Can I Average My Daily Exercise Calories?

jwilli
jwilli Posts: 26
edited September 20 in Health and Weight Loss
Hello,

I have read the newbie posts about eating your exercise calories but I still have a question. Can I just eat the average daily exercise calories instead of eating more/less cals each day? For example, I have 1800 daily calories plus any exercise calories. I usally work out every other day and take a long bike ride on the weekend.

So a week of my exercise calories might look like this


600
0
600
0
600
0
1400
average 450/day

So my question is can I just eat 1800 cals +450 exercise calories every day? That would be 2250 total and much easier than trying to eat big one day than skimp the next and eat huge amount on sunday.
you know what i mean?

Thanks!

Replies

  • I would maybe eat 1/2 of your exercise calories each day IF you are hungry for more than your normal intake. I would think that you would want to keep it balanced each day. But if you are not hungry after your normal calories and you are not working out, don't eat more. I hope this helps.
  • I think it works better is you try to maintain the 1800 cal everyday and look at exercise calories as your savior in case you go over. I wouldn't do 1800 one day and 2200 the next. It make your metabolism go out of whack. I think the only day you should eat more would be on your long rides. It you are riding more that 60 mins you have to start replenishing the nutrients and sodium you are losings. Staying at 1800 makes your diet more consistent. Good luck and I hope this helps.
  • If you are trying to lose weight, I wouldn't do any averaging. You need the extra calories on those days that you are really active, and you need them less on the days that you do less with your body. Averaging could lead you to really wanting to eat more on those days when you are active (making this whole weight loss thing harder). Remember that when you are eating, your body is feeding for its next activity. If there is not adequate activity for the amount of caloric intake, the body will want to store it.
  • faithjobes
    faithjobes Posts: 104 Member
    I say go for it!
  • astridfeline
    astridfeline Posts: 1,200 Member
    On the other hand, some people actually "zig-zag" their calorie intake, there are a couple of threads here on MFP, the most recent is: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/62752-zig-zagging-cycling-whatever-you-wanna-call-it

    The theory is that this process (zig-zagging) keeps your body's metabolism from getting used to the same old routine, so you will lose weight better (faster? more consistently? break through plateaus).

    One of the posters on that thread above, eats the same amount of cals each day but varies his carb-fat-protein intake. I don't see why you can't average your cals too, and if it doesn't work out, try some other system out.
  • On the other hand, some people actually "zig-zag" their calorie intake, there are a couple of threads here on MFP, the most recent is: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/62752-zig-zagging-cycling-whatever-you-wanna-call-it

    The theory is that this process (zig-zagging) keeps your body's metabolism from getting used to the same old routine, so you will lose weight better (faster? more consistently? break through plateaus).

    One of the posters on that thread above, eats the same amount of cals each day but varies his carb-fat-protein intake. I don't see why you can't average your cals too, and if it doesn't work out, try some other system out.

    Yes, I have heard this too about zig zagging especially if you have to jump start a slow metabolism or hit a plateau. Good thought!

    Also eating x amount of calories for calorie reduction is really just a guess. Yes we can use tools that can tell us that this is what the avg person with your stats has as a Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). In reality this can be measured only by measuring the amount of Co2 you expel during a given peiod of time (this is a supervised test)…. But I digress. The point is reducing 3500 calories is going to loss 1 pound regardless if you keep your calories down daily or over a weeks time it doesn’t matter as long as you are reducing.

    So do the math, keep strict tracking of food and exercise and you will still loose.
  • BrendaLee
    BrendaLee Posts: 4,463 Member
    The days you exercise are the days you need those extra calories to feed your body. It may work out from strictly a calorie deficit point of view, but it's better to match calories in with calories out for the day.
  • lessertess
    lessertess Posts: 855 Member
    Hello,

    I have read the newbie posts about eating your exercise calories but I still have a question. Can I just eat the average daily exercise calories instead of eating more/less cals each day? For example, I have 1800 daily calories plus any exercise calories. I usally work out every other day and take a long bike ride on the weekend.

    So a week of my exercise calories might look like this


    600
    0
    600
    0
    600
    0
    1400
    average 450/day

    So my question is can I just eat 1800 cals +450 exercise calories every day? That would be 2250 total and much easier than trying to eat big one day than skimp the next and eat huge amount on sunday.
    you know what i mean?

    Thanks!

    Yes, you can. It's not any different than the sites that calculate your BMR and your average exercise and then give you a calorie range to eat withing every day. It's really about net/net. At the end of the week if you are still netting a calorie deficit then you'll lose weight. Even if you have a day where you exercise at an extremely vigorous pace and don't eat a lot of calories, you won't go into any kind of starvation mode or slow your metabolism. It takes more than a couple of days to do that. In fact, it's possible that you'll bump your metabolism up as this is a form of calorie cycling.
  • jwilli
    jwilli Posts: 26

    Yes, you can. It's not any different than the sites that calculate your BMR and your average exercise and then give you a calorie range to eat withing every day. It's really about net/net. At the end of the week if you are still netting a calorie deficit then you'll lose weight. Even if you have a day where you exercise at an extremely vigorous pace and don't eat a lot of calories, you won't go into any kind of starvation mode or slow your metabolism. It takes more than a couple of days to do that. In fact, it's possible that you'll bump your metabolism up as this is a form of calorie cycling.

    thanks to everyone for all the replies.

    What are the BMR websites that you suggest above?
  • JoyousMaximus
    JoyousMaximus Posts: 9,285 Member
    I do something similar. I set my calories to maintenance and use exercise to lose weight. It's work for me. I honestly think you just need to experment and see what works for you.

  • Yes, you can. It's not any different than the sites that calculate your BMR and your average exercise and then give you a calorie range to eat withing every day. It's really about net/net. At the end of the week if you are still netting a calorie deficit then you'll lose weight. Even if you have a day where you exercise at an extremely vigorous pace and don't eat a lot of calories, you won't go into any kind of starvation mode or slow your metabolism. It takes more than a couple of days to do that. In fact, it's possible that you'll bump your metabolism up as this is a form of calorie cycling.

    thanks to everyone for all the replies.

    What are the BMR websites that you suggest above?

    MHP offers one right here under Tools tab , scroll towards the bottom of the page past the tickers

    also, I have posted this before but it too is a great tool website, http://www.caloriesperhour.com/index_loss.php
    this site will help you determine how much to decrease your calories to meet your goals over time. Other good calculators there too
  • jwilli
    jwilli Posts: 26
    Lots of good info here thanks to everyone for the posts. I decided I will change my mfp goal from 2 lbs/ week to 1.5 lbs to give me a few more daily cals and allow more of a buffer so i dont accidentaly go into starvation mode due to not eating all of my exercise cals.

    by the way, i absolutly love this site. when i used to "diet" on my own i would think i was doing well and eat 2 cups of rice and stir fry or a huge plate of pasta for dinner... whoa was i wrong. i also like that it motivates me to exercise. after all, if i exercise for 45 mins i can eat a very nice dinner! :smile:
  • Valtishia
    Valtishia Posts: 811 Member
    An option which I have not tried before but heard it works is calorie cycling. Its where you have a higher day on the calories then a lower day to keep your body guessing which sounds like it might work out to be the same idea if you are working out every other day and just taking the average to eat on the exercise calories.
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