calories - insanity - women under 120 pounds?

FluffyDogsRule
FluffyDogsRule Posts: 366 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
i am STARVING all day. ALL DAY. i'm finishing up month 1 on saturday. before insanity, i ran 3 miles a day and was able to eat around 1300 calories a day (of course I had some days with less and some days with much more). i feel that insanity is a different work-out, but i'm not sure it's HARDER than running. i don't have a HRM, so can't compare calories burned.

i've been trying to stay under 1500 calories a day, but, as i said, i'm so hungry. it's so hard for me to average above 1300 since i've been averaging there for so long...psychologically i feel like i'm overeating. but i know i'm not since i'm hungry...like shaky hungry, not bored hungry. :) i'm currently eating 5-6 times a day. if i didn't, i literally could not function.

i guess i'd say i've been at 1400 - 1500 lately, but i'm not losing any weight. i'm not trying to lose weight, but if i'm hungry so often, doesn't it seem like i'd be losing weight?

not sure what my question is here exactly, but...thoughts?? anyone else under 120? if so, how many calories are you eating during insanity? and should i expect more hunger/increased calories during month 2?

if it helps to know, i definitely have gained muscle in my stomach, legs, and shoulders.

thanks in advance!!

Replies

  • hellotherecupcake
    hellotherecupcake Posts: 125
    I'm at 110 (I'm 5'2") and I did that formula that came with the workout and according to that I was supposed to be eating 1, 983 calories daily. Did you do the formula for your height/weight/activity level?
  • adjoa84
    adjoa84 Posts: 261 Member
    I reckon I posted at the same time as the person above, but we're saying the exact same thing

    there's a formula in the nutrition guide that suggests how much you should be eating but besides that if you are really hungry or shaking due to hunger you should eat more bump it up by 100kcals or so every few days untill you feel better. You may be underestimating calories burnt or underestimating activity levels or even both. Shaking/feeling faint is never a good thing so eat more.
  • loveachallenge
    loveachallenge Posts: 62 Member
    You should def try and get a HRM. You will be surprised that Insanity will burn as many calories as running. I do both! I am on round 2 of Insanity and I run every other day. I'm currently 120lbs and I average between 1200 - 1500. I should be eating closer to 2000 which I rarely do. I eat mini meals as well but never feel hungry. Try and incorporate lean protein and 20-30 grams of fiber a day. That may help you feel fuller. Up your calories by increments of 100 until you feel satisfied. Good luck. BTW I didnt loose any weight on month 1 of Insanity when I did round 1, when you get to month 2...girl you better bring it cause you will def loose then!
  • birdieaz
    birdieaz Posts: 448 Member
    I'm exactly 120 and plan on upping my current calories from 1750 to 1950 when I restart Insanity. Previously tried it eating only 1300 cal and I couldn't do it.
  • wareagle8706
    wareagle8706 Posts: 1,090 Member
    I am doing Insanity on a goal of eating 1380/day but I travel so much I end up eating 1700-2000. But when I'm at home and doing the workouts I'm only eating around 1400 and I feel fine. But I eat whole, unprocessed foods and you get to eat a lot more food when yo do that instead of the boxed, processed, "low-fat" type stuff.

    oh btw, I'm 5'1'' and 125 with 18% body fat.
  • IdRatherBeReading
    IdRatherBeReading Posts: 96 Member
    According to their calculator, I should be having 2036 cal/day, but that seemed like a LOT for me, so I changed it to 1736. I am on day 4 and have kept it right around that number every day with my food. Before this, I was set at 1,200 cal/day and barely made that most days. Now I eat 6 times (breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack/dessert) and am always "full", but not overly so.
  • FluffyDogsRule
    FluffyDogsRule Posts: 366 Member
    oh, yeah...i forgot about the calculator. the calculator says i should eat around 2000. i can't do this!!! lol. i mean i DO do this some days when i'm with family or friends...but i can't possibly do this every day!!

    i guess i need to listen to my body and feed it. why haven't i lost weight then????? am i gaining muscle?? again, not trying to lose, but if i'm eating at a 500 calorie deficit, seems like i should be? actually, i started at 114, now am 116. have heard the stuff about water retention, but not sure that's relevant a month in.

    anyhoo....guess i'll worry less and eat more. :) especially as i approach month 2.
  • lawmama_
    lawmama_ Posts: 103 Member
    I am wondering the same question for myself before I even start Insanity. Is the suggested calorie calculation really going to be enough? At 5'4" and 132 lbs, 1674 cals seems like too little given the strenuous exercise.

    Based on the answers so far, it seems that the consensus points to eating more if your body is telling you to do so. But let me know if I'm wrong.
  • brownm33
    brownm33 Posts: 44 Member
    What about eating all those extra calories in fruits and veggies?
  • smccb
    smccb Posts: 99 Member
    Eat the 2000 and the weight will melt off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I promise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    I was recently in your very same position. I am 5'3", 115 lbs when I started Insanity 4 weeks ago. I actually gained 7+ pounds and an inch or so around my waist, because I was used to a less vigorous exercise program and was only eating about 1400-1600 cals/day. I mistakenly cut the cals even more, and gained more. So....I did what everyone was telling me to do and ATE MORE. WAY MORE. Good healthy stuff though - eggs, whole grain toast and peanut butter, chicken wraps, greek yogurt, veggies and humus - and I ate all day long. I didn't think I could eat that much, but I did - I think Insanity puts your metabolism into high drive - the more you feed it the more it burns. Anyway, the weight literally melted off once I started feeding my body.

    Hunger is a good thing, especially if you are working out as insanely as this program requires. It means your body is powering through all the food and needing more to keep up with you. Once you deprive you body (in my experience, anyway) it starts holding onto fat, knowing it will need the fuel in the near future to drive the exercise. If you are giving your body what it needs, it doesn't seem to hold onto that fat.

    If you trust Insanity to give you a great workout, trust the nutritional side too. It was so, so hard for me to let myself eat that much, but I was so happy when I finally did and saw the results!!

    Good luck!
  • Scorpioangel
    Scorpioangel Posts: 951 Member
    I do Insanity and weigh in at 106 and eat 1,800 calories a day.
  • FluffyDogsRule
    FluffyDogsRule Posts: 366 Member
    Okay, I'm going to compromise with myself. Haha. I am going to make 1800 my goal...this is what the calculations give me for "lightly active", I know I should really do moderately or very, but oh well for now, gotta start somewhere. I'll try to eat 1800, not logging exercise...since I don't have a HRM anyway and since it's not set on sedentary should include my exercise anyway.

    dang...this is gonna be hard. when i eat 1800 calories, i am mad at myself for eating so much!! i'm hoping i find that i have more energy to get even more out of my workouts.

    wish me luck. and thanks! :)
  • IdRatherBeReading
    IdRatherBeReading Posts: 96 Member
    I do not have a HRM either...someone on another post said you can log your workout with www.mapmyrun.com and the calories they give is pretty close to what they were getting with their HRM, so I am using that for now. I also use that app when I do walks, runs, or my new "fun", rollerskating, lol, to log the distance as well as the calories.
  • IdRatherBeReading
    IdRatherBeReading Posts: 96 Member
    Oh, and adding on...I do log my exercise, but I do not try to eat back my exercise calories. It might just be me, but I like seeing the hard work on there everyday, lol. :)

    Good luck to you!
  • FluffyDogsRule
    FluffyDogsRule Posts: 366 Member
    i must admit...i was sad not logging my exercise today!! i put it on as a note, but it didn't show me how many calories i burned. what a waste!!! :) think i'll do what you do.
  • shannonhales
    shannonhales Posts: 3
    I am 5'2 and 115 pounds. I just started insanity for the second time. Does anyone know how many calories to eat if you are nursing?

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