Eat ALL of my calories?

ramsam70
ramsam70 Posts: 37
edited September 18 in Food and Nutrition
I had someone remind me that to keep your body burning you need to eat all of the calories. Has anyone got any advice on this?
Does this mean if I have 100 calories at night I should grab another snack?

And my biggest question is, when you work out are you supposed to eat extra because your calories allotment goes up? I always thought that was the point, was to burn them down as much as possible. I am new to the boards, but have some weight to lose.... what is working for everyone else out there?

Replies

  • ramsam70
    ramsam70 Posts: 37
    I had someone remind me that to keep your body burning you need to eat all of the calories. Has anyone got any advice on this?
    Does this mean if I have 100 calories at night I should grab another snack?

    And my biggest question is, when you work out are you supposed to eat extra because your calories allotment goes up? I always thought that was the point, was to burn them down as much as possible. I am new to the boards, but have some weight to lose.... what is working for everyone else out there?
  • ali106
    ali106 Posts: 3,754 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

    here try this post hon, it has some great info in it....let me see what else I can find for you ...but yes eat those calories and yes eat your exercise calories too!!!

    hugs~!
    ali
  • ali106
    ali106 Posts: 3,754 Member
    this is awesome too....let us know what your think or if you have any questions!!!

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10665-newbies-please-read-me-2nd-edition
  • pmkelly409
    pmkelly409 Posts: 1,646 Member
    I had someone remind me that to keep your body burning you need to eat all of the calories. Has anyone got any advice on this?
    Does this mean if I have 100 calories at night I should grab another snack?

    And my biggest question is, when you work out are you supposed to eat extra because your calories allotment goes up? I always thought that was the point, was to burn them down as much as possible. I am new to the boards, but have some weight to lose.... what is working for everyone else out there?

    There are some days that eating all your calories will be a breeze and other days where you will be in the fridge at 10pm thinking, what in the world am I going to eat !??!?!?!

    As Ali said already - Read the posts, they are so incredibly helpful.
  • wriglucy
    wriglucy Posts: 1,064 Member
    K...I know I'll get shot down for this, but...as long as you eat your BMR calories, anything you burn does not have to be replaced. My mom is a registered dietitian, and I told her about the "eating exercise calories" and she said only if you are like a professional athlete or burn 1000's of calories a day. Your body burns from what is already in your body, not what you are eating that exact day. I'm sure I'll have A LOT of disagreement on that, but I tend to believe my mom, who's a professional. However, you do want to make sure that you don't over exercise, but you still don't have to eat all your exercise calories.
  • cupcakes8kr
    cupcakes8kr Posts: 97 Member
    Bumping
  • ali106
    ali106 Posts: 3,754 Member
    hmm that's interesting and I'd listen to my mom too! lol

    I'm not a professional by any means LOL....I just know I've been doing it and it works and when I wasn't eating my calories my body didn't budge....so for me it works....but I think we are all open, at least I am....and no shooting down here LOL....at least not from me!:flowerforyou:

    hugs!
    Ali
  • wriglucy
    wriglucy Posts: 1,064 Member
    Ok..I guess I should say that eating them back isn't bad, it would just slow the outcome....

    http://www.calorie-count.com/forums/post/35823.html

    Another way of looking at it.
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
    Ok..I guess I should say that eating them back isn't bad, it would just slow the outcome....

    http://www.calorie-count.com/forums/post/35823.html

    Another way of looking at it.

    Well there's nothing wrong with slow and steady results...true, if you eat your BMR calories, you won't die or anything, but that doesn't support maximum results either. I'm sure no one wants to come out having lost a ton of lean body mass or bone density. I am by no means a professional athlete, but I burn upwards of 700-900 calories a day just through exercise, and eating just 1200 calories isn't going to cut it. I wouldn't be able to maintain intensity in the gym, my hormone levels wouldn't support maintenance of LBM...well it would just be really bad. There's more to dieting than just calories. Not many people take into account the importance of the endocrine system, and in all honesty THAT is what rules fat and muscle loss and gain, not diet.
  • ramsam70
    ramsam70 Posts: 37
    Oh my heck- lots of GREAT information- before bed I am going to read through those linked posts, too. Thanks so much- I am ready for bed, and because I got on the elliptical it says I now have 300 more calories- I am not that hungry, but could use a yogurt or something, so I will be eating 100 of those calories, but not more.

    When I closed my daily log, including the yogurt, it said if I continued as today my weight will be down almost 10 lbs in 5 weeks- which is a little faster then projected (that's okay with me). But I am glad that when you burn more you can eat some of it, so you don't wake up famished the next day (which has happened in the best).

    I really appreciate all your input.:wink:
  • may_marie
    may_marie Posts: 667 Member
    Ok..I guess I should say that eating them back isn't bad, it would just slow the outcome....

    http://www.calorie-count.com/forums/post/35823.html

    Another way of looking at it.

    thanks for that post :flowerforyou:
    it explains so much for me because, i wouldnt have admitted it before, but i dont eat all my excersise calories, but about half, i was wondering why i was loosing 1-2 lbs a week like i mean to rather then go into starvation mode, well that just explained it, i was thinking that if i ever go into a plateau, i would start eating more of my exercise calories, i think that the only reason this can apply to me is that i am otherwise really sedentary. like really............ work from home sit down, have no kids ect. i would not think that this would fit for a more active person, and in all, your activity level should really be the guide to how much you eat. not just your exercise routine.

    may
  • banks1850
    banks1850 Posts: 3,475 Member
    K...I know I'll get shot down for this, but...as long as you eat your BMR calories, anything you burn does not have to be replaced. My mom is a registered dietitian, and I told her about the "eating exercise calories" and she said only if you are like a professional athlete or burn 1000's of calories a day. Your body burns from what is already in your body, not what you are eating that exact day. I'm sure I'll have A LOT of disagreement on that, but I tend to believe my mom, who's a professional. However, you do want to make sure that you don't over exercise, but you still don't have to eat all your exercise calories.

    I think this is a generalization by your mom just giving you the minimum facts on the issue (she probably thought you just wanted a quickie answer). You might want to ask her for the whole story. To really hear it right, you need to sit down and talk to her for a good 1/2 an hour and find out exactly what the body does with food. Cuz it took me about 12 to 20 hours of pretty intense online research to ferrit out the actual reasons for why the body does what it does, I tried to distill it out and put it into posts that people can understand, but some people just need to hear it from a live person. Come in with questions, a pen and paper, and time to learn about it because just saying what you said doesn't cover the issue, it just tells you what you can get away with and still keep your body running. I.E. eating your BMR will keep you alive, but it won't keep you healthy. If you do this, make sure you ask her about survival mode, what happens with vlc diets and non-obese people, how the liver works, how the kidneys work, how the intestines work, what foods the brain needs, and how the metabolism processes carbs and fats. All very important topics for staying healthy while trying to lose weight.
  • ramsam70
    ramsam70 Posts: 37
    Banks- I did go and read those links, and I appreciate the time you took ingiving all of that information.

    The thing that really struck me was the concept of the body going into survival mode, and hanging on to the fat, when we eat way under our calories. That explains for me why, on the days I do my 'power pump' classes and vow to eat less than ever.. I am famished the next day (or few days) and tired, and after a week I have still gained a half of a pound!

    I am going to watch this more closely, and maybe I won't eat every last calorie- but I will confidently choose one or two healthy snacks at the end of the day if I have worked out and have the range to do so.

    I appreciate the discussion!
  • banks1850
    banks1850 Posts: 3,475 Member
    Banks- I did go and read those links, and I appreciate the time you took ingiving all of that information.

    The thing that really struck me was the concept of the body going into survival mode, and hanging on to the fat, when we eat way under our calories. That explains for me why, on the days I do my 'power pump' classes and vow to eat less than ever.. I am famished the next day (or few days) and tired, and after a week I have still gained a half of a pound!

    I am going to watch this more closely, and maybe I won't eat every last calorie- but I will confidently choose one or two healthy snacks at the end of the day if I have worked out and have the range to do so.

    I appreciate the discussion!

    Side note, you should eat BEFORE you exercise too (best is like 45 minutes to an hour before) to fuel your body, and make sure there are carbs in that food, you want to make sure your body is properly energized. You don't need to eat as much as you exercise before you work out, but you should have something, so your body doesn't get freaked out when you exercise on a (relatively) empty stomach.
  • Manda86
    Manda86 Posts: 1,859 Member
    Is it better to try to eat more throughout the day to meet your goal, or to try to make it up at the end of the day? I apologize if this was already answered..
This discussion has been closed.

Categories