It's bedtime; do I need to eat more calories?

chattyashley · February 2014

Hey friends, question for ya:
I worked out hard at the gym this morning and played in a basketball game tonight so I've had tons of exercise today. My calorie intake is only around 1,000 for the day but I'm just not hungry and could totally just go to bed. Is it okay to just call it a night, or would it be better to drink a protein shake or something first? I want to lose weight pretty rapidly, but this has happened quite a few times lately and I'm not sure if lower calories is helping or hindering... thoughts?
Thanks!

pursuitofness · February 2014

If you are honestly not feeling hungry tonight, don't push it. However, I would expect to feel extra hungry in the morning (just a guess--my body is so set on breakfast, that if I have a big deficit from the night before, I am VERY hungry in the morning). After tonight though, I would work on planning your eating throughout the day better. If you know you are going to have a lot of exercise in one day, spread out your calories at each meal so you aren't stuck with a big deficit. Following the calculations on MFP works. I won't talk to you about "starvation mode", but it is easier to adhere to a new lifestyle if you let yourself eat!

tweetetina · February 2014

You should eat more calories but like you when i have plenty to go at the end of the day, i don't want to eat right before bed. Maybe plan ahead on future days ether if you know you're going to be working out hard or paying basketball lately, eat more earlier in the day to make sure you get enough calories in

tequila09 · February 2014

You could always use those calories tomorrow!!

trogalicious · February 2014

My calorie intake is only around 1,000 for the day but I'm just not hungry and could totally just go to bed.

You're doing it wrong.

If you're working out and netting 1000 calories, you're gonna burn out and crash. It isn't sustainable and won't last.

David_AUS · February 2014

....definitely swings and round a-bouts - Some days you go over some days you go under. Weight loss is lets say not an exact science - It is what you do on average that counts. I would not create extra stress that the numbers are not always 100% - fact of life this is not practicable.

Dnarules · February 2014

So go to bed, but don't keep doing this. It rarely turns out well. Really. Eat towards a truly sustainable goal and things will work out better in the long run.

chattyashley · February 2014

Thanks all.
I ate really clean today, but I got a late start so that might have thrown me off. Meal 1 was like 10am, Meal 2 was 2pm, then I got hungry around 4pm and didn't think I could make it until dinner so I had a protein shake. Then when it was dinnertime at 6pm I wasn't at all hungry. So I went to my b-ball game at 7:30pm and just got home at 9pm and still not hungry now. I don't want to go into starvation mode, so if it's better to drink a 100 calorie protein shake or a Quest bar or something before bed, I can do that. But I don't feel hungry, so not sure what to do.

ihateroses · February 2014

You'll probably be super hungry tomorrow morning so just eat a big breakfast to make up for the tonight.

You won't be going into any kind of "mode" in a day.

SLLRunner · February 2014

Hey friends, question for ya:
I worked out hard at the gym this morning and played in a basketball game tonight so I've had tons of exercise today. My calorie intake is only around 1,000 for the day but I'm just not hungry and could totally just go to bed. Is it okay to just call it a night, or would it be better to drink a protein shake or something first? I want to lose weight pretty rapidly, but this has happened quite a few times lately and I'm not sure if lower calories is helping or hindering... thoughts?
Thanks!

Yeah, up those calories. Rapid weight loss is not the answer, and is not sustainable in the long term.

You sound very active so you need to properly fuel your body.

_errata_ · February 2014

My calorie intake is only around 1,000 for the day but I'm just not hungry and could totally just go to bed.

You're doing it wrong.

If you're working out and netting 1000 calories, you're gonna burn out and crash. It isn't sustainable and won't last.

QFT.

Amiwil · February 2014

Trogalicious, you lost 153lbs by making mistakes and doing your own thing but telling her she's doing it wrong is a terrible thing to say to someone who's asking for help. If you're going to throw out judgments,then make a suggestion or just say nothing at all.

That said, I hate to eat right before bed but if I'm not hungry, I'm not eating. Today I was super hungry and normally, it happens more so in the evenings than in the mornings. So I eat a hardy dinner. For you, a bigger lunch might do you better since you didn't feel confident about making it to dinner. Also, drinking a protein shake, as you said, is a great way to add up those calories. If you don't need so much protein, a cup of milk will do fine too. Just don't try to lose too fast. It'll come. Being a yo-yo dieter is no fun. I'm proof.

trogalicious · February 2014

Trogalicious, you lost 153lbs by making mistakes and doing your own thing but telling her she's doing it wrong is a terrible thing to say to someone who's asking for help. If you're going to throw out judgments,then make a suggestion or just say nothing at

so eating 1000 calories and working out is doing it right, or did I miss something? Maybe you missed the "If you're working out and netting 1000 calories, you're gonna burn out and crash. It isn't sustainable and won't last. " from my original reply. If the OP is really netting 1000 calories per day, even the MFP webpage/app is telling her "Hey, you're not eating enough" which is effectively "You're doing it wrong."

pick your fights, you're not gonna win this one.

and I got to 337 by making mistakes. I lost the 153 by getting my crap together.

_errata_ · February 2014

Hey friends, question for ya:
I worked out hard at the gym this morning and played in a basketball game tonight so I've had tons of exercise today. My calorie intake is only around 1,000 for the day but I'm just not hungry and could totally just go to bed. Is it okay to just call it a night, or would it be better to drink a protein shake or something first? I want to lose weight pretty rapidly, but this has happened quite a few times lately and I'm not sure if lower calories is helping or hindering... thoughts?
Thanks!

Appetite naturally diminishes on VLCDs. If you keep eating that way, your body will adjust and get rid of hunger pangs, which can mask serious eating disorder issues. My advice is to listen to Trog. Whatever you do, you have to make sure you can do it for the rest of your life; otherwise, you will crash and burn. I would recommend eating up to your BMR every day, without exception.

trogalicious · February 2014

I put this together a while back. It seems to have helped some folks. It worked for me and tons of others.

1. don't trust the initial setup that MFP provides. If you put in the wrong/inaccurate information, it'll tell you to eat an amount that may not be applicable.
2. Make sure you eat enough.
3. Figure out what works for you and is sustainable/healthy/long term.
4. avoid fads. don't buy in to any "Hey, try the twinkie and vodka diet"
5. Don't cut out anything now that you don't plan on literally giving up forever.
6. GET A FOOD SCALE. Weigh everything. No, seriously.
7. Get an HRM with a chest strap. You'll at least have a better idea of what you're burning. It'll be more accurate than the generic info in the exercise database.. and even more than the cardio machines. This is great for steady state cardio (run/walk/etc)
8. Don't go balls out. You'll burn out. I see 300 lb people show up here, instantly start working out and cutting their intake SEVERELY... trying to cut out all of their carbs at once.. whatever. Take it slow. Figure out how much you need to eat FIRST in order to lose.. then incorporate exercise.
9. Don't cardio yourself to death.
10. Take the information on the forums with a grain of salt. A lot of people that have been here for a while.. and have been successful, may seem jaded. They give out GREAT advice day after day, only to be met with people that refuse to listen.
11. Eat real food. Not diet food. Not "low fat, sugar free, now without X." It's easier to get/find/count.
12. don't set time restrictions.
13. measure yourself weekly. Don't just weigh. Measure and take pictures.
14 BE PATIENT.
15. Avoid forum topics that have "1200" in the title. It's just full of butthurt. Lots of it.
16. This isn't a game, it's about changing your lifestyle. Do that.

pretty much that.

...and don't fall into the "1200 calorie" vertigo of suck because of:

the typical MFP users does this:
1. I wanna lose weight, let's try MFP.
2. OH! Wow, it tells me I can lose 2 lbs a WEEK? AWESOME!
3. I just sit at a desk when I'm not working out, I guess I'm sedentary.
4. MFP tells them 1200 calories, and they don't even eat that.. then they work out on top of it.. creating an even bigger deficit.
5. Lose a lot, fast, brag about 1200 calorie success.
6. Come back in a few months trying to figure out why they're dizzy, tired, not losing weight.
7. Get on the forums, ask why they aren't losing.
8. Get two responses (I eat 1200 and lose) (I eat 2200 and lose)
9. Argument ensues about who is right.

Now. That being said. These threads happen hundreds of times per day. Most times, and I mean really.. seriously.. 95% of the time.. people get the 1200 number because they don't put the right information in when they set up the account. There are a great number of people that are trying to help. I'm one of 'em.

I'm a hardcore advocate of actually finding out what works for the individual.. by means of other calculators, averages, time, practice, and patience.

Blanket prescriptions of 1200 calories "because it worked for me" is more harmful to the generic new user than the "figure out what you need to eat." Unfortunately, one is a LOT easier to type.

Find out what you need: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

But if you're not following the red notice that MFP gives you, I'm not sure this is gonna help.

KMasz · February 2014

Trogalicious, you lost 153lbs by making mistakes and doing your own thing but telling her she's doing it wrong is a terrible thing to say to someone who's asking for help. If you're going to throw out judgments,then make a suggestion or just say nothing at all.

Just don't try to lose too fast. It'll come. Being a yo-yo dieter is no fun. I'm proof.

Everyone has their own way of losing wieght... I doubt an entire 153 lbs lost could have been done by making mistakes... sounds like a hell of a lot of dedication and hard work to me. He's trying to tell her that what she's been doing isn't healthy and suggesting she eat more so that she doesn't lose too fast and crash and gain weight back and, you know, yo-yo.

OP, great job on your progress so far and nice job with your workouts! I would suggest you try to NET more than 1200 so that your body is able to fuel itself for your workouts. If it's hard for you, try incorporating more calorie dense foods like nuts, peanutbutter, avacado... or like other people said, try to plan ahead and spread out your calories throughout the day. Good Luck with the rest of your journey!

deksgrl · February 2014

Trogalicious, you lost 153lbs by making mistakes and doing your own thing but telling her she's doing it wrong is a terrible thing to say to someone who's asking for help. If you're going to throw out judgments,then make a suggestion or just say nothing at all.

Uhm, what? If you're looking for a forum where people are only supposed to say what people want to hear, then you are in the wrong place.

writergeek313 · February 2014

I put this together a while back. It seems to have helped some folks. It worked for me and tons of others.

1. don't trust the initial setup that MFP provides. If you put in the wrong/inaccurate information, it'll tell you to eat an amount that may not be applicable.
2. Make sure you eat enough.
3. Figure out what works for you and is sustainable/healthy/long term.
4. avoid fads. don't buy in to any "Hey, try the twinkie and vodka diet"
5. Don't cut out anything now that you don't plan on literally giving up forever.
6. GET A FOOD SCALE. Weigh everything. No, seriously.
7. Get an HRM with a chest strap. You'll at least have a better idea of what you're burning. It'll be more accurate than the generic info in the exercise database.. and even more than the cardio machines. This is great for steady state cardio (run/walk/etc)
8. Don't go balls out. You'll burn out. I see 300 lb people show up here, instantly start working out and cutting their intake SEVERELY... trying to cut out all of their carbs at once.. whatever. Take it slow. Figure out how much you need to eat FIRST in order to lose.. then incorporate exercise.
9. Don't cardio yourself to death.
10. Take the information on the forums with a grain of salt. A lot of people that have been here for a while.. and have been successful, may seem jaded. They give out GREAT advice day after day, only to be met with people that refuse to listen.
11. Eat real food. Not diet food. Not "low fat, sugar free, now without X." It's easier to get/find/count.
12. don't set time restrictions.
13. measure yourself weekly. Don't just weigh. Measure and take pictures.
14 BE PATIENT.
15. Avoid forum topics that have "1200" in the title. It's just full of butthurt. Lots of it.
16. This isn't a game, it's about changing your lifestyle. Do that.

pretty much that.

This is one of the best posts I've seen on here. It's all very realistic advice, some of which took me quite awhile to figure out.

OP, if you only netted 1000 calories yesterday and aren't making a habit out of it, it's not a big deal. Definitely don't make a habit out of it, though. You need to give your body the fuel it needs to get you through those intense workouts. If you don't want to eat more or more often, think about how you can get more calorie dense foods into your diet (peanut butter in that protein shake? Yes!).

SephiraRose · February 2014

Save the calories. Good for you.

smiley245 · February 2014

I put this together a while back. It seems to have helped some folks. It worked for me and tons of others.

1. don't trust the initial setup that MFP provides. If you put in the wrong/inaccurate information, it'll tell you to eat an amount that may not be applicable.
2. Make sure you eat enough.
3. Figure out what works for you and is sustainable/healthy/long term.
4. avoid fads. don't buy in to any "Hey, try the twinkie and vodka diet"
5. Don't cut out anything now that you don't plan on literally giving up forever.
6. GET A FOOD SCALE. Weigh everything. No, seriously.
7. Get an HRM with a chest strap. You'll at least have a better idea of what you're burning. It'll be more accurate than the generic info in the exercise database.. and even more than the cardio machines. This is great for steady state cardio (run/walk/etc)
8. Don't go balls out. You'll burn out. I see 300 lb people show up here, instantly start working out and cutting their intake SEVERELY... trying to cut out all of their carbs at once.. whatever. Take it slow. Figure out how much you need to eat FIRST in order to lose.. then incorporate exercise.
9. Don't cardio yourself to death.
10. Take the information on the forums with a grain of salt. A lot of people that have been here for a while.. and have been successful, may seem jaded. They give out GREAT advice day after day, only to be met with people that refuse to listen.
11. Eat real food. Not diet food. Not "low fat, sugar free, now without X." It's easier to get/find/count.
12. don't set time restrictions.
13. measure yourself weekly. Don't just weigh. Measure and take pictures.
14 BE PATIENT.
15. Avoid forum topics that have "1200" in the title. It's just full of butthurt. Lots of it.
16. This isn't a game, it's about changing your lifestyle. Do that.

pretty much that.

...and don't fall into the "1200 calorie" vertigo of suck because of:

the typical MFP users does this:
1. I wanna lose weight, let's try MFP.
2. OH! Wow, it tells me I can lose 2 lbs a WEEK? AWESOME!
3. I just sit at a desk when I'm not working out, I guess I'm sedentary.
4. MFP tells them 1200 calories, and they don't even eat that.. then they work out on top of it.. creating an even bigger deficit.
5. Lose a lot, fast, brag about 1200 calorie success.
6. Come back in a few months trying to figure out why they're dizzy, tired, not losing weight.
7. Get on the forums, ask why they aren't losing.
8. Get two responses (I eat 1200 and lose) (I eat 2200 and lose)
9. Argument ensues about who is right.

Now. That being said. These threads happen hundreds of times per day. Most times, and I mean really.. seriously.. 95% of the time.. people get the 1200 number because they don't put the right information in when they set up the account. There are a great number of people that are trying to help. I'm one of 'em.

I'm a hardcore advocate of actually finding out what works for the individual.. by means of other calculators, averages, time, practice, and patience.

Blanket prescriptions of 1200 calories "because it worked for me" is more harmful to the generic new user than the "figure out what you need to eat." Unfortunately, one is a LOT easier to type.

Find out what you need: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

But if you're not following the red notice that MFP gives you, I'm not sure this is gonna help.

^^ I like you.

OP...If this is a rare hardly ever happens type thing. Going to bed and not having met your calorie requirements for the day will not hurt. Long term, its just not a good idea.
(I dont know what your typical calorie goal for the day is, I will assume normally your in a "good range" for your height/weight and not at 1000cals/day. )

You may be quite hungry in the morning. Personally I would compensate and eat more the next day just to balance things out.

fighterwithin · February 2014

I put this together a while back. It seems to have helped some folks. It worked for me and tons of others.

1. don't trust the initial setup that MFP provides. If you put in the wrong/inaccurate information, it'll tell you to eat an amount that may not be applicable.
2. Make sure you eat enough.
3. Figure out what works for you and is sustainable/healthy/long term.
4. avoid fads. don't buy in to any "Hey, try the twinkie and vodka diet"
5. Don't cut out anything now that you don't plan on literally giving up forever.
6. GET A FOOD SCALE. Weigh everything. No, seriously.
7. Get an HRM with a chest strap. You'll at least have a better idea of what you're burning. It'll be more accurate than the generic info in the exercise database.. and even more than the cardio machines. This is great for steady state cardio (run/walk/etc)
8. Don't go balls out. You'll burn out. I see 300 lb people show up here, instantly start working out and cutting their intake SEVERELY... trying to cut out all of their carbs at once.. whatever. Take it slow. Figure out how much you need to eat FIRST in order to lose.. then incorporate exercise.
9. Don't cardio yourself to death.
10. Take the information on the forums with a grain of salt. A lot of people that have been here for a while.. and have been successful, may seem jaded. They give out GREAT advice day after day, only to be met with people that refuse to listen.
11. Eat real food. Not diet food. Not "low fat, sugar free, now without X." It's easier to get/find/count.
12. don't set time restrictions.
13. measure yourself weekly. Don't just weigh. Measure and take pictures.
14 BE PATIENT.
15. Avoid forum topics that have "1200" in the title. It's just full of butthurt. Lots of it.
16. This isn't a game, it's about changing your lifestyle. Do that.

pretty much that.

...and don't fall into the "1200 calorie" vertigo of suck because of:

the typical MFP users does this:
1. I wanna lose weight, let's try MFP.
2. OH! Wow, it tells me I can lose 2 lbs a WEEK? AWESOME!
3. I just sit at a desk when I'm not working out, I guess I'm sedentary.
4. MFP tells them 1200 calories, and they don't even eat that.. then they work out on top of it.. creating an even bigger deficit.
5. Lose a lot, fast, brag about 1200 calorie success.
6. Come back in a few months trying to figure out why they're dizzy, tired, not losing weight.
7. Get on the forums, ask why they aren't losing.
8. Get two responses (I eat 1200 and lose) (I eat 2200 and lose)
9. Argument ensues about who is right.

Now. That being said. These threads happen hundreds of times per day. Most times, and I mean really.. seriously.. 95% of the time.. people get the 1200 number because they don't put the right information in when they set up the account. There are a great number of people that are trying to help. I'm one of 'em.

I'm a hardcore advocate of actually finding out what works for the individual.. by means of other calculators, averages, time, practice, and patience.

Blanket prescriptions of 1200 calories "because it worked for me" is more harmful to the generic new user than the "figure out what you need to eat." Unfortunately, one is a LOT easier to type.

Find out what you need: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

But if you're not following the red notice that MFP gives you, I'm not sure this is gonna help.

fantastic advice!

It's bedtime; do I need to eat more calories?

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