How many calories should I eat on workout days vs rest days? - 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community

eagleoris · 01-09-2016, 08:18 PM

Hi,

So I'm 34 and female. 5'7" and 162 lbs. I would like to lose some weight at a rate of 1-2 lbs per week. Currently I work out most days of the week to burn 400 calories each of those days.

How many calories should I be eating on those days when I work out vs my "rest" days? Is 1200 calories per day too low?

Photosphere · 01-10-2016, 08:37 AM

500 calories under what you burn each day should make you lose about 1 lbs a week. Your basal metabolic rate, BMR, shows how much you burn just by existing. You can find tons on calculators online, just google. Try to stay 500 kcal under this for the 1 lbs/week.

When you work out just add the calories you burn on your workout and remove 500 kcal!

eagleoris · 01-10-2016, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Photosphere

500 calories under what you burn each day should make you lose about 1 lbs a week. Your basal metabolic rate, BMR, shows how much you burn just by existing. You can find tons on calculators online, just google. Try to stay 500 kcal under this for the 1 lbs/week.

When you work out just add the calories you burn on your workout and remove 500 kcal!

Ok so... if I understand correctly.... Let's say my maintenance calories are 1800- so this means without exercising I should eat 1300 cal per day. But if I work out and burn 400 calories that day, then I should eat 1700 calories?

Thanks so much for your response. I'm new at this.

Photosphere · 01-10-2016, 04:26 PM

Yeah, you got it! But remember that which calories you're eating is important too. Especially if you work out, you need good energy.

Moving Forward · 01-10-2016, 04:48 PM

Have you considered an app such as MyFitnessPal? It will figure all of this out for you and help you keep track of your calories throughout the day. You don't necessarily need to eat back your exercise calories if you don't want to. You'll just create a larger deficit--and thus lose faster--if you don't.

nonameslob · 01-21-2016, 01:10 PM

I personally wouldn't get caught up in the nitty gritty of exercise calories. It is SO hard to accurately gauge how many calories you burn through exercise. Instead, I would add an extra snack if you feel you need it (maybe a banana before or after a workout), and otherwise not make any changes.

Personally, I base it on how I feel. If I had a really hard workout or I am feeling exceptionally hungry after a workout, I'll probably eat something hardier than normal. But otherwise stick to my usual plan.