Running and calorie deficit.

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temple_girl
temple_girl Posts: 17 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi there. I’ve started running. I used to run when I was slimmer and really enjoyed it. I’m in a calorie deficit I’m on 1700 cals a day but on the days I’m running (not far btw, I’m doing around 4km every other day) I’m starving and really struggling to stay in a calorie deficit.
Days I don’t run I go to the gym and have one complete rest day a week.
Should I be upping my cals on running days or do I just need to suck it up?

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  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,456 Member
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    The calories mfp gives you are without intentional exercise and you’re meant to eat those calories back. It’s basically a way to show you that exercise is good. Many trackers overstate those though thus it’s good to be a bit conservative. I’ll gave you a link to a pretty good calculaor once I’m back at ny computer. Use this, eat more, observe for about 6 weeks how your weightloss is doing.
  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,186 Member
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    yirara wrote: »
    The calories mfp gives you are without intentional exercise and you’re meant to eat those calories back. It’s basically a way to show you that exercise is good. Many trackers overstate those though thus it’s good to be a bit conservative. I’ll gave you a link to a pretty good calculaor once I’m back at ny computer. Use this, eat more, observe for about 6 weeks how your weightloss is doing.

    This one?
    https://exrx.net/Calculators/WalkRunMETs
    The 'Energy' choice should be set to 'Net'

    And here's my advice: hunger is very individual, and 'runger' is a thing for some. You might experiment with eating a bit more on running days, and (if necessary to stay in a calorie deficit) a bit less on non running days. You can also experiment with your meal timings/ quantities: for example, if you run in the afternoon, perhaps eat a bit less at breakfast and lunch and then a larger dinner after running. Or, if there is usually a lot of time between your run and the next meal, eat a snack right after running.
    Perhaps your macro split is also something to look at: try more carbs, less carbs, more protein...

    Feeling starved doesn't sound particularly sustainable to me, so that's what I would do in your situation: experiment 🙂
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,456 Member
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    That’s the one! Thanks. I’m annoyed it doesn’t give pace in min/km as an option but at least for me is fairly spot on.
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,682 Member
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    Try eating something after your run like an apple or banana. Or run before a meal. Also make sure you are drinking enough, since dehydration can feel like hunger. Do eat back the calories you burn. You need to fuel your workouts so you have the energy to do them well.

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