Poll: Do you eat your exercise calories?

[SeattleSue 25]

Ok...It's probably been covered before...beat to death maybe, but the question on my mind is:

Do you eat part or all of your exercise calories?

If yes to either part or all, what's your "formula"?

If yes, what is your best "guesstimate" on the impact this has had, pro or con, on your weightloss journey.

Thanks in advance!

[feedyoureye 3,087]

Nope. Maybe if I really lost a lot of weight every week, but I sure as heck do not.

[Rootman 1,101]

Me neither, I keep the same diet and sometimes even go NEGATIVE on the net calories.

[marymoon 18]

I do eat most of my exercise calories, but only those burned off doing high impact/high heart rate cardio. I don't record calorie expenditure from strength training, housecleaning, golfing, bowling, etc. because I consider those calories burned during the normal course of the day. Before I had my sleeve when I was seeing a NUT on my own, she cautioned me to NOT eat those calories. Back then I was on a 1400 calorie/day diet so I didn't really have too much to spare if I wanted to see a 2lb/week loss. Now, I try to limit myself to 800 to 900 calories a day and since I can burn in excess of 600 calories in one zumba class I have to eat some of those calories back to keep my body and mind functioning properly.

I'm 4.5 months out and have lost 67lbs since surgery and this is what works for me. I also don't do low carb, enjoy a small bowl of ice cream every other night, small bites of chocolate when I want it (like daily) and even drink a coke every once and a while.

[kellyw74 258]

NO WAY!!

They say you should NEVER eat them because most people over estimate their caloric burn and eat more than what they think they burned and just end up with more calories than what they should have been eating to begin with!

Kelly

[feedyoureye 3,087]

If you still have body fat, your body will burn that when it runs out of calories from food intake... thats the point of this plan, yes? After we lose all the fat we need to, then moderating calorie intake and exercise might have to happen.

[SeattleSue 25]

Thanks for the replies! I don't eat my exercise cals, although I am hungrier now that I've added strength training. IN light of the fact that I am "toning" and not "building" I'm not interested in truly adding more calores. That said, "everyone" who "doesn't know" about my sleeve has a comment to make about my workouts. Seems like everyone is an expert. So, I'm staying the course and will learn how to manage my increased hunger; perhaps with more nutritionally dense foods.

[Almost there 0]

Oh my gosh, I also noticed an increase in my hunger since I started exercising. I don't really like it, because it makes me feel like I'm eating too much. I'm 4 months post op and still in weight loss mode. I think I have increased to about 3 ounces on some foods and it scares me. I liked it better when I only wanted to eat about 2 ounces and was satisfied. How suggestions or comments?

[feedyoureye 3,087]

Oh my gosh, I also noticed an increase in my hunger since I started exercising. I don't really like it, because it makes me feel like I'm eating too much. I'm 4 months post op and still in weight loss mode. I think I have increased to about 3 ounces on some foods and it scares me. I liked it better when I only wanted to eat about 2 ounces and was satisfied. How suggestions or comments?

You guys will naturally want to eat more food as time goes on. Don't be afraid of it, just keep what you eat clean, Protein first and get in your Water. You will be fine. It looks to me like at some place, this levels out and you progress to maintenance mode. Are you taking PPIs? Some say if you are not, you may have more feelings of hunger. I stopped taking them about 3 weeks ago, and don't notice increased hunger. At 8 months, I can eat much more than I could at 4 months. I am also up to 1100-1200 calories, work out 5 days a week, and have lost 85% of my excess weight including the 10 I lost before surgery. I never lost my hunger, but it is reduced by half of what it used to be, very manageable.

[kemo46 82]

I had hit at weight loss stall at 3 months. I did not understand this because I am only eating between 600 and 800 calories a day. I do cardio and weights at least 4 times a week and easily burn these calories. My NUT told me that in a normal world when you are getting 1500+ calories a day and you burn more in exercise than you take in, you will lose weight. If you are only taking in 600 to 800 per day and are burning a lot more than that, your body thinks you are starving and goes into survival mode, that is when the stall happens. I was actually told to increase my calorie intake

( still healthy foods) and decrease my exercise and that should jump start my weight loss again. I just started this so I will let you know if it works. I am 3 months post op now.

[SeattleSue 25]

I had hit at weight loss stall at 3 months. I did not understand this because I am only eating between 600 and 800 calories a day. I do cardio and weights at least 4 times a week and easily burn these calories. My NUT told me that in a normal world when you are getting 1500+ calories a day and you burn more in exercise than you take in, you will lose weight. If you are only taking in 600 to 800 per day and are burning a lot more than that, your body thinks you are starving and goes into survival mode, that is when the stall happens. I was actually told to increase my calorie intake

( still healthy foods) and decrease my exercise and that should jump start my weight loss again. I just started this so I will let you know if it works. I am 3 months post op now.

Interesting. Keep us updated and good luck!

[lunarose 97]

No I don't. I was just writing somewhere else how frustrated and confused I am. I am at maintenance and will eat between 1500-1000 cals a day the 1500 on my exercise days I walk 2 hours with hills 5 days a week and walk 45 minutes every night. I got one of those bodybugg things they wear on the biggest loser. According to it after wearing it a little over a week is that I average 2300 calories a day and the difference between the 5 days I walk two hours and the two I don't is 100 calories a day! It makes no sense.