Increasing Calorie Intake After Working Out

cubanita28
cubanita28 Posts: 42 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I am under the impression that we are supposed to eat back the calories we burn during our workouts. So for example, I am at 1300 calories per day and I burned 490 calories doing 90 minutes of P90X YogaX so does that increase my calories for that day to 1790? Thanks.

Replies

  • nlehmann
    nlehmann Posts: 164 Member
    Yes, that is the way MFP is set up.
  • misscristie
    misscristie Posts: 643 Member
    Yes. You will get varying opinions as to whether you should or should not. I personally do not except to get 15-20 grams of protein post workout.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    Yes you should as you original goal is to lose your goal amount of weight with no exercise, if you exercise you need to eat more to lose the same amount and to fuel your workouts. Eating 1790 and burning 490 is the same as eating 1390 and not working out as 1790-490=1300.
  • jessejmes
    jessejmes Posts: 16
    Depends on your goal. If you want to maintain your weight, you eat what you burn, but dont do it day to day. Find a steady diet and stick with it. Some days you might burn more or less, but you have generally average your calories for the week for your daily intake. Otherwise, you will drive yourself crazy, and frankly where you are getting your calorie burn from is very likely not accurate nor are the portions you are eating going to be completely accurate either. Track your weight over time and see how you are doing.

    -Ira Winkler
  • chattipatty2
    chattipatty2 Posts: 376 Member
    Ive noticed since Ive been doing more weight training that I am much more hungry, but for protein, Cant seem to get enough. Thinking it's time for protein shakes. Thoughts on this? Im not going over cals, just NEED protein. Is this normal?
  • jessejmes
    jessejmes Posts: 16
    Very normal protein helps to build lean muscle no matter how you consume it. Try a protein powder shake before and after your workouts. Opinions vary but, it works for me everyone is different just see what works for you.
  • chattipatty2
    chattipatty2 Posts: 376 Member
    Very normal protein helps to build lean muscle no matter how you consume it. Try a protein powder shake before and after your workouts. Opinions vary but, it works for me everyone is different just see what works for you.
    [/quote

    Thank you! :flowerforyou:
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    You'll get three very different responses here:

    YES eat back those calories, you must fuel.
    NO don't eat them back, what's the point of exercising?
    And SOME: to offset error, eat at least above your BMR, and meet your macros.

    And, importantly, this will also be determined by the activity level you have set in MFP. Sedentary? Lightly active?
  • EEpling89
    EEpling89 Posts: 152
    I hate to insert myself into this debate, but I can't help it. Your BMR is what your body needs in order to power your organs and keep your body alive. If you NET below that, your body will eventually go into starvation mode. By net calories, I mean your total food intake minus the amount burned from exercise. This will result in extremely slow metabolism, your body burning lean muscle instead of fat, binge eating, yo-yo dieting, and low resale value on your car (kidding on the last one). It took me losing the same 50 pounds three times in order to learn this and I hate to see people eating too little. It's simply not sustainable to eat that little. Yes, this would mean that you would lose weight slower and be eating sometimes above 2000 cals a day (depending on how much you exercise), but it also means that you would keep the weight off.
  • EEpling89
    EEpling89 Posts: 152
    I know there are varying opinions and others will disagree but this has worked for me! :)

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