Lately my metabolism has been confusing me! Sometimes I feel like all I do is eat, and yet I can still get hungry only 2 hours after a big meal. I thought maybe I had just kicked my metabolism into super high gear from working out and frequently fueling up, but I never stopped to consider the other possibility: Maybe I'm always hungry because I'm not actually eating enough!
I know my calorie needs are somewhere in the 1900 - 2100 calories/day range and I always assumed I was getting that amount because I try my best to practice intuitive eating - I eat when I'm hungry, I never go more than 4 hours without eating, and I always feel quite full after my meals and snacks. So logically, if I'm eating according to my hunger cues, I should be eating enough calories, right? But I've never actually checked to see if I am, in fact, eating what I need.
So out of curiosity I decided to track my calories for one day this week using the website Fit Day. Here's what I ate that day:
Oatmeal with milk, chia seeds, banana, cinnamon, egg white, blueberries, soy nut butter and homemade granola.
Sandwich on multigrain bread stuffed with hummus, avocado, cucumber, tomato, spinach and carrots + carrots and half an apple on the side.
Cottage cheese, cinnamon, half a chopped apple, and Kashi Toasted Cinnamon Crisp cereal.
Sunflower seed butter crusted tofu, sweet potato, roasted broccoli.
Cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, and some homemade granola.
At the end of the day I was shocked to discover this day only came to a total of about 1600 calories! But on the plus side I had a really good balance of carbohydrates, protein, and fat - they are right in the recommended ranges!
I was curious to see if this is how much I eat on a regular basis, so I tracked my eating for another day and found that I consumed upwards of 2000 calories, which is right where I should be. So it seems like I just have an inconsistent intake of calories, which is strange because I eat pretty much the same pattern of meals/snacks every day. Also, my hunger was equally as satisfied on my 1600 calorie day v. my 2000+ calorie day - how could that be when there was a 400 calorie difference?
So I guess this little "experiment" just goes to show that maybe our hunger mechanisms aren't as smart as we think they are, especially when you add frequent exercise into the equation. My hunger cues are apparently wayyyy off, so I think I need to start occasionally tracking my calories just to check in and make sure I'm meeting my needs. If I want to do that triathlon this summer, I need to be serious about fueling properly and I can't afford to be unintentionally skimping on calories!
What do you guys think?
Have you ever tracked your calories and discovered you were eating too much/too little?
Do you think our bodies are smart enough to tell us how much food they need or not?
I absolutely believe our bodies are smart enough to tell us if we need more food or not, if we are consuming quality, nutritious foods.
ReplyDeleteIf you find yourself hungry, your body is telling you something. It's not about each individual day, it's about the bigger picture. So while you have variances from one day to the next, it's likely your body making subtle adjustments in what it's telling you. If you overall picture happens to be hungry more often, then your body is likely trying to tell you to eat more.
That said, I think that if you are not truly tuned to your bodies cues, it is a good idea to track. If you are over or under weight there are likely some emotional ties that disguise your true needs. It's then beneficial to track and see what foods you truly are eating, the balance of protein, fat, and carbs, what nutrients you are lacking, and how many calories you are actually consuming.
Just my thoughts... :)
Thanks for your input! I agree that it's definitely about the bigger picture. Tracking my calories for just 2 days probably wasn't enough to get a sense of my real intake. But it's way too much work to track every day! :P
DeleteThis is really interesting. I've thought about this as I endeavour to eat more and even out my hunger cues. Some days I'm starving and others I just don't feel hungry. I think it is amasing how intellegent our bodies are though. If I go a day without eating enough fat, my body will tell me so. It's almost like a little voice saying, "please, feed me, I need to be able to grow!" and It will be silenced when I listen to it and heed its cues.
ReplyDeleteIn my recovery, I know I'm not eating enough. The concept of metabolism throughly confuses me. I don't trust my body (although I should) to use the calories I should be eating daily, which, like you, is most likely around 2000. I'm afraid it would just make me gain weight. It is all at once perplexing and amasing to me that my body could utilise all the calories I feed it in a day and need more the next day! If I learned to have more faith in this process, I would be able to appreciate my body so much more.
Like always, you inspire me to keep feeding my body to be able to live and have energy to nourish my day.
I'm taking a biochemistry of nutrition class this semester and it's really opening my eyes to how many calories our bodies need per day. Every cell is literally buzzing with activity in our bodies at every second - and they need calories for that! I know it can be hard to grasp the fact that you need to eat more, but trust me, your body will thank you for it! :)
Deletei have this EXACT same problem. i have this belief in my mind that my metabolism is so slow, so i never eat near the calories the different calculations and websites have told me i should be eating. the thought of eating 2000 calories for ME, scares me, so i always eat so much less. and i feel like im "better" for it, when i really know im not. im also a nutrition and dietetics student, and i WISH i just knew the answer so this problem that is a constant battle for me every day could be solved. i never know how much to eat, if im eating too much, or too little. i exercise but never really compensate for the calories i burned..i feel like i have this mindset that im always eating/exercising to lose weight, when im really at the perfect weight for my height, so i should be eating what i burned. but i dont let myself, and i need to! this post was REALLY helpful for me though! THANK you!
DeleteA great post! It seems to me that on my rest days I am the most hungry, perhaps because I am recovering from a hard week's workouts?
ReplyDeleteI have a very difficult time following my hunger cues so I try to keep track of my calories every once in awhile throughout the month. It's a great way to make sure I am getting enough protein, fat, and carbs!
Not positive how many calories I should be eating but I do intuitively eat around 1500-1600 and rarely feel hungry.
I think it's so important to do little check-ups like this every once in a while. There are so many factors that play a part in eating and appetite, which makes it really easy to over or under-consume and not even realize it!
ReplyDeletehow cool! I've never thought about this much! Something to look into for sure!
ReplyDeleteLove this post, and you have such a sensible approach! I definitely think it's a good idea to occasionally track your calories, especially if you are feeling hungry or sluggish. Although I personally would avoid doing so everyday as it would make me a bit too obsessed with what I'm eating. Our bodies are smarter than we think so hopefully one day of eating less will be balanced with a bit more food the next day! Hope you'll keep us posted :)
ReplyDeleteHaha oh man I definitely couldn't track calories every day. Even just doing it for two days was SO much work! :P
DeleteThis is a really interesting topic, I've never really tracked my calories to see whether I eat roughly the same amount consistently. I love that you have such a rational and sensible approach! I think it's really healthy :-) You sound like you have a good idea of what you should be consuming so I'm sure you'll manage to achieve a balance. Hope you had a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment Sophie! I hope you had a great weekend too! :)
DeleteThank You about sharing this!
ReplyDeleteI just calculated my calorie intake on that site and it was similiar to yours which is too little for someone who is gaining weight :/
I can also relate to feeling hungry at unusual times, i personally think that calories aren't that important here, like you can eat 3 small cookies for 300kcal or a bowl of cereal with yogurt for also 300kcal, i guess you would feel fuller from the ceral+yogurt...maybe the thing is in the weight of food? Hmm, don't know.
Elizabete, I do agree.
DeleteCalories can be good to know about, etc, but for me at least, I want to be sure I'm eating healthy. Your example of 300cal of 3 cookies vs. 300cal of cereal with yoghurt is a perfect example!
I'm just beginning to learn how to eat intuitively again. Last year I did and I was in the same boat, but it was really detrimental so I was forced to start counting again. It's going a lot better this time because I recognize the fact that sometimes I have to eat even when I'm not terribly hungry just because of my level of activity. Other days I don't even have to consider that though becuase I'm ravenous!
ReplyDeleteYAYYY so happy your comment went through! Finally hahaha!
DeleteI'm glad to hear you've had similar experiences! You're right - I think it has something to do with being so active. Our hunger just can't keep up with us!
OKAY IM REALLY EXCITED I JUST COMMENTED AND IT WENT THROUGH!!!! YAAAY!!! Okay that is all.
ReplyDeleteLooks like your getting good feedback on the post sweetheart :) You definitely wrote it well. <3 I love you so much and am here if you need anything, but you definitely know your body best! I am happy you are learning more about fuelling properly after workouts too :) it's such an interesting subject! I wish I was in your class xo
ReplyDeleteLove u
I wish you were in my class too - you would love it!
DeleteThis is super interesting Chelsea! Glad you're figuring things out!! For myself personally, when I'm under my optimum weight, no matter how much I eat, I'll always be hungry/unsatiated - so that could be something to consider too... I know that's probably not what you want to hear and I'm in no way suggesting that that's your circumstance, but it's one more thing to think about!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your thoughts hun! :) I've considered that, but I'm actually at a healthy BMI and I feel like I'm finally at the weight where I should. It feels good!!!
DeleteI have definitely done the same thing and found I was not eating enough as well - especially while training for a half marathon! Even though I'm not running anymore, I am still lifting heavy weights, which is physically taxing in a different way. I would love for myself to get somewhere between 1800-2000 calories per day and I have found I need to track it sometimes to make sure I do that! I don't like having to do this, but I know it's for the best!
ReplyDeleteI don't really track calories. I just eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm full. Works for me!
ReplyDeleteI just keep it as simple as possible.
I am glad you did this Chelsea and learned a bit more about yourself too! Of course I am still struggling on whether or not I want/need to count calories, but I feel like I would go under if I did not. I do try to listen to my body and hunger cues as much as I can, but you show that maybe that is not always the best idea!
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean! Tracking calories can be a dangerous thing as we could easily turn it into obsessing... but it's all about keeping the right mindset!
Deletethis is a great post! some other things to think about are your activity levels for each day...even if you did a similar workout both days, were you walking more, or running errands more or just busier on the day you ate more calories? Also, I don't know if you counted cals on back to back days, but another factor to think about is your period/cycle...personally i know for me, like 2 weeks before I get my period, i am STARVING all the time and literally eat all day haha...just some things to think about!
ReplyDeleteour bodies are so smart, and if we listen to it and give it what it needs, everything will balance itself out in the long run :)
Haha that's so funny! Yeah my hormones definitely amp up my hunger too around that time of the month! ;)
DeleteThat's a good point about the physical activity - I actually did take a rest day on the day when I only ate 1600 cal. Hmm...
I wish I could learn to eat intuitively, but I'm still holding onto my ED tendency of counting calories, not so much to make sure I don't get 'too much' anymore, but to make sure I'm getting the right balance of macronutrients that feels best for me. I would actually love to know what my BMR is so I would know how many calories to shoot for daily, because there are definitely some days that I am super ravenous!
ReplyDeleteIf you want to know your energy needs, you can use this DRI equation (specifically for women 19+):
DeleteEER = 354 - (6.91 x age [y]) + PA x {(9.36 x weight [kg]) + (726 x height [m])}
PA is your physical activity, so use 1.0 if you're sedentary, 1.12 if you're lightly active, 1.27 if you're moderately active, and 1.45 if you're highly active.
Hope that helps! :)
Hm! I don't really track, but I know that my hunger cues are off. I think that happens when you exercise a lot.. Exercise is a scientifically proven appetite suppressant. This is why a lot of people (including me) feel not hungry on long run days or exercise intense days, and RAVENOUS on rest days or easy days. It's weird. I make myself eat when I'm not hungry on hard days :)
ReplyDeleteYes that's SO true! That's exactly why I think my hunger cues are off!
DeleteI occasionally keep track of my calories because I feel like I eat SO much. It turns out I eat around 3000-4000 a day but I am currently breastfeeding and workout (although not as much as i want). I guess my body needs what it needs. I follow my bodys hunger cues but I sware I'm always hungry. I am at my healthy prepregnancy weight so I guess my body is right. I think our bodys cues are accurate but we just need to learn how to interpret them and what foods to eat to satisfy.
ReplyDeleteits funny how our bodies work!! I do count my calories to make sure I'm fueling my workouts right, but I'm not always hungry for what I *should* be eating! I've done this experiment before- on a standard day I'll burn about 2800 calories. some days, It's a struggle for me to be hungry for 1800. and some days, I eat 3100 and feel unsatisfied! I think if it all balances out over the long run, then its totally fine and there's no need to eat the same number every day. Eventually I'd like to move toward more intuitive eating - our bodies are pretty smart and will tell us what we want and when we want it - but its hard to get used to listening!
ReplyDeleteYou're definitely right - I think the calories do balance out over the long run. I'd be curious to see what my real intake is by tracking consistently for a few weeks, but that is WAY too much work for me! :P
DeleteChecking in is SO important! I'm glad you tracked this, and I love that you used the tracker you did ;)
ReplyDeleteYou also created some Kashi cravings in me with that photo.
Goal for the week: get a new phone. OR get a new phone and break out the digital camera. my blog is getting boring and photo less :(
I was so anti-calorie counting for the longest time, but now I definitely see the importance! I'm glad I did too!
DeleteI miss your photos too! I hope you get a new phone soon. :)
Hey Chelsea, I read your blog but rarely comment ... need to do that more often!
ReplyDeleteOkay, so I never ever count calories as I have a history of disordered eating (sad that almost everyone kind of had this for a while) ... and I've come to be able to listen to my hunger cues and it works for me. Some days I am constantly hungry, other days I just don't eat as much. Same with what I eat.
I've found that for me, this works just fine. But on days where I train more (I have a busy work schedule from 8am to 9pm or more so I am currently more restricted with my workout schedule) I make the conscious decision to have some simple carbs right after and a protein-based meal about an hour later.
I guess that if you have goals such as a half-marathon training or a considerate muscle gain, a check is necessary from time to time to make sure your body gets what it needs.
Marie-Sophie
loved this post. i've been thinking about counting mine one day too just to see.
ReplyDeleteSo interesting! I've always used an intuitive way of eating to help guide me through the day, and I do try to plug my workouts in to truly understand why I'm more hungry one day over another. Loved this post!
ReplyDeleteI definitely know what you mean. One time I counted my calories and it was WAY lower than I thought it was or what it should have been. But I was eating when I was hungry, and stopping when I was full. So, I'm not really sure! Every day is different.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Another thing to think about is when you are eating what type of macronutrient (protein, carbs, fats). Complex carbs pre workout is a great lasting energy source (beans, whole grains etc) while simple carbohydrates (fruit) can be utilized right after a workout to provide immediate energy for the body. I find eating a solid source of protein for breakfast (like 2 scrambled eggs with vegetables) keeps my hunger levels more balanced throughout the day. Later on at night I try to stick with lots of veggies, protein and healthy fats/oils.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I go in spurts of tracking my calories. When I am feeling like I'm either starving all the time or totally stuffed, I check in to see if I am on track with calories. It's tough though because there are SO many factors that add to how I am feeling: hormones, workouts, time of day I eat, WHAT I eat, etc.
ReplyDeleteBut I also listen to my body - I get headaches if my nutrition is off. I think if you are fueling with nutritious, balanced meals than you will "know" if you are off track.
Hint: I have an app on my phone to make counting easier because it can be taxing!
OooOo such an interesting post!! I really never thought of keeping track of calories (except when I had disordered ways of eating as a younger gal) just b/c I don't feel like I need to and I just wouldn't want to play with fire! :P But I am curious to know if I'm eating enough calories!! I used to eat 6 meals all the time when I did HIIT bodyweight training ONLY at home (that was until like 3-4 months ago?). But then I moved to 3rd floor apartment (where I can't jump) and since I'm at the gym and done with school, I eat about 4-5 times a day. Maybe if I wake up really early, then I might eat 6. But I think in the end, if we know we're getting really nutritious food in our bodies and eat when we're hungry, we should be alright. :) Do you think that eating too little when working out can cause weight gain? I've heard about those "theories", but not sure what to think of it. Thanks for sharing this! :D
ReplyDeleteI think this is a really important subject. So called "intuitive eating" can lead to a deficiency in calories..or I suppose an excess but coming from an ED recovery position we don't often feel hunger cues normally. In treatment I was put on a meal plan based on the exchange system. The whole point is so you aren't aware of calories but I can eat my exchanges and be drastically under my calories needs so I have no choice but to track my cals and make sure I'm eating enough. I don't think "intuitive eating" is all it's cracked up to be, at least not for most people...in my opinion. Sure you want to listen to your body but sometimes you have to listen to your head to.
ReplyDeleteThis was an interesting post! I now just as of a few months eat when I am hungry, but you are right. There are days where I realize I need to keep track because I'm just not thinking about it. I realize it when I wake up starving like mad in the morning. I like to double check around 3-5pm and see where I am at. If I'm way under, I'll eat a larger dinner to make up.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a great post, girl!
ReplyDeleteI just did an experiment like this last week and was shocked that I wasn't eating enough calories either. I feel like I eat alllll the time and I usually just rely on my hunger cues to decide when and how much to eat. But, obviously that isn't enough.
I've been working on upping my calories and protein intake and it's making SUCH a big difference. I feel so much more satisfied throughout the day. (:
And oh my gosh, sunflower seed crusted tofu?! That is brilliant!! Did you just use the nut butter as your only marinade?