Is it time to start adding more calories?

littlelouis

I've been trying to eat healthy (and ultimately eating too little) since February. I'm 5'3 (female) and I went from 127 to 111 and back to 112 pounds. I'm on day 19 of the 30 Day Shred and I've started Hip Hop Abs 10 days ago.

My goal is to lose a little more body fat and gain muscle.

Recently, I've been feeling tired, unmotivated, and weak during my workouts. This could be from lack of sleep, but I'm not so sure. I started out strong but I feel like I'm only getting worse. I try to eat around 1,200 calories daily (you can check my diary if you'd like to have an idea of what I'm eating). Usually, I feel well sustained with that amount but lately I've been feeling more hungry. Plus, the Hip Hop Abs schedule has amped up my workout time to an hour rather than a half hour, and I do 20 minutes of the 30 Day Shred on top of that. This is the most exercise I've probably done in years.

I take rest days on Sundays, but only from Hip Hop Abs. I still do the 30 Day Shred.

My questions are:
-Am I sabotaging my muscles by working them daily without time to recover?
-Should I add more calories to my diet, and if so, should they consist of more protein, carbs, fats, etc.?
-Will I gain body fat if I do add calories in?

Thanks for the help!

leahartmann

Question 1) Yes. Your muscles need times to recover, unless it´s completely different muscles grops, you exercise. (like monday: upper body, Tuesday: lower body and so on.) Give youself at least two days of rest from your exercises. Go for a run or a long walk on your rest days, if you want to.

Question 2) Yes. Go to FitnessFrog.com - for instance- and calculate your TDEE. Then withdraw 20%. That´s the amount of calories, you should be eating. Do not eat back your exercise calories, since they are already calculated in. I would set you to be `active´. Also calculate your BMR. That should be your minimum intake of calories. Eating 1200 cal´s now, it might be to big a jump all at once. Increase it slowly, with 50-100 cal´s a week until you reach your goal. PROTEINE: 0.7-1g pr pound of lean body mass (the oppinions differs a little.) If I´m not mistaken, you can calculate your body fat% on fat2fitradio.com It will show you your % and how much it weights. What´s left is lean body mass. FAT: 0.35-0.45 g. per pound lean body mass. CARBS: what´s left....

Question 3) No. Your body is clearly not getting near enough for someone with your activity level. Body fat? I´m not an expert, but I doubt it. Not when you´re exercising like that.

Good luck on your journey.

djwife03

I thought with the TDEE-20%, you do eat back your cals? like less 20% from my TDEE is 1885. and I usually burn 500 cals at my workouts. which would take me down to 1300.....not near enough for me! This is quite confusing!

nvpixie

Definitely up the calories. You work out way more than I do, and I eat more (and still am losing slowly).

For example, I'm 4'11" and about 111. My TDEE is 1692. I set my daily goals at 1692, but sometimes only eat 1400. Some days I eat over my TDEE.

Working out as hard as you have been, you definitely need more fuel. Try increasing slowly and see how you feel. Zig zagging your calories might help too (add more calories some days and less other days).

jfrankic

I thought with the TDEE-20%, you do eat back your cals? like less 20% from my TDEE is 1885. and I usually burn 500 cals at my workouts. which would take me down to 1300.....not near enough for me! This is quite confusing!

When eating TDEE-%, you do NOT eat back exercise calories, as they are already taken into consideration when doing the calculations. Do you work out every day? If so, then you are likely underestimating your TDEE. If you work out 3x per week, you will net 1300 3x per week and 1885 the other 4. Think of it as topping off the gas tank in your car. It's okay to go below BMR on occasion, but not every day.

djwife03

i've been doing 4-5 days a week. i did scoobysworkshop and it told me my TDEE is like 2357 something. I took 20% off of that to get 1885. so i guess I'm doign this all wrong? I set my daily cal goal to 1810, and if I work out I've been eating those cals back(not all, but most). so I'm wrong in doing this?

cupcakes_and_cardio

The more exercise you're doing, the more fuel your body needs. It's just like a car, the more you drive it, the more gas you'll need. That's the best way to explain it

ahmadfahmy

either add another rest day into your routine or make sure you get 8hrs of sleep every night.

diannethegeek

i've been doing 4-5 days a week. i did scoobysworkshop and it told me my TDEE is like 2357 something. I took 20% off of that to get 1885. so i guess I'm doign this all wrong? I set my daily cal goal to 1810, and if I work out I've been eating those cals back(not all, but most). so I'm wrong in doing this?

If you included your exercise into your TDEE calculations then yes, you've been eating your exercise calories twice. If you calculated your TDEE at sedentary then you can eat your exercise calories back. But then, you might as well use MFP's numbers at that point.

leahartmann

i've been doing 4-5 days a week. i did scoobysworkshop and it told me my TDEE is like 2357 something. I took 20% off of that to get 1885. so i guess I'm doign this all wrong? I set my daily cal goal to 1810, and if I work out I've been eating those cals back(not all, but most). so I'm wrong in doing this?

Well... kind of... yes. If your TDEE -20% is 1885, then you try to eat 1885 and do NOT eat back your exercise calories. You have to set your exercise level to be `active´, when you calculate the TDEE. The 1885 is an average amount of calories. Your exercise has already been taken into consideration.

djwife03

CRAAAAAAAAAAP! ok, thanks! Kinda sucks though.....what if I'm hungry after a workout?!!

leahartmann

Plan your calories! Make room for a little meal.