Balancing calories with exercise

[colormehappy 123]

I’ll start by saying my nutritional support through my surgeon is somewhat lacking, but I feel ok with my progress and have really dug into research on my own.

I’m almost 6 weeks post op, and took a punishing spinning class this morning. It felt great. (Cleared for it by my surgeon!) Apple Watch isn’t totally reliable, but it says I burned around 600 calories. Now I don’t know how to eat the rest of the day. I’ve only eaten when legitimately hungry this afternoon, still focusing on Protein and veggies. Can anyone else who does heavy exercise advise me on how and if you adjust calories?

[Sammi_Katt 303]

I'm in no way a doctor, but...

When I exercise, I'll eat a little extra Protein, but I keep the total amount of food and calories at the same amount I normally eat. If I feel like I need more (if I'm dizzy or really hungry), I'll eat a meat Jerky stick and some cheese. A few extra calories but mostly extra protein. I also tend to drink WAY more Water after exercising.

I'd still try to keep getting in touch with your doctor to talk about it, though, just to be safe.

Edited July 10, 2020 by Sammi_Katt

[Dorothy Sue Jastifer 19]

I am 9 years out I still walk 2-3 miles at least 4-5 times per week about 800-1000 calls per day

[catwoman7 10,867]

I try to eat the same amount regardless - although I make sure to eat something before heavy exercise (it can even be an hour before - as long as I'm not doing it on an empty stomach) and I hydrate well afterward. I don't count exercise calories since a lot of those counters aren't very accurate and there are too many factors that influence how many calories you're burning, but on the other hand, if I happen to eat a few extra calories over my normal range on a day when I do a lot of heavy exercising, I don't worry about it that much.

[colormehappy 123]

Thank you guys! This is sort of in line with what I was thinking. I felt like I’ve eaten a ton today but when I tracked I was still well within my macros and calories.

[ChubRub 1,696]

I try to keep my calories the same (600-800), but if it's a heavy exercise day I might lean towards the higher end of my range. Lately though, exercise has made me less hungry, and just really thirsty. I think it's also from the heat!!

[rene50 147]

I try to stay in the same calorie range 800-1000, and less than 50 carbs, even when doing heavy exercise. I'm still losing, only a pound a week now on average.

[MotoZen 14]

On 7/10/2020 at 2:32 PM, Dorothy Sue Jastifer said:

I am 9 years out I still walk 2-3 miles at least 4-5 times per week about 800-1000 calls per day

Are you actively trying to lose weight now or is that your BMR?

[JAKE H 1,230]

Im big into working out, and i started 2 weeks post op. Until i got to maintenance i didnt really mess with my calories. I kept the same intake everyday. Now that im in maintenance its completely different. Just make sure youre getting your Protein and drinking a lot of Water.

[ms.sss 14,684]

Agree w/ @JakeH, and that its different when you are in weight loss mode vs. Maintenance.

I started exercising for reals at 3 months post op and kept my calories under 600 no matter if it was an exercise day or not (at 5-6 months post op I was staying under 800). Stayed ultra-low carbs (>25g NET carbs).

Now, as I’m not actively trying to lose weight, I try to stay within 1800-2000 calories (but I also do some moderate to heavy exercise almost every day). My bad though, as I will admit the quality of these calories may not always be of the best kind (i.e., sugar). I try to stay under 100g NET carbs, but I don’t always succeed (i.e., sugar!)

Further, I prefer to do my running/strength training in the morning, in a fasted state. It may just be me, but I feel more energetic and nimble when my stomach is empty. food makes me feel lazy and sluggish for some reason. Also, like @ChubRub, I do not feel particularly hungry after exercising, but I will eventually in a couple hours or so, and I’ll eat if I’m hungry.

Long story short, at 6 weeks out, maybe just eat if u are hungry, while sticking to your prescribed calorie range (and don’t forget to get your Protein and Water in!)

Good Luck!

P.S. I am NOT a medical professional and am providing anecdotal comments based on my own experiences. It’s advisable to check with your doc when starting a new workout and nutritional regimen ❤️

Edited July 13, 2020 by ms.sss

[AlwaysCruising 100]

On 7/10/2020 at 2:26 PM, colormehappy said:

I’ll start by saying my nutritional support through my surgeon is somewhat lacking, but I feel ok with my progress and have really dug into research on my own.

I’m almost 6 weeks post op, and took a punishing spinning class this morning. It felt great. (Cleared for it by my surgeon!) Apple Watch isn’t totally reliable, but it says I burned around 600 calories. Now I don’t know how to eat the rest of the day. I’ve only eaten when legitimately hungry this afternoon, still focusing on Protein and veggies. Can anyone else who does heavy exercise advise me on how and if you adjust calories?

I agree with @Sammi_Katt - Last year I had been working out at an aerobic/anaerobic level for 60 minutes and didn’t burn but 300 or so (and I am 5’8” with a good deal of muscle). Our daughter runs 15-20 miles at a time and she would burn at that level, but few other workouts could do that. The most accurate readings are with the chest strap - I use the wahoo TIKR (about $50) that will track with iCardio or other fitness programs. The worse option, however, are the exercise charts (like those in my fitness pal) that seem to seriously overestimate calories burned.

Edited August 9, 2020 by AlwaysCruising