I'm afraid to gain weight. Eating more than usual?

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fangmouse
fangmouse Posts: 119
in Food and Nutrition
Okay for the past few weeks, ive been eating around 1000 kcal per day. But lately, ive been exercising a lot, and it's pretty vigorous as well, with strength training 3 times this week for about an hour and cardio every single day.

Monday: brisk walking for 30 minutes
Tuesday : 2h hockey training = 15 minutes steady state cardio, 1 hour hiit, 45 minutes strength, 1.5h tennis

Wednesday: 30 minutes walk

Thursday: 2h hockey (15 minutes steady state cardio, 1h 45 minute stick work drills)

Friday: 2.4km run and 15 minute walk

Saturday : 30 minute Nike training club and 2.4km walk

Sunday: planning to run 2.4km in 14 minutes and walk for the next 16 minutes.

Okay my activity levels aren't THAT high but I do exercise every single day.

However, ive been eating a lot more too. Like, I had 1500 kcal one of the days this week and the rest of the week, around 1100-1300kcal. For around 2 months or so I've been having around 800 kcal... So eating more scares me a little.

I was really hungry below 1000 kcal though so I don't know :( I always try to eat less because I don't trust calories completely, like I'm afraid that what I've eaten is actually more than what I need but in the calorie department it shows I've not eaten enough Idk?

But I'm pretty short, like 5'2-5'3 so I don't need as much calories as a person who's taller. I'm 18 though. Gonna be 19 in 2 months or so.

Replies

  • triff14
    triff14 Posts: 129 Member
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    You should definitely be eating more.
  • fangmouse
    fangmouse Posts: 119
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    Oh yes I've also just started taking cod liver oil and I'm afraid that it may add unnecessary calories because it is after all, an oil and I'm not sure if the calorie count given in mfp is exactly what the oil has, because the bottle itself does not state how many calories there are in one serving
  • unFATuated
    unFATuated Posts: 204 Member
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    You're not that short (says me who is 5'4"). Are you aiming to lose weight or maintain?

    While you're right, it is very easy to underestimate what you eat, aiming for a number that low with that much activity can be a recipe for trouble. A fear of gaining is a little bit troublesome in itself, but eating so few calories can slow your metabolism and make adding in more calories difficult later on if you consistently undereat. I would say EAT MORE than 1100-1300 if you are accurately tracking what you eat now (i.e. weighing your portions and logging everything. It is unlikely that you would gain even eating 1500. Being very young and extremely active you probably need more than what you're getting.
  • j6o4
    j6o4 Posts: 871 Member
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    If you're exercising vigorously, you need to eat more than you're eating now. The number MFP gives you already has a deficit before exercise, when you exercise you make that deficit even larger, so eating back exercise calories will not eliminate your deficit. You might gain weight if you increase you calories becuase your glycogen stores will become more replenish, this weight gain is not fat gain, and is not perminent. Best way to get around this is by upping your calories by increments untill you reach a healthy calorie goal. The minimum net calories for a female is 1200, so someone taller than you would most likey need more calories than that. Large deficits will eat away at your muscle, and if you lose more muscles than fat, your bodyfat percentage will go up because bodyfat percentage is a ratio of muscle vs fat. Your bodyfat percentage is what will determine if you have a nice tone stomach or six pack, not your weight.
  • TigerBite
    TigerBite Posts: 611 Member
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    I'm 5'2 and 103 LBs ... I need 1600 calories just to go about my day normal, no exercise ... Exercise days are 2,000+ ...

    Search this forum for the threads about "glycogen stores and weight gain" ... When you up your calories, you will notice a slight weight gain, but IT'S NOT FAT ... Like I said, use the search feature and educate yourself ... You sound a wee bit EDNOS, just a wee bit ... Might want to talk to someone (a professional) about your calorie fears ...
  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
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    I don't know if you are a college athlete - since I see hockey training twice a week - but you'd be surprised how many calories very active, young women need to maintain their weight. In fact, here are examples of how far off self-reported food intake was versus actual from doubly labeled water:
    Among elite female runners with daily energy intakes ranging from 2826 to 3492 calories over a period of 21 days, self-reports of food intake were 10-34% lower than determinations of total energy expenditure determined with doubly labeled water. Similarly, international female synchronized swimmers under-reported by 23% their daily energy intake from food records (2128 calories) compared to estimates derived from the doubly labeled water method (2738). In another study, 61% of elite female gymnasts substantially under-reported energy intake.

    There are some fundamental points to be derived from these studies. The key finding is that self-reported food and energy intake almost always underestimates actual intake. The magnitude of this discrepancy is substantial: it may vary from 575 calories in adolescents to 1800 calories on a daily basis during sustained, heavy exercise over a period exceeding 21 days.
    http://books.google.com/books?id=mOhF8L-frssC&pg=PA12&lpg=PA12&dq=women+underestimate+total+daily+energy+expenditure&source=bl&ots=2Bxivkl6Ew&sig=0kkpoVpS28gcG59Pb8w9lepx1C8&hl=en&sa=X&ei=gcdtUuOzEce62wW_8IGYDQ&ved=0CCkQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=women underestimate total daily energy expenditure&f=false

    Here is particular study on adolescent male and female distance runners that measured total energy expenditure during training and competition season:

    15mn4h3.png

    http://journals.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/Documents/DocumentItem/7308.pdf
  • 7heBloodstainedSash
    7heBloodstainedSash Posts: 10
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    I'm 5'1" and I try to stay under 1200 each day, regardless of my exercise....
  • fangmouse
    fangmouse Posts: 119
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    Bump
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
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    Not sure what else you are waiting to hear. You know you need to gain weight, yet you are not eating enough and exercising too much.

    How can we help? I know it's scary to gain weight. I'm right there with you. You are going to look fantastic with a little more weight on you, trust me. :flowerforyou:
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    My wife is 5'2" and 39 y.o....she lifts weights 3x weekly and runs about 3 miles a few times per week. She loses at around 1500 - 1600 calories per day and maintains around 2000 - 2200...you definitely need more fuel for your activity...a highly active young woman is going to burn far more than my oldish wife.

    eat food...
  • fangmouse
    fangmouse Posts: 119
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    No no I need to lose weight but with my increased caloric intake, I'm afraid that I might gain weight :/
  • cathylopez1975
    cathylopez1975 Posts: 191 Member
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    What sort of things are you eating for your 1000 calories? I have limited myself to 1200 for the last 14 months, but I eat back my exercise calories. In that time, if I find myself at a plateau where I don't lose weight I will up my calories to 1500/1600 for a few days and come back down to 1200. That tends to start the weight loss again. Allow yourself to eat, but make sure the foods have nutritional value. Don't waste your time on cookies and other sweets, and highly processed foods. Even if you count the calories those aren't really good for you. Make sure you get enough protein and healthy fat. And I lose more when I eat my fruits and veggies fresh instead of cooked.

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