How to account for long run day calories

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slbbw
slbbw Posts: 329 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I prefer to eat a consistent calorie amount per day, which works because I have a mostly consistent exercise routine in terms of calories burned with one full rest day. I am adding in a long run on saturdays and I am wondering how others handle the extra calories. I am actually less hungry on days I run, so the idea of eating 600 more calories than normal seem unappealing. Do you eat some the day before and some after, mostly the day after? Spread them throughout the week. I am sure occasionally I will splurge on the day of, but I doubt it will be every time.

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  • dewd2
    dewd2 Posts: 2,449 Member
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    I also have issues eating back all the calories after my long runs but I more than make up for it on the days following. :D So normally I do spread everything out over the week.
  • Katmary71
    Katmary71 Posts: 6,553 Member
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    I tend to work out each day, but I'd burn them throughout the week. Next weekend I'll be away from home and plan to budget calories this next week to make up for it.
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
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    You can set your “week” on MFP to start whenever you want, so you might plan it around your long run day. Whichever day you do your long run could be the beginning of the week, and then you will know how many calories you have left for the rest of the week.
  • sefajane1
    sefajane1 Posts: 322 Member
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    apullum wrote: »
    You can set your “week” on MFP to start whenever you want, so you might plan it around your long run day. Whichever day you do your long run could be the beginning of the week, and then you will know how many calories you have left for the rest of the week.

    How do you change it to start the week on a different day please?
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
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    Are you fueling during your long run? (My rule of thumb is 150-200 cal an hour)

    How far are your long runs?
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
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    sefajane1 wrote: »
    apullum wrote: »
    You can set your “week” on MFP to start whenever you want, so you might plan it around your long run day. Whichever day you do your long run could be the beginning of the week, and then you will know how many calories you have left for the rest of the week.

    How do you change it to start the week on a different day please?

    On the app, click More -> Settings -> Weekly Nutrition Settings.

    Not sure how to do it on the website since I rarely use that.
  • slbbw
    slbbw Posts: 329 Member
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    long runs are 9-15 miles right now, not likely to be much more than that. So far I am eating before I go around 150 calories and eating something (150 calories) immediately after an up to 90 min run. No fueling during run yet.
  • pzarnosky
    pzarnosky Posts: 256 Member
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    I usually eat an extra carb rich snack the day before and a bigger dinner (carb rich), a little more on most long run days, and then more on the day after. I also don't usually feel too hungry the day of the long run and focus primarily on getting extra water in.

    Out of curiosity, do you use a HR monitor when you run?
  • sefajane1
    sefajane1 Posts: 322 Member
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    apullum wrote: »
    sefajane1 wrote: »
    apullum wrote: »
    You can set your “week” on MFP to start whenever you want, so you might plan it around your long run day. Whichever day you do your long run could be the beginning of the week, and then you will know how many calories you have left for the rest of the week.

    How do you change it to start the week on a different day please?

    On the app, click More -> Settings -> Weekly Nutrition Settings.

    Not sure how to do it on the website since I rarely use that.

    Ah, I'm using the website. Thanks anyway 👍
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,483 Member
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    If your burn is 600 cals extra for the day, but you like a consistent daily calorie intake, why not add 75 cals to each day of the week.

    An alternate is 50 cals per day leaving a bit extra to fuel your run.

    Doing your calorie estimate on an off site TDEE calculator and working off that, instead of mfp’s NEAT, so long as your workouts are consistent, may help.

    Cheers, h.

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