Calorie intake for an active, 5'8" 18 yr old female?

bananzabob
bananzabob Posts: 3
in Food and Nutrition
I started college this year, and I feel completely junky because of all the terrible food they give us. I'm gluten intolerant, so my main food lately has been frozen grapes, broccoli, humus, A LOT of trail mix, soups, salads (no dressings), and at the end of the day-a ton of chocolate! After being concerned with my nutrition, I started counting through the myfitnesspal app and my normal goal is 1400 calories. I'm also on the triathlon team and I exercise for 2 hours a day 5 days a week (sometimes 6). Is 1400 enough? I normally don't eat that much, but I've found myself getting very hungry and I end up just filling the void with late night splurges of chocolate (like last night, 400cals worth of chocolate covered almonds...)
Also what are some easy ways to get gluten free protein when I don't have a kitchen?

Replies

  • Daniloveshockey94
    Daniloveshockey94 Posts: 348 Member
    Bump!
  • ahamm002
    ahamm002 Posts: 1,690 Member
    I'm also on the triathlon team and I exercise for 2 hours a day 5 days a week (sometimes 6). Is 1400 enough?

    I'm going to go out on a limb here and say no, it's not even close to enough. It also sounds like your diet is a bit low in protein too.
  • mainetechie
    mainetechie Posts: 6
    I eat paleo, which by definition of limited to no processed foods means we are gluten-free.

    I won't go into the diet, but I can give you some good protein and starchy foods because of your fitness level and requirements (different from the regular person).

    For Starchy Carbohydrates:
    Sweet Potatoes (you can buy these really cheap, and cook them in a microwave with some butter)
    Squash (butternut, summer, etc. can also be done in the microwave)
    Lots of Leafy vegetables (Essential, your main carbohydrates should come from leafy greens and other vegetables)
    Directly before or after your training I would advise either rice (soy sauce has gluten btw) or potatoes, A $20 rice maker can cook both. These should only supplement your vegetables on training days.

    For proteins I recommend trying to find unadulterated (no sauces, because most are sugar or gluten containing) meats like Beef, Lamb, Pork, Chicken, Turkey, or Fish. Don't worry about fat, but realize that the extra fat has more calories per gram, though it can keep you full longer.

    Because you are an endurance runner, you already utilize fat (by glycolysis / cellular respiration [in your biology textbook]) after your body uses existing ATP + Muscle Glycogen. It can take up to an hour before your liver switches over, so you won't need too many starches to get the job done. Eating lots of good protein, healthy fats, and the gluten free starches will keep your energized for your workouts. Without mentioning any particular author if you Google Paleo Athletes you will find a lot of supplemental sites (that include the studies), this particular lifestyle is very suited for Gluten Free.
  • melissazwa
    melissazwa Posts: 10 Member
    I'm betting 1400 is not enough! Make sure you log your workouts, MFP will give you an estimate of how may calories you've burned, and usually you need to make up those calories during the day to make sure your body doesn't go into starvation mode. I'm 30 yo female, and trying to lose weight, and my calculated daily intake is around ~1800 calories on days I have a good 1 hour run.

    College campuses always seem to make it rough to eat reasonably well, but there are some tricks. If you aren't a vegetarian/vegan, try just getting chicken or steak and adding it to a salad or something. I lived off of rice and salad, with grilled chicken on top for at least a year or college! If you can get to a store, you can buy your own gluten free wraps to make great sandwiches with, perfect for lunches and dinners. Or you can use a big leaf of romaine lettuce as a wrapper. Baked potatoes with chili or salad bar fixin's added can be a good way to get calories and a little variety.
    Also, start taking a multi-vitamin meant for women to help out with some of those nutrients you're losing in your training and just not getting in your diet.
    Good luck!
  • Jester522
    Jester522 Posts: 392
    I'm also on the triathlon team and I exercise for 2 hours a day 5 days a week (sometimes 6). Is 1400 enough?

    I'm going to go out on a limb here and say no, it's not even close to enough. It also sounds like your diet is a bit low in protein too.

    Noooo waaay. You're not going out on a limb, that's just factual. 2hrs of triathalon training 5-6 days a week? If I were you I'd be eating MINIMUM 2000 and thats just to maintain.

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