If I exercise alot do I need to eat more?

caitnessy
caitnessy Posts: 8
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok so I'm new to the whole counting calories thing. I just started a biggest loser competition at work and in the process i also want to loose about 30lbs...so I've changed my eatiing habits completely...and have kicked up the exercise! It says my goal calories for the day is 1260(without exercising)...and I've been exercising alot more...Like a 20min fast walk each way to work, 55min speed walk every day and 3 nights a week I go to a Zumba arobics class...some days i burn as much as 1400 calories as ive started biking with my boyfriend ect.

Today I gain about 900 calories from working out and my new total calories is over 2000 and ive barely eaten 1200, so what I'm worried about is putting my body into starvation mode? Do i need to eat more? Or how does this work? Can someone please explain to me what I should be doing?

PS im full i dont feel hungry?

Replies

  • hiyomi
    hiyomi Posts: 906 Member
    You need to eat ALOT more, for this amount of exercise you should be eating at least 1800 calories a day! MFP will tell you how many calories to consume on a daily basis, based on how much weight you put in how long you want to lose it! It is by no means healthy to eat that little and exercise that much! Technically you are not supposed to eat below you BMR. I eat 1500-1800 calories a day and do about 50 minutes of cardio and have been told I need to eat more still. @.@ You should not be exercising off more calories than consumed and that doesn't even take into account your TDEE, how many calories you burn just doing basic things through the day! Excuse my so many exclamation marks lol I'm not yelling xD Its just important! :D
  • spider_mark51959
    spider_mark51959 Posts: 2,869 Member
    Help me out here if you please. If you are not supposed to eat below your BMR, how would you ever lose weight? Isn't the BMR what you would normally expend just existing (no exercise, nothing)?

    I too find this topic confusing, but I don't want to be spinning my wheels either by 'accidentally' starving myself. It seems as if I add them back, I end up gaining. I'm new to this, but i always thought a deficit was the key (but i guess not too much) to weight loss.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    If you drive your car a lot, do you need to put more gas in it? :tongue:

    Goal means goal - MFP has you at a deficit before exercise - if you ate to goal and did no exercise, you would still lose weight. Factor in the exercise, and you're creating a much larger deficit, which you don't want. Eat too little for too long and you end up doing more harm than good - metabolism slows to match the low calorie intake, and the body has reasons to store fat rather than burn it.

    BMR is basically coma calories - the amount our bodies burn just existing, staying in bed all day doing absolutely nothing. Obviously none of us are in a coma, but up and active, moving throughout the day, and exercising on top of that - doesn't the body deserve more fuel than just BMR cals? The deficit is taken from the TDEE, or total daily energy expenditure, which is your BMR plus your activity level (lightly active, moderately active, etc).
  • vlmay1955
    vlmay1955 Posts: 100 Member
    Not only do you need to eat more but you need to tailor your diet to the type of exercise you do. If you are doing a lot of cardio (walking, running, biking etc.) you need more carbohydrates for energy, before and after your exercise. If you are doing strength training (building muscle by lifting weights or other resistance training) you also need to add in some additional protein to rebuild those muscle fibers. If you don't do this, and starve yourself by undereating, yes you will lose weight but you will also lose muscle and damage your body and that's NOT worth the weight loss.
  • maggs155
    maggs155 Posts: 258
    Just eat back half of them. Some people say all but it just dont make since to me. I dont eat mine back at all and i have never hit a weight loss stop but thats me. If u feel u need more cals just do about 200 more.
  • spider_mark51959
    spider_mark51959 Posts: 2,869 Member
    Thanks Amy. That helps sort things out.
    @Vimay, I was wondering about losing muscle by being under, because the body will keep the fat as a last resort survival response. This is all very helpful. Thanks again.
  • dirtyd89
    dirtyd89 Posts: 170
    Well it depends.
    If you want to build a lot of muscle mass then yes eating a lot is important but if your just looking to slim down then no you don't need to eat a lot.
    Me personally I eat 1,200-1,300 calories/day and I have no trouble keeping on a decent amount of muscle mass and losing a good amount of weight.
  • caitnessy
    caitnessy Posts: 8
    Ok so basically I should try and get to the goal they set for me...I was so full tho from what I ate I always thought the rule eat until your full espeically since im eating healthy would kind of apply?? Im trying to slim down, I do more cardio then anything else..Im trying to eat all thats required in the goal for the day but sometimes im really just too full...

    the responses seem to be fairly mixed tho...some say hit the goal some say a bit under is ok...thanks for the answers tho...I'll try to get as close as i can..
  • dirtyd89
    dirtyd89 Posts: 170
    @Cait:
    You don't have to be exact.
    Think of it like your maximum intake for the day.
    As long as you don't go over the recommended amount then you'll be fine.
    Don't stress about it too much.
  • yistrv
    yistrv Posts: 1
    I am a nurse. It is recommended not to have more than 1000 calorie deficit a day to maintain proper metabolic function.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    Those sound like very high burns. I would be very careful about eating back all those calories. Maybe start at 25% - if that is too low, your body will tell you very quickly as your exercise performance will plummet.
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    I am a computer programmer. I also say that it's recommended you have more than a 1000 calorie deficit a day.

    However, of course in reality, your body is a lot more complicated than that.
    It's also generally accepted that the more you've got to lose, the bigger the deficit you can have.

    I'd look in to exactly how many calories you are burning.
    If you're using MFP figures, be aware they are well known for being on the high side.

    *Sorry, couldn't resist.
  • TheFangsKittie
    TheFangsKittie Posts: 117 Member
    If you drive your car a lot, do you need to put more gas in it? :tongue:

    This is a really good way of thinking about it - thanks :D
  • janicelo1971
    janicelo1971 Posts: 823 Member
    your doing great..congrats on taking the first steps and starting the weight loss process. If you are full at 1200 calories, then STOP eating....people don't get fat from under eating! There are a ton of opinions out there. Go with what works for your body. I think most of us do eat more...for me MUCH more when I have an intense workout. Use a HRM or something to get the correct burn...some days I eat them all back, others not so much...I go by the weekly numbers....

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