Comments on: A Primer on Calories

By: Steph F.

Steph F. — Sat, 27 Jul 2013 00:44:59 +0000

Do you change your caloric intake based on the intensity of your workout on a given day? I’m training for a marathon and I’ve noticed that on my rest or cross-training days I tend to eat just as much (if not more!) than I do on my running days. I recently read an article where the person being interviewed stated that she ate fewer calories on days that she didn’t work out hard. I guess it makes sense, but I’ve noticed that intense workouts seem to initially curb my appetite a bit, and I am hungrier on my rest days. Admittedly since I started distance running about 3 years ago, I’ve gone from 108 to 115. At 5’4″ I recognize that 115 is a perfectly healthy weight and I’m not trying at all to lose what I have gained, but having been in the 150′s in my former, pre-exercise life, I am a little nervous that maybe I’m trending in the wrong direction and just want to make sure I’m fueling myself correctly as a long distance runner. Just for reference, I currently eat around 2000 calories on my training days, and probably 2200 – 2300 on my rest/cross training days.

By: Go Kaleo

Go Kaleo — Sun, 21 Jul 2013 00:32:26 +0000

Yep! 500 on top of your TDEE is the general recommendation.

By: Kathleen

Kathleen — Sat, 20 Jul 2013 21:17:40 +0000

These calculators don’t take into account nursing a baby. What do you suggest? Adding 500 calories to the BMR?

By: Go Kaleo

Go Kaleo — Sat, 06 Jul 2013 23:12:12 +0000

You can certainly walk more if you want to!

By: Christy Fike

Christy Fike — Sat, 06 Jul 2013 22:04:58 +0000

Thanks for getting back to me. I’m realizing that unless I eat stuff like ice cream or high fatty foods, it’s hard for me to even get in 2500 a day. Like today, I had 2 eggs, ezekiel bread with lots of butter and jam, then chick fil a 8 piece nuggets with side salad and ranch and sweet tea and ice cream cone and I’m stuffed. It’s almost 5 and I’m not even hungry. I’ve still got a 1000 cals to go. And that’s an average day for me. Being 240 pounds with lots of natural muscle, I even wonder how I can live off that little, but I’m just not hungry. I felt bloated after breakfast and didn’t want to eat lunch but was meeting a friend so I did. Do I force myself to eat more? I feel like it’s triggering my ED even more. And only walking for 15 minutes each day seems like such little exercise. I try to go to this lake by my house at least 3 times a week – it’s a 2.5 mile easy to moderate walk/hike. Just trying to get out of my disordered mindset and the way that I try to always make things harder than they have to be. The eating that much seems hard and the walking that little seems too easy. Thoughts? Thank you!!!!

By: Go Kaleo

Go Kaleo — Sat, 06 Jul 2013 06:22:36 +0000

Hi Christy. I’d start with something really simple, 2500 a day, and walking for 15 minutes. Give that a couple weeks and see what happens. I think if you’re consistent, you’ll be surprised at how sustainable it is. It won’t be fast, but I think you’re probably very familiar with what happens when you lose weight fast.

Check out this post too.

By: Christy Fike

Christy Fike — Sat, 06 Jul 2013 03:54:57 +0000

Ok I just stumbled across this post from someone who posted it in Matt Stone’s new forums on his website. I haven’t counted calories in years and hate doing so! I’ve also probably about 75 – 100 pounds overweight and have been for most of my life. My weight issues are complicated – running the gamut from emotional baggage to possible thyroid/adrenal issues. However in recent years as I’ve finally acknowledged my issues with ENOS (eating disorders not otherwise specified), I’ve come to realize that maybe I’m not eating enough. I’ve been a fairly “healthy eater” as my friends always say for years now, bordering on orthorexia, but always feeling shameful for every advocating my health tips to anyone considering I’m so overweight.

So recently a dietician informed me that most people in ED recovery should be eating 2500 at minimum a day. It’s very hard for me to believe that by eating more I could actually heal my body and eventually loose weight. In fact last year, I ditched a lot of my diet dogma (was fairly paleo) – found Matt’s blog and started eating carbs and gained about 10-15 pounds and have had severe bloating for over a year now.

I’m just trying to get help with the whole calorie thing. I clicked on both those calculators and the first one says I’m at 2140 for my BMR and I think like 3420 for my TEE. So if I want to start loosing weight, what do I need to shoot for Please claify. Also the second calculator listed my BMR at 2500. Can you help me out in all of this.

I’m also trying to eat intuitively – only when I’m hungry and some days I’m just not that hungry and may not be getting even my minimum calories.

Thank you for any help you can give!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 23:36:32 +0000

I know this is old, but I can’t get the second one to work, either. There is an option to purchase the app or subscription, something like that. First one worked, though.

By: Melissa

Melissa — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 19:42:28 +0000

When you punch in your weight for the calculator is it your current weight or the weight you want to be?
Also, thank you. I think you’ve saved my life

By: Jackie

Jackie — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 23:36:01 +0000

well, no wonder I felt like crap at 1400 calories a day. So I should shoot for about 2100 and up my exercise?