Help with calorie intake!

leonidas11

Hi fellow dieters,
I've been using my fitness pal for several weeks now. I'm on the 1200 calorie per-day intake and am also following the Atkins diet. On top of the dieting however, I'm also on a strict fitness regime. I do moderate-intense cardio workouts twice a day, most days of the week, plus weight sessions once every day.
I feel so hungry whenever meal time comes around, but find that I'm pushing the 1200 calorie limit.
Should I increase my calorie intake due to the amount of exercise I'm doing??

Any advice is much appreciated

Crystal817

Should I increase my calorie intake due to the amount of exercise I'm doing??

Yes! MFP gives you "exercise calories" to use for just that purpose.

leonidas11

Yes, I know. I do burn, according to mfp, about 500 calories doing exercise per day. However, even with those burnt, I'm still struggling to feel satisfied under the 1200 calorie limit.

Do I just need to discipline my food more, or should I actually be increasing the intake to meet after-burn affects of exercise?

pukekolive

If your intake is 1200 calories and you burn up to about 500 calories per day in exercise then your net intake is only 700 calories (1200-500=700).

If 1200 is the amount MFP recommends that you intake for a deficit sufficient to lose around 1lb per week then you should eat your 500 exercise calories. If you are not doing this, 700 calories net is not sufficient for your day to day needs to maintain your organs etc.

Depending on how tall you are, you may need more than 1200 calories to start with, probably more in the region of 1400-1600.

Check out the FAQs on the Community Forums

Crystal817

Yes, I know. I do burn, according to mfp, about 500 calories doing exercise per day. However, even with those burnt, I'm still struggling to feel satisfied under the 1200 calorie limit.

That's not what I said at all. You need to eat back those calories you burn (at least some of them)!

Mmmporkrinds

Hi there, great stuff on the exercise! If you're eating 1200 calories a day, and you're burning off 500 by doing workouts, your total calorie intake should be 1700 a day. It does sound weird, because you'd think it was good to eat as few calories as you can to lose weight. But really you do need to replace what you're burning - so, after a long workout, try eating a small meal (some complex carbohydrates like rice or whole grain bread, with some lean protein like chicken breast or beef). Your body will thank you for this.

leonidas11

Thanks guys! Will do.