Odd question

Jabbarwocky
Jabbarwocky Posts: 100 Member
edited November 16 in Health and Weight Loss
Last night, I was sitting there and realizing that, due to exercise, I still had over 800 calories left for the day. Thing is, I wasn't particularly hungry. Went ahead and fixed about a 300 calorie snack and ate it. A few minutes later I found myself actually getting a bit hungry. I was actively drinking water at the time. The reason I bothered to eat anything is that I didn't want to leave too large of a deficit at the end of the day but the fact that it made me hungry disturbed me a bit. My question is, if this happens again should I leave it alone or eat a snack?

Replies

  • Jabbarwocky
    Jabbarwocky Posts: 100 Member
    That's part of the problem. I've been tracking daily. Never looked at the weekly target and to be honest, not exactly where to look for it. I'm actually exercising 5 days a week right now cardio M-F and weight training M, W, F. Granted, the weight training at this point is fairly minor. I don't know a lot about it so don't want to be stupid about it. At 50 my body is much less forgiving of mistakes than it used to be! Seriously considering joining the YMCA and using the trainers they have available to get a more effective workout established.
  • annacole94
    annacole94 Posts: 994 Member
    On the app, go to Nutrition > Calories and then change it to "weekly" and you'll see where you're at for the week. It's not necessary to worry about it all the time, but if you need some flexibility due to appetite or events (like, if I know I'm eating out, I check where I'm at considering the previous week) it's reassuring.

    Getting an orientation and plan for weight training is a good idea. Injuries can take a long time to recover from, and weight training is all about good form.
  • cbelc2
    cbelc2 Posts: 762 Member
    I leave it and don't eat exercise calories. When I get to maintenence, I will.
  • Jabbarwocky
    Jabbarwocky Posts: 100 Member
    Thanks @annacole94 , appreciate the info. @cbelc2 Any particular reason for that? It just seems counter intuitive to me since, as you exercise, your body will need more energy to maintain.
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  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    Jabbarwocky wrote: »
    Thanks @annacole94 , appreciate the info. @cbelc2 Any particular reason for that? It just seems counter intuitive to me since, as you exercise, your body will need more energy to maintain.

    You're right, the method MFP uses (NEAT) gives you a goal excluding purposeful exercise. Not eating them back, or at least some of them, can be dangerous, particularly if you exercise a lot.
  • Sharon_C
    Sharon_C Posts: 2,132 Member
    If I'm hungry I eat. If I'm not hungry I don't eat. Some days that puts me under 1200 calories (maintenance is 1850 for me without adding exercise calories). Some days I'm eating at maintenance or a little over. I've been losing so I'm not too worried about it.
  • AbsurdParadigm
    AbsurdParadigm Posts: 7 Member
    What was the 300 calorie snack? 300 calories of cottage cheese or oatmeal fills me up a lot more than 300 calories of something more calorie dense.
  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
    Eating extremely low calorie regularly will have adverse effects on health, but if you are talking a day here or there then it is not a big deal. If it is happening regularly you need to consider incorporating more calorie dense foods into your intake to make sure you are getting enough.

    You can always save them for a day you want to use them too, for example if you are under on Thursday but know you want to go out to dinner Saturday you can eat over saturday without feeling guilty.

    As already mentioned, you may find yourself super hungry the next day and choose to eat a bit over that day to make up for it.

  • Jabbarwocky
    Jabbarwocky Posts: 100 Member
    @AbsurdParadigm Venison summer sausage. Yes, not the healthiest snack but I was also low on protein so figured it was a good compromise.
  • Sheisinlove109
    Sheisinlove109 Posts: 516 Member
    I burn 800-1000 calories daily. I allow myself 1700 to eat. When I go to sleep I leave a 1000 calorie deficit. I have a lot of weight to lose though.

    This is working for me, not sure if mfp community agrees with me, but it has been a good path.

    Everyone is different. Check with your doc.
  • kenyonhaff
    kenyonhaff Posts: 1,377 Member
    Jabbarwocky wrote: »
    @AbsurdParadigm Venison summer sausage. Yes, not the healthiest snack but I was also low on protein so figured it was a good compromise.

    What are you talking about? High sodium yes but high protein low fat and delicious!
  • tomteboda
    tomteboda Posts: 2,171 Member
    If this is a consistent issue, try increasing your calories at meals or snacks by 50-100 throughout the day.

    I've found that if I undereat, I set myself up for terrible hunger the next day.
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    sunsweet77 wrote: »
    I burn 800-1000 calories daily. I allow myself 1700 to eat. When I go to sleep I leave a 1000 calorie deficit. I have a lot of weight to lose though.

    This is working for me, not sure if mfp community agrees with me, but it has been a good path.

    Everyone is different. Check with your doc.

    On top of your usual deficit? Yikes.
  • Afura
    Afura Posts: 2,054 Member
    I've had that too where I eat then I feel hungry, and a lot of times it's recognizing hunger signals. Or I at least give myself another 20minutes for my snack to settle and try and not fixate on it (If I think "food" it never makes it better).
    As far as the YMCA/trainer goes, I picked up a trainer for a few months 2 times a month (most I could afford, it was a regular 'gym'). I became more comfortable with machines and new exercises.
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,745 Member
    edited March 2017
    Hunger is not a perfect guide. I know if I eat too little on a given day, or leave it too long to eat, I may not feel hungry. I know, however, that I don't feel "right" and that I need to eat - that's because I've got used to reading the signs. But there is no hunger, and there may in fact be nausea and resistance to eating. But I know if I don't eat I will feel worse later. So I nibble something small. Then the hunger comes.

    Anyone who has had to look after small children is familiar with this, when they get overwrought and too much time passes when they need to eat, they stop feeling hungry and just become tearful and irrational and sad, and as an adult you know they need food but you need to coax them to take a bite. Then when they take a bite, the hunger comes.

    800 calories below goal is too many. I would strongly recommend that in a situation like that you take care of yourself like you would that too-hungry-to-feel-hungry child, and feed yourself.
  • SusanMFindlay
    SusanMFindlay Posts: 1,804 Member
    Jabbarwocky wrote: »
    Last night, I was sitting there and realizing that, due to exercise, I still had over 800 calories left for the day. Thing is, I wasn't particularly hungry. Went ahead and fixed about a 300 calorie snack and ate it. A few minutes later I found myself actually getting a bit hungry. I was actively drinking water at the time. The reason I bothered to eat anything is that I didn't want to leave too large of a deficit at the end of the day but the fact that it made me hungry disturbed me a bit. My question is, if this happens again should I leave it alone or eat a snack?

    Personally, if I wasn't hungry, I'd leave it. Reason being? I know that I am always extra hungry the day after working out - so I'll eat back the calories the next day. I find it helpful to look at weekly (and monthly) averages rather than worrying about every single day working out perfectly.
  • Jabbarwocky
    Jabbarwocky Posts: 100 Member
    Spoke with my dietician last night. She said not to worry about it either way as long as my weekly average is above 1500. So next time I'm sitting on that kind of deficit at the end of the night, I ignore it. Thanks all!
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  • Jabbarwocky
    Jabbarwocky Posts: 100 Member
    Weekly average starting from Sunday was at 1600 yesterday before dinner. I'm getting 1900 calories per day and averaging 500+ worth of exercise calories.
  • ogtmama
    ogtmama Posts: 1,403 Member
    AbsurdParadigm wrote: »
    What was the 300 calorie snack? 300 calories of cottage cheese or oatmeal fills me up a lot more than 300 calories of something more calorie dense.

    Do you really find that? After all this time I've found that a half a cup of Ben and jerry's in the evening entirely more saturating than a big bowl of vegetables.
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