In the process of getting out of starvation mode

jamie31

I don't know who said guys don't need 4000 when they are active, but when I am training for a 15k, I am at about 4500 a day (thats for less than 2 hours of road work), and I have never gained weight doing it, anecdotal, maybe, but I know plenty of runners, and we all train the same, and most are similar body types to me. FYI - Never EVER model your diet after a body builder (unless you are body building your self of course), they do very difficult and harsh things to their body when training, both with exercise and foods.

Was me who said this before I knew she was 6'2" LOL. However my point was unless there is a reason to exercise THAT much (like as you said, training for something) than she would be spinning her wheels to try to lose weight since she would have to increase her calories to keep up with that amount of training.

And no, I wouldn't model my diet after a body builder either. I have seen some crazy things, and most of them extreme cycle their calories in very unhealthy ways.

I think you may have misread my original post or knowing me it was worded awkward. lol. I only bumped my calorie intake up about 200-500 a day, some days it was only bumped up 100 cals a day . I think I stated that MFP wanted me to consume about 3500 to 4000 a day based on my calories burned during exercise ( I do use a heart rate monitor with a chest strap)

What I meant was not to add an additional 1500 calories a day to your diet, because even if you know the amount of calories you're burning that is such an extreme amount of food to eat. Did you mention why you train so much? Maybe I missed it, I'll go back and re-read.

I simply workout that much because i like to workout. Although I know its getting hard on my body because I am active in softball about 4 days a week. I would eventually like to get myself set to about 90 minutes of exercise a day. I have been slowly trying to cut back to that. The process has been slow but I have been experimenting with training programs. I am starting to weight train alot more now. My weight is at 191 and at 6'2" i am probably at a pretty good weight. I would like my goal weight to be 185 but I know that it will take me a few months to get there, if i can even get there at all. With all the weight i have lost i have a lot of extra skin so my 6 vanity pounds could very well be extra skin.

jamie31

Thanks very much for the imput from all of you!

slimline1

Agree, most of this science stuff absolutely confuses me. One source will say one thing and just when you think you have it sussed, another source says something totally different. If everyone who cut down on eating, went into starvation mode and hung onto their weight, there would be no such thing as anorexia.
Before all the hype, I lost over three stone in less than six months, on 1000 calories, well 7,000 per week to be exact, as I consumed 800 per day and treated myself at the weekend. During this time I did no other physical exercise apart from housework and shopping and general walking about. I think we get so hyped up about not eating enough that we are losing our way. If you are consuming less calories than your body needs to function, as far as I am concerned your body will burn the extra and, therefore, you have to lose weight.
That's my phylosophy anyway.