What does it mean when I feel that I have to "work off" every bit of food that I eat?

That you're starting to associate the shame or unhappiness you might have in your physical appearance with your diet, making the untrue connection that you could be [x] if you ate less/better. When you do eat - regardless of how well or healthy it is - you have to exercise to burn off the calories. Try to remember that guilt is a poor motivator, it rarely will help you achieve the body outcome you hope for - instead causing you to be depressed, unhappy and unmotivated (and for many people these feelings prompt binge eating - so you can even be working against your goal). The best diets are lifestyles - not a tit-for-tat eating and exercising regime. It's true that weight loss can be oversimplified into a calories in-energy used metric, but ultimately a healthy person with a healthy body won't be able to 100% control what they eat or how much they can exercise all the time, you have to live well and part of that is being forgiving of yourself. You need to enjoy what you're doing and how you're living - guilting yourself and hoping it motivates you won't achieve that.

I think it means you are experiencing an negative body image (one of many terms) . If you feel to work food off you maybe suffering from an eating disorder. Eating disorders are not only starving yourself of excessive throwing up. You can experience over exercising some also use forms of laxative.

It means you have to burn the calories that equal your food. They average girl burns 1600 calories a day and average boy 2000, Make sure you are not depriving yourself of food though :)

Feeling that you have to work off every bit of food that you eat means that you feel the compulsive need to burn as many calories as you take in during that day.

It might mean you feel ashamed for eating and that you have to make up for what you've consumed. If you feel guilty or disgusted and you constantly think about what you eat and how much you should eat then it could mean you have an eating disorder or are on your way to develop one.

It means that how many calories, carbs, sugars and fats you just ate - you want to work it back off. You want to exercise so that you basically didn't eat it.

This can be quite tricky, feeling the need to burn off extra calories to balance the caloric input is quite common. However, you must consider your metabolic rate and several other factors that require you to have a certain amount of energy input (consumption of food) in your body. You don't necessarily need to work off every bit of food you need because your body uses them already. To make this a little easier on your mind, consider eating well-balanced meals and nutritious snacks. Hope you feel better soon and take care

You may feel guilty for eating certain foods. If they are healthy foods then there should be no guilt there. However, if it's unhealthy such as fatty or sugary foods then you feel like you'll put on weight. This may cause you to want to get rid of it and 'work off'.

Food is nourishment for your body & should be enjoyed. Try to find one thing about your body that you love and focus on that. If you feel the need to work off some of the food you just ate then challenge yourself to do enough exercise to feel good and it not to be a punishment.

If you feel you have to "work off" food to an obsessive and disruptive amount, then this could be a sign of an eating disorder. However, I cannot give you a diagnosis. Seeing a professional can help determine whether this is healthy behavior and determine the best path for you.

No need to panic, but it might mean that you're being too hard on yourself. Remember that food is there to nurture us and keep our bodies going, there is nothing wrong with calories, and you shouldn't punish yourself for eating! Be good to yourself instead and eat a variety of food, fresh ingredients, try new recipes, enjoy take away now and then. Exercise everyday, but do things you like without counting how many calories you burn, and don't overdo it, because fatigue causes burnout sooner or later. Keep in mind that moderation is key both in fitness and nutrition!