Question - Working Out + 1400 Calories Per Day

ThermoDust

I've been doing a 1200-1400 calories per day for the last year or so. Recently, last 4 months, I started to workout. Beyond my normal 12-1400 in my everyday meals I have been adding what I burned at the gym as to prevent going so low on my calorie count per day.

For example, today was cardio and I burned around 1000, so I added 1000 more to my daily intake. If I didn't I would be sitting around 300.

Or is it more like, weight/strength training eat afterwards(things to fuel rebuilding) and cardio you can have a light snack?

hockeysniper8

Good work on the cardio! You should eat and replenish nutrients you lost during training. Ex. Have a protein bar or banana

Alatariel75

Definitely eat back some of the calories burned exercising, but be aware that calories burns are usually overblown. If your losses start to slow, try eating only 75% of the burns back, and be prepared to drop to 50%.

ThermoDust

It sounds like so far what I have been doing is correct. Eat enough to maintain my 12-1400 per day goal even with the calories burned during workout. Like today, I should eat 22-2400 to make up for the 1000 lost during cardio, correct?

Or to your point Alatariel75, maybe 1900-2150 depending on the percentage I am making up, btw is this just guessed based on weight loss or is there a good way of knowing how much of that I should make up...?

ThermoDust

Also, is there a type of food I should be eating more of after strength vs cardio days? As it stands I am 70% protein then the rest for the most part is vegetables and fruit with a small amount of starch carbohydrates each time I workout.

sarochka85

Chances are you didn't burn 1000, though.

kate0707

How important is it to eat any workout calories back? Just curious myself as I burn 500 a day so do I have to eat them? I also have 1200-1400 a day. Thanks

RodaRose

Eat back somewhere between 175- 250. Try that for two weeks.