How to balance training & staying within calorie goal

  • I want to try to come up with some NSV goals but any time I try to do intense training - like distance running, biking, etc. - it increases my appetite so much that it makes it really difficult to stay within my calorie goals to lose weight.

    How do you balance these two things?

    I hate having my only goals be weight loss related but that is my top priority at this point. Right now for fitness, I go on 3-4 mile walks several times a week, sometimes jog a little, and then I do full body strength training with free weights a couple times a week. This amount of activity makes me feel good & is at a level where I feel like I can keep my hunger in check & stay within my daily calorie goal (1700) while losing weight.
  • Make sure that the food you eat is nutrient dense. No processed foods just good whole food that is fiber rich and will keep you fuller longer. Add some protein to each meal to see if that helps. You can increase your calories a bit on days that you feel the need. I am especially hungry the day after an intense workout, so I eat, add more protein, more good fats, more fiber rich foods... I`m sure you know this but drink plenty of water...
  • I was about to post the same thing earlier this week!

    I am training for some races and triathlons and trying to lose about 30 pounds.

    Here's what I've found works for me, I think. (My cal range is 1400-1700 per day)
    On a training day, I have about 500 calories for breakfast, which is double my normal breakfast. Usually a bagel and eggs. Then I'll add watery Gatorade to my water bottle and bring a Clif Shot/Gu with me. I don't add the calories for those 2 things into my tracker. They just burn off during the ride and I can't worry about them.

    Then I make sure I have protein when I'm done training, milk or cheese usually. I love dairy.

    My appetite is usually smaller right after the training, but increases the next day. So, I just plan for that and don't worry if I'm a couple of hundred above the next day (or the same day, depending on your body.)

    The biggest mistake I made with training was eating my same 250 cal breakfast before a long/fast bike ride. I was bonking a few miles in. I had to get extra carbs and cals in to be any good on my training. And I had to fuel during the ride, too.
  • For me weight loss and endurance training are too conflicting, I can't do both. Cortisol levels in the body increase with endurance sports and it can make weight loss very difficult. Also a calorie deficit will hender performance. Focus on one goal at a time.