Am I exercising TOO much?!

ciara1617555

Basically, I am 18 years old, 64 kg, 5"5.
I used to be really skinny (13/14 yrs old) but started eating really unhealthy and put on loads of weight to where I am now.
I have been eating healthily for a while, before using myfitnesspal, and was eating about 1300 calories a day.
Now the confusing bit (for me anyway!)... I row, a lot. I burn on average 500 hundred calories 3 days a week, 200 on two days, and 900 at the weekend.
I started using myfitnesspal to keep track of my calories, and it said I should be eating 1200 calories a day to get to my goal weight. However, when I start putting in my exercise, it says I am undereating by a lot, and putting my body into starvation mode...
Do I actually need to be eating more, in order to lose weight??
Please help if you know, as I would like to be more healthy

Shannonnn92

You aren't exercising too much, but you should be trying to eat back the calories that you burn since your body needs a certain amount of calories a day to survive and perform it's natural functions, you don't want too much of a deficit. At least, this is what I've heard and it's what I go by.

chrisdavey

Yes that is right. Eat more on exercise days.

MaximalLife

Basically, I am 18 years old, 64 kg, 5"5.
I used to be really skinny (13/14 yrs old) but started eating really unhealthy and put on loads of weight to where I am now.
I have been eating healthily for a while, before using myfitnesspal, and was eating about 1300 calories a day.
Now the confusing bit (for me anyway!)... I row, a lot. I burn on average 500 hundred calories 3 days a week, 200 on two days, and 900 at the weekend.
I started using myfitnesspal to keep track of my calories, and it said I should be eating 1200 calories a day to get to my goal weight. However, when I start putting in my exercise, it says I am undereating by a lot, and putting my body into starvation mode...
Do I actually need to be eating more, in order to lose weight??
Please help if you know, as I would like to be more healthy

Simply stated MFP has already figured out your total calories you need to eat per day to lose 1lb etc. a week.
That's WITHOUT exercise. You'll notice that when you actually add exercise in, the calorie limit goes up.
Why? Because it's telling you to eat your exercise calories.
Large deficits aren't really good to do because while you will lose weight, what kind of weight will it be?
In many cases you'll lose lean muscle tissue which LOWERS your metabolic rate even more.
Then you have to eat even less to compensate for less of a calorie burn to continue to lose the same amount of weight each week.

Be efficient.
Exercise hard and eat back the calories. The hard exercise will RAISE your metabolic rate and burn more fat at rest.

schnarfo

Theres nothing wrong with exercising a lot as long as 1) you listen to your body and give yourself rest days to recover when you need them and 2) that you give your body enough food to fuel your exercise - so this usually means eating some or all of your exercise calories back. Make sure you have enough protein to help fuel your recovery to avoid fatigue and injury

Kirsty_UK

You aren't exercising too much, but you should be trying to eat back the calories that you burn since your body needs a certain amount of calories a day to survive and perform it's natural functions, you don't want too much of a deficit. At least, this is what I've heard and it's what I go by.

this

as long as you are watching signs from your body (in terms of injury etc) I dont think you're exercising too much. My husband used to swim for his country and I think would train around 2-3hrs a day, with one session in the morning and one at night.

fteale

Basically, I am 18 years old, 64 kg, 5"5.
I used to be really skinny (13/14 yrs old) but started eating really unhealthy and put on loads of weight to where I am now.
I have been eating healthily for a while, before using myfitnesspal, and was eating about 1300 calories a day.
Now the confusing bit (for me anyway!)... I row, a lot. I burn on average 500 hundred calories 3 days a week, 200 on two days, and 900 at the weekend.
I started using myfitnesspal to keep track of my calories, and it said I should be eating 1200 calories a day to get to my goal weight. However, when I start putting in my exercise, it says I am undereating by a lot, and putting my body into starvation mode...
Do I actually need to be eating more, in order to lose weight??
Please help if you know, as I would like to be more healthy

Are you me 16 years ago? If you row, you need to eat or your fitness will suffer. The chances are you have a lot of muscle, though, which will account for a lot of your weight.

MsTaurus30

I just asked this question last night ....but you should keep your net round 1200 Atleast thats what i was told ...so try that and see what happens

LastSixtySix

Do I actually need to be eating more, in order to lose weight??
Please help if you know, as I would like to be more healthy

Yes, you need to eat more and make sure that the extra food you eat is nutritious and healthy not junk! Stay away from the boxed, fast-food, and restaurant foods. Find yourself a good protein-type shake - taste test some at the health food store near you and then use those drinks to put back in the excess calories you burn during exercise. Our bodies are biologically self-regulating and one of the ways our metabolism is able to keep burning excess is by fueling it with high-quality energy.

It's great that you are conscious of the change in your weight. I hope your goal is to be ttrong not skinny.

-Debra

Articeluvsmemphis

what they said. play hard, eat more

engineman312

no, you are eating too little (on exercise days). on days you work out, i would make sure you get plenty of protein and good fats. also, feel free to bump up your "regular" calories to say, 1,400 to give you a little leeway on days you don't work out. your body works more on a week to week basis then a day to day. so if you have a big work out monday, you might not be really hungry until tuesday or wednesday!

therealangd

what they said. play hard, eat more

Love it! Perfectly said.

ALH1981

Basically, I am 18 years old, 64 kg, 5"5.
I used to be really skinny (13/14 yrs old) but started eating really unhealthy and put on loads of weight to where I am now.
I have been eating healthily for a while, before using myfitnesspal, and was eating about 1300 calories a day.
Now the confusing bit (for me anyway!)... I row, a lot. I burn on average 500 hundred calories 3 days a week, 200 on two days, and 900 at the weekend.
I started using myfitnesspal to keep track of my calories, and it said I should be eating 1200 calories a day to get to my goal weight. However, when I start putting in my exercise, it says I am undereating by a lot, and putting my body into starvation mode...
Do I actually need to be eating more, in order to lose weight??
Please help if you know, as I would like to be more healthy

HI there - is this true??? I have long thought that this might be the case, btu havenot been game to ask - i excersise daily - with quite a lot of weights - however the more i do the more the scale goes UP - even if i eat the same amount (or even less?) than when I'm not excerising. If i go on vacation, or stop for a week or so - still eating the same amount, but without the gym the scales DROP!!!! is this therefore due to a loss in muscle mass? I have thought this for SOME TIME - can someone confirm?
Are you me 16 years ago? If you row, you need to eat or your fitness will suffer. The chances are you have a lot of muscle, though, which will account for a lot of your weight.

sazzlewilson

no, you are eating too little (on exercise days). on days you work out, i would make sure you get plenty of protein and good fats. also, feel free to bump up your "regular" calories to say, 1,400 to give you a little leeway on days you don't work out. your body works more on a week to week basis then a day to day. so if you have a big work out monday, you might not be really hungry until tuesday or wednesday!

This is so true, If i have a big workout i am usually a lot hungrier the next day. Listen to your body and make sure you are re-fuelling after your workout, the first 15-30 minutes is a prime time to re-fuel as your body is burning energy at a higher rate.