how much should i be eating?? HELP!

daizileigh
daizileigh Posts: 24
in Health and Weight Loss
hi everybody! so recently i have started training for a half marathon (yikes!) and that includes 5 days working out and 2 days off. I am currently running 3/5 of these days and approximately burning around 800 calories. On the other two days I've been burning about 400-500 calories. I am currently struggling to eat 1,200 calories, usually landing at about 1,000 or so, and find myself at the end of the day with tons of calories and just grabbing a small snack pudding or something to put me at my target calorie intake. I am currently 145 lbs and am 5"1'. I have been on this program for almost a month now and have lost only 3 pounds or so. Also, TMI but for the past few weeks i've had what feels like period cramps or huge amounts of bloating causing my stomach to hurt and not really want to eat much. i feel like i have to **** but i don't really have to. basically with all that awesome background history of me, i just want some advice as to if i should be eating more.

ps i do eat very healthy for the most part, you can check out my food diary!

any help would be amazing <3 thanks!

Replies

  • cmeiron
    cmeiron Posts: 1,599 Member
    Your diary is not open. Even without seeing it though, if you're not eating back all your exercise calories (and even if you are) you are absolutely under-eating, especially if you're training for long distance runs.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    Definitely not eating enough. Are you struggling to eat 1200 calories total, or to net that much after such high exercise burns?

    Your diary isn't public, so can't take a look at what types of foods you're eating, but a good way to get more calories in without necessarily eating so much more food is to eat calorie dense foods, such as nuts, nut butters, avocados, full fat dairy, use olive and coconut oils in cooking and salad dressings, etc. It doesn't take much of any of these good foods to pack in a 100 calories, so you get closer to a healthy goal without feeling like you're stuffing your face.

    Honestly, it always baffles me when people are here to lose weight, but they struggle to eat the bare minimum calories. :tongue: How did you become overweight in the first place?
  • cmeiron
    cmeiron Posts: 1,599 Member

    Honestly, it always baffles me when people are here to lose weight, but they struggle to eat the bare minimum calories. :tongue: How did you become overweight in the first place?

    ^QFT
  • daizileigh
    daizileigh Posts: 24
    Sorry I didn't realize. My diary is open now. Eat back my calories? I'm not sure I understand why I'd do that. I thought the whole point was to have a deficit? As you can see I am really not well educated on these things :\
  • daizileigh
    daizileigh Posts: 24
    Haha I've been dieting now for a long long time on and off. But once I get into my groove my stomach gets fuller quicker because I fill it with vegetables and protein instead of tons of sugar and fat and carbs like Chinese food and take out haha
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    The point is to have a REASONABLE deficit, which you already have with your daily goal that MFP gives you. Meaning if you ate to goal without any exercise, you'd lose weight, because you're already at a deficit. That's why they add in your exercise cals when you log it - not eating them back creates too large of a deficit, which can lead to problems over time, and you don't want that.

    For what it's worth, I have been eating 1800+ calories a day for about a year, and have had the best success with losing fat, inches and weight during this time. I eat according to the information in this topic: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    I still eat burgers, pizza, Chinese food, desserts, beer, wine, fish & chips, and I'm losing fat, and doing so in a way that is sustainable and something I can manage for the rest of my life - no temporary fix!
  • Sincere24
    Sincere24 Posts: 126 Member
    Honestly, it always baffles me when people are here to lose weight, but they struggle to eat the bare minimum calories. :tongue: How did you become overweight in the first place?

    Lool, totally see your point.

    OP with increased mileage, especially running, one can easily suppress their appetite. However some also do report an uncontrollable sense of hunger. Either way I suggest as mentioned earlier take to including healthy fats contained in olive oil ( 2 tsp = 80kcals), nut butters, and full fat alternatives to the usual less fat contents that you may have taken a liking to.

    A reasonable is more sustainable. But I guess once you've completed your marathon training your expenditure might reduce. Just think of some of the healthy ways of getting your treats in as well if you can't fit in what was suggested.
  • daizileigh
    daizileigh Posts: 24
    Thank you everyone. I appreciate it !

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