Refueling question

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alhs
alhs Posts: 8
in Food and Nutrition
Let me start off by saying I'm 1/2 through a six month goal to loose 40 lbs. It's a challenge my trainer and I put together to help break through a plateau after loosing my initial 50lbs a couple of years ago. As a result, my activity level and intensity has increased dramatically! I've lost weight, but I don't know how much (part of the agreement is that I don't look at a scale, but he weighs me in every week).

Given that, I know for the most part that what I'm doing is working (basically aiming to net 1200 calories between food and exercise during any given day), but I have a question. On Saturdays, I eat something small (like a nutrigrain bar) and run 5 miles or so. Then I'll have some oatmeal and head off to a 60 minute Zumba class. I'm finding on those days it's SO hard for me to make up the extra 700+ calories I need to eat and still eat healthy. So my question is this: Do I need to replace ALL of those calories by the time I turn in for the night, since I obviously can't do it before hand, or can I spread my intake out over the rest of the weekend? Sunday is my rest day and I usually try to eat no more than 1200 calories with no exercise.

Any thoughts on this?
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Replies

  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
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    (basically aiming to net 1200 calories between food and exercise during any given day
    You're not eating enough. At your weight, you can easily lose on ~1800-2000 calories net - ie before logging and eating back exercise cals.

    I suggest you check out a website like http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/CalRequire.html and calculate your net needs (don't include exercise) and then subtract 20% from that. Which is ~1lb/week loss. A lower loss goal and more food will make training easier, will reduce muscle loss, and will make it a lot easier fro you to lose your final 40lbs because your metabolism will not be lowering nearly as quickly. I advise that you weigh yourself or ask your trainer for your current weight so you can recalculate your needs properly - if he has suggested 1200 calories for you then honestly I would get a new trainer or only utilize him for exercise help and NOT dietary help.

    But aside from that, weight loss is all about calorie deficit. Meaning you can eat whatever you'd like within your caloric needs. So if you need to eat 500 calories, you can have a slice of pizza, or a donut and a cookie, or you can make a decadent sandwich with lots of cheese and mayo and meats, or you can have a beer and hamburger, or you can have a salad with lots of nuts and cheese with a bagel on the side, or whatever. It's all about your weekly average, so you can eat if the next day if you'd like, but honestly it's really not that hard to take in the extra calories on the same day. Since you're undereating though, eating all the cals back is ideal, so just choose something calorie dense. Otherwise choose a few small calorie dense things. Have half a chocolate bar if you'd like. Eat a few tbsps of peanut butter. But if you calculate your proper net intake needs then 50-75% of exercise calories might be enough. I know that for myself, ~75% seems to work better, if not 100% and I am using a properly calculated estimate.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    Do I need to replace ALL of those calories by the time I turn in for the night, since I obviously can't do it before hand, or can I spread my intake out over the rest of the weekend?
    Your body doesn't reset at midnight like MFP does. You can go for a weekly calorie total.

    1200 calories net isn't going to hurt you.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
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    Do I need to replace ALL of those calories by the time I turn in for the night, since I obviously can't do it before hand, or can I spread my intake out over the rest of the weekend?
    Your body doesn't reset at midnight like MFP does. You can go for a weekly calorie total.

    1200 calories net isn't going to hurt you.
    No 1200 net won't kill you but considering the ops activity and stats they can eat a lot more still lose weight in a way more sustainable way. The idea should be to eat as much as you can and lose weight not the opposite. If you fuel your body better you work out better and are more likely to keep the weight off long term. I know you love pushing 1200 calorie diets in reality they are only appropriate for very few people. Yes I know you don't believe that walking along
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
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    Do I need to replace ALL of those calories by the time I turn in for the night, since I obviously can't do it before hand, or can I spread my intake out over the rest of the weekend?
    Your body doesn't reset at midnight like MFP does. You can go for a weekly calorie total.

    1200 calories net isn't going to hurt you.
    No 1200 net won't kill you but considering the ops activity and stats they can eat a lot more still lose weight in a way more sustainable way. The idea should be to eat as much as you can and lose weight not the opposite. If you fuel your body better you work out better and are more likely to keep the weight off long term. I know you love pushing 1200 calorie diets in reality they are only appropriate for very few people. Yes I know you don't believe that walking along

    Agree with all of this. OP definitely calculate your caloric needs (again or for the first time), set a more reasonable goal, and eat back exercise cals if you use MFP net method! I'm 170lbs and the lowest I've gone down to was to 1800 TDEE (so that included my weekly exercise average; net was probably ~1600 then o.o) and that was when I first joined nad used the wrong calculator lol. I'm netting 1850-1900 now, although I do stand/walk more now that I'm back in school compared to over the summer (closer to 2-3 hours of standing/walking a day on average). 1200 is really not appropriate for individuals of average height and who have a lot of weight to lose/high body fat.
  • alhs
    alhs Posts: 8
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    Do I need to replace ALL of those calories by the time I turn in for the night, since I obviously can't do it before hand, or can I spread my intake out over the rest of the weekend?
    Your body doesn't reset at midnight like MFP does. You can go for a weekly calorie total.

    Thank you for that.

    Just to clarify my daily food intake ranges from 1700-2100 calories a day, depending on the exercise I have planned for that day. Since most of my workouts are at night it's easier during the day to fuel up for them. Saturdays specifically I have such a large burn in the morning and basically doubling the exercise, I find it difficult to eat all the calories back that I need to, that's why I was wondering if I had to force myself to no matter the cost, or if I could spread some of that to Sunday. That is the only day I restrict myself to around 1200 calories since I don't exercise and my goal is about 1.5-2 lbs a week. Let me also note I'm trying to eat "clean" wherever possible - my body has started rejecting pizza, etc., unfortunately (or fortunately :) - so I'm not going to eat junk to make up calories.

    The 1200 is based on My Fitness Pal's calculator along with others.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    Do I need to replace ALL of those calories by the time I turn in for the night, since I obviously can't do it before hand, or can I spread my intake out over the rest of the weekend?
    Your body doesn't reset at midnight like MFP does. You can go for a weekly calorie total.

    1200 calories net isn't going to hurt you.
    No 1200 net won't kill you but considering the ops activity and stats they can eat a lot more still lose weight in a way more sustainable way. The idea should be to eat as much as you can and lose weight not the opposite. If you fuel your body better you work out better and are more likely to keep the weight off long term. I know you love pushing 1200 calorie diets in reality they are only appropriate for very few people. Yes I know you don't believe that walking along
    Got any links to support any of that? I'll include them in my profile, along with the links that show the opposite.

    I don't 'push 1200 calorie diets', I discourage the spread of misinformation like "1200 is dangerous" because it is a valid option.

    Your goal might be to lose as slowly as possible but that is not everyone's goal. Or even most peoples' goal.

    Do you know how pro athletes who observe Ramadan fasting 'fuel their body'? From body fat, the same way dieters do. It works great. It's how we're designed to work.
  • FitCanuckChick
    FitCanuckChick Posts: 240 Member
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    I just trained for and completed my first full marathon. The absolute best refuel I would have after long runs was chocolate milk and watermelon.
  • Snypa1
    Snypa1 Posts: 31 Member
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    The OP said net, not gross. He may be eating 3000 calories for all you know so his exercise is irreverent. If your going for a big deficit though eat healthy so you get 'all dem nutrients'
  • alhs
    alhs Posts: 8
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    The OP said net, not gross. He may be eating 3000 calories for all you know so his exercise is irreverent. If your going for a big deficit though eat healthy so you get 'all dem nutrients'

    That's my main issue - how to make up a big deficit while still eating healthy. Thanks!
  • alpine1994
    alpine1994 Posts: 1,915 Member
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    Do I need to replace ALL of those calories by the time I turn in for the night, since I obviously can't do it before hand, or can I spread my intake out over the rest of the weekend?
    Your body doesn't reset at midnight like MFP does. You can go for a weekly calorie total.

    Thank you for that.

    Just to clarify my daily food intake ranges from 1700-2100 calories a day, depending on the exercise I have planned for that day. Since most of my workouts are at night it's easier during the day to fuel up for them. Saturdays specifically I have such a large burn in the morning and basically doubling the exercise, I find it difficult to eat all the calories back that I need to, that's why I was wondering if I had to force myself to no matter the cost, or if I could spread some of that to Sunday. That is the only day I restrict myself to around 1200 calories since I don't exercise and my goal is about 1.5-2 lbs a week. Let me also note I'm trying to eat "clean" wherever possible - my body has started rejecting pizza, etc., unfortunately (or fortunately :) - so I'm not going to eat junk to make up calories.

    The 1200 is based on My Fitness Pal's calculator along with others.

    I've always been in the mindset of attaining weekly goals instead of daily ones, so I would definitely carry over those extra cals to Sunday if I didn't feel like eating them on Saturday. You could also use them earlier in the week too if you were going out and wanted more lee-way, etc.
  • dieselbyte
    dieselbyte Posts: 733 Member
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    Do I need to replace ALL of those calories by the time I turn in for the night, since I obviously can't do it before hand, or can I spread my intake out over the rest of the weekend?
    Your body doesn't reset at midnight like MFP does. You can go for a weekly calorie total.

    Thank you for that.

    Just to clarify my daily food intake ranges from 1700-2100 calories a day, depending on the exercise I have planned for that day. Since most of my workouts are at night it's easier during the day to fuel up for them. Saturdays specifically I have such a large burn in the morning and basically doubling the exercise, I find it difficult to eat all the calories back that I need to, that's why I was wondering if I had to force myself to no matter the cost, or if I could spread some of that to Sunday. That is the only day I restrict myself to around 1200 calories since I don't exercise and my goal is about 1.5-2 lbs a week. Let me also note I'm trying to eat "clean" wherever possible - my body has started rejecting pizza, etc., unfortunately (or fortunately :) - so I'm not going to eat junk to make up calories.

    The 1200 is based on My Fitness Pal's calculator along with others.

    As was stated in an earlier post, food choices won't hinder fat loss. Your body isn't rejecting pizza as much as you are eliminating it from your diet. When you do eat pizza, you may experience an adverse reaction because you are introducing a different food into your system (pizza is high in sodium, low in potassium; sodium causes water retention; same caloric intake may make you feel "bloated" from the water retention - it doesn't mean pizza is bad). Eating macronutrient dense, whole foods 100% of the time will not make the fat come off quicker than eating it 80% of the time. However, if you choose to eliminate food groups from your diet that is your choice, I'm not judging.

    As for "refueling", unless timing meals for a specific training session to maximize physical performance, focus on weekly macros vs daily. You're body is constantly burning and storing fat, so it's the long run that matters most - not micromanaging day to day.
  • alhs
    alhs Posts: 8
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    As was stated in an earlier post, food choices won't hinder fat loss. Your body isn't rejecting pizza as much as you are eliminating it from your diet. When you do eat pizza, you may experience an adverse reaction because you are introducing a different food into your system (pizza is high in sodium, low in potassium; sodium causes water retention; same caloric intake may make you feel "bloated" from the water retention - it doesn't mean pizza is bad). Eating macronutrient dense, whole foods 100% of the time will not make the fat come off quicker than eating it 80% of the time. However, if you choose to eliminate food groups from your diet that is your choice, I'm not judging.

    As for "refueling", unless timing meals for a specific training session to maximize physical performance, focus on weekly macros vs daily. You're body is constantly burning and storing fat, so it's the long run that matters most - not micromanaging day to day.

    Thank you! That helps a lot.

    I ate out a LOT over July 4th weekend and all of it was junk food. I spent the following Sunday throwing up (no actual food) and felt nauseated for 2 more days after that. I hadn't eaten that much grease in a long time and my system just couldn't handle it. Basically, I'm just finding that after I eat certain foods from a restaurant rather than making them at home, I feel sick that evening and next day. So eliminating some things at least temporarily are more for that reason than anything else.
  • SrMaggalicious
    SrMaggalicious Posts: 495 Member
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    [/quote]As was stated in an earlier post, food choices won't hinder fat loss. Your body isn't rejecting pizza as much as you are eliminating it from your diet. When you do eat pizza, you may experience an adverse reaction because you are introducing a different food into your system (pizza is high in sodium, low in potassium; sodium causes water retention; same caloric intake may make you feel "bloated" from the water retention - it doesn't mean pizza is bad). Eating macronutrient dense, whole foods 100% of the time will not make the fat come off quicker than eating it 80% of the time. However, if you choose to eliminate food groups from your diet that is your choice, I'm not judging.

    As for "refueling", unless timing meals for a specific training session to maximize physical performance, focus on weekly macros vs daily. You're body is constantly burning and storing fat, so it's the long run that matters most - not micromanaging day to day.[/quote]

    ^^^I love stalking your advice.

    ETA: not sure where the quotes went! smh
  • SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage
    SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage Posts: 2,668 Member
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    I have a similar issue. I'm currently training for a half marathon and on Sundays, which are my long run days, I burn about 1,400 cals. I run in the afternoon/ evening and there's no way I will eat back all my calories by the time I go to bed. I don't like to pre-eat because I don't like to feel too full when I run.

    I make sure I'm eating my base calorie amount throughout the day at the very least (currently around 1,600 cals) and if I can eat a bit more, I do. I find that after a long run the only thing I can stomach is some chocolate or strawberry milk anyways. I generally end up eating back very little of my exercise calories on that day. However on Monday, or the day after a long run/ heavy workout, I'm famished, so I eat back my calories then.

    So today being the day after my long run and lots of calories left over from yesterday, I'm hitting Chopotle for lunch! I don't see a problem with this method but maybe some other, more experienced MFPers have other opinions.

    Edited: sorry, just read the other responses and I gather most of them agree with this ^
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    That's why I use TDEE... just spread your extra calories for several days.
  • alhs
    alhs Posts: 8
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    I'm training for a 1/2 in November too! Thanks for your thoughts!
  • rides4sanity
    rides4sanity Posts: 1,269 Member
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    Honestly I'd get up earlier and have more cals before you run...
  • jacklis
    jacklis Posts: 280 Member
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    OP I went through a plateau at the end of my weight loss goal and did strive to net 1200 for a short period of time, with a very high activity level to break through.
    It worked, but I made sure to eat well -protein shake first thing in the morning, egg and slice of toast an hour later, greek yogurt and fruit around 11:00am, greens and chicken or tuna at lunch, cottage cheese and fruit mid afternoon, and then fish or chicken and veggies for dinner. I maintained that until I hit my goal, got all my nutrients, and made sure I was getting the right amount of sleep.
    I now maintain at 1850 plus, lift heavy for two hours 3 times a week and have a cardio only day once a week.
    It is possible, but in order to keep it up and have the energy you need to make it to that final goal I found that eating over intervals like I describe above was the best way to keep my energy up all day.
  • alhs
    alhs Posts: 8
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    OP I went through a plateau at the end of my weight loss goal and did strive to net 1200 for a short period of time, with a very high activity level to break through.
    It worked, but I made sure to eat well -protein shake first thing in the morning, egg and slice of toast an hour later, greek yogurt and fruit around 11:00am, greens and chicken or tuna at lunch, cottage cheese and fruit mid afternoon, and then fish or chicken and veggies for dinner. I maintained that until I hit my goal, got all my nutrients, and made sure I was getting the right amount of sleep.
    I now maintain at 1850 plus, lift heavy for two hours 3 times a week and have a cardio only day once a week.
    It is possible, but in order to keep it up and have the energy you need to make it to that final goal I found that eating over intervals like I describe above was the best way to keep my energy up all day.

    I do that pretty well on weekdays, Saturdays are what throw me - and I know a lot of it is mental (because in my brain, the spinach in my fridge is for lunches at work . . .). I do think though, integrating protein shakes again would be a good idea.
  • jacklis
    jacklis Posts: 280 Member
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    Totally understand- weekends were a disruption, but for me it was because I was out of routine. My trainer made me promise to have a protein shake as soon as I woke up (to break the fast) and if I needed to lie back down for a bit and then eat a bit more later it was fine. It was a good habit to get into, because once I was up and moving I was thinking about my food and planning it out for the day- therefore eating more.

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