[eilla05]

How many calories do you eat on workout days vs non-workout days?

Do all of you eat more calories on the days you work out?

I have kept my calories the same even on workout days. I was only burning about 350 calories per workout but tonight tried the epplitical and will start burning about 500 or more per workout and im wondering if I should eat more? Stay the same? eat half?

What do you do?

[PhotoChick]

I don't eat more when I workout unless I am doing something for a very long time and at a high exertion level. But as a general rule, no, I don't eat more on workout days.

However, I'd caution you not to believe the number of calories the elliptical (or any machine) tells you that you're burning. Unless you're using a heart rate monitor that is calibrated to your weight, height, etc., then you can't really get accurate numbers.

FWIW, I do 30 mins on the elliptical plus lift weights for 30 mins and I often barely hit 500 cals based on my heart rate monitor.

.

[chick_in_the_hat]

I only eat more when it's more than 600 calories or so burned. And even then I try to only take in a couple hundred extra...mostly because I'm usually hungrier. More than that and you kind of negate the purpose of working so hard to burn them in the first place.

[Skullarix]

I have to admit I don't change the amount I eat on work out days.

[Schumeany]

I use a modified version of calorie cycling, but I do it independent of my workouts. Basically, I ignore how hard I have worked out on any given day --and just eat the calories for the day that are alotted...as long as it has not been a COMPLETELY insane exercise day like when we hiked 10 miles one afternoon -- that day I ate everything I could lay hands on that didn't try to wiggle out of reach. But generally, I do not alter my eating plan for exercise...because, well, the point of the exercise is to burn extra calories...I don't want to use those up by eating them back. However, in the last few weeks, I have upped my calorie average per day because I realized my workouts were so much harder and longer than they used to be...and for my current weight I had begun to lose too fast (More than 1% of body weight per week.). I like my lean muscle mass right where it is, thanks very much...don't want to burn THAT off by mistake.

[rodeogirl]

I use the daily plate to figure everything out and I've decided to start out using net calories as my guide so I do eat more when I exercise. I'll see how this goes and adjust if necessary.

[lorilove]

I keep my calories consistent. Although to be honest I find that I eat at the high end of my calorie range on my non-workout days. It must be a combination of extra idle time or that I don't get that energy boost from exercise so I find I am hungrier on the non-workout days.

[cdiem4994]

I tend to try and eat more when I have a hard workout day. Those include two hour bike rides or when I go to the gym with a friend and we are having so much fun that we lose track of just how much we are doing. I usually have trouble upping my calories though. I am just super comfortable at 1,600 calories (unless it TOM). At the least, I make sure I come home and really, really up my protein intake. That is easy because I am usually craving protein foods after hard workouts.

[biolerchick]

I only eat extra calories if I workout at pretty decent intensity for an hour or more. However, I don't eat back all the calories I burned - I want the exercise to boost my weight loss! I really do find that I'm more hungry after a long workout, so I think it's okay to eat a little more.