Do you increase your calorie intake on the days you lift?

augustremulous
augustremulous Posts: 378 Member
in Food and Nutrition
A little curious. I'm set on a 2 pound a week weight loss calorie intake. Today I went 200 cal something over, but I also did a pretty tough 45 minute weight lifting session that gave me a cardiovascular workout as well because I didn't leave much time in between sets. And I don't even bother logging lifting, since few of the activities are in the database.

I don't feel guilty (I'm officially done with guilt!) and I don't feel like I went off track today. But I would like my MFP logging to be consistent with my goals, so I'm wondering what other folks do.

My profile is public, btw.

Replies

  • chaney3000
    chaney3000 Posts: 267 Member
    I normally don't go over when I lift. What I usually do is split a meal on lift days. So if I go to the gym in the morning, I would have a banana and/or granola bar (not one of those meal replacment bars just a small 100-200 cal) prior and a protein shake or the like after. I sometimes have cereal after a workout. So that would be my breakfast

    I normally try to split it where I keep both under 600 cals together. Since that would be a normal meal worth of cals.

    I do something similar if I go to the gym later in the day just use different foods.
  • augustremulous
    augustremulous Posts: 378 Member
    Thanks!

    I lifted heavy yesterday (legs and glutes) , and today had an uncharacteristic day where I had to be out the door by 5am and was a bit more active than usual. Plus my legs are super sore.

    Today was the first day it's felt really hard for me to stay within my calories. I went over by 5pm, and I'm now still hungry. Plus I didn't eat as healthy/clean as usual today. Being exhausted made it harder.

    Do folks just force through it? I want to be able to give my muscles the fuel to buid, but I am also trying to lose weight.

    I just served myself a big serving of cottage cheese, which I love, since that's a source of casein and someone told me casein is better to prevent muscle breakdown while whey is best for building muscle. However it's a brand I'm trying for the first time and the second I put it into my mouth I gagged.

    *Really* want to eat something now. Wondering if I should just power through and go to bed.
  • DaddieCat
    DaddieCat Posts: 3,643 Member
    Do you log exercise? MFP is designed for you to log exercise, increase your calories, and eat them back. Most people seem to recommend eating back only half as MFP tends to over-estimate calorie burn. I find that calorie burn is considerably high, myself but I use TDEE method and not the NEAT method that MFP uses.

    If you log weight lifting, you have to log it in the cardio area as the other means doesn't give any calories back (always logs as 0 calories).
  • augustremulous
    augustremulous Posts: 378 Member
    I log walks and runs but I don't log lifting. Few of the exercises I did are in the system and it seems tiresome.

    what would you suggest if I did 45 minutes of a variety of lifting and kept my heart rate up during it?
  • DaddieCat
    DaddieCat Posts: 3,643 Member
    i would log "weight lifting (or training)i forget how it's listed under cardio and it's a generic entry, for the amount of time that you exercised, and eat back half of the calories it gives.

    You need to fuel workouts. MFP anticipates that you will log exercise and eat those additional calories. It's the crux of the NEAT method, and an intended part of the process.
  • danamalensky
    danamalensky Posts: 3 Member
    I keep my higher calorie/macro days on my leg days and increase by 300 calories and 100g of carbs. Do your chest days on your heaviest lifting days.
  • augustremulous
    augustremulous Posts: 378 Member
    @BecomingBane thanks! I just logged it.

    @danamalensky, did you mean do my cheat days on my heavy lifting days? Or that I should do chest exercises on my heaviest workout days?
  • jenring3
    jenring3 Posts: 53 Member
    I don't necessarily eat more but I do eat differently. Typically more protein on lift days.
  • socioseguro
    socioseguro Posts: 1,679 Member
    jenring3 wrote: »
    I don't necessarily eat more but I do eat differently. Typically more protein on lift days.

    I also eat more protein on lifting days. I also rest the muscles that I have utilized for at least 48 hours
  • irunforpizza
    irunforpizza Posts: 52 Member
    1-2 days per week I eat "maintenance" and I try to make those the days that I have lifting+conditioning+dance or competition days.
  • cookielover_96
    cookielover_96 Posts: 177 Member
    Not really but I do try to eat as much protein.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    Eh...depends. I'm about to start cutting again and while I'd like to eat more on my training days, I really do better at cutting if I can save those extra calories for the weekend instead. Ideally, yes-I'd like to have a little more calories/carbs on training days though.
  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
    Yes, eat a little bit more on heavy work out days.

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