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Im confused....help?

Everend
Everend Posts: 90
edited December 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Ok, so my diary is public so feel free to have a look, here is my story:

I'm running and doing weight training 5-6 days a week on a diet of 1940 calories. I'm 37 years old at 5'10 and 165 pounds. With all the extra calories I'm burning Im having a hard time hitting the 1940 calories a day. Yesterday being a prime example. I calculated that at the very least I need 1750 calories to meet my BMR, but when I burn 1000+ calories in a day im having a hard time replacing it. Im just not that hungry...Forcing myself to eat more just seems counter intuitive...What am I doing wrong?

Replies

  • Flab2fitfi
    Flab2fitfi Posts: 1,349 Member
    have you tried protein shake or nuts are great at upping the calories for only a small handful?
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    peanut butter, eggs, nuts, cheese, full fat greek yoghurt (soooo much better than fat free!!!), seeds, banana, avocado, milk

    throw in a bit of chocolate or ice cream or a pastry if you like!
  • SgtMindy
    SgtMindy Posts: 53
    Listen to your body. It knows how much it needs. If you're not hungry, don't eat.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    Forcing myself to eat more just seems counter intuitive...What am I doing wrong?
    There's no point in trying to hit an exact calorie target, especially if you aren't hungry and don't get "rebound hunger" later.
  • Everend
    Everend Posts: 90
    Well I did wake up at about 4am this morning very hungry. Had a plum and went back to bed.

    Anybody have a look at my Diary and tell me if my diet is all wrong? I've lost .8 of a pound in 7 days and my body is starting to shape up, but I just want to make sure my body isn't going for the muscle I'm trying to build instead of the fat I'm trying to burn. This is all a bit confusing, I never payed any attention to this stuff. I had no idea how difficult this was!
  • Everend
    Everend Posts: 90
    Damn these boards move fast...
  • crystalflame
    crystalflame Posts: 1,049 Member
    Are you using a HRM to calculate your exercise calories? 1200 calories in a day seems like a huge amount. MFP way overestimates what you burn - I think a lot of people on here eat back half their exercise calories if they calculate them using MFP. I eat them back if I'm hungry. Just listen to your body, give it enough protein (.5 to 1 g protein for every lb you weigh), and eat nutritious food. If you see significant weight/muscle loss after a few weeks, adjust accordingly.
  • schicksa
    schicksa Posts: 123 Member
    Dairy is a good way to fill up and add some extra calories; try drinking some skim milk before bed? Also, one of the best recovery drinks you can have after a workout is chocolate milk. No joke, did a study on it in college through a research grant.
  • aniahill
    aniahill Posts: 11 Member
    Could it be that the fat is being replaced with denser muscle so you are shaping up but not losing as much? Do you use a tape measure as well as scales?
  • Everend
    Everend Posts: 90
    No tape measure...as a general contractor I have no shortage of tape measures though Ive never used one on myself...at least not inthis capacity. Perhaps I should start.
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    Ok, so my diary is public so feel free to have a look, here is my story:

    I'm running and doing weight training 5-6 days a week on a diet of 1940 calories. I'm 37 years old at 5'10 and 165 pounds. With all the extra calories I'm burning Im having a hard time hitting the 1940 calories a day. Yesterday being a prime example. I calculated that at the very least I need 1750 calories to meet my BMR, but when I burn 1000+ calories in a day im having a hard time replacing it. Im just not that hungry...Forcing myself to eat more just seems counter intuitive...What am I doing wrong?

    Eat more calorie dense foods - nuts, peanut butter, cheese, olive oil, avocados, eat bigger portions, eat a steak
  • Kikilicious84
    Kikilicious84 Posts: 312
    I would say add a few healthy calorie dense foods. 2 tbs of peanut butter is 200 cals...add 2 slices of Whole Wheat bread...another 200 cals and a banana is about 500 cals...in one sandwich.

    I've only eat back 1/2 of the exercise cals and with your burn of 1000 that would be it. Just a late snack of 500 cals!

    Good luck!
  • mercymarque
    mercymarque Posts: 450
    MFP sets exercise calories very high... If you don't have a hrm, loseit.com or using the machines... I would say the calories burned are high. I would listen to my body. I work out 6-7 days a week some times twice a week. I choose a diet that is high on protein, it keeps me full and fueled for the exercise I put my body through. If I'm hungry after a work out I will eat back some calories but I never eat back all of them.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    ...I've lost .8 of a pound in 7 days and my body is starting to shape up, but I just want to make sure my body isn't going for the muscle I'm trying to build instead of the fat I'm trying to burn.
    It's very difficult to build muscle in a caloric deficit - your body uses the calories for essential functions, and it doesn't consider building excess muscle "essential". It's even harder if you underfeed yourself, especially if you're not getting enough protein. IMO, you should be shooting for somewhere around 140-160g of protein a day (if you know your bodyfat percentage, shoot for 1g per pound of lean body mass). Eating at your BMR is counterproductive - BMR is the calories your body would need if you were lying in bed in a coma. Since you're working out 5-6 days a week and I assume you're fairly active in your job (you mentioned that you're a general contractor), your requirements are a lot higher than BMR.

    If you want an easier way to set up your calorie intake, read the first post in this thread and do the calculations - it gives you a static daily intake target where you don't worry about eating exercise calories back:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
  • MzFury
    MzFury Posts: 283 Member
    I agree with the people saying not to force it, and also with the idea to add healthy fats as a low-volume, high-energy way to add calories to your day (and should also further stave off hunger). But I will also look at your diary. If you're not hungry, though, it's kind of fine.
  • MzFury
    MzFury Posts: 283 Member
    ALSO, very good point about MFP estimating burns pretty high. Though for men, they're probably more accurate. Still and all, you may be hitting 700 or 800 when you think you're at 1000, if you're logging through this database.
  • Everend
    Everend Posts: 90
    Thank you for all the replies. As far as how I am estimating my caloric burn from working out, I'm using another app. It seems accurate though I really want to get a heart rate monitor and get a more exact read. I went and bought some protein shakes as well as some GNC mega men energy and metabolism multi vitamins. I did much better today, after dinner I am just shy by 200 calories.

    Peanut butter before bed for the win!
  • californiagirl2012
    californiagirl2012 Posts: 2,625 Member
    Exercise calories burned is way overrated. I Ignore exercise calories because they are over estimated. Most people underestimate calories so give it 10% less in the total. Also packaging will underestimate because legally they can put more not less so they will error on the more side. I learned this all from a book I describe below, written by someone with multiple PHD's and he knows his stuff and I've had a chance to talk with the author.

    Your body loses weight in chunks, not linear. I have found that you can do everything right and your weight loss seems to plateau but you are patient and keep exercising and eating at a deficit (however slight) you will lose it, it will suddenly "whoosh". There are so many variables for the scale though: water retention, digestion, allergies, sodium, carbs, water intake, DOMS, inflammation, the list goes on. People mistakenly think they lose weight when they eat more because of these fluctuations.

    If you have a lot of body fat reserves you would be surprised at how little you can eat (unless you have emotional eating issues or disorders). The leaner you get the less your body has to draw from and then you have to taper up your calories. There is no such thing as starvation mode for women over 12% body fat or men over 6% body fat. I am a living breathing example of that. I went from obese to now under 12% BF and I've maintained for one year and built muscle the whole time. You don't BUILD muscle in starvation mode, so I proved everyone wrong. And I learned it all from a coach with multiple PHD’s.
    My story here- - -> http://www.venusindex.com/roberta-saums-venus-index-transformation/

    The diets I have tried -- > http://www.venusindex.com/ten-thousand-ways-that-wont-work/

    ALL SUCCESSFUL ladies ---> http://www.venusindex.com/transformation-contest/

    ALL SUCCESSFUL Men here ---> http://www.adonisindex.com/

    It costs nothing to read and listen to their interviews and its fun because they are real like you and I.

    If you want to learn the real truth about MINDLESS EATING, DIETS, CALORIES, CALORIE PORTIONS and CALORIES BURNED invest in this. I GAIN NOTHING BY IT, but I am passionate about other people finding the same success I did and learning all the myths floating about in the diet industry that is designed to keep getting your money over and over.

    --- > http://products.venusindex.com/product-catalog/books/anything-goes-diet/

    (This is NOT about eating junk food! It's about learning to eat for you own lifestyle, vegan, organic, whatever)
    Oh yeah and you can do this WITHOUT a personal trainer or coaching. Read the book, it explains the answers, done. Then just do it. Of course the superior designed workout helps as well.

    Most of us are on MFP.

    I get no financial gain by any of those links. I am simply passionate about getting the word out and helping people find the same success I did. I struggled for years with these same issues as an obese person.
    -Bobbie
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