HELP :s with increasing calories for exercise

spreag
spreag Posts: 47 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I eat anywhere from 1000-1200 calories per day, this works fine for me. I'm losing 1-2 lbs every 7-10 days. I like to think i have a healthy diet and after months decreasing and increasing my calories I have found a range that allows me to have a steady weight loss without being hungry and still feeling good about it all.

I do absolutely no exercise bar walking to and from work everyday (all in all 35 mins) which is nothing, oh and I sometimes go out for a 3-4 mile walk. However I used to exercise a lot and I would like to start going for my walks and cycles 2-3 times per week and some toning and conditioning like yoga, pilates, trx suspenxion cables 1-2 per week, my only issue is my calories.

I am pretty sure I'd have to up my calories by maybe 300 (comment if you feel otherwise) on the days I am exercising, I just don't know how to go about this. It sounds ridiculous and stupid like the pro ana's that say they cant force themselves to eat more than 500 cals per day, but it is true. I was wondering if i should get some protein and have a shake for dinner and a small portion of food (rice and veg for example)

If i worked out on the calories I am consuming i wouldn't be getting enough, so is the answer to just eat more on the days I'm working out, I don't want to up my calories in a way that will make me gain back my loss. what should i be increasing carbs? protein?

you know what makes the question even more stupid....I work in the health and fitness industry so I should answer my own question, I just would like opinions and ideas from other people who have maybe thought about this.

also, please don't comment regarding how my whole body is going to be unable to function when only consuming 1000-1200 calories, just don't even go there.

Replies

  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
    You are correct to think you will need to increase your calories for exercise. You are already on a pretty low calorie intake, but if you are happy with it and feel OK, I guess it is working for you. Based on what you are saying, I would suggest eating back all of your calories that you burn from extra exercise.

    As far as what kind of food goes, I would set up your macronutrient goals for the day and just try to balance those. I don't think you need to eat anything special before or after your workout as long as you are getting close to your daily goals. I would suggest shooting for 1g of protein per lb of lean body mass, at least 0.35g fat per lb of body weight, and the rest carbs.
  • spreag
    spreag Posts: 47 Member
    Thanks very much for the advice! I shall start with eating back what I burn (: Your ticker shows a tremendous weight loss! well done :smile: :smile:
  • gappletree
    gappletree Posts: 10
    Why do people think walking is not exercise?? 100 years ago obesity was rare, people ate bacon, and no one had time for zumba. What did they do? They walked! Their daily lives were active.
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
    Why do people think walking is not exercise?? 100 years ago obesity was rare, people ate bacon, and no one had time for zumba. What did they do? They walked! Their daily lives were active.

    If you walk every day as part of your routine (ie walking to work) and account for it in your activity, why would you count it as extra activity? Especially if that is all the exercise she gets during the day.

    Chances are, she is still sedentary overall. I know that I was surprised at my activity level when I first started wearing a fitbit and realized that even though I walk quite a bit at work, that on non-exercise days, I typically burned less than the sedentary estimate by about 100 calories if I sat around and watched TV at night...
  • tooliebell
    tooliebell Posts: 177 Member
    My answer is only what works for me and isn't based on any science or anything.

    I have been steadily losing weight for 6.5 months by staying under the guidelines MFP tells me based on my weight and being sedentary. I'm not sedentary by any means, in fact I normally work out about an hour 6 days a week either running, walking, using the elliptical, lifting weights, and doing other cardio videos. I don't eat back my exercise calories and I rarely go over 1200 calories. Now while this has worked, I have lost about 60 pounds in the past 6.5 months, there are times, I think I could have lost greater amounts and felt more satisfied by eating more. I do tend to think there is great promise in that theory, I have been too chicken to try it. Although, I will say during the holidays when my caloric intake went up but not by great amounts, I still had weight loss in those weeks.
  • spreag
    spreag Posts: 47 Member
    Why do people think walking is not exercise?? 100 years ago obesity was rare, people ate bacon, and no one had time for zumba. What did they do? They walked! Their daily lives were active.

    i actually do count walking as exercise, that's why I log it...I do know of someone on this who logs brushing her teeth......lol!
    I love walking and i'm fortunate to live on beautiful coastline so it's never boring! when I say I do the odd walk it literally is once per fortnight whereas it used to be a good 5-7 mile brisk walk / 3/4 times per week!

    the walking to work that I log is just part of my daily routine but if its gonna burn 100+ calories of course it adds up (:
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
    My answer is only what works for me and isn't based on any science or anything.

    I have been steadily losing weight for 6.5 months by staying under the guidelines MFP tells me based on my weight and being sedentary. I'm not sedentary by any means, in fact I normally work out about an hour 6 days a week either running, walking, using the elliptical, lifting weights, and doing other cardio videos. I don't eat back my exercise calories and I rarely go over 1200 calories. Now while this has worked, I have lost about 60 pounds in the past 6.5 months, there are times, I think I could have lost greater amounts and felt more satisfied by eating more. I do tend to think there is great promise in that theory, I have been too chicken to try it. Although, I will say during the holidays when my caloric intake went up but not by great amounts, I still had weight loss in those weeks.

    60 lbs in 6.5 months is huge... That is 2.13 lbs/wk on average. I think trying to lose more than that would be unhealthy. In fact, I would even dial that back a little.
  • spreag
    spreag Posts: 47 Member
    aww tooliebell throws a spanner in the works! i know everyone's different and now im thinking I'll be okay exercising on what I consume!

    i'll have to find a compromise of the two! eating back some exercise calories or trying boyh methods and seeing what works

    congrats on your weightloss!
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    My answer is only what works for me and isn't based on any science or anything.

    I have been steadily losing weight for 6.5 months by staying under the guidelines MFP tells me based on my weight and being sedentary. I'm not sedentary by any means, in fact I normally work out about an hour 6 days a week either running, walking, using the elliptical, lifting weights, and doing other cardio videos. I don't eat back my exercise calories and I rarely go over 1200 calories. Now while this has worked, I have lost about 60 pounds in the past 6.5 months, there are times, I think I could have lost greater amounts and felt more satisfied by eating more. I do tend to think there is great promise in that theory, I have been too chicken to try it. Although, I will say during the holidays when my caloric intake went up but not by great amounts, I still had weight loss in those weeks.

    60 lbs in 6.5 months is huge... That is 2.13 lbs/wk on average. I think trying to lose more than that would be unhealthy. In fact, I would even dial that back a little.

    leave them be, some people like the skinny fat look....
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
    If i worked out on the calories I am consuming i wouldn't be getting enough, so is the answer to just eat more on the days I'm working out, I don't want to up my calories in a way that will make me gain back my loss. what should i be increasing carbs? protein?
    If you get a good workout, chances are your hunger will take care of it for you. You're not very hungry now, but working out is likely to change that, and in a good way. (It won't make you crave junk foods.)

    ETA: I mean, it will make you hungry and you should use that hunger to eat.
  • spreag
    spreag Posts: 47 Member
    what's the skinny fat look? :/
  • laserturkey
    laserturkey Posts: 1,680 Member
    I eat back what I burn, since I have my activity level set as sedentary.
  • spreag
    spreag Posts: 47 Member
    If i worked out on the calories I am consuming i wouldn't be getting enough, so is the answer to just eat more on the days I'm working out, I don't want to up my calories in a way that will make me gain back my loss. what should i be increasing carbs? protein?
    If you get a good workout, chances are your hunger will take care of it for you. You're not very hungry now, but working out is likely to change that, and in a good way. (It won't make you crave junk foods.)

    oh i see! yeah my gym is strategically placed across the road from mcdonalds and never felt the urge when coming out after a work out haha! i understand what you're saying as i do really just eat when i feel hunger, i don't eat for the hell of it and don't really have an issue with boredom/comfort eating!
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
    what's the skinny fat look? :/
    When you look like you're 90 because even though you're thin you have no muscle and everything is all flabby and droopy.
  • spreag
    spreag Posts: 47 Member
    what's the skinny fat look? :/
    When you look like you're 90 because even though you're thin you have no muscle and everything is all flabby and droopy.

    I can only image how attractive that must be...a bit of muscle and toning is good!
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    what's the skinny fat look? :/
    When you look like you're 90 because even though you're thin you have no muscle and everything is all flabby and droopy.

    nicely put!

    if you have too large a deficit (ie if you dont eat enough or fuel your workouts properly) your body will burn muscle instead of fat to get energy quickly. and dont forget that your heart is a muscle too...
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
    Skinny fat:

    108feq0.jpg
  • spreag
    spreag Posts: 47 Member
    I swear this is something I almost have nightmares about, I've also recently become vegetarian (and if anyone notices the three bits of cod in my diary in the past few weeks, i am weening myself off it) so i'm worrying about the likes of protein and have started something I have never done before, TRX cable workout and lifting some small weights!
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
    If you want to go vegetarian, you just have to find other sources of protein. Maybe even throw in some protein shakes every once in a while.

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