Adding workout calories. Gradually or right away?

Mateo1985

Hello guys,

How is everyone doing?

I need an advise if you can help. I've been maintaining my weight eating about 1960 cals a day. I wasn't exercising so it was good. But now I actually exercise a lot. I go to an MMA gym about 4-6 nights a week. Our classes from Monday to Thursday go on for 3.5 hours. It's an awesome work out. Then two hours on Friday and one hour on Saturday.

Now I have a problem. As many people here after being systematic about my calories I feel reluctant to add a lot of calories to my diet. Should I add about 100 calories a week now? Or should I try and get all of my exercise calories right away? It's been a hard journey to lose the weight and now I really don't wanna put on any of it back. I mean I don't mind putting on the muscles. Just not fat.

Thanks everyone in advance!!!
Keep doing the good work!!!

kunibob

Your body might make this decision for you. I am very active and wasn't eating back most of my exercise calories at first, and I found that after awhile I just had no energy. I'd be trying to kick or run and my leg would have no juice! I started gradually eating more and more exercise calories back until I reached an equilibrium where I was still losing but had enough fuel for my workouts. It was a mental hurdle to get over, for sure!

So, it'll probably be a trial and error thing for you. 1960 calories may end up being enough fuel for you, or it might not...only time will tell! Just listen to your body and you'll be all right.

dragonbug300

Be conservative while estimating your exercise calories. Unless you're literally working out all 3.5 of those hours with no rest periods (or have a HRM), take into account all of the rests and water breaks that you might take each workout.

Then I would consider adding in about half of your exercise calories. See how that works for you. Now that you're working out, you might find your appetite increasing anyway.

Good luck and awesome job getting into a workout routine!

JennLifts

You can add it all at once. You might feel a little full the first day, but you're not going to gain. just make sure your calculating your burn accurately.

ennaejay

ITA with Kunibob. Keep juggling 'til you get the balance right. I'm right there with you... haven't figured out how many exercise calories to eat yet.

It sucks to be thin. You can't eat as much... Or have to work out like a psycho

laurad8911

I would say right away....maybe not ALL of them but most of them right away..... For someone doing that much exercise, 100 calories a week addition is nothing, you might as well not add any exercise calories....and I would worry that only adding 100 a week would end up making my body rebel and plateau without enough calories.....I would say add most of them....if you are logging your exercise correctly and eat most of them there's no way you'll gain so there's nothing to lose at least.

kunibob

Be conservative while estimating your exercise calories. Unless you're literally working out all 3.5 of those hours with no rest periods (or have a HRM), take into account all of the rests and water breaks that you might take each workout.

This is a really, really good point. I have 45 minute taekwondo classes, but between instructional breaks, water breaks, etc., I figured we do about 35 minutes of gruelling work and 10 minutes stretching/light, so I log 35 min TKD and 10 min light stretching. Since I'm still losing, I figure it must be close enough.

Mateo1985

Thanks a lot guys.

Yes during those classes there are the water breaks and the breaks between sparring sessions and times when our instructors would make us stop to show us a technique. I'm pretty sure I do expend a good amount of calories but of course not the whole 3.5 hours. I'll take a heart rate monitor to try and measure the amount of calories I've used during each work out for a week and then go from there.

Thanks guys!!! Appreciate the responses

Mateo1985

Be conservative while estimating your exercise calories. Unless you're literally working out all 3.5 of those hours with no rest periods (or have a HRM), take into account all of the rests and water breaks that you might take each workout.

This is a really, really good point. I have 45 minute taekwondo classes, but between instructional breaks, water breaks, etc., I figured we do about 35 minutes of gruelling work and 10 minutes stretching/light, so I log 35 min TKD and 10 min light stretching. Since I'm still losing, I figure it must be close enough.

Awesome points!!! I'll try and do the same thing