrated! Didn't want to eat the cal from exercise as I thought that would keep the weight loss low. Not seeing any weight loss is very frustrating. I am 5'4" and 254lbs.
  • ahealthy4u
    ahealthy4u Posts: 442 Member
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    Everyone is different and everyone has to do what works for them. What I do may not be right for someone else. The last few days I have been seeing what my goals are before I factor in my exercise. I set my goals up to the guidelines that I was told to use so that is what I am doing. But everyone is different others shouldn’t judge. If someone asks me what I am doing I will tell them but just like everything if you don’t stick with it; it isn’t going to work.

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