Eating under calories question

geordiegirl27

I am trying hard to eat consistent calories each day but I often fail especially on days when I exercise.

For example on Friday I ran 13miles, after food I netted 189cal (I know ridiculously low) but I currently stress about carrying calories over to use another day and hate seeing a day go over calories.

When I've done weight watchers or slimming world I would save some of my points/syns to use at weekends yet with this I haven't. I know it's my head I need to fight with but is it ok, occasionally, to eat these calories on other days?

I'm still trying to get to eat the right amount I'm still only netting around my BMR but I am trying as my weight has plateaued & from my understanding I need to eat nearer my cut but I'm taking it in stages.

Any advice / direction would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Raynn1

You definitely need to make sure you are eating more, espeically on high run days.. You cannot possibly function correctly on 189 cals Net!! I know you know it, but you HAVE to make sure you are eating more on those days

I know how you feel. When I did WW< I hardly ever ate my activity points, and in a normal week I was earning about 55 of them... so its no wonder I plateaued massively and could never get the pounds off.. it was insane and a horrible cycle..

Some people have different ways of thinking, and you will find a bunch of people will have a "cheat" day or very high cal day on the weekend and have the rest of the week at their normal cut values. You might want to try playing around with it for a few weeks to see what you think and how it works. However, if you are having a day at 189 cals NET, you still need to make sure you are eating more on those high burn days. Your body needs the fuel THAT DAY to repair and hydrate and feed your body after going through such a hard run. You can end up doing so much more damage to yourself by not eating enough on those days.
If its the thought of physically eating so much more food, try protein shakes and cram a ton of crap into them without making it a huge meal. Eat things like nuts.. low density, high calorie foods, so you eat the cals without stuffing your face..

Taking it slow is just fine. there are a lot of us who had to work up to eating so many more cals.. I went from 1400ish to 1800, then to 2400 and finally did a Metabolism reset at 2800.. Now Im at cut, and eating about 2400 again. I tell you, I cant even fathom ever eating 1400 cals again..

The only thing I can tell you is do your best to get through the mind games.. its hard and rough at times, but deep down, you know you need to feed your body right. And you will probably notice a huge difference in your running when you do.

Hope this helps

azalais7

Fundamentally, you've got to get it through your head that eating enough calories to net a bit over your BMR is NOT carrying calories over to the next day--it's fueling THIS day. Striving for consistent calories (1950/day for me) is good, but you're always supposed to allow your total to go over if that's what you need to compensate for a heavy burn day.

geordiegirl27

thanks for the guidance guys, I am trying to get my calories up some days its definitely easier than others, but the cardio burns so many!! I didnt intend to have so few net calories on Friday, but the day went away with us and by the time we got home from shopping we didnt eat our meal until almost 10pm, it was very bad planning and after I exercise I find it hard to eat which doesnt help, esp if I havent eaten before the run. I need to forget eating when I'm hungry and learn to eat because I need to fuel.

Its a learnign curve and a half!

I am making a concerted effort this week to get as close as I can to my cut value, next week I am home all week so I will make sure my meals are more healthy and higher in cals again.

Its that fear that I am sure everyone of you has gone through, that I increase that many calories my weight will shoot up. I'm almost finished the physio on my shoulder and I will start my kettlebells again, I was really enjoying them!!