Am I getting enough calories while exercising to avoid starv

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lindsay_ray
lindsay_ray Posts: 1 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have a decent amount of background knowledge in health and nutrition, but thought of something I had never really thought of before now. I'm keeping my calorie consumption between at 1500 or less. Now, if I've run and say I burned 400 calories, that means I'm technically at 1100 calories for the day. I know you shouldn't eat less than 1200 calories or your body goes into starvation mode, so my question is... do I need to then eat another couple hundred calories or does that not matter, since I've had an adequate amount of calories, just burned more? I'm not sure that makes sense what I'm asking, but surely someone else has wondered this as well and understands what I'm trying to get at. :) Thanks for any insight!

Replies

  • Kminor67
    Kminor67 Posts: 900 Member
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    Eat at least half of your exercise calories, and make sure that you're over 1200. Also make sure you're drinking enough water.
  • 4lafz
    4lafz Posts: 1,078 Member
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    I think you are close to 1200 and it all depends on what is working for you. I believe, and am striving for, a lifestyle that I can live with forever. As such, I usually end up with about your totals - sometimes closer to 1200-1300 (I am on a 1200 calorie per day limit). This is not just a diet but a new way of living. Ya gotta do what works for you!
  • dore0021
    dore0021 Posts: 137
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    Search 'exercise calories' within the forums and you'll find TONS of opinions on the subject :-)
  • lutzsher
    lutzsher Posts: 1,153 Member
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    For me personally I have to eat back some of my exercise calories or my scale just won't move. If I miss my workout or just do a mellow walk with my dogs I have to eat about 1300 at the least. On days that I exercise, depending on the intensity, I have to get in at least 1450 or more. If I don't eat at least to these levels I don't lose an ounce.
  • janette54
    janette54 Posts: 1
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    Hello there

    I am having the same issue. I am required to eat no less then 1200 calories per day, yet with excerise I keep gaining more calories to eat. I don't know if I can eat that much! Do I have to make up the calories that I burned off? 1200 a day seems like a lot. My excerise is basically walking as I run a home daycare and am constantly chasing after kids at the park and up and down the stairs.

    If anyone can help answer this question I would appreciate it

    Thanks
  • islandnutshel
    islandnutshel Posts: 1,143 Member
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    I have a decent amount of background knowledge in health and nutrition, but thought of something I had never really thought of before now. I'm keeping my calorie consumption between at 1500 or less. Now, if I've run and say I burned 400 calories, that means I'm technically at 1100 calories for the day. I know you shouldn't eat less than 1200 calories or your body goes into starvation mode, so my question is... do I need to then eat another couple hundred calories or does that not matter, since I've had an adequate amount of calories, just burned more? I'm not sure that makes sense what I'm asking, but surely someone else has wondered this as well and understands what I'm trying to get at. :) Thanks for any insight!

    I think you are subtracting when you should be adding. If your base line is 1500 and you run 400 then you should be eating close to 1900 calories that day. You don't have to eat all your exercise calories unless you are already set at 1000 calorie deficit / day, but you should try to eat at least half. (when you set yourself up with mfp it asks if you want to lose 1 pound / week, that is a 500 cal/day deficit. If you set it at 2 pounds a week then you are at a 1000/day deficit already and shouldn't go past that, however because mfp stops at 1200 cal/day you might not be at that setting even if you asked for 2 pounds / week) Hope I didn't confuse you yet more.
  • blucat
    blucat Posts: 11
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    The answer lies with you. Ask yourself, how are you feeling ? are you feeling good, energetic, or tired a lot, cold etc..
    A couple of years ago, I was on WW and was running a great deal.. 6 months later, I lost 30 lbs but I also lost my period for a few months LOL.
    I was NOT underweight, my BMI was 22-23, but when it came to daily energy balance, I was expending a lot, and not ingesting enough and that shut down my reproductive organs.

    Needless to say, I freaked out, and starting 'force feeding' myself (even when not hungry) until my period came back (along with a 'few' pounds)

    Sometimes when we are successful, we don't know when to stop losing weight! LOL
  • batty5
    batty5 Posts: 193
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    This is a constant debate here but have to say it is the only place I know where it suggests you eat more if you exercise. Weight Watchers, Slimming World, Rosemary Conley all recommend at least 30 minutes of cardio daily but they don't recommend eating more because of it. I think if you are exercising a lot, as if in training then it is logical to eat some exercise calories otherwise best not if you can manage without.
    Another thing which I find difficult to agree with is starvation mode : why did my doctor recommend 1,000 calories per day if that would put me in starvation mode? If starvation mode is a fact at that level why if sticking to it does MFP state a higher weight loss will be achieved than if sticking to 1200 calories? In some ways the idea of starvation mode does "feed" foodies who are afraid to eat less, naturally it also depends on how much weight you have to lose.
    Just my humble opinion & wish you all luck & success.

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