Question - Working Out + 1400 Calories Per Day

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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
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    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: 17,959 Member
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    Chances are you didn't burn 1000, though.

  • kate0707
    kate0707 Posts: 13 Member
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    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
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    Eat back somewhere between 175- 250. Try that for two weeks.