We are pleased to announce that on March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor will be introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the upcoming changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!

Question - Working Out + 1400 Calories Per Day

ThermoDust
ThermoDust Posts: 33 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I've been doing a 1200-1400 calories per day for the last year or so. Recently, last 4 months, I started to workout. Beyond my normal 12-1400 in my everyday meals I have been adding what I burned at the gym as to prevent going so low on my calorie count per day.

For example, today was cardio and I burned around 1000, so I added 1000 more to my daily intake. If I didn't I would be sitting around 300.

Or is it more like, weight/strength training eat afterwards(things to fuel rebuilding) and cardio you can have a light snack?

Replies

  • hockeysniper8
    hockeysniper8 Posts: 253 Member
    Good work on the cardio! You should eat and replenish nutrients you lost during training. Ex. Have a protein bar or banana
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,671 Member
    Definitely eat back some of the calories burned exercising, but be aware that calories burns are usually overblown. If your losses start to slow, try eating only 75% of the burns back, and be prepared to drop to 50%.
  • ThermoDust
    ThermoDust Posts: 33 Member
    It sounds like so far what I have been doing is correct. Eat enough to maintain my 12-1400 per day goal even with the calories burned during workout. Like today, I should eat 22-2400 to make up for the 1000 lost during cardio, correct?

    Or to your point Alatariel75, maybe 1900-2150 depending on the percentage I am making up, btw is this just guessed based on weight loss or is there a good way of knowing how much of that I should make up...?
  • ThermoDust
    ThermoDust Posts: 33 Member
    Also, is there a type of food I should be eating more of after strength vs cardio days? As it stands I am 70% protein then the rest for the most part is vegetables and fruit with a small amount of starch carbohydrates each time I workout.
  • sarochka85
    sarochka85 Posts: 103 Member
    Chances are you didn't burn 1000, though.

  • kate0707
    kate0707 Posts: 13 Member
    How important is it to eat any workout calories back? Just curious myself as I burn 500 a day so do I have to eat them? I also have 1200-1400 a day. Thanks
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    Eat back somewhere between 175- 250. Try that for two weeks.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories