Non-workout day calories

aimeeclaire
aimeeclaire Posts: 93 Member
edited September 20 in Fitness and Exercise
Hello Everyone!

I am having a little trouble with my calorie intake. 4 days a week I run (3-7miles) or workout burning at least 600 calories. On those days I have no problem staying within my calorie allowance because of the extra I burned. However, on my resting days, my body wants just as much food! I think I have gone over almost every "resting" day.

Anyone else with the same problem? Advice?

Thanks!

Replies

  • stephjohnny
    stephjohnny Posts: 42 Member
    I have the same problem. Anxious to hear what others have to say.
  • bksteve26
    bksteve26 Posts: 216 Member
    To be honest with you, i think you might be eating the wrong foods. One trick i learned that has helped me A LOT throughout my weight loss journey is that you need to stock up on veggies. Try making yourself a bowl of vegetables to eat before you eat your meal. This way, you get fuller faster and it will take away a lot of the calories you would be putting in your body regularly. Another trick, drink an entire glass of water before you eat anything. Sometimes our bodies confuse thirst for hunger. You might just be dehydrated from all that running! Either way, it sounds like you are doing a fantastic job! Keep up the good work!
  • TheRM
    TheRM Posts: 2 Member
    Don't have any off days. :)

    The days you do exert yourself, keep fluids (water) over what you actually need and don't use those extra calories to eat garbage fast food/fried foods (in general, not directed at you). On your off days, cut your 3 or 4 meals into 5 or 6 smaller ones with water between. Most of all, it takes willpower and self-regulation to win the day (so to speak).

    On your off days though, try getting a walk or something else in. The added movement will help your body deal with the drastic change between 'on' and 'off' days.


    Good luck!
  • FireMonkey
    FireMonkey Posts: 500 Member
    On those days it's even more important to drink lots of water and eat calorie-smart. Vegetables have few calories and a lot of bulk to fill you up. Oatmeal, boiled egg instead of fried, Ryvita or Wasa instead of regular bread - there are many ways to reduce your calories and still meet nutritional needs.
  • lreed
    lreed Posts: 348 Member
    Yep have started walking an hour on weekends now just for that very reason!
  • PJilly
    PJilly Posts: 22,141 Member
    On my rest day, I change my calorie goal to maintenance. Sometimes that means I eat even more calories than on a regular day, but I really feel like it nourishes and rejuvenates me. I still stick to my ratios, and I feel like this is healthier for my body and brain than having a cheat day or meal once a week while still getting to relax a little. It's the one day I eat a pancake for breakfast instead of oatmeal too.
  • mrjinx
    mrjinx Posts: 1
    i am in the exact same boat!! the days i run (usually 4 or 6 miles) make such a HUGE difference in my weight loss and i can totally stick within my calories. on rest days:yawn: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: i am completely over..
    i liked the suggestion of doing some kind of other exercise ie maybe walking... i think i am starting to see that i love my food and i would rather eat more and make up for it with some exercise than to feel deprived ( i mean 1200 cals goes pretty fast!!!!!!):laugh:
  • HonestOmnivore
    HonestOmnivore Posts: 1,356 Member
    Another option is to back your weight loss goal down from 2lbs a week. 1 lb a week is easier on your system, isn't exactly a BAD goal and in two years it's going to seem like a minor sacrifice. I try to only take one day off a week from all exercise. On the days I'm recovering from one type of exercise I try to work out some other muscle group or do strength rather than aerobic etc...

    I've been trying to get 4-5 days of aerobic in each week, plus take at least 1000 "up" stairs each week day and get in some treadmill time plus walks at lunch at work (fast walks that kick my butt!). Yesterday I worked from home and was a slug. Today I'll do steps and treadmill (max incline for 90 minutes). Tomorrow I'll do steps and take a walk outside if the streets are clear or get on the elliptical...

    Mixing in upper body might help?

    APPLES I'm like an evangelical about eating small granny smith apples! packed with good things, bulky in your belly and delicious if you're really hungry!
  • clairebear82
    clairebear82 Posts: 60
    I find Porridge helps keep me filled up...
  • jlewis2896
    jlewis2896 Posts: 763 Member
    Not sure if this is the best route to take, but it's worked for me! I usually am under on my big workout days -- I always make sure I eat at least my BMR calories, though -- then if I go over on the one or two days I don't work out, I don't feel so bad.

    Or I'll just do a short workout of something like walking on a 10.0 incline on the treadmill -- it kills calories without sucking up my time, and I still get my rest days in that way.
  • acureese
    acureese Posts: 169
    It's all about balancing the calories over days I think...like if I burn 600 cals and am under the day I ran 6 miles, well the next day if I go over by 200 cals it's okay, between the two days I met my calorie goals...also, I like active rest days, so going for a walk or hike, doing light yoga, etc and still taking stairs and stuff adds up to cals burned.
    Make sure you're eating nutrient dense foods like spinach and veggies and high fiber/protein foods to keep full (veggies and fruit are high in fiber and nutrients and low in cals!). If I have cereal I'm sooo hungry an hour or two later, but an egg white omelette with veggies and salsa with a slice of whole wheat bread or side of blueberies keeps me full through the morning! :) Same with snacks, crackers don't do much for me, but almonds and an apple or whole wheat crackers with hummus or pb will keep me satiated much better until the next meal.
    One last thing I want to mention is, if you have more muscle and are an active person, you're metabolism may be a bit higher and you naturally burn more throughout the day (someone who's for ex 150 lbs who's muscular/works out is going to burn more cals/day just with normal day to day activity than someone who's 150 lbs, sedentary, and doesn't have much muscle on them)...does that make sense? Hope this wasn't too confusing, and hope it helps! :)
  • 1Sweets
    1Sweets Posts: 395
    I find Porridge helps keep me filled up...

    Cute.....we use to call it that when my kids were little. I love RAW Oatmeal with a teaspoon (i know bad) of sugar & cold milk. Keeps you full for hours & so yummy.:tongue: Think I'll go have breakfast hehe.
  • iRun4wine
    iRun4wine Posts: 5,126
    The biggest thing I have found that helps me (and it sounds SO simple, but really helps) is to plan ahead and stick to it! Sit down the night before, or first thing in the morning and enter in the foods you'd like and see if it works or not. If it does, great... if not, make adjustments. This way you aren't left at 6:00 still needing dinner, but only have 250 calories left and already over on carbs. Easier said than done at first, but once you get into the habit, it will help you be much more successful.
  • hilldill22
    hilldill22 Posts: 19
    Good tip! I'll definitely try to do that. And it makes sense to have one day to relax a bit.
  • xonophone
    xonophone Posts: 474 Member
    Same trouble here! I am so good about my calories on exercise days, but that day off kills me! And not only am I hungry, but I crave the worst foods! I too try to keep it as a maintenance day, which means I'm not having a deficit at the end of the day but I'm not going overboard either.
  • aerobicgirl
    aerobicgirl Posts: 354 Member
    same boat i workout 5 days a week and i do stay within my goal i eat alot of cream of wheat, and my new favorite snack is cottage cheese and granola. and in between well thats hard. but try to eat natural foods
  • mhsrnmz
    mhsrnmz Posts: 86 Member
    I do some calorie shifting or exercise shifting within a day in either direction. For example if I do a long run and burn say 800 calories then plan a rest day I'll split the exercise minutes in half with the next (rest) day. Alternatively, if I already put the exercise in but find that I have a lot of calories left at the end of the day I'll enter a food item on the current day that I will "save" for the next day. This still keeps me on track without having to remember how many under or over I was.
  • bexiesbruv
    bexiesbruv Posts: 14
    I really have only been doing this for a couple of weeks but already realise I am in the same situation so I have decided to do active recovery days rather than rest days.
    Active recovery is lighter exercise to allow for recovery from a specific routine, it could be a swim or a walk. So for instance yesterday I did a 1 hour run at time trial pace. So today was supposed to be a rest day but instead I did an hour on my bike and resistance trainer. Now I know I will be within my requirement for calories.
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