Fuel for working out: Calories intake
max2744
Posts: 4 Member
My starting weight is 300 lbs. the MFA states I should be eating around 2600 calories a day. I've been tracking my food intake and run anywhere between 1200 and 1600 between breakfast and lunch. This has been my normal foods before I started exercising. I been burning right at 1000 calories each work out and after subtraction I'm sitting at around 800 calories for the day ( before any post work out food intake) even if I eat 100 percent of my calorie burn I'm still stirring around 1400 to 1600 calories. My biggest concern is that I'm not fueling my body enough to properly burn weight off. Any thoughts or suggestions?
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I'm not sure where you're taking your exercise numbers from, but machines (or MFP numbers) are very inflated and you usually only burn about half what they say.
But it really doesn't matter when you eat (before or after workout), as long as you're eating enough in a day.0 -
What are you doing to burn 1000 calories in your workout? This would be the equivalent of running/walking 8-10 miles. Seems high for some one new to exercise.1
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My starting weight is 300 lbs. the MFA states I should be eating around 2600 calories a day. I've been tracking my food intake and run anywhere between 1200 and 1600 between breakfast and lunch. This has been my normal foods before I started exercising. I been burning right at 1000 calories each work out and after subtraction I'm sitting at around 800 calories for the day ( before any post work out food intake) even if I eat 100 percent of my calorie burn I'm still stirring around 1400 to 1600 calories. My biggest concern is that I'm not fueling my body enough to properly burn weight off. Any thoughts or suggestions?
How do you feel? Do you feel like you need more calories or are you just worried? That is a very low net, but I would guess your exercise burn might be a little off and possibly the logging too. If you feel fine, I would give it a few weeks and see what your results vs expected are and go from there to maintain a good loss rate.
As for actually getting through a workout, the best thing you can do is a small meal/snack about 30-45 minutes before the workout that has protein and some carbs. I would go for about 25g protein and 30-50g complex carbs (not sugar and not fiber).Packerjohn wrote: »What are you doing to burn 1000 calories in your workout? This would be the equivalent of running/walking 8-10 miles. Seems high for some one new to exercise.
1000 calories is not hard for 300lbs. I'd say he is in the neighborhood, but might be a little high.1 -
I've been going to Orangetheory Fitness. They help track your calories. High intensity cardio intervals mixed with plyometric exercises /mixed with free weight dumbbells. I track my own food (via my fitness app)and do admit my calories may be off a tad bit but I am pretty close on intake.
I suppose I am more worried about my total calories because people have been telling me I am eating to low and may not get any weight loss because of the shock on my body due to few calories. I've been at it for 3 weeks.. 3 days a week, this is my 1st week of 4 times a week. My 1st few weeks I felt tired but have incorporated a lean bcaa (evlution nutrition)for help with recovery. Felt lethargic the 1st few weeks but this week while doing two back to back days was rough I don't feel that way this week.0 -
You won't fail to lose weight because you're eating too little. But if you are eating too little, you may very well suffer lack of energy, lethargy, and have a hard time sticking to the workout routine.
Your BMR is ~2300. Assuming sedentary lifestyle, your daily burn before exercise is approximately 2800. Over the course of a week, that is 19600. Taking your workout calories at face value, adds 4000 weekly. Gives you a daily average of about 3375. If you're eating 2600/day that is a pace to lose about 1.5 pounds per week. Not terribly aggressive as you're at 300 pounds now. If you're lightly active, your before-exercise daily burn is a little higher, putting you around 2 pounds loss per week.
Unless you are very active in your day job/lifestyle - I'd give it time 4-6 weeks and track results. If you feel your workouts are suffering, increase your intake. If you don't seem to be losing, improve the accuracy of your logging and/or reduce intake by 200/day.
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My starting weight is 300 lbs. the MFA states I should be eating around 2600 calories a day. I've been tracking my food intake and run anywhere between 1200 and 1600 between breakfast and lunch. This has been my normal foods before I started exercising. I been burning right at 1000 calories each work out and after subtraction I'm sitting at around 800 calories for the day ( before any post work out food intake) even if I eat 100 percent of my calorie burn I'm still stirring around 1400 to 1600 calories. My biggest concern is that I'm not fueling my body enough to properly burn weight off. Any thoughts or suggestions?
what do do is invest in a fitbit the cheapest one I have found is the jawbone up2 it syncs with your MFP and gives more accurate reading for calories burned - auto tracks your sleep and exercise - then syncs with MFP and adjusts the calories for you - I hope this helps
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I've been going to Orangetheory Fitness. They help track your calories. High intensity cardio intervals mixed with plyometric exercises /mixed with free weight dumbbells. I track my own food (via my fitness app)and do admit my calories may be off a tad bit but I am pretty close on intake.
I suppose I am more worried about my total calories because people have been telling me I am eating to low and may not get any weight loss because of the shock on my body due to few calories. I've been at it for 3 weeks.. 3 days a week, this is my 1st week of 4 times a week. My 1st few weeks I felt tired but have incorporated a lean bcaa (evlution nutrition)for help with recovery. Felt lethargic the 1st few weeks but this week while doing two back to back days was rough I don't feel that way this week.
So it sounds like you are probably pretty close on the logging. Any time you change routines it can make you a little tired.
Who are these people? Are they your trainer at the fitness place or just random people in your life? Do they have any experience - like maybe they are health nuts or have lost weight in the past?
So, you are 3 weeks in. What is your progress so far?0 -
I have been at this for a few years now but I started just under 300lbs. The way I see it, if your workout doesn't seem to be suffering adding the extra calories for the sake of the calculator isn't the way to go. I'm not saying to eat a very low cal diet and exercise but I am saying to listen to your body. If you are hungry, eat...when you are not, stop.
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Mostly random people with no experience. So 3 weeks in I'm down about 2 lbs to 4 lbs..( I have weighed once each morning for the last two mornings) ( water weight flux may happening also) but I promised my self to only weigh once a month so I would focus on scale number because I understand I can be offsetting weight loss with some lean muscle addition. And also loss in inches rather than pound loss.. I'm not really worried about weight loss right now, but more my diet that may prevent weight loss if that makes sense..0
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Your diet will prevent weight loss if you consume more than your body uses in a day. As others have said, judge by how you feel.
The theory that eating too little will cause you to retain or even gain weight: is bunk.Mostly random people with no experience. So 3 weeks in I'm down about 2 lbs to 4 lbs..( I have weighed once each morning for the last two mornings) ( water weight flux may happening also) but I promised my self to only weigh once a month so I would focus on scale number because I understand I can be offsetting weight loss with some lean muscle addition. And also loss in inches rather than pound loss.. I'm not really worried about weight loss right now, but more my diet that may prevent weight loss if that makes sense..
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If you weigh 300 pounds, I wouldn't worry too much about eating enough to "fuel" your weight loss.
That's what your fat is for.1 -
Mostly random people with no experience. So 3 weeks in I'm down about 2 lbs to 4 lbs..( I have weighed once each morning for the last two mornings) ( water weight flux may happening also) but I promised my self to only weigh once a month so I would focus on scale number because I understand I can be offsetting weight loss with some lean muscle addition. And also loss in inches rather than pound loss.. I'm not really worried about weight loss right now, but more my diet that may prevent weight loss if that makes sense..
you are doing fine based on your weight loss results. Just keep plugging away and adjust as needed. Honestly, I would have expected more weight loss, but if you just started exercising you are probably retaining some extra water which is clouding your results some.
For the record, I weigh daily and use trends to decide how I'm doing. A single data point is not accurate. A good tool is trendweight.com to automatically trend for you and help you adjust.0 -
My starting weight is 300 lbs. the MFA states I should be eating around 2600 calories a day. My biggest concern is that I'm not fueling my body enough to properly burn weight off. Any thoughts or suggestions?
Well, do you feel fatigued in mind and body?
Are you losing weight, way above the recommended 2lb a week, I know I do, when I'm doing HIIT, but I'm 2 weeks in, lost 8lb, but for last 4 days have hit my BMR and feeling less fatigued, if that's possible whilst doing Insanity (albeit it my pace not the DVDs!)High intensity cardio intervals mixed with plyometric exercises /mixed with free weight dumbbells. I track my own food (via my fitness app)and do admit my calories may be off a tad bit but I am pretty close on intake. I've been at it for 3 weeks.. 3 days a week, this is my 1st week of 4 times a week. My 1st few weeks I felt tired but have incorporated a lean bcaa (evlution nutrition)for help with recovery. Felt lethargic the 1st few weeks but this week while doing two back to back days was rough I don't feel that way this week.
Pretty same as yourself Max, started at 251lb two weeks ago, I've been going at my own rate though, my max theory heart rate for my age is 168BPM, so if I see it over that I rest instantly; I pushed it beyond a few times in my first week and felt like cr*p, it also took me 2-3 times longer to recuperate.
So, I'm losing on average 4lb per week, but I have a lot to lose! My concern is the fat that was supporting my heart/lungs is slowly burning away but am I strengthening the muscles in that area quick enough not to give me any problems in the near future, if I continue dropping at 4lb per week!?
On a couple of occasions when my routine was over an hour, I could easily burn 1000 calories, two weeks on though, I'm completing the routines within 35 - 50 mins and burn anything from 400 - 700 cals on average depending on which exercise I'm doing.
If I see my weight loss drop off, I'll be checking that I'm reaching my BMR for daily calorie burn and I try to eat back half my exercise calories, but some days I've seen a huge weight gain, if I eat a late meal, and it's taken 2-3 days to lose that weight.
I exercise 6 days, rest 1, not feeling as fatigued as I expected, probably because I am now eating up to my BMR. But I did hurt my right foot, normally exercise in bare feet on living room carpet, exercises in socks one day and slipped and hit side of foot hard about 4 days ago, still not feeling completely right, but is getting better, more conscious of my form in exercising now!
I actually feel worse after my rest day!!! Feel tight, sore, lethargic and mentally drained, takes me to my 2nd day's exercise to get out of that zone.
Anyway, carry on fella, you're doing awesome, just remember how you felt before you started your HIIT, bet you felt worse than you do now, you just didn't know it at the time!1 -
Mostly random people with no experience. So 3 weeks in I'm down about 2 lbs to 4 lbs..( I have weighed once each morning for the last two mornings) ( water weight flux may happening also) but I promised my self to only weigh once a month so I would focus on scale number because I understand I can be offsetting weight loss with some lean muscle addition. And also loss in inches rather than pound loss.. I'm not really worried about weight loss right now, but more my diet that may prevent weight loss if that makes sense..
I have experience im a qualified nutritionist and fitness coach so I use the up2 personally to help make more accurate0 -
I'm curious what you think of the Orange Fitness at 300 lbs? Do you think it is something you will keep doing?
I'd be kinda concerned about the 1,000 cals per session. It does still seem kinda high. If the weight loss doesn't happen according to plan, maybe dial back how much of that you eat. But it could be spot on and you may lose as expected.0 -
My starting weight is 300 lbs. the MFA states I should be eating around 2600 calories a day. I've been tracking my food intake and run anywhere between 1200 and 1600 between breakfast and lunch. This has been my normal foods before I started exercising. I been burning right at 1000 calories each work out and after subtraction I'm sitting at around 800 calories for the day ( before any post work out food intake) even if I eat 100 percent of my calorie burn I'm still stirring around 1400 to 1600 calories. My biggest concern is that I'm not fueling my body enough to properly burn weight off. Any thoughts or suggestions?
Here is a TDEE calculator. (Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure) After you calculate go to the macronutrients area. You will have three options (1)Maintaining (2) Cutting (3) bulking
Click on cutting for weight loss calories, carbs, protein and fat macronutrient percentages
https://tdeecalculator.net/
Best of luck,
Jennifer1 -
.Tacklewasher wrote: »I'm curious what you think of the Orange Fitness at 300 lbs? Do you think it is something you will keep doing?
I'd be kinda concerned about the 1,000 cals per session. It does still seem kinda high. If the weight loss doesn't happen according to plan, maybe dial back how much of that you eat. But it could be spot on and you may lose as expected.
Orange Theory is a challenge for "me". But the group environment is exactly what I have always needed to help me with fitness. While it's tough I am glad I go every time I finish and swear I'll never eat another cheeseburger..lol. I'm very happy with my experience so far.
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.Tacklewasher wrote: »I'm curious what you think of the Orange Fitness at 300 lbs? Do you think it is something you will keep doing?
I'd be kinda concerned about the 1,000 cals per session. It does still seem kinda high. If the weight loss doesn't happen according to plan, maybe dial back how much of that you eat. But it could be spot on and you may lose as expected.
Orange Theory is a challenge for "me". But the group environment is exactly what I have always needed to help me with fitness. While it's tough I am glad I go every time I finish and swear I'll never eat another cheeseburger..lol. I'm very happy with my experience so far.
Cool. I've seen ads and they all look pretty in shape to me already (I'm 270 down from 330), so I was just wondering how they went for you.
Thanks for replying.0 -
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At 300 lbs, the 1000 calorie workouts don't surprise me. If you're looking to fuel your workouts then the timing of when and what you eat matters. Without exceeding your calorie goals you should eat 30 to 60 grams of carbs per hour starting 2 hours before your workout and during the workout. Don't exceed 60 grams of carbs per hour because your body can't process more than that and it'll just make you feel bloated. After your workout a little protein is helpful.
But here's the thing, unless your workout exceeds 90 minutes to 2 hours you don't actually need to do anything special to fuel your workout. Your body stores enough glycogen for at least 90 minutes of exercise. After you exercise, your body will go to work replenishing those stores from what you eat and from the fat you have stored throughout your body.0 -
I burn about half that at Orange Theory at 135-139 lbs so not surprised at all by that burn. The taller men in my group, even those 100 lbs. lighter than your starting range, seem to burn at least in the 700-800 range, and when you first start out, you definitely have a higher burn because it's much harder for your body in the beginning.
I don't have anything to add about whether you're eating enough (not my area of expertise) but just wanted to say good luck & great job! I have seen the most amazing transformations in my 3 years of doing OTF...it's good stuff!!0
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