Do you Eat to Exercise or Eat back what you exercise???

Glovesave3373
Glovesave3373 Posts: 92 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I play sports, mostly hockey, soccer and bowl. Plus I workout and just added swimming and raquetball to my activities.

I hear the debate all the time about eating back the calories you burn while exercising.

I feel that since my hockey, soccer and swimming are so intense and high calorie burns I need to make sure that during the day I eat enough to keep my energy levels up for my regular life. Especially with hockey when the earliest one of my games is at 9pm, so I'm usually eating during the day to help me power through a game.

Any thoughts as to my eating habit.... my major concern is that now I'm playing hockey twice a week, bowling once and the soccer season hasn't started yet... I'm swimming once a week added to my gym 2-3 times a week and throw in raquetball every other week.... I am always feeling hungry, like my body is telling itself... I NEED FOOD. BUT NOW I'M ON THIS CRAZY SPORTS/ WORKOUT SCHEDULE... I'VE STOPPED LOSING WEIGHT AND NOW JUST MAINTAIN AT 255.

Replies

  • HauteP1nk
    HauteP1nk Posts: 2,139 Member
    I am not a professional by any means. I can only disclose my own personal experiences. I find that like you I was eating back my exercise calories but I wasn't really losing any weight. I was maintaining as well.

    That being said, someone pointed out that maybe I wasn't really burning as many calories as I thought I was and suggested I start wearing a Heart Rate Monitor to accurately determine the calorie burn. Maybe you could do that and figure out if you are eating too many calories back?

    I know you said you are still always hungry...so make sure to eat lots of veggies when you get hungry, low sugar/sodium foods, and to drink LOTS of water...I am talking half your body weight in ounces per day - especially if you are that active.
  • Zero2hero2013
    Zero2hero2013 Posts: 458
    you have given alot of info but no data as such. you will lose weight if your calories ion are less then whats going out. if this is a temporary set back. i.e your weight hasnt moved for 2 weeks, then just keep waiting. if its longer then i suggest you work out properly how many calories your expending.

    bmr X activity level (do not add in extra calories here).
    activity level i think is,
    1.2 for sedentary (office work, schooling etx but no exercise),
    1.375 for light activity (generaly people who get to walk around during the day)
    1.5 is a active job (gardening)
    1.75 is for heavy work.

    now for each day of the week determine what your actual expenditure is.

    3 gyms sessions/ weights or cardio? weights 1 hour = approx 250 calories, cardio will be much higher
    2 hockey days, 1000 for 90 mins approx
    swimming, 600+ calories per hour
    bowling, 260 calories per hour.

    once you have worked out how much energy is in each make a table of how calories your allowed for that day.

    example, monday, bmr + activity level 1.375 light active guessing around (2500) calories, + hockey for 90 mins(1000 cals)
    monday eat around 2500-3000 to lose 1-2lbs a week accordingly.
    tuesday,bmr + activity level 1.375 light active guessing around (2500) calories+ gym (250)= 2500 so eat 2000-2250 for 1lb+ a week
    weds, bmr + activity level 1.375 light active guessing around (2500) calories, + bowling 260 + 30 min swim + gym 250 (300 cals) so eat 2550 allowing for 1lb weight loss.
    thursday bmr + activity level 1.375 light active guessing around (2500) calories, + hockey for 90 mins(1000 cals)
    monday eat around 2500-3000 to lose 1-2lbs a week accordingly.
    and so on,

    to lose weight as the previous poster said you need to know that your in a calorie defict. one day being 500 over and the next 500 under just makes you come back to square one.

    although i suggest eating high protein and low gi foods and drink plenty of water as this can help you feel fuller and stop cravings for food for no reason.
    good luck mate and if you need any help message me
  • chachita7
    chachita7 Posts: 996 Member
    You are fueling to function... keep up doing what needs to be done to keep yourself energized. I am sure you are not eating all back but make sure you are eating enough... Listen to your body and do what it feels right - just remember to fuel in a healthy balanced way :)

    I do my very best to eat my calories back, not always successful but i do try - but then again I am not burning the massive amounts you must be burning.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I'm not sure exactly what your question is. If it's whether eating to fuel exercise (before) is better or worse than eating the calorie earned from exercise (after), then I don't think it makes much difference in the grand scheme. Your exercise schedule seems pretty intense so I would actually think you'd probably want to do both (eat before and after).

    If it's are you eating enough, then I think I'd lean toward no only because you say you are always hungry. You dont' really say how many calories or what type of food you eat. I am believer that food matters very much, and not just macros. Good healthy nutirient rich foods fuel your body best.
  • SaraLosingIt
    SaraLosingIt Posts: 11
    Can you wear a heart rate monitor while working out to see how many calories you are burning? It sounds like you are active most days of the week and you may be eating too few calories to lose weight.
  • BreakingOath
    BreakingOath Posts: 193 Member
    I always eat what I exercise back. You just have to make sure that you know how many calories you are burning. Your body needs fuel to do all of your extra strenuous activities plus energy to just sustain itself at a physiological level.
  • Glovesave3373
    Glovesave3373 Posts: 92 Member
    you have given alot of info but no data as such. you will lose weight if your calories ion are less then whats going out. if this is a temporary set back. i.e your weight hasnt moved for 2 weeks, then just keep waiting. if its longer then i suggest you work out properly how many calories your expending.

    bmr X activity level (do not add in extra calories here).
    activity level i think is,
    1.2 for sedentary (office work, schooling etx but no exercise),
    1.375 for light activity (generaly people who get to walk around during the day)
    1.5 is a active job (gardening)
    1.75 is for heavy work.

    now for each day of the week determine what your actual expenditure is.

    3 gyms sessions/ weights or cardio? weights 1 hour = approx 250 calories, cardio will be much higher
    2 hockey days, 1000 for 90 mins approx
    swimming, 600+ calories per hour
    bowling, 260 calories per hour.

    once you have worked out how much energy is in each make a table of how calories your allowed for that day.

    example, monday, bmr + activity level 1.375 light active guessing around (2500) calories, + hockey for 90 mins(1000 cals)
    monday eat around 2500-3000 to lose 1-2lbs a week accordingly.
    tuesday,bmr + activity level 1.375 light active guessing around (2500) calories+ gym (250)= 2500 so eat 2000-2250 for 1lb+ a week
    weds, bmr + activity level 1.375 light active guessing around (2500) calories, + bowling 260 + 30 min swim + gym 250 (300 cals) so eat 2550 allowing for 1lb weight loss.
    thursday bmr + activity level 1.375 light active guessing around (2500) calories, + hockey for 90 mins(1000 cals)
    monday eat around 2500-3000 to lose 1-2lbs a week accordingly.
    and so on,

    to lose weight as the previous poster said you need to know that your in a calorie defict. one day being 500 over and the next 500 under just makes you come back to square one.

    although i suggest eating high protein and low gi foods and drink plenty of water as this can help you feel fuller and stop cravings for food for no reason.
    good luck mate and if you need any help message me

    Wow... thanks.. I was thinking about that because of my additional days I do my part-time job which i stand and lift all day long... as compared to my normal seditary office job.

    Thanks for the info.. I'll take a look and make adjustments accordingly.

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