interesting psychological observation re: my "calorie safety

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sleepytexan
sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
edited September 2024 in Food and Nutrition
My calorie allowance per day is 1310. In my mind that is not enough, so I feel compelled to exercise in order to have "extra calories" to eat. (I've been an avid exerciser for years, it's only recently that I started paying attention to how many calories I actually burn).

On the 1 day a week that I don't exercise, I stress. I literally have to make myself not exercise on that day because I know I need the rest, but I can't help but obsess that I am going to go "over" on my calories that day.

Yesterday was such a day -- no exercise; only 1310 calories available. From the moment I woke up, I worried about it. I'm going to go over, I'm going to go over, I need more than 1310. So my husband says "work out then". (typical--thinks I'm crazy). No, no, I'm tired; I will take the day off and just eat whatever. I will give myself permission to have a maintenance day. I did. OK, so 573 cals over.

Now, today . . . just did a light work out this morning, easy paddling on the lagoon (SUP) for an hour, which earned me about 225 extra calories. Guess what, it's 850 pm, I am full and tired . . . and I still have about 275 cals available.

What!?! Why couldn't I do that yesterday??

Today I have consumed only about 1300 cals -- what I should have consumed yesterday. However yesterday, when I woke knowing that I had a 1310 limit, with no opportunity to earn more, somehow I couldn't do it -- went way over.

So having a safety net of calories available (earned by exercising) is really really super important to me. It makes me really happy to get to the end of the day and have some calories left over for a treat.

Funny. Just thought I'd share. Maybe I am crazy, but I get to have a frozen coconut dessert bar now, so I'm happy :)

Replies

  • Jorra
    Jorra Posts: 3,338 Member
    Maybe the exercise keeps you from getting hungry?

    It's interesting that you noticed that. I am the opposite, when I do exercise I stress that I won't be able to get enough calories in.
  • NikkisNewStart
    NikkisNewStart Posts: 1,075 Member
    try using the "weekly" tab on the iphone app... as long as I finish the week 100 under or 100 over my net goal (I eat my exercise calories too and I'm in maintenance now so a lot of days I'm eating 2300+ calories) then it's all good in my neighborhood. This allows me flexibility to go slightly over on days I don't exercise as long as I average it out by skimming a few off of heavy exercise days (which is not hard).

    I hope this helps!
  • Fayve
    Fayve Posts: 406 Member
    I totally agree with you. I tend to stress endlessly when I feel like there's a definite 'limit' to how many calories I'll have for the day. Lately, I've been trying to fit in a small amount of exercise just so that I feel like I have some room for mistakes, or if a small craving hits. Generally I find that exercise makes me less hungry too, so it works to that advantage as well.

    I'm also at 1310 a day, and I reeeeally struggle to be under that comfortably without working out (or at least that's what I tell myself in my head).
  • tkcasta
    tkcasta Posts: 405 Member
    This makes sense to me! I definitely think that I do the same thing. Weird.
  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
    Last time I lost weight, I had the same calories every day, whether I exercised or not (I was tracking calories on my own, and just found what worked). I was working out 5-6 times a week, and eating about 1600 calories a day, and I lost over 1 lb a week. You could probably do that, too, even if it gives you the big scary red numbers (said light-heartedly, tongue-in-cheek) for that one day.
  • funkyspunky871
    funkyspunky871 Posts: 1,675 Member
    Today was similar for me. I'm zig-zagging calories, and my goal was 1200. I freaked out and couldn't stop thinking about food. :( I went 97 cals over.

    I also do this all the time when I have 500-700 cals left for dinner. That's a huge amount for one meal, and yet I still worry that it won't be enough to fill me up... And, then what do I do? Immediately go and snack anyway all my calories so that I literally CAN'T have a filling dinner or dinner at all. What in the world...?
  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
    try using the "weekly" tab on the iphone app... as long as I finish the week 100 under or 100 over my net goal (I eat my exercise calories too and I'm in maintenance now so a lot of days I'm eating 2300+ calories) then it's all good in my neighborhood. This allows me flexibility to go slightly over on days I don't exercise as long as I average it out by skimming a few off of heavy exercise days (which is not hard).

    I hope this helps!

    I used to do that -- that worked for me for most of my life (I have been pretty consistent with my weight for most of my life). However, I had gained a mystery 10 lbs. just over a year ago, and for an entire year I could not drop it! Only over the past 6 weeks, since I switched to a daily reconciliation of consumption vs. expenditure, have I been able to get rid of it. Now that it worked, I'm hooked . . . er . . . obsessed :)
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    I'm a bit the same... I dropped my cals to 1450 last week as I was tending to go under my daily 1500/1550 way, but when I had a rest day from exercise I found myself focussing on food much more, and was really worried that I would be too hungry on only 1450 cals. As it turned out I was really hungry every day, so I've gone back to 1500 net cals per day which seems to work about right for me.
  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
    Maybe the exercise keeps you from getting hungry?

    It's interesting that you noticed that. I am the opposite, when I do exercise I stress that I won't be able to get enough calories in.

    I think that's true on a light workout day like today --my SUPing was easy-peasy; didn't even break a sweat today--(had beginners with me).

    But on a big cycling day or a big workout day like my Tuesdays--alternating weeks I teach 1 or 2 spin classes in the morning, then have either 2.5 or 3.5 - hour dance rehearsal in the evening (again alternating weekly schedule), I am STARVING and have no trouble eating 2000+

    I do think there is something psychological though -- for me, I want that safety net. Without it I am a mess.
  • Katie320
    Katie320 Posts: 61 Member
    I totally agree with you. I tend to stress endlessly when I feel like there's a definite 'limit' to how many calories I'll have for the day. Lately, I've been trying to fit in a small amount of exercise just so that I feel like I have some room for mistakes, or if a small craving hits. Generally I find that exercise makes me less hungry too, so it works to that advantage as well.

    I'm also at 1310 a day, and I reeeeally struggle to be under that comfortably without working out (or at least that's what I tell myself in my head).

    This. I have the same issue! I'm at 1390 and on days that I don't exercise I stress out about it and worry that I'll be hungry all day. But it never happens!
  • LisaKyle11
    LisaKyle11 Posts: 662 Member
    great post! i totally understand the stress with knowing you are not going to work out, etc... for me, i think it teeters on obsessiveness and/or some other definition of something unhealthy... anyway... WHAT is your secret for losing those 'mysterious' 10 pounds? i must know! i had those same pounds sneak up on me and cannot, repeat, CANNOT drop them. craziness!
  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
    great post! i totally understand the stress with knowing you are not going to work out, etc... for me, i think it teeters on obsessiveness and/or some other definition of something unhealthy... anyway... WHAT is your secret for losing those 'mysterious' 10 pounds? i must know! i had those same pounds sneak up on me and cannot, repeat, CANNOT drop them. craziness!

    This is the thread that made the light bulb go on in my head:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/196502-for-the-people-who-work-out-like-crazy-and-are-not-losing?hl=for+people+who+work+out+like+crazy

    I only recently realized that my 10-lb. weight gain in Apr. 2010 corresponded with the addition of a new 3-4 hour/week activity that I began last year. More exercise, but no extra calories consumed. Then in early May this year, I started adding more cycling in (again without more food), and boom! 5 more pounds! I was beside my (ever-expanding) self!

    For a whole year, I did not figure this out, duh! I just kept limiting myself to 18-22 WW points and complaining that I couldn't lose.

    Finally I found MFP (bc I thought WW was not working), starting logging calories in and calories out, and noticed I had been netting fewer than 800 cals. most days for over a year (while I could not lose the weight). When I read that thread above -- BINGO!! I realized I needed more food.

    6 weeks later, 11 lbs. down, fuller, happier, thinner. Wow. MFP is a beautiful thing. Best of luck to you.

    blessings!
  • cbirdso
    cbirdso Posts: 465 Member
    I'm on the same page as you Sleepy. You describe my own situation and thought process exactly. I'm thinking that exercise helps control my appetite, focuses my thoughts, and relieves stress. I marvel at the people that can keep on track without exercise calories to eat.
  • Mybetterme
    Mybetterme Posts: 80 Member
    yeah I do the same thing. or I eat the exercise calories just because I can even if im not hungry. I say well i can have desert cause I earned it but I don't even want it now I want it whenI don't have enough calories left.
  • mamagooskie
    mamagooskie Posts: 2,964 Member
    I do that SAME THING!!! Sundays are my days off from working out and the whole day I worry about what I'm going to eat and if I'm going to go over. I try to log in all my food and snacks in the morning to make sure I have enough and then during the week when I have tons earned....I sometimes have the hardest time eating them.

    IT'S CRAZY!
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