Am I setting myself up for failure?

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linz1125
linz1125 Posts: 441 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Over the past few days I have not been using all of my calories if I count the calories from my workout. I'm not just talking a few hundred, but today it's over a thousand. I was at the gym for an hour and a half, started with a light cardio warm up, then worked on strength training, and then a cardio cool-down. According to my HRM, I burned 853 calls. I ate breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks, and I seriously can't eat any more! I just don't want my body going into starvation mode if I am so far off from a minimum amount of calories.
Should I back off on the workout and target between 500-600 calories in the future?

Any suggestions appreciated.

Replies

  • Seahawks909
    Seahawks909 Posts: 67
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    I would say if you are feeling completely satisfied (full) there is no way your body could possibly think that you are starving it.
  • linz1125
    linz1125 Posts: 441 Member
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    I doubt you burned that many calories...u don't have to eat them all back either...how many calories are you eating a day?

    I did according to my heart rate monitor. I started with 15 minutes on the treadmill, then did the 30 minute circuit training, followed by additional weights - arms, abs, legs - and then 35 minutes on the elliptical.

    I am shooting for under 1600, but with my workout at 853 calls burned, 1173 consumed, it shows my net calories at 320.
  • skylark94
    skylark94 Posts: 2,036 Member
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    What kind of HRM are you using? If it doesn't have a chest strap it's not going to give you a reliable reading.
  • sarafil
    sarafil Posts: 506 Member
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    I wouldn't force myself to eat if I truly wasn't hungry. It is a cumulative effect, not something that is determined by one day of not hitting your macros/calories. Typically on a day I exercise hard, I find I am not that hungry....but then want to eat more the following day. That is a pretty high calorie burn you have; of course it depends on how much you weigh, but you may want to make sure your HRM is accurate. Your burn is about what I get when I run 8-9 miles at between 9 and 10 minute pace....typically strength training doesn't burn as many calories (but is awesome for you, of course!)
  • tmauck4472
    tmauck4472 Posts: 1,783 Member
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    Don't worry about Starvation mode, you'd probably get struck by lightening before your body decides it's starving.
  • sap_basis
    sap_basis Posts: 5
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    Depends what your objective is. Keep in mind muscle weighs more than fat, so although you are burning calories you may be building muscle. If you want to build muscle make sure you restore your muscles after a work out, so when you eat is also important as what you eat. After a work out eat mostly protein, no not carbs or fat. Also be drinking lost of water to get the fuel through your system faster. if you eat carbs that will nul your work out I found.
  • linz1125
    linz1125 Posts: 441 Member
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    What kind of HRM are you using? If it doesn't have a chest strap it's not going to give you a reliable reading.

    I have a polar f6 with a chest strap, I'm sure the reading is accurate.
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
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    I would not make it a habit to have that high a burn if you can't eat enough for a decent net at the end of the day. I actually backed off my workouts because I had the same issue. I cut my cardio down to 35 minutes ( from 65) and kept my weights at 20-30 minutes. There actually wasn't any change in the rate of my loss! I kept losing at the same rate I was losing when I exercised for 85 minutes...I just didn't feel like I had to eat MORE because of my net intake.
  • linz1125
    linz1125 Posts: 441 Member
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    I wouldn't force myself to eat if I truly wasn't hungry. It is a cumulative effect, not something that is determined by one day of not hitting your macros/calories. Typically on a day I exercise hard, I find I am not that hungry....but then want to eat more the following day. That is a pretty high calorie burn you have; of course it depends on how much you weigh, but you may want to make sure your HRM is accurate. Your burn is about what I get when I run 8-9 miles at between 9 and 10 minute pace....typically strength training doesn't burn as many calories (but is awesome for you, of course!)

    Yeah I find that I am not as hungry on days I workout...I know it seems like a really high calorie burn, but the workout was designed by the trainer at the gym. Between sets i am keeping my heart rate up with light cardio. Its usually around 140 in between sets. I am pretty heavy - 214, so maybe that's why my calories burned seems so high to many people?

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