Not eating exercise calories

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happy_heather121
happy_heather121 Posts: 135 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi everyone. I posted another thread about not losing anymore weight despige working out hardcore.

I do not eat my exercise calories because my old personal trainer told that it was bad to do that because I wouldn't lose any more weight because it would just be replacing what I worked off. Also, Jillian from the biggest loser said this.

What should I do? I haven't lost anymore weight but I am afraid to start eating my calories (and they are A LOT of calories) because I don't want to gain weight back and be at square one with all the hard work I've done.

Any suggestions?
Research on it?

Replies

  • splace
    splace Posts: 2
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    I have done this both ways. Ate my exercise calories and not eat my exercise calories. It seems that I lose weight faster if I don't eat my exercise calories. However, I think if you're just trying to maintain...just alternate your days. Eat like half your exercise calories on your big work out days and then on low key days, don't eat them. See if how that works.
  • sandif1
    sandif1 Posts: 28
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    I look forward to getting the answer on this one because I am having the same problem.
  • paulamma1
    paulamma1 Posts: 544 Member
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    Check it out

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

    :flowerforyou:
  • happy_heather121
    happy_heather121 Posts: 135 Member
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    sandif1, we are in the same boat! Hopefully we can figure this out. I searched this question online and came up with two different answers! *sigh* Nothing is ever easy.
  • jojogirl
    jojogirl Posts: 99
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    I have done this both ways. Ate my exercise calories and not eat my exercise calories. It seems that I lose weight faster if I don't eat my exercise calories. However, I think if you're just trying to maintain...just alternate your days. Eat like half your exercise calories on your big work out days and then on low key days, don't eat them. See if how that works.

    I agree...

    I am in maintenance and I noticed this method working for me as well. I eat half on cardio days ((sometimes all)) and none (if I can help it) on off days, and it seems to work. So far so good...
    :flowerforyou:
  • SusieSonshine
    SusieSonshine Posts: 252 Member
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    Just to reiterate...

    The scale is not the best measurement of fitness. Muscle weighs more than fat, ergo, if you're upping your exercise, you are most likely gaining muscle and losing fat. A better measurement of your progress would be to check your bodyfat% (pinch test isn't the most accurate, but better than the scale) and measuring your body for inches lost.

    Don't be frustrated. You KNOW that what you're doing is good for you! So keep up the good work!!!
  • monicayogima
    monicayogima Posts: 51
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    mix it up...your body gets use to the calories you consume and your metabolism gets bored!! If your not loosing wieght....eat your exersice calories a couple days then try not eating them a couple days. IT gets your metabolism going again
  • expressbug
    expressbug Posts: 100
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    For me the key is having at least 1200 NET calories.
  • gurgi22
    gurgi22 Posts: 182 Member
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    I found that if I ate all my exercise calories I would not lose any weight or I would gain and I only do light cardio, no lifting or muscle building. However, if I leave about 200 calories at the end of the day I lose about a pound a week.
  • happy_heather121
    happy_heather121 Posts: 135 Member
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    I found that if I ate all my exercise calories I would not lose any weight or I would gain and I only do light cardio, no lifting or muscle building. However, if I leave about 200 calories at the end of the day I lose about a pound a week.

    good to know.
  • JoyousMaximus
    JoyousMaximus Posts: 9,285 Member
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    I set my calories to my goal weight maintenance calories (which is a slight deficit) and use my exercise a to create more of a deficit. It makes it easier for me to plan my days and I don't have to stuff myself at the end of the day. Also, it is similar to cycling my calories in the overall effect it has on my body. I have never had a plateau doing this.

    Also, what do you have your weekly weight loss goal set to? You are within 11lb of your goal. I wouldn't recommend setting it to more than 1/2lb a week or your calories may be too low especially with exercising. If you have it set to a higher weekly weight loss, you should eat some of your exercise calories. My personal opinion is that eating your exercise calories is only important when you have a too high of a weekly weight loss goal to begin with. The closer you are to your goal weight the lower you weekly loss goal should be.

    That is what works for me.

    I have also heard cycling calories works, making sure you take at least one day a week off from exercising to let your body rest works ( I also recommend it), eating one day of higher calories can break a plateau, and changing your workout routine (I also recomment that).

    Try people's recommendations and you'll eventually find what works for you.:flowerforyou:
  • jaxterbom
    jaxterbom Posts: 73
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    I try to not eat the exercise calories and I lose faster when I do not eat them. If I go a little over my goal calories, then I try to get out and exercise those away the same day. I only do light cardio at this point. I plan to add resistance training only after attaining goal weight. Not sure if this is the recommended way, but it is the way I have chosen, so that I don't have to guess how much of a non-loss is due to added muscle. Simpler is better!
  • sandif1
    sandif1 Posts: 28
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    gurgi22: That is what happened to me last week. I increased my cardio which allowed me more calories and I ate the extras, and I had not lost a pound when I weighed in this week. It just makes more sense to me to not consume your earned calories. Consuming your earned calories sounds like maintenance to me. I might be wrong but not consuming earned calories works best for me. This week I will only eat my 1200 and see what happens when I weigh in next week.
  • JoyousMaximus
    JoyousMaximus Posts: 9,285 Member
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    gurgi22: That is what happened to me last week. I increased my cardio which allowed me more calories and I ate the extras, and I had not lost a pound when I weighed in this week. It just makes more sense to me to not consume your earned calories. Consuming your earned calories sounds like maintenance to me. I might be wrong but not consuming earned calories works best for me. This week I will only eat my 1200 and see what happens when I weigh in next week.

    That's really low with exercise. If you aren't going to eat your excercise calories, my opinion is you should probably increase you base calories or have you actual RMR tested so you know your individual metabolism rather than the average. JMO
  • jlefton1212
    jlefton1212 Posts: 171 Member
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    Keep in mind that with your base calories (1200, for example) you are already operating at a calorie deficit even if you don't exercise at all! The means that if you burn additional calories by exercising and you don't eat them, you run the risk of slowing down your metabolism. Yes, in the short term you might drop a couple extra pounds by eating so little, but eventually your metabolism will slow down and it will be much harder to lose weight.

    I think that trainers that don't agree with "eating exercise calories" assume that you are eating at a base level, and only create a deficit by exercising. So in that case eating your exercise calories would bring you back to maintanence levels. But this is not how MFP works.... the calorie calculator has already factored in how many calories you burn (based on height, weight, and activity level) and then they recommend eating LESS than that so that you lose 1-2 pounds per week depending on your goal.

    Please read Banks' posts for a really great explanation. And of course, not everyone is going to have success using the exact same method...I just want to make sure that everyone stays healthy, and I have heard of folks sabotaging their progress by not eating enough. Best of luck to you! :smile:
  • sidra66
    sidra66 Posts: 2
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    I don't think I agree with eating the exercise calories because then you defeat the purpose of burning the 'extra' calories. That would mean that if you burn 200 calories and eat that, as well, what was the reason for working out at all? That would also mean that if you didn't do ANY exercise, you should lose weight anyhow? That doesn't compute for me.

    To each their own, but I've been staying the same for a while when I am eating those calories. I'm going to try NOT eating them, this week and see what happens.

    A.

    390131.png
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter
  • kimberlygo
    kimberlygo Posts: 74
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    In Weight Watchers you're allowed to eat your exercise points, but you don't have to. I use my exercise calories as backup. For example, if I want to treat myself to dessert one day, I will use my exercise calories if necessary, but I don't make it a habit. So far, I've lost almost 12 lbs in about a month.
  • carlosprats
    carlosprats Posts: 4 Member
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    hi all.i am the person that needs to count calories b/c if not i over eat. i got a big stomach i guess lol. i am in good shappe but i am trying to get ripped so i set my goal at a pound per week weight loss from 203 to 185lbs at 1lbs per week on a 2070 cal diet. i am 5'11''. i do cardio in the form of competitive racquetball and i also do weight lifting at least 3 times a week. i do both the same day.
    i burn in a normal day without counting the weight lifting during 45min to 1hour of cardio around 800-900 cal. when i get home and i add this to my diary i still have like 1500 cal remaining on my day. it would be very unwise to eat them all because like the lady ahead of me said: "it defeats the purpose of exercising". in addition, you have to eat something b/c if not your body goes into starvation hence decreasing your metabolism. at this point whatever you eat chances are, is going to be stored b/c you are way below your daily caloric intake but still if you can have a 500cal meal and voila you left 1000cal that it is 1/2 my daily caloric intake. bottom line i lost already 3 lbs in less 2wks total by fallowing this strategy. i am a med student and i try to integrate my knowledge of human physiology and metabolism with loosing weight. bottom line is, lets say per day or per week, if you have remaining calories every day or at least every time you go to the gym you are going to lose weight no matter what.also get rid of the fats late at night. eat the fats during the day before going to the gym. if you eat them late at night it will make it easier for the body to store them since it does not have to burn to much to convert them into lipids for storage.
    now the problem is that the body will start burning less and less calories b/c you are becoming lighter. it is easier for the body to move 200lbs than 205lbs. this is when you reach the plateau. many get discouraged b/c they cant lose any more weight.problem is you are not burning as much as before and you have to decrease your caloric intake so you create the deficit again at the end of the day. if you are able to maintain a deficit 3 times per week of at least 1/4 to 1/2 of you daily caloric intake and the other remaining days you break even, it is guaranteed that you will lose weight by the end of 2 weeks. the only problem is that you have to adjust your caloric intake, b/c in 4 weeks you weight less hence you burn less.
    this is what i have come to conclude after observing me and my friends for more than 2 years. i have fallowed this procedure for all this time and i have lost considerable amounts of weight. i was 255 when i started working out and lost 40 pounds in 4-6 months by fallowing this, at 215lbs I started my plateau. Like i said readjust your daily caloric intake everytime you lose a significant amount of weight. i hope this help. good luck to all and take care.
  • stormieweather
    stormieweather Posts: 2,549 Member
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    The reason behind eating your exercise calories is to make sure you are eating enough to fuel your body. On MFP, the program a assigns a deficit when you set your goals and the reason it adds your exercise calories to your goal is to MAINTAIN that deficit exactly. If you do not eat enough to fuel your basic organ functions (that threshold is sometimes referred to as 1200 for women and more for men), your body begins to conserve by cutting back on organ function and slowing fat burning. You will probably still lose to a certain extent, but it will be much harder than it has to be if you only ate enough. Yes, I know it is counterintuitive, but it is true. There are quite a few stickies on the forum addressing this very point.

    That said, there are other factors which may affect your loss. Possibly you are underestimating what you are eating...measure and weigh everything. Log every bite. Maybe you are overestimating how many calories you are burning during exercise. A heart monitor may help. It's possible you have used the wrong activity level for your lifestyle, and it has skewed your BMR calculation. Having your metabolism tested might help clear this up.


    Good luck!

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