Evenly spacing daily calories

twinkiemon
twinkiemon Posts: 216 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I find it very hard to to eat less than my goat on 1200 calorie days and I find I'm always hungry. I added up all the calories I burned last week and the 1200 I'm supposed to be eating, divided by 7, it came out to 1731 a day.

Now, is this an okay way to do it - there are some days where I burn enough that I can eat over 2000 and of course on my rest day from the gym I burn nothing. Last week's gym activities were pretty much a normal week for me (about 500 cals on work days, 800-900 on non-work days and one rest day).

I feel that by staying in a 1700-1750 range daily rather than fluctuating between like one day 2000 the next 1200 and then the next like 1700 - I just feel like it's too much on my body and it's hard some days when I don't know what I'm having for dinner until I get home from work - my mom cooks fairly healthy but sometimes I get home on a rest day and we're having burgers so I have to go without a bun because I didn't work out that day.

Last time I lost weight I did 1500 a day (was not working out as hard then nor was I strength training - my dog walks might have burned about 300) but I was able to do it. I also didn't walk every single day - maybe 3-4 times a week.

I figure it all works out by the end of the week and that will help me on rest days not to be so hungry and on the other side of things, on extreme workout days not trying to figure out what to stuff my face with to eat all those calories.

Has anyone else done this? Thoughts?

Replies

  • ecw3780
    ecw3780 Posts: 608 Member
    you should log your exercise calories and then eat those back. If your goal is 1200, that is a net of 1200. So, Calories you eat - Calories you earned from exercise = 1200. If you burn 500 in a work out, you can eat 1700 that day. If you don't workout at all, eat 1200. As for each meal, try to plan each one to get between 20-30 grams of protein and 300-500 per meal. I will usually to 3 meals around 400, and then if I workout more I add in a snack or two.
  • Txracy
    Txracy Posts: 78
    I have found because my calorie burns vary so much, that it helps me to just eat when I'm hungry, and stop when I'm not. That means that some days I go over, some days I go under. But, I'm very regular with my workouts, so I know if I go over one day, that I WILL make it up for it when I hit the gym or the running trail. I think if it evens out at the end of the week it's fine. Or, at least it's been for me for for the past 6 months :)

    Instead of viewing it as a daily calorie amount, view it as a weekly total. I don't think there's any harm in trying it that way. If it turns out to not work, you can always change it back.

    I think that it's more important that you find a way of eating that is sustainable long term.
  • twinkiemon
    twinkiemon Posts: 216 Member

    Instead of viewing it as a daily calorie amount, view it as a weekly total.

    Thank you - that's exactly how I wanted to word it but wasn't sure how - take that weekly total and evenly space it throughout the week so it's not fluctuating so much and it's more even keel.

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