I know we're supposed to but...

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I know that I'm supposed to be eating around 1200 net calories per day (I'm actually doing about 1100), and that when I exercise, I'm supposed to eat more, but a lot of the days I find that I would have to over stuff myself in order to make up the difference. Is it okay that I finish with a deficit almost every day? I don't want to deprive my body, but I'm doing an hour of cardio along with 30 minute of strength every day. Which has me needing to make up about 400 calories per day, which is too much. The meals I eat are really healthy, and don't add up to much, yet fill me, and I always make sure to eat mostly healthy snacks, so by the end of the day, I've eaten a really decent days worth of food.

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  • Paige1108
    Paige1108 Posts: 432 Member
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    If you don't eat enough calories, all that strength training is going out the window. As your body eats your muscle to live on. If you don't feed your body, it will feed its self, and its favorite meal is muscle.

    Try to add some healthy but calorie dense items to your day. Like nuts, peanut butter, whole milk, nutella. These will help you feed your diet.

    This is just my opinion based on the fact that I had to eat all my calories, hungry or not, to lose the last 10lbs.

    Also 1100 minus, 400 calories of exercise, means you are really eating 700 calories a day. You maybe destroying your metabolism.
  • BobbyClerici
    BobbyClerici Posts: 813 Member
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    I know that I'm supposed to be eating around 1200 net calories per day (I'm actually doing about 1100), and that when I exercise, I'm supposed to eat more, but a lot of the days I find that I would have to over stuff myself in order to make up the difference. Is it okay that I finish with a deficit almost every day? I don't want to deprive my body, but I'm doing an hour of cardio along with 30 minute of strength every day. Which has me needing to make up about 400 calories per day, which is too much. The meals I eat are really healthy, and don't add up to much, yet fill me, and I always make sure to eat mostly healthy snacks, so by the end of the day, I've eaten a really decent days worth of food.

    Totally self-defeating...
    You are ruining your body's ability to make healthy gains.

    I wish you well; please consider what's being said here.
  • pupcamper
    pupcamper Posts: 415 Member
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    I think the answer to that depends on alot of different factors most importantly what you are eating and what you are using to calculate calories lost! I don't honestly believe that the blanket we must eat 1200 net cals per day or our body starts eating our muscles and heart is the best guide.
  • staceyb2003
    staceyb2003 Posts: 203 Member
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    I say that your body will let you know when you are hungry. If you're full then your body must not need anymore. I'm not a dr. or a dietitian but that is what I think
  • Heather2784
    Heather2784 Posts: 124 Member
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    Just want to point out, I'm not not eating any of them, just not all of them. I still net more than 1200 a day.
  • Heather2784
    Heather2784 Posts: 124 Member
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    Not net, but in general. Lol.
  • agthorn
    agthorn Posts: 1,844 Member
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    You don't necessarily need to eat more (volume), just eat smarter. Add some olive oil or butter to your vegetables. Have a glass of milk or 100% fruit juice instead of water (yes, it "counts"). Ditch the diet dressings for full fat versions. Each of those would add 50-100 cals with almost no additional effort.