[BoopRN]

I was hoping someone can answer my question. Sorry if it seems kinda ignorant. I have heard that when you increase your exercise, whether its in time, speed or vigorous-ness you also have to increase your calorie intake since your body needs more fuel in order to burn off more calories. I hope this makes sense, please enlighten me. Thanks!

[Apple Cheeks]

From my experience and from reading what has worked for others.....

If you are trying to lose weight, then no. If you are burning calories with exercise in order to help create a calorie deficit and lose weight, then it makes no sense to eat back what you just sweated off.

However, if you have hit a plateau in weight loss then upping your calories may help break it.

(This is assuming you are talking about normal amounts of exercise--not someone who goes out and lifts heavy weights for 4 hours in the gym every day, or is training for the Iron Man competition! )

If you are only interested in maintaining your weight, then yes you should be eating more calories if you have become more active.

Hope this helps.

[MalibuBeachBound]

I agree with Apple Cheeks. If it is a moderate amount of exercise and your goal is weight loss, don't eat the extra calories. On the olympics they asked Michael Phelps (if you saw it) what he does... and he said he eats anything he can but that's because he spends all the rest of his time swimming other than when he is sleeping. Different case.

Since weight loss largely depends on a calorie deficit, eating those extra calories back will keep you at the same weight (maybe lose a tiny bit due to increased muscle and therefore basal metabolism or temporary boost in metabolism from the exercise you just completed.) Doubt it would be enough to make it worth your while to eat those calories back.

[JayEll]

If you're using TheDailyPlate to track your calories, they do a weird thing with eating back your calories. The better way to look at it is calorie deficit. For example, say you need to have a 400 calorie deficit (difference between cals burned and cals eaten) every day to lose at a certain rate. If you exercise and burn 150 more calories than your baseline burn, then if you don't eat more, you'll have a 550 calorie deficit. That's not really a bad thing--just gives you a little leeway.

Some members don't bother trying to figure out exercise calories because the estimates in the trackers can be so far off. And you're not exercising just to burn calories--you're exercising to get fit so that your metabolism will be higher all day.

Be sure that if you're actively exercising, you are getting enough protein.

Jay

[CandyKisses0204]

Malibu~ I saw that.. 12,000 a day! Thats more than i eat in a week! Holy Moly.

To the OP if you have incresed it tremendously than you may need to up your calories just a bit. Now i suggest only doing this is you hit a plateau after increasing the exercise. Dont 'eat back' all of the calories you burned, but maybe an extra 100 a day. Again only if you stopped losing when you increased the exercise

[peachcake]

I agree with everyone... I will also stress that you MAKE SURE you're getting enough protein! When I don't get enough protein when I'm exercising I get lethargic.