Eat back calories or not

nallie562
nallie562 Posts: 32 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Trying to maintain weight. I bike (8-10mi) or run (4mi 2x/wk, one long 6-13 mi 1x/wk) everyday, mixing weights and yoga in on occasion. I'm not very active at work but very active at home. Struggling to find the balance between burn and eating back what I've burnt. I usually eat 1300-1400 calories a day, rarely adding back in what I've burnt, but I actually think maybe I'm not consuming enough.
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Replies

  • School_Boy_Error
    School_Boy_Error Posts: 6 Member
    Are you losing weight?
  • crazygirl9991
    crazygirl9991 Posts: 1 Member
    What is your weight/height/age? 1300-1400 does NOT sound like enough, unless you are like 5'2" and 50 years old. You should calculate your BMR: http://www.iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

    This will tell you roughly how many calories to eat every day. Generally, on days where you do a lot of exercise, you will need to eat more carbs. The amount of fat and protein you eat every day should remain constant. You need between 50-70 grams of fat a day depending on height/weight, and then you need like 120-170 grams of protein similarly depending on height and weight. The protein is much higher here than recommended by most sources because most sources are just wrong. If you want to ensure health and retain muscle mass, you should be eating almost your body weight in protein. For instance, I weigh 198 pounds, and I eat greater than 150 grams of protein every day, regardless of whether I am trying to bulk (build muscle), cut (lose weight), or maintain.
  • enterdanger
    enterdanger Posts: 2,447 Member
    Are you hungry? If so, eat back some exercise calories. I'm always hungry so I eat back nearly all of mine. I'm already set to lose a pound a week and probably wouldn't work out at all if I didn't get to eat those calories. I don't usually eat my garmin calorie adjustments, though. I feel like they are not always right. I just manually log my exercise in MFP since the battery died in my HRM.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    nallie562 wrote: »
    Trying to maintain weight. I bike (8-10mi) or run (4mi 2x/wk, one long 6-13 mi 1x/wk) everyday, mixing weights and yoga in on occasion. I'm not very active at work but very active at home. Struggling to find the balance between burn and eating back what I've burnt. I usually eat 1300-1400 calories a day, rarely adding back in what I've burnt, but I actually think maybe I'm not consuming enough.

    Have you looked up your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure)? This should be maintenance. There are several calculators....each will give you a little bit different number. Include exercise in that calculation, so it's accounted for. Then you don't have to worry about logging it.

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    https://tdeecalculator.net/

    Pick a lower estimate & use that for awhile.
  • nallie562
    nallie562 Posts: 32 Member
    I'm a 40, female, 5'8" and 120lbs. I've always been thin. No health issues. Sometimes I'm hungry but often I'm not. I do eat 5-7 times a day, small portions
  • nallie562
    nallie562 Posts: 32 Member
    And no I'm not loosing weight
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    edited May 2016
    I eat basically all of my exercise cals to maintain. 1400 can't be your maintenance cals? You must be eating more than you think as I'm 5ft 2 and maintain on 2100-2300 cals.
  • nallie562
    nallie562 Posts: 32 Member
    I track my calories every single day
  • nallie562
    nallie562 Posts: 32 Member
    But after looking at the links it looks like I'm under eating
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    RunRutheeRun wrote: »
    I eat basically all of my exercise cals to maintain. 1400 can't be your maintenance cals? You must be eating more than you think as I'm 5ft 2 and maintain on 2100-2300 cals.

    This^
    nallie562 wrote: »
    I track my calories every single day

    There is a bit of a learning curve for tracking calories. There are lots of incorrect entries in the database here. Weighing solid food is going to be more accurate than measuring cups.

    There are lots of tips here: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1234699/logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide/p1
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    I look at this way, if you are not loosing and you have plenty of energy to do all those things that you do, and can do it to full capacity and effort then no you are not under eating.

    If you are unbalanced energy wise, then eating more exercise calories back is in order. I predict there are logging inconsitencies or not weighing food.

    In other words you are to do all that exercise every single day (which appears to be no rest day in between) and go to work and able to be even more active at home, then you have it nailed down to perfect maintenance.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    edited May 2016
    nallie562 wrote: »
    But after looking at the links it looks like I'm under eating

    If you were under eating then you would be losing weight. Do you weigh and log everything you eat?

    I'm also 5"8, 147lbs and I eat upwards of 1600 calories and still lose weight.
  • mommazach
    mommazach Posts: 384 Member
    Someone put the chart up!!! There really is a science to it. When I wasn't eating back any calories, I was stuck, so now I eat about half of my exercise calories (on good cardio days) and am back to losing about 2 lbs a week. There really is a chart. I'm sure it will get posted. :D
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    @nallie562 can you change your diary to public? Something seems to be amiss here

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    mommazach wrote: »
    Someone put the chart up!!! There really is a science to it. When I wasn't eating back any calories, I was stuck, so now I eat about half of my exercise calories (on good cardio days) and am back to losing about 2 lbs a week. There really is a chart. I'm sure it will get posted. :D

    Here tis :smile:

    ciu3wzvho3gj.jpg
  • victoria_1024
    victoria_1024 Posts: 915 Member
    I use the TDEE method since switching to maintenance because my workout schedule is pretty consistent and I love it!! Previously I ate back 50% of my exercise calories but probably underestimated. Could've been eating more.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    eeejer wrote: »
    nallie562 wrote: »
    And no I'm not loosing weight

    then you have your answer. Calculators don't matter, reality does. If what you are eating makes you maintain your weight, then congrats, you just found your maintenance TDEE.

    OP - would advise actually exceeding what does appear to be your current TDEE for a while.
    Prolonged dieting can cause a down regulating effect, particularly as regards general activity. Feeling low on energy has an effect on what you actually do.
    From the description of your activity and exercise levels your intake does sound a very low number to maintain.

    If you add 200 to what appears to be your maintenance now then you should only see an approximate two pound gain in 5 weeks time. If you don't gain then increase cals again.
    Obviously if you do gain 2lbs then you have gained knowledge along with those 2lbs!
  • nallie562
    nallie562 Posts: 32 Member
    So according to the TDEE calculator I burn more than I'm currently eating...so I think that's my problem...
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    edited May 2016
    nallie562 wrote: »
    So according to the TDEE calculator I burn more than I'm currently eating...so I think that's my problem...
    The answer to your problem isn't going to be found by looking at calculators - that's just a very rough estimate - you earlier said you aren't losing weight.
    Have you tried exceeding your current calorie allowance?

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