How many calories?

[Kayla]

Okay- so I have worked really hard over the past six months to get really fit and have done a great job. I have gotten pretty fit and can honestly say I LIKE how I look in my new bikini (feels good to say that!) I am concerned, however, because I notice the more fit I get the more I want to eat. I keep track of calories and started out at maxing out at 1500/day. I am now finding that isnt nearly enough and am hungry alot- so I have been eating 2000-2500. I am completely paranoid that all my work is going to back slide because of this increase. But I dont want to be hungry either.

I am very active- I run almost every day about 5-6 miles as well as hike, etc. Ive looked online and most websites say I am supposed to eat 1800.

Does anyone know whats up with wanting to eat more and and am I undoing all my work? I have heard that the more fit you are the more calories your body will demand- is that true?

Thanks!

[dewilliams2]

Well the more muscle you have the more calories you will need to consume as you burn energy.

With that said you shouldn't starve yourself.

Look at eating things that make you full but are low in calories....one of my favorite things is steamed cauliflower with some butter, salt and pepper...its really high in fiber and fills you up with fairly low calories....eat some protein with it some something sticks with you like a chicken breast or some tuna or something like that.

You can't really go off of what you read online...not everybody's body is built the same....one persons metabolism isn't the same as another....studies show that 20% of the time when we feel hungry we are actually thirsty...so try drinking some water when you feel hungry.


And then eat when you are actually hungry, don't starve yourself because then when you do eat your body will attempt to overcompensate and the trigger that says you aren't won't tell you to stop.

Listen to your body but just make wise choices....avoid carbs unless your going to be competing athletically or something where your gonna need a lot of quick sugar your gonna burn off....honestly though protein is the key to staying full for awhile so don't just eat some salad with nothing on it and think your done...throw some sunflower seeds and cheese on it, maybe a can of tuna for dinner.

[Cbrider]

Williams hit most of the main points there. You don't need to worry about your caloric intake being too high. Running 5-6 miles a day is going to demand a significant increase in your calorie needs. Your body also needs calories to simply function and carry out the processes of life. Just keeping your body at 98.6 degrees requires a sizable chunk of calories. With your new muscle that has replaced fat and strengthened heart, your are going to notice increased hunger because it takes more calories to maintain it.

Those online things are hit and miss for accuracy, it uses a general model for body type. People metabolize at different rates and it tends to slow down with age at a certain point. Most online models put me in the 3300 calorie range. I had my doctor administer a health assessment to get a true profile of my intake needs since I am trying to bulk. In reality, 3300 was far too low, with my activity level and metabolism, I need closer to 4300 calories a day, which nets me about one pound a week.

In general, you're body will regulate itself as far as letting you know what it needs. As long as you make healthy choices in what you eat and don't gorge for the sake of gorging, you wont lose your body. If you stopped exercising, that would be a different story.

[doppelgaenger]

Also, calories aren't the only thing to watch. You need to be careful about saturated and trans fats. In addition to that, you need to watch your sugar and sodium intake, as well as cholesterol. Other than that, you can pretty much eat whatever you want.

[dono01]

Me eats whatever he wants with no concern.

[doppelgaenger]

Me too, which explains why I weigh almost 200 lbs.

[dono01]

Me too, which explains why I weigh almost 200 lbs.

I weigh 205lbs.

But I am also 6'1", 6'2" on a good day

[doppelgaenger]

I'm 6'0. But I look really thin/

[the_robot]

I eat whatever I want. But I want to drop my chocolate addiction lol.

[Tiay]

don't eat too much tuna all the time, though- now and then it's fine but too much isn't good because it can contain mercury.

[dewilliams2]

don't eat too much tuna all the time, though- now and then it's fine but too much isn't good because it can contain mercury.

You'd have to eat such an excessive amount all at once for it to ever really make you sick and truly...if you eat to much of anything it will make you sick.

The pit of a peach has arsenic in it but you'd have to eat like 100 of them in one sitting before you get sick and chances are you'd just get sick cause you just ate 100 peaches....not the arsenic.