Calories in + Calories Out = Confused!

ash63086

I've been actively recording my meals for the past month or so, and a have kept a food/exercise diary in the past and it has proven to be the most successful means for me to keep me consistently eating healthily and exercising regularly. I'm not necessarily looking to lose weight, as much I just want to tighten up and strive to be as nutritionally and physically fit as I can be.

In addition to living a pretty active NYC lifestyle (no car, walk everywhere, carry groceries and laundry up to 1 mile a couple times a week) I also run about 20 miles a week at a pace 7 mph. I'm 5'6" and weigh about 145 lbs. I have an athletic/muscular build, and wear a size 6, (just trying to paint the most accurate picture).

So here's where my confusion comes in: I recently upped my calorie intake from 1200 - 1450 calories per day. I felt like I was actually gaining weight and in looking through my food journal I was usually hovering around 1000 calories a day, and never exceeding 1200 calories. After doing some research I learned that I was probably going into starvation mode, as I just wasn't hungry enough to even get to the 1200 calorie point.

So now, i'm feeling pretty good at 1450. I'm definitely feeling my metabolism come back and feeling like back on the proper path and will not be gaining anymore weight. My question is: on days that I run, the diary tells me that I should be eating back all of the calories that I am exhausting during my run. Is this accurate? It's seems excessive. I could see adding in an additional snack worth a 100-200 calories, but all of the calories from the run? Isn't that counteracitve?

Any advise is welcomed! I just want to make sure I'm doing what's best for my body and for my goals.

diannethegeek

I eat back most of the calories from my exercise, a lot of people don't and there's quite a debate around here about whether or not you should. You won't find a consensus, so do what works for you.

carld256

MFP has a built in deficit based own how much weight you want to lose each week. The program will attempt you keep you at that point. So, if you're set at a goal of 1450 calories it wants you to hit that number, not too high, and not too low.

I personally don't eat back all my exercise calories, but there are people who do and are successful. Ideally you should eat them back.

YLSIL

If you're a big runner, then Runners World is a good source for all kinds of nutritional advice you can't necessarily get on this site.. .it's more runner-centric.

BodyCombatGirl73

I usually exercise everyday and on most days eat back at least 1/2 of the extra calories. Some days a little more, some days a little less. Depends on how great a meal my hubby makes for dinner! It's worked really well for me and kept me very steady to this point.
I'm similar in size to you too!