Do I eat more calories on training days?

xkarinadollface

Hi everyone! I started cutting a week ago almost and on a 300 calorie deficit. I am pretty lean already but I want to get more shredded. I only want to drop maybe 4 lbs, I weigh 105 and i am 5'0 and my maintanance calories are 1500-1600 since i am very active. I weight train 5-6 days a week and also do HIIT cardio 3-4 days a week. The one thing I am pretty confused about cutting is, on days I have intense work outs should I consume a bit over my calorie allowance or not? I don't know if i should be eating 1200 regardless of off day or workout day? Also how the hell do I know much many calories I burn? Especially during weight training?! Please help i dont want to consume too many calories to slow down the fat loss nor do I want to eat too few calories to lose muscle mass... Thanks guys!!

Karina

DavPul

I honestly don't know. I have no experience with a body weight as low as yours with goals like yours. I imagine if I was in your position I would closely monitor my results. Track scale weight closely, use some semi accurate way track body fat, and keep an eye on my energy levels (expected to be lower than usual but not crashing)

Runhard13

Energy levels is KEY ..since your at a small weight and just want to cut a small amount more..sit down look at what your doing and try to find where you might be able to squeeze that last bit from..kind of like trying to find 4 dollars on an already squeezed budget

MyChocolateDiet

Bump and IN for the answer to the cals during weight training part.

As for whatever I can add as another normally petite person. When I was 5'2" and weighed 118 lbs I was incredibly active too and consumed a lot of calories. I cannot say the exact number because I was not counting cals back then. Recently when I was 120 I again was not counting calories but was consuming lots of cals on a high protein high fat low carbs diet. Neither time was I concerned about "cutting" but both times I was concerned with eating sufficient calories to maintain my energy levels but not gain weight and would simply eat when hungry. Some days that would be more than others usually coinciding with physical therapy days or practice days (or the day following).

I think all this lends to the "watch your energy levels" suggestions you are getting. Then since you are cutting take whatever necessary cal cuts need to come off from that. Within a small window though, more like a percentage since we already start with so few calories to work with there's not a lot of wiggle room.

Hi everyone! I started cutting a week ago almost and on a 300 calorie deficit. I am pretty lean already but I want to get more shredded. I only want to drop maybe 4 lbs, I weigh 105 and i am 5'0 and my maintanance calories are 1500-1600 since i am very active. I weight train 5-6 days a week and also do HIIT cardio 3-4 days a week. The one thing I am pretty confused about cutting is, on days I have intense work outs should I consume a bit over my calorie allowance or not? I don't know if i should be eating 1200 regardless of off day or workout day? Also how the hell do I know much many calories I burn? Especially during weight training?! Please help i dont want to consume too many calories to slow down the fat loss nor do I want to eat too few calories to lose muscle mass... Thanks guys!!

Karina