Am i eating enough a day?

kimbunny

I'm 19, down to 8 stone 6. I've only just started using this site the last few days. I realised that i've been under my amount of calories by around 400 for a few days. My maximum a day is 1200 cals and been doing excercise the last few days to knock off 400-500, maybe some hidden calories but i'm still under by quite a bit. I just want some advice on is this enough and will i lose weight this way. If not, whats the best way to go about it? thanks

aippolito1

The best way to go about it is to eat all your calories, exercise and all.

amymeenieminymo

If you're exercising and burning off 400-500 calories, you should then tack that on to your 1200. So on days that you exercise, you should be eating around 1600-1700 calories.

If you're under by 400 (800 net calories) and also working out, that puts you at only 300-400 net calories a day. TOTALLY not enough and you'll likely gain weight because your body will hang on to the food and fat that you are giving it.

S_H84

I am not sure I understand your numbers correctly. Is your calorie intake calculated at 1200 but you have been eating 400 calories less (meaning you have been eating around 800 calories) or are you currently eating 1200 calories (meaning you are supposed to eat 1600 but because you eat 400 less, that is why you come down to 1200)?

If you can clarify I will be happy to respond in more detail

kimbunny

Calorie intake is 1200 and eating under or around that amount. but cos im doing over 400 cals of excercise, i should still eat that 400 or so in calories shouldnt i

S_H84

Personally, I don't think it is ALWAYS necessary to make up the calories you burned. Now if your body tells you that you are hungry, you should definitely eat something to add fuel. You will loose weight better if you give your body fuel. Many people have a misconception that you loose weight the less you eat. However, if you exercise a lot, it is better to eat more and the weight will come off.
Now, 1200 calories is really the lower limit of calories taken in per day. You should really not go lower than that. Research has shown that your body needs at least 1000-1200 calories per day for maintenance. Everything below that and your body will go into starvation, meaning it will store those lovely fat calories that we are trying to get rid off

So, my advice is if you exercise around 200 calories, I wouldn't worry too much about making up the calories but if you exercise above that I would at least try to make up half of the calories in food.