Do I eat more calories?

Missi3601

I've recently joined a gym- YAY me becuase I never pictured myself doing that! I actually enjoy it! So heres my question-


I usually eat around 1200 calories per day- my goal is 1500 but some days I'm just not hungry. Since going to the gym I've been eating around 1400 because by the time I'm done working out I feel like I'm starving! Now I've been burning anywhere between 350 and 700 calories per day at the gym. Should I be increasing the amount I eat? Does that mean go over the original 1500 I'm allowed? Feel free to look at my food dairy for examples.

Any help would be appreciated!

gaia3rd

Please eat at least some of your exercise calories back. If your MFP goal is 1500 (deficit for weight loss in already included) and you burn, let's say, 600 calories with exercise, you're only giving your body 900 calories to function on, and that's way too low. If you're having trouble reaching your 1500 calories, try eating more calorie dense but still healthy foods like peanut butter, avocados, nuts, etc., olive oil for sauteing veggies or on your salads. And kudos to you for joining the gym and enjoying it!

Tdk4685

I lost more weight faster eating my exercise calories.

irisheyez718

Yes. Eat more. Especially if you have an HRM and are sure of the calories that you're burning.

SlimStacey74

Just me personally, I try to get my NET (with exercise) up to at LEAST 1200. On days you don't exercise, stay with what MFP gives you, which is 1400? I may recommend bumping that # up to 1500 or 1600 since you are working out, try that for a week and see how your progress is. Just make your meals a little bigger or snack more frequently on healthy things like apples/pb or string cheese..stuff low in carbs but good for you..The cals add up quickly...You can do it!!

AZKristi

If you are above your calorie goal (before exercise calories) and you aren't hungry, there's no major reason to eat back your exercise calories.

carolyns19

If you log your exercise, MFP will automatically add your burn back into your cals for the day. You should then eat up to that number.

invisibubble

You're set for a deficit, so you need to get close to hitting 0 calories left at the end of the day, as long as you're estimating your exercise calories correctly. As as rule I take 25 calories off of every 100 MFP says I've burned until I get an HRM to tell me what I've burned.

Missi3601

thanks evereyone for your advice! It's greatly appreciated!

dcalentino

I recommend a Whey Protein shake after your workout.

jazz0matic

I hate to beat the dead horse, but ack! This has given me the most obvious revelation and I feel like a dummy. Can you guys please confirm if I got this right:

What this is telling me is that; one should maintain their goal calorie intake and also have extra calorie intake for exercise thereby keeping the net within a few hundred calories of goal. So does this mean that when I net 900 (even though I totally had a 1500 intake) my body still in the "starvation mode" that I have been working so hard to get out of?

This is awful! Also how does anyone eat so much!! ack.

gaia3rd

I'm sorry, but yes - if you've been in 'starvation mode' and you're not eating back what you're exercising, you're still stalling your metabolism. If you have been in starvation mode awhile, I'd suggest 1) you try harder to hit the goal rather than be within a few hundred calories of it, as that usually means you're still consistently eating under your net needs; 2) build your calories up slowly, say 200 a week, until you're consistently hitting your net; 3) eat calorie dense foods as mentioned in my previous post; 4) go to the Tools tab, figure out your BMR, and slowly build up to that level.