Feeding The Machine! How do I gracefully UP my calories?

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jbsoulmates
jbsoulmates Posts: 9 Member
in Food and Nutrition
As of June first I upped my calories to 15,030 ( my fitness pal setting for losing .5 lbs a week) because I wasn't getting enough nutrition to sustain me in crossfit. I was lethargic and could only get half way through a workout before I completely petered out. Within the 1500 calories, I've learned a great deal and I'm eating soooo many new healthy foods. Although I feel like I'm stuffing my face all day long, I know how much better I feel. Besides the bloating anyway. Just out of curiosity, how come I've maintained my same average weight for several weeks when I'm eating better and meeting my nutritional goals? Now starting Monday, I'll be upping the calories again to right over 1800 (my fitness pals setting for maintaining) because I'm going to be starting a 9 week strength training class in crossfit. I'll be doing the normal workout in the morning and going back in the evening for the strength training (Olympic lifting) class. I think my BMR is right over 2300. I would really like to start seeing some more muscle and I know I must eat to feed the machine but I'm wondering how I'm going to manage it. I struggle already trying to get 1500 cals in. It leaves me feeling over full and bloated most of the day. And now I'm kinda afraid of gaining weight. Muscle weight...I'm on it! ;) but if I've just been maintaining current weight when MFP says I should be losing, then I get a little freaked out what 300 more are going to do. I don't totally go by the scale. I just watch my trends.
Any help or ideas on how to gracefully make this next 300 calorie jump? I don't know how to eat more than I already do. I'm stuffed to the gills as it is. I eat every 2 and a half hours or so. I try to keep my carbs for pre and post workout. As of right now, I log my snacks in with whatever meal it falls closest to. My snack category is strictly coffee so I can keep a close eye on that because I tend to over due it. My sweetener is Xylitol which only has 9 calories very very little carbs and ZERO sugars. I keep any sugars strictly from what is already in food (like peanut butter) or fruit which I try to keep to a minimum too.
Nutrition has become my obsession and I'm trying so hard to learn and understand so I don't get it wrong and end up sabotaging my efforts. I plan my day around food now. It's crazy!
Help would be greatly appreciated! Thank you in advance.
~Jennifer~

Replies

  • omnisis
    omnisis Posts: 85 Member
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    Nutrition has become my obsession and I'm trying so hard to learn and understand so I don't get it wrong and end up sabotaging my efforts. I plan my day around food now. It's crazy!

    This is likely your main problem, you have become OCD about this. Just up your daily caloric by 200 calories. Wait a week and dial it down if you start to gain too much. At a high intensity level I doubt you will notice an extra 200 calories. Another strategy that is more amenable to workouts is to vary your daily caloric load on workout days. So for example if you workout 3 days a week and your maintenance is 1500 try something like this.

    1500 - 2000 - 1500 - 2000 - 1500 - 2000 - 1500

    You've increased your calorie load but in a way that will give you energy for your workouts and the net increase to your weekly is only an extra 1500 calories or 214 cals/day.

    Based on your description though you are likely being too stingy with your intake. There's nothing wrong with a little steak, fatty fish or white potato on your workout days. You are monitoring things close enough to not have to worry about falling off the wagon.
  • jbsoulmates
    jbsoulmates Posts: 9 Member
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    Thank you, Omnisis!!! I will keep the calories varied. Great idea. I crossfit 5 days a week and do an at home workout/cardio at home on Satudays. Crossfit is an hour long but includes a personal warm up, group warm up, strength and then the actual high intensity part if the workout which can last anywhere from 8 minutes to 25 minutes. I eat quite a bit more fish these days but man....a rib eyes steak sounds amazing right now! And so the craving for it starts.....NOW! Hahaha ;)

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