Really Wondering if I Should be Eating Even More
pinkreena711
Posts: 41 Member
I currently eat 1600 which is my BMR.
But I burn a LOT of calories in the gym. Yesterday I burned over 900. I did eat about 2000 calories yesterday but I only netted just over 1000 after all the exercise. (I literally sit on my butt the entire rest of the day, though)
This is common. I looked through my logs and most days I only "Net" 1000 or so (so, i'm eating over the 1600, but i burn off many calories).
Should I be eating more, less, what? I'm not going to cut back on exercise because I really enjoy it. It's my sane happy place lol.
The scale hasn't moved and I don't take measurements but my clothes seem to be fitting TIGHTER. I thought by now because of strength training i at least would be feeling more comfortable in my clothes even if the scale doesn't move. Not the case.
currently: 5'3" , 175ish
But I burn a LOT of calories in the gym. Yesterday I burned over 900. I did eat about 2000 calories yesterday but I only netted just over 1000 after all the exercise. (I literally sit on my butt the entire rest of the day, though)
This is common. I looked through my logs and most days I only "Net" 1000 or so (so, i'm eating over the 1600, but i burn off many calories).
Should I be eating more, less, what? I'm not going to cut back on exercise because I really enjoy it. It's my sane happy place lol.
The scale hasn't moved and I don't take measurements but my clothes seem to be fitting TIGHTER. I thought by now because of strength training i at least would be feeling more comfortable in my clothes even if the scale doesn't move. Not the case.
currently: 5'3" , 175ish
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Replies
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It's all about the net. You should be netting over your BMR.0
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You should be netting at least your BMR on workout days, more on non workout days. If you want to give your age I can run stats for you. You are definitely undereating for your activity level.0
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ahhh okay i guess i missed the netting your bmr part.
i'm 26.
so ..on days where i burn like 800 calories.. i'm going to have to be eating a shetload of calories, huh.
wow. how am i supposed to... I mean i don't even get THAT hungry...i dont want to enter a workout with a full stomach, and after a workout i'm rarely hungry...0 -
ahhh okay i guess i missed the netting your bmr part.
i'm 26.
so ..on days where i burn like 800 calories.. i'm going to have to be eating a shetload of calories, huh.
wow. how am i supposed to... I mean i don't even get THAT hungry...i dont want to enter a workout with a full stomach, and after a workout i'm rarely hungry...
Because your metabolism is shot from eating too little. Your body has adjusted to eating less cals, so it doesnt get hungry. Rest assured, it can be corrected:) As the others said, you need to NET your BMR. So if you are going to burn 800 cals daily in the gym, then be prepared to eat them all back:)
Concentrate on eating high cal - low denstiy foods, like Nuts and seeds.. real cheese, nothing light or fat free in your house. This will help use up cals without making you actually "eat" more/.. You will probably find after a few days of eating more, you WILL be hungry. Its normal and a GOOD sign. It means your metabolism is revving up and is burning right.. kind of like you turned on the furnace.. Get in protein.. lots of it. Drink your water, and if you really find its hard to eat back the cals.. then cut back on the gym time
Hope this helps a bit:)0 -
so ..on days where i burn like 800 calories.. i'm going to have to be eating a shetload of calories, huh.
wow. how am i supposed to... I mean i don't even get THAT hungry...i dont want to enter a workout with a full stomach, and after a workout i'm rarely hungry...
No need for such high burns at the gym. Strength training is hugely important and burns a lot, lot less. Much easier to net your BMR and the changes in your body will be much more significant than cardio, which has the ability to catabolize muscle.
Also, lifting will make you HUNGRY!! Trust me
EM2WL highly recommends reducing your cardio and incorporating/increasing strength training for the greatest benefits in body composition changes
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Gosh and i thought 1600 was hard. I did indeed already switch to full fat cheeses, breads, and yogurt, but I definitely could stand to add things like nuts into my diet. I'm just sitting here like "well crap am i just gonna have to eat cheesecake for breakfast every day?" LOL and obviously that's not the way to go. My body doesn't even like junk food, anyway.
Thanks for all the help. I've been 174-177 since january so obviously i'm doing something wrong.0 -
I indeed strength train 2 - 3 times a week. Unfortuately at this time i'm not willing to cut down on the cardio because I enjoy it very much, I even want to get certified to teach a class next year. I definitely do not go to the gym because I'm trying to kill myself. I have to MAKE myself take those rest days because I actually want to go!
my workout schedule looks like this:
Monday: Turbokick and Bodypump (2hrs)
Tuesday: Turbokick (1 hr)
Wednesday: Bodypump and Body Combat (2hrs)
Thursday: Turbokick (1hr)
Friday: Body Combat (1hr)
Saturday and Sunday: Nothing
as you can see i'm a huge fan of kickboxing... lol0 -
maybe i should switch out one cardio day in favor of another strength day? i could probably do that..0
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maybe i should switch out one cardio day in favor of another strength day? i could probably do that..
yes, definitely.
if you want real changes to your body comp, then you need to cut down on the cardio big time. all it does is chew up the muscle that you're trying to hard to earn on your lifting days. i'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, i used to enjoy it SO much too. now i don't like it much at all. lol
but it really depends if your goals for your physique are more important than doing a lot of what you enjoy. only you can make that decision!0 -
lol it's okay i'm learning a lot.
hopefully in another month i can report back with some good changes in my body. I will eat more full-fat foods and probably drop the body combat on fridays (waaah) and do strength instead.
i really do enjoy the cardio classes. it's like a social event for me, i look forward to seeing all my gym buddies every day and just having a good time :-D0 -
If you love the cardio, then by all means, do it.. you just have to make sure you are eating enough to support it:)
Its a slow process going up in cals. And its a learning curve too because we are sort of programmed to believe that "eating more" means "eating junk"... it takes a little bit to figure it out, but eventually you can learn to eat healthy foods and eat the cals up.. 0 -
ahhh okay i guess i missed the netting your bmr part.
i'm 26.
so ..on days where i burn like 800 calories.. i'm going to have to be eating a shetload of calories, huh.
wow. how am i supposed to... I mean i don't even get THAT hungry...i dont want to enter a workout with a full stomach, and after a workout i'm rarely hungry...
In case you work out in the evening, you don't have to do it that 24 hr day. It's not like the body's needs stop at midnight.
In fact, for weight lifting, the need really comes the next day during repair.
So be willing to float those calories over to a bigger breakfast and lunch, at least before the next workout.0 -
If you love cardio and want to add weights, use the thick rope swings. They kick my butt and I hate/love them0
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As an instructor of Bodypump and Bodycombat this makes me grin WIDELY. :-DI indeed strength train 2 - 3 times a week. Unfortuately at this time i'm not willing to cut down on the cardio because I enjoy it very much, I even want to get certified to teach a class next year. I definitely do not go to the gym because I'm trying to kill myself. I have to MAKE myself take those rest days because I actually want to go!
my workout schedule looks like this:
Monday: Turbokick and Bodypump (2hrs)
Tuesday: Turbokick (1 hr)
Wednesday: Bodypump and Body Combat (2hrs)
Thursday: Turbokick (1hr)
Friday: Body Combat (1hr)
Saturday and Sunday: Nothing
as you can see i'm a huge fan of kickboxing... lol0 -
i really do enjoy the cardio classes. it's like a social event for me, i look forward to seeing all my gym buddies every day and just having a good time :-D
You could also switch out a couple classes and meet a whole new set of friends with the same goals. The weights is where you will see the change. I did the cardio for years, and yes, saw a smaller me. I would define myself a year ago as "skinny fat". Just a smaller saggier version. Within the last year, I've incorporated wweight training, and eating a more balanced carb/protein/fat ratio. The results are starting to show. Remember, with more lean muscle mass, your body will burn those calories you consume more efficiently. Also think about smoothies to add after your classes. Your body will thank you!0 -
graysmom = THAT'S AWESOME!!!!! I love those classes, but i really wanna teach Turbo! I enjoy Body Combat (a lot!!!) but i think it's a little too technical for me to want to teach.0
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2abnorth - Thanks!! I spoke to the bodypump instructor today about my goals and she gave me some good advice. I agree i should be doing a smoothie too. Any recommendations of what exactly?0
