Differences in eating when exercising and when you don't
mrsnazario1219
Posts: 173 Member
Im having difficulty sticking to my calorie goal when I don't exercise. It's such a big difference from when I do that I'm so hungry. I've tried sticking to my non exercise calorie goal when I do exercise but I'm STARVING. How can I deal with this?
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Replies
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How many pounds did you tell MFP you wanted to lose per week? Sometimes we get a low calorie goal because our goals are very aggressive.0
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What do you mean by "when I don't exercise"? Do you mean when you skipped what you'd planned or just that some days you don't plan any exercise?
If the latter, you might try eating and average amount on all seven days. You'll still have fuel to exercise without starving on the days you don't.
This presumes you're at a reasonable deficit and eating a good amount of filling foods.0 -
It sounds to me like you've done what a lot of people do on MFP: You've set a too-aggressive goal in general, and you're also over-estimating your calorie burns from exercise.
So on workout days, you're getting an effect where the too-low base calorie goal is being cancelled out by a too-high exercise calorie estimate to eat back. So on those days, you're eating a reasonable amount of food.
Try setting your goal a bit less aggressively -- i.e. if you've chosen 2lbs/week or 1.5lbs/week, go down to 1lb/week or so. At the same time, try only eating back half of your exercise calories, since MFP notoriously over-estimates burns for most types of exercise.
That should sort you out.0 -
For sure don't stick to your non-exercise daily eating goal on days you exercise - why do that?
You burn more - you eat more - keep the same deficit.
And ditto to above comments - confirm it's a reasonable deficit.
When you get to 60 lbs to goal weight - change to 1.5 lbs weekly.
Also confirm you have your daily activity let correctly. If those are your 2 kids in the pic - you are NOT sedentary, you are lightly active, even if you do have a desk job during the day.
Be very concerned if the body adapts and you no longer feel hungry. That usually means it slowed down to compensate for the craziness.
You could also take half of the exercise calories you'd normally eat back on one day and apply them to the next non-exercise day.
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I'd take a look at what you're eating....for example, are you getting enough protein? veggies? Make sure you're getting good "bang for your buck" on the calories you're eating.0
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mrsnazario1219 wrote: »I've tried sticking to my non exercise calorie goal when I do exercise
What is your reasoning for doing so, presuming you are using the numbers MFP gives you?
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mrsnazario1219 wrote: »Im having difficulty sticking to my calorie goal when I don't exercise. It's such a big difference from when I do that I'm so hungry. I've tried sticking to my non exercise calorie goal when I do exercise but I'm STARVING. How can I deal with this?
I completely understand. Even in maintenance I try not to use exercise as a crutch for my eating habits. It really depends on how aggressive your calorie goal is. You can always try setting it to lose half pound and stick to your goal on your non-exercise day. On the days you exercise, try not to eat it back unless you absolutely have to. Also pay attention to how much protein, fiber, and water you are getting.
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To be honest, if you really feel more comfortable sticking to the same calorie goal on exercise and non-exercise days, then you should look into switching to the TDEE method. This method averages out your exercise and gives you a consistent calorie target to shoot for.
Read more here: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/931670/bmr-and-tdee-explained-for-those-needing-a-guide/p10 -
I know how that feels!
There are studies that show that women are hungrier after exercise than are men, but also, fortunately, that over time (months), with exercise, your appetite will decrease and exercise will help prevent you from gaining weight.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/17/the-appetite-workout/?_r=0
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/18/magazine/18exercise-t.html
http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/weight-loss/eating-help/control-cravings/control-your-post-workout-appetite/
It looks to me as if you are at the beginning of your diet. I would suggest not overdoing the exercise right now until you get used to eating less, and then it will be easier to control your appetite. That's what I did - some waking and biking at the beginning, but nothing intense. I also found that it was easier physically for me to exercise once I took a few pounds off. I had been attributing a lot of slowness and aches to aging, which I now know were due to my weight, even though I was not obese. Also, once you achieve some success, you will be more motivated and encouraged to resist that post-exercise hunger. That worked for me.
Good luck to you! You can do it!
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I'm 36yo, 5'2, 187lbs. I've been tracking with MFP for a little over a month (37 days to be exact) I'm a SAHM but both children are in school so I put sedentary to lose 1.5/wk. I walk on the treadmill for a little over an hour 4-5 days a week. I also wear a Fitbit flex. I do great keeping within my calories on exercise days but I go at least 50 cals over on days I don't. I do weigh everything.
I tried not to eat back my exercise cals because I know I can't exercise everyday so I wouldn't get use to eating so much. That didn't work so I stuck with eating back my exercise cals.0 -
On exercise days I eat most of my calories back and non exercise days I don't. But then...I go by weekly calorie goals and it works for me. I have been maintaining my goal weight for nearly a year now.0
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Sounds like doing 1 pound a week might help resolve your issue. 1.5 might be a bit too much too soon for you. Later on you can re-evaluate.0
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20yearsyounger wrote: »Sounds like doing 1 pound a week might help resolve your issue. 1.5 might be a bit too much too soon for you. Later on you can re-evaluate.
This, if you're still hungry.
But if you're set to sedentary and not currently eating back your exercise calories, then that's your problem right there. You're obviously not sedentary. The base calories already have your 750/day calorie deficit built in. By avoiding eating back your exercise calories, you're increasing that deficit to probably over 1000/day, which is just way too much. No wonder you're hungry.
Eat back those exercise calories!0 -
20yearsyounger wrote: »Sounds like doing 1 pound a week might help resolve your issue. 1.5 might be a bit too much too soon for you. Later on you can re-evaluate.
This, if you're still hungry.
But if you're set to sedentary and not currently eating back your exercise calories, then that's your problem right there. You're obviously not sedentary. The base calories already have your 750/day calorie deficit built in. By avoiding eating back your exercise calories, you're increasing that deficit to probably over 1000/day, which is just way too much. No wonder you're hungry.
Eat back those exercise calories!
I've been eating back my exercise calories for a few weeks now. I had only tried not to for a week. I AM eating my exercise cals lol. I'm only having issues when I don't exercise0 -
20yearsyounger wrote: »Sounds like doing 1 pound a week might help resolve your issue. 1.5 might be a bit too much too soon for you. Later on you can re-evaluate.
I may try this. I'm just worried I won't lose. Especially since my loss has not been consistent at all
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mrsnazario1219 wrote: »Im having difficulty sticking to my calorie goal when I don't exercise. It's such a big difference from when I do that I'm so hungry. I've tried sticking to my non exercise calorie goal when I do exercise but I'm STARVING. How can I deal with this?
I set my calories based on working out 4-6 hours a week and keep it flat. It works well for me and I don't have to worry about the two days I don't exercise. I don't think you have to worry about bouncing up and down daily based on exercise.0 -
mrsnazario1219 wrote: »
I've been eating back my exercise calories for a few weeks now. I had only tried not to for a week. I AM eating my exercise cals lol. I'm only having issues when I don't exercise
In that case, it sounds like what I said in my first reply: Your base calories are too low, and your exercise calories are too high. Try switching from "sedentary" to "lightly active", and then only eating back half of your exercise calories. You should get the same weekly calorie consumption in, more or less, but you'll eat more of them on non-exercise days and less of them on exercise days.
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mrsnazario1219 wrote: »20yearsyounger wrote: »Sounds like doing 1 pound a week might help resolve your issue. 1.5 might be a bit too much too soon for you. Later on you can re-evaluate.
This, if you're still hungry.
But if you're set to sedentary and not currently eating back your exercise calories, then that's your problem right there. You're obviously not sedentary. The base calories already have your 750/day calorie deficit built in. By avoiding eating back your exercise calories, you're increasing that deficit to probably over 1000/day, which is just way too much. No wonder you're hungry.
Eat back those exercise calories!
I've been eating back my exercise calories for a few weeks now. I had only tried not to for a week. I AM eating my exercise cals lol. I'm only having issues when I don't exercise
What is your daily calorie goal?
I am becoming more and more firm in my belief that women with less than 75 pounds to lose should set their weekly weight loss goal to 1 pound or less. Yes, it sucks that it means taking longer to lose the weight. But so many women end up with daily goals that are too low for comfort.0 -
mrsnazario1219 wrote: »
I've been eating back my exercise calories for a few weeks now. I had only tried not to for a week. I AM eating my exercise cals lol. I'm only having issues when I don't exercise
In that case, it sounds like what I said in my first reply: Your base calories are too low, and your exercise calories are too high. Try switching from "sedentary" to "lightly active", and then only eating back half of your exercise calories. You should get the same weekly calorie consumption in, more or less, but you'll eat more of them on non-exercise days and less of them on exercise days.
This is what I would recommend. I had the same problem -- I'm 5'3 and at a certain point I would get 1200 on non-exercise days, which seemed way too low, and I'd have more than I needed on exercise days. So I increased my base calories and just reduced the amount I ate back on exercise days. I did it by saying I was "active" but setting Fitbit to allow negative adjustments, but if you don't have a Fitbit the way segacs explained it would achieve the same thing.
I later switched to the TDEE method, which is explained in a link above, for similar reasons.0 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »
I later switched to the TDEE method, which is explained in a link above, for similar reasons.
Me too. I switched to the TDEE method from the second month onward. It was so much easier for me to just target a consistent calorie goal regardless of how much I exercised each day. No longer having to try to estimate calorie burns from exercise made things so much easier. I just picked a number, ate at it for a while, and adjusted based on real-world results.0 -
mrsnazario1219 wrote: »Im having difficulty sticking to my calorie goal when I don't exercise. It's such a big difference from when I do that I'm so hungry. I've tried sticking to my non exercise calorie goal when I do exercise but I'm STARVING. How can I deal with this?
I'm with you. My calories are based on losing 1 pound per week but if I don't exercise, that's just not enough calories.
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Assuming that your weight loss goals are realistic and your calories adequate, as others have said, another tip is to fill up on low cal food. I am eating a lot of salad - I buy the organic spring mix at Sam's, add some onion and tomato, and use Maple Grove Farms sugar-free raspberry dressing (not delicious, but 5 cal in 2 Tbs). I can eat a full container over 2 days. The full container of 15.8 C (85 gm) of salad greens is only 70 calories.0
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mrsnazario1219 wrote: »20yearsyounger wrote: »Sounds like doing 1 pound a week might help resolve your issue. 1.5 might be a bit too much too soon for you. Later on you can re-evaluate.
This, if you're still hungry.
But if you're set to sedentary and not currently eating back your exercise calories, then that's your problem right there. You're obviously not sedentary. The base calories already have your 750/day calorie deficit built in. By avoiding eating back your exercise calories, you're increasing that deficit to probably over 1000/day, which is just way too much. No wonder you're hungry.
Eat back those exercise calories!
I've been eating back my exercise calories for a few weeks now. I had only tried not to for a week. I AM eating my exercise cals lol. I'm only having issues when I don't exercise
What is your daily calorie goal?
I am becoming more and more firm in my belief that women with less than 75 pounds to lose should set their weekly weight loss goal to 1 pound or less. Yes, it sucks that it means taking longer to lose the weight. But so many women end up with daily goals that are too low for comfort.
My daily cal goal is 1380 set to lose 1.5 at sedentary.0 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »mrsnazario1219 wrote: »
I've been eating back my exercise calories for a few weeks now. I had only tried not to for a week. I AM eating my exercise cals lol. I'm only having issues when I don't exercise
In that case, it sounds like what I said in my first reply: Your base calories are too low, and your exercise calories are too high. Try switching from "sedentary" to "lightly active", and then only eating back half of your exercise calories. You should get the same weekly calorie consumption in, more or less, but you'll eat more of them on non-exercise days and less of them on exercise days.
This is what I would recommend. I had the same problem -- I'm 5'3 and at a certain point I would get 1200 on non-exercise days, which seemed way too low, and I'd have more than I needed on exercise days. So I increased my base calories and just reduced the amount I ate back on exercise days. I did it by saying I was "active" but setting Fitbit to allow negative adjustments, but if you don't have a Fitbit the way segacs explained it would achieve the same thing.
I later switched to the TDEE method, which is explained in a link above, for similar reasons.
Do you think I should set it to lose 1lb/wk and set to lightly active? I do have my Fitbit set to negative adjustments.
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That's why I switched to TDEE too!0
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What does your fitbit weekly progress report say that your daily average calorie burn is?0
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mrsnazario1219 wrote: »I've been eating back my exercise calories for a few weeks now. I had only tried not to for a week. I AM eating my exercise cals lol. I'm only having issues when I don't exercise
Oh my, I get it. I SO get it. I can almost *never* stay under calorie goal on non-exercise days (and I have 1850 calories w/o exercise!!) I think a lot of it is mental. When I exercise and see the extra calories earned, I'm at peace. I have plenty left over at the end of the day. I'm not THAT much hungrier when I exercise.
So, I don't have much help for you, but, hey you're not alone. There's lots of good advice above.
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20yearsyounger wrote: »What does your fitbit weekly progress report say that your daily average calorie burn is?
Yes. This.0 -
mrsnazario1219 wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »mrsnazario1219 wrote: »
I've been eating back my exercise calories for a few weeks now. I had only tried not to for a week. I AM eating my exercise cals lol. I'm only having issues when I don't exercise
In that case, it sounds like what I said in my first reply: Your base calories are too low, and your exercise calories are too high. Try switching from "sedentary" to "lightly active", and then only eating back half of your exercise calories. You should get the same weekly calorie consumption in, more or less, but you'll eat more of them on non-exercise days and less of them on exercise days.
This is what I would recommend. I had the same problem -- I'm 5'3 and at a certain point I would get 1200 on non-exercise days, which seemed way too low, and I'd have more than I needed on exercise days. So I increased my base calories and just reduced the amount I ate back on exercise days. I did it by saying I was "active" but setting Fitbit to allow negative adjustments, but if you don't have a Fitbit the way segacs explained it would achieve the same thing.
I later switched to the TDEE method, which is explained in a link above, for similar reasons.
Do you think I should set it to lose 1lb/wk and set to lightly active? I do have my Fitbit set to negative adjustments.
Yes, I think that would be good.0 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »Yes, I think that would be good.
Agreed, that sounds reasonable. But mostly it's about trying it for a while and seeing if it works better for you.
I do think that everything you've said indicates that your calorie targets on non-exercise days seem to be too low for you. Since you're using a Fitbit with negative adjustments, then sedentary/lightly active on MFP won't matter much. What will matter is having a goal that's a 500/day deficit instead of a 750/day deficit. Those extra 250 calories on non-exercise days should make a big difference.
Slow weight loss is good. Slow is the goal.
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