Getting Closer to My Daily Calorie Goal

WardGuitar

Hi,

Sorry if this is answered somewhere else...

My daily calorie goal is 2020, going higher when I log my exercise. The past few days I've ended the day at about 700 calories BELOW the goal after I've exercised.

I've done some reading, and I feel like I understand the concept of eating back the calories you burned during exercise, and that I should eat to that higher goal/number. And I've read about 'starvation mode', etc.

However, I don't feel like I'm starving myself - I feel like I'm eating what I normally would and I end up way below the number it tells me to get to. I am adding exercise into my daily routine, which I've never done before... maybe that's why I need to eat more. I suppose I don't mind eating more - but how close do I need to get to that number to be losing weight safely (not in 'starvation' mode?). Is 700 calories under the goal bad?

Thanks in advance

MelodyandBarbells

I end days similarly sometimes and just try to think of the total amount of food I've eaten. If I'm at 300 net but 1700 calories, I'm good. If I'm at the same 300 net but have only eaten 1000 calories (yeah, right), I try to correct that.

If chasing net calories becomes a chore, you could try to pick a constant daily calorie target instead. Something like 2000 calories with or without exercise (TDEE method).

WardGuitar

Thanks

So how far under can I be and still be doing this in a healthy way? I assume having 700 calories remaining will lose me some weight, but it doesn't sound healthy

WardGuitar

bump!