Hey everyone. I was just looking for some advice on something. I recently started counting calories again (did it in the past and it helped me lose a lot of weight) about a month ago. The past 2 weeks I have implemented some interval training on the treadmill (35-40 minutes of alternating running/jogging/walking) at least twice a week.

Here's the deal. On normal days when I'm not working out, I keep it around 1500 calories or below. I'm 5'4" and 146 lbs currently. On the days I work out, I am so hungry afterwards! I haven't wanted to increase my calories, though, because I don't want to defeat the purpose of working out. I work out in the late afternoon before dinner (between classes) and I'm just wondering if I should increase my calories on my workout days or leave it at 1500 to keep losing weight?

I'm losing really slowly (lost 5 lbs the first 2 weeks and then 1 lb in the second 2 weeks), so I don't want to do anything to hinder my weightloss.

Any suggestions would be helpful

I personally don't raise my calories on the day I work out - but I do drink a protein shake w/in about 30-40 mins of finishing my workout.

I find that when I get home after going to the gym (and I also go in the evening before dinner) I'm often STARVING. So I drink a scoop of protein powder in water or juice and it really helps. Then I'm not ravenous for dinner and don't overeat.

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the only problem with doing a protein shake afterwards is that i go straight to class (well, within 30 minutes of finishing my workout/showering) and I don't have the stuff with me to make my shake (I workout at the college gym, not near my house). Actually, I guess I could bring a little scoop of it (premeasured in my shake mixing cup) and add some water.

That's actually a good idea...heh. And I can use it as my afternoon snack between lunch and dinner since it's only 130 calories. (In case anyone is wondering, I use Soy Protein 95 from GNC and it has 25 grams of protein in it.)

I've done that on days that I wasn't going straight home. I bought a cheap shaker cup at Target and in the morning I'll put a scoop of powder in it (which is nice because I can keep it in the car or in my bag and not worry about it spoiling). Then I'll either add my 8oz of water from the gym cooler, or I'll stop at a convenience store and get some orange juice or apple juice. If I've worked out particularly hard or I know it'll be a late and light dinner, I'll go for the orange juice. The extra calories aren't too bad and mixed with vanilla protein powder, it tastes like an Orange Julius.

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Oooohhh....that sounds yummy! I have vanilla and banana powder. Only thing is that I'm in class until 940p on the nights I workout. Sometimes I try to squeeze a dinner in there (they have a salad bar at the college SOMETIMES set up, but a lot of the other options are horrible). So maybe I'll do that protein powder with OJ... thank you!

I too leave my calories alone on workout days but really pump up the protein and healthy fats beforehand if I'm feeling unusually hungry. I do protein shakes in a pinch, but find peanut butter, tuna or chicken to be more filling by far.

I've also pre-measured my shakes to mix later with water from a drinking fountain. It's quite convenient!

PB and tuna are higher in calories than they make up for in satisfying my hunger it seems. I have organic PB that is 180 calories per TBSP...and I find it hard to convince myself that it's ok to eat that because it just seems like such high cals for such little satisfaction, lol. same with tuna. one little can of tuna has a few hundred cals in it.

I'm so anal about this, haha.

Ah, I do the pouches that are 90-100 calories each (albacore tuna), chicken breasts that are 110 cals each and half servings of peanut butter. I'm not eating them in addition to my regular stuff but as a replacement.

My protein shakes seem to be more calories, use a different brand than you at 295 calories, so I prefer to use food I chew most days. There are days they come in handy though!

Water-packed tuna doesn't have hundreds of calories! If you drain it well, it's only 33 calories an ounce. You can eat a whole can for around 130 cals. It's one of my favorite protein snacks.

Jay

the kind i have in my hand is water packed and has 175 in the whole can...guess it's less than i though. oops, lol. still more than what yours has though!

I have never seen peanut butter that was 180 cals for 1 T. Usually peanut butter (I eat the natural kind too) is 180-210 calories for 2 T. So 1 T would only be 90-105 calories.

I agree with the other posts about not upping your cals on work out days. Just try to work in portable foods that satisfy you. We are all different and some foods that are satisfying to some aren't to others and visa versa. I could never to the protein powder in water thing myself, but if it works for you, then that's great!

I thought of doing that too...do the premade shakes taste ok? I used to drink Slimfast once in a while (I know, not a protein shake, just trying to compare tastes) and that was ok, but I've never had any premade protein ones. As long as it's not WORSE than the protein powder I use, lol. I need to disguise the flavor of that stuff sometimes because it's kind of chalky, haha.

Maybe I'll buy a few and see how I like them.

Thanks for your suggestion!

I've tried both the EAS and the Muscle Milk premade "shakes" and I personally think they're disgusting. *grin* They are very chalky and watery. OTOH, sometimes it's just about getting something in my stomach and protein in my body and so I'll just chug one and ignore the taste/feel.

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I drink the Atkins Dark Chocolate premade ones and they really arent that bad!! They are 160 calories and 15 grams of protien.