Calorie confusion

ar1ms
ar1ms Posts: 98 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
This is a typical day of eating for me although its not my healthiest but this is what my day looked like yesterday
Breakfast 7:45 AM Quakers weight control maple and brown sugar oatmeal 160 cal
Snack 10:00 AM strawberries 50 cal
Snack 12:00 PM Banana with peanut butter 150 cal
Lunch 2:00 Garden salad with lite red wine vin and grilled chicken 300 cal
Gym from 2:00-4:00: 20 minutes on elliptical burned 215 cal
60 minutes on treadmill burned 675 cal
Did some weights and abs after
Snack 5:30 strawberry chobani yogurt with some raisins/ celery and carrot sticks with 1 tbsp blue cheese dressing 250 cal
Dinner 7:00 4 pieces of spicy salmon tempura sushi 300 cal

the calories next to it are just an assumption based off of mfp but i never know the exact amount.


My problem is, after i workout, i know i am not getting enough calories but i feel like i have eaten so much already so i don't want to eat back the calories i burn at the gym cause i feel as though that is how i will lose weight. Can someone give me some advice or let me know what i should do? thank you!

Replies

  • SheilaN1976
    SheilaN1976 Posts: 266 Member
    wow if you add up all the calories that is 1210...and then subtract what you burned off....of 890...that leaves you at 320 calories...not enough to keep your body going with all that exercise.
  • ar1ms
    ar1ms Posts: 98 Member
    wow if you add up all the calories that is 1210...and then subtract what you burned off....of 890...that leaves you at 320 calories...not enough to keep your body going with all that exercise.

    so should i not burn a lot of calories at the gym? i just really like working out and i enjoy burning a lot of calories at the gym
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    Eat 1210 plus 890 = 2100
  • ar1ms
    ar1ms Posts: 98 Member
    what if i don't what if i continue to do what I'm doing will i still lose weight? just unhealthily?
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    How's it been going for you so far?

    And those calorie burns seem really high - I reckon I burn about 600 calories in an hour going absolutely flat out. Do you not get bored doing 60 minutes on the treadmill every day?
  • CharlisTenay
    CharlisTenay Posts: 2
    Hey,
    You can work out as much as you like and as much is healthy for your body. From what I've read, you should eat right after a workout to restore the energy you burned off, and not necessarily trying to calorie match what you burned in the gym. Your body needs the food, and it won't be counter productive (depending on food choice) since the calories are being used and not sitting because of inactivity. They suggest things like nuts, dried fruits, smoothies, granola, berries, veggies, fish, etc. These things are high in protein and give your body a good energy punch. And you should eat something small even if you don't feel very hungry. If you search the net for post-workout meals, you should come up with some good suggestions. Your daily diet looks good from what I see! I hope this helps:smile:
  • hipsdontlie1
    hipsdontlie1 Posts: 294 Member
    Try protein shakes!! They are an easy way to get good calories in!! Eventually your weight will come to a standstill and your metabolism will slow down if your not eating enough!! Definitely just try munching on foods that are high in calories but good for you like protein shakes, peanut butter, almonds... ect :)
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    Here are some things to learn about.

    BMR (basal metabolic rate): this is the number of calories your body needs for basic body and organ functions. It is what they would feed you if you were in a coma laying in bed. Calculated based on your height, weight and age and gender.

    TDEE (total daily energy expenditure): this is the number of calories your body needs to fuel all of your activities during the day, from getting up, going to work, working out, whatever. This is also called "maintenance" calories, because you would not gain or lose at this number, it would be just what you need to stay the same weight.

    To lose one pound a week, you need to create a calorie deficit of 3,500 for the whole week off of your TDEE number. You can do that by eating less, or by working out, or a combination of both. That is 500 calories per day. So, eat 250 less and exercise 250 less, and there is your 1 pound a week. For 2 pounds a week you would double that, 1,000 cals per day.

    However..... if you consistently go below your BMR, that puts stress on your body, and this can cause your body to NOT lose weight. If you always eat about 1,200 and then burn 800, your body is not going to respond well.
  • missfitjunkie
    missfitjunkie Posts: 20
    If your diet allows it, I'd add some whey protein into it. Immediately after exercise is perfect because it digests quickly. You say that you are lifting...but are you lifting heavy enough? i know what you are thinking, but don't be afraid to lift...building a little muscle will speed up the process if you are trying to lose weight. Based on the amount of estimated calories you are burning a day vs your intake....i'd say you are stressing your body which could hinder your progress
  • GuybrushThreepw00d
    GuybrushThreepw00d Posts: 784 Member
    Try protein shakes!! They are an easy way to get good calories in!! Eventually your weight will come to a standstill and your metabolism will slow down if your not eating enough!! Definitely just try munching on foods that are high in calories but good for you like protein shakes, peanut butter, almonds... ect :)

    agree!!!

    Protein shakes have been one of the best changes to my diet that i've made.
    3 months now of having 1 a day after exercising (for breakfast).
  • ar1ms
    ar1ms Posts: 98 Member
    Here are some things to learn about.

    BMR (basal metabolic rate): this is the number of calories your body needs for basic body and organ functions. It is what they would feed you if you were in a coma laying in bed. Calculated based on your height, weight and age and gender.

    TDEE (total daily energy expenditure): this is the number of calories your body needs to fuel all of your activities during the day, from getting up, going to work, working out, whatever. This is also called "maintenance" calories, because you would not gain or lose at this number, it would be just what you need to stay the same weight.

    To lose one pound a week, you need to create a calorie deficit of 3,500 for the whole week off of your TDEE number. You can do that by eating less, or by working out, or a combination of both. That is 500 calories per day. So, eat 250 less and exercise 250 less, and there is your 1 pound a week. For 2 pounds a week you would double that, 1,000 cals per day.

    However..... if you consistently go below your BMR, that puts stress on your body, and this can cause your body to NOT lose weight. If you always eat about 1,200 and then burn 800, your body is not going to respond well.



    see this is so confusing some people say do what is good for you and others say my body will not lose weight because I'm not getting enough calories but i really like don't want to eat more. i just want to eat healthy and exercise and lose weight.
  • ar1ms
    ar1ms Posts: 98 Member
    If your diet allows it, I'd add some whey protein into it. Immediately after exercise is perfect because it digests quickly. You say that you are lifting...but are you lifting heavy enough? i know what you are thinking, but don't be afraid to lift...building a little muscle will speed up the process if you are trying to lose weight. Based on the amount of estimated calories you are burning a day vs your intake....i'd say you are stressing your body which could hinder your progress

    so should i burn less calories at the gym and keep my diet the same?
  • californiagirl2012
    californiagirl2012 Posts: 2,625 Member
    This is a typical day of eating for me although its not my healthiest but this is what my day looked like yesterday
    Breakfast 7:45 AM Quakers weight control maple and brown sugar oatmeal 160 cal
    Snack 10:00 AM strawberries 50 cal
    Snack 12:00 PM Banana with peanut butter 150 cal
    Lunch 2:00 Garden salad with lite red wine vin and grilled chicken 300 cal
    Gym from 2:00-4:00: 20 minutes on elliptical burned 215 cal
    60 minutes on treadmill burned 675 cal
    Did some weights and abs after
    Snack 5:30 strawberry chobani yogurt with some raisins/ celery and carrot sticks with 1 tbsp blue cheese dressing 250 cal
    Dinner 7:00 4 pieces of spicy salmon tempura sushi 300 cal

    the calories next to it are just an assumption based off of mfp but i never know the exact amount.


    My problem is, after i workout, i know i am not getting enough calories but i feel like i have eaten so much already so i don't want to eat back the calories i burn at the gym cause i feel as though that is how i will lose weight. Can someone give me some advice or let me know what i should do? thank you!

    You don't have to eat back the calories if you don't want to. Listen to your body, it's telling you something. I can't tell you or anyone else what to do, but I can tell you this worked for me: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/740340-i-lost-60-lbs-at-age-51-anyone-can-any-workout

    I found this quote helpful as well:
    We’ve been trying to figure out an exact NUMBER of calories that everyone should be eating, without recognizing that everyone is slightly different. In truth, the calories aren’t the end game. Your body is. So the EXACT amount of Calories that are right for you is the EXACT amount that will allow you to maintain your ideal bodyweight no matter what some calculator or chart says.

    In other words, an online calculator might tell you that you need to eat 2,500 calories
    per day to maintain your ideal bodyweight. But the only way to know for sure if this is
    the right amount for you is to test it out. If you gain weight or can’t lose weight eating
    that much, then you know you need to eat less to lose weight no matter how many
    calculators and text books say otherwise.

    This doesn’t mean your metabolism is broken, it just means the estimate of your needs
    was just a bit off.

    -John Barban (from the Body Centric Eating Manual of the Venus Index Workout)

    Best of luck to you!
  • MsMartyMac
    MsMartyMac Posts: 33
    wow if you add up all the calories that is 1210...and then subtract what you burned off....of 890...that leaves you at 320 calories...not enough to keep your body going with all that exercise.

    so should i not burn a lot of calories at the gym? i just really like working out and i enjoy burning a lot of calories at the gym

    Just eat more. You need more protein after such an intense workout along with healthy carbs. Peanut butter and apple is my favorite. If you calorie need is 1200 then with the example you gave you would need to eat an additional 900 calories or so to compensate for the exercise. now you don't have to eat them all back but I would eat back half just so your muscles are getting what they need to repair themselves.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Read this...

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/383956-exercise-calories-explained?hl=exercise+calories+explained
  • HypersonicFitNess
    HypersonicFitNess Posts: 1,219 Member
    I'm going to say it seriously looks like you're eating too few calories. Breakfast should be a good 325-375 calories and lunch around the same. Especially with all that exercise; you are not properly fueling your body....how are you functioning through the day? Are you tired? Lethargic? Do you have energy to spare? Don't hate calories because they made you overweight...overeating for a long period made you over weight and possibly no physical activity...however if you are now doing physically activity you'll need a few more calories, but you want to be careful not to under eat...

    I'm not going to say eat all your exercise calories back, but you might want to eat some of them...There's a lot of good recommendations above and checking out your BMR and TDEE is one of the best.
  • Shayztar
    Shayztar Posts: 415 Member
    Here are some things to learn about.

    BMR (basal metabolic rate): this is the number of calories your body needs for basic body and organ functions. It is what they would feed you if you were in a coma laying in bed. Calculated based on your height, weight and age and gender.

    TDEE (total daily energy expenditure): this is the number of calories your body needs to fuel all of your activities during the day, from getting up, going to work, working out, whatever. This is also called "maintenance" calories, because you would not gain or lose at this number, it would be just what you need to stay the same weight.

    To lose one pound a week, you need to create a calorie deficit of 3,500 for the whole week off of your TDEE number. You can do that by eating less, or by working out, or a combination of both. That is 500 calories per day. So, eat 250 less and exercise 250 less, and there is your 1 pound a week. For 2 pounds a week you would double that, 1,000 cals per day.

    However..... if you consistently go below your BMR, that puts stress on your body, and this can cause your body to NOT lose weight. If you always eat about 1,200 and then burn 800, your body is not going to respond well.

    This person knows what they are talking about.

    You don't have a lot of weight to lose. You are not obese. Losing 2 lbs a week is not for you. Check out this link too:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    Or go to www.fat2fitradio.com

    Do some reading at these sites. Educate yourself. You can lose weight with a calorie deficit without exercise. You can also lose weight eating a moderate deficit from your TDEE calculation and exercise for fitness and health.

    DO WHAT YOU WANT.

    But you will feel better if you eat more and still exercise. It's a cheesy analogy, but food is fuel. You wouldn't want to run your car on empty, would you? Why do it to your body?

    Read the links. If you want to starve and workout like a hamster, be our guest. But you are going to get a lot of varying advice from the forums. READ and LEARN. :)

    :drinker:
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    see this is so confusing some people say do what is good for you and others say my body will not lose weight because I'm not getting enough calories but i really like don't want to eat more. i just want to eat healthy and exercise and lose weight.

    To be healthy, you need to give it the proper fuel. You can mess up your metabolism and make it even more difficult to lose weight if you do not give it the proper amount of fuel.

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