If I Workout How Many Calories Should I Eat?

  • By Spendlessy
  • Updated: Nov 1, 2023

Definitely, your body needs more calories when you work out and the sole reason behind this is that you are burning more calories when you start working out.

For example, a 15-year-old female with a sedentary lifestyle requires around 1800 –2000 calories per day whereas a 22-year-old male whose activity level is moderate will typically need around 2400 – 2600 calories per day.

Physical Activity Level Directly Affects Your Calorie Needs

Physical activity has a direct relationship with your daily calorie intake. The higher the intensity of your workout the more calories you will need.

However, the exact number of calories you need during a workout depends on various factors including your height, weight, the intensity of your physical activity, and the duration of the workout.

SpendLessy will help you calculate your calorie requirements when you opt for a workout.

  • The More You Weigh The More Calories You Need

For example, a person who weighs 140 pounds will burn around 260 calories per hour with bicycling (<10mph) however a person who weighs around 220 pounds will burn around 320 calories per hour.

  • The Higher The Intensity Of Your Workout The More Calories You Need

For example, a 154-pound person who is doing moderate-intensity workouts such as walking (3.5 mph) will burn 280 calories in 1 hour however the same person will burn around 590 calories in an hour when starting to run at (5 mph) instead.

  • The Longer The Duration Of Your Workout The More Calories You Need

The more time you spend doing a workout the more calories your body will need to remain active. For example, a person who weighs 154 pounds is playing basketball will approximately burn 220 calories in 30 minutes however the number of calories burned during half an hour will be doubled if the person decides to play basketball for 1 hour.

If you want to maintain your weight while doing a workout you should consume the same number of calories, you burn during the workout to maintain your energy level.

Make sure to keep this point in mind, if you are a person who does moderate-intensity workouts 2 – 3 times a week, you probably do not need to increase your intake of calories.

But if you are a person who does vigorous-intensity workouts such as circuit training, HIIT that burns more than 500 calories per hour you definitely need to increase your calorie intake to save yourself from any sort of medical issues such as low blood sugar.

How Many Calories Should I Eat If I Don’t Exercise

To lose some pounds without doing any exercise you need to eat and drink fewer calories than you burn.

In this case, you will have to go for a calorie deficit (reduction of a few calories from total calorie intake). A good rule of thumb for healthy weight loss is to create a deficit of 500 calories per day.

For example, if your daily calorie requirement is 2200 and you want to do a calorie deficit of 500 (Subtract 2200 – 500) = 1700 will be your daily calorie intake.

A daily 500-calorie deficit will allow you to lose a pound per week if you are not opting to do some physical workout. However, if your physical activity level is moderate you can go for a smaller calorie deficit of 200 – 300.

Signs You Are Not Eating Enough Calories

We all want to achieve our goal weight but eating fewer calories than your body needs will do more harm for you than good.

Feeling Low Constantly

Fatigue is one of the common signs that indicate a person is undereating. Our body to function properly requires a certain number of calories. When you eat fewer calories than your body requirements you might not be able to sustain energy throughout the day.

Excessive Hair Loss

If you are not eating a balanced meal, you may face excessive hair loss due to inadequate consumption of proteins, minerals, vitamins, and essential fatty acids that are required to increase the strength of your hair.

Cold Hands & Feet

We require a certain number of calories per day to maintain our body temperature, consuming fewer calories constantly can lower your core body temperature.

Sleep Issues

As per a few research studies, consuming low calories can lead to sleep disturbance. Sleep problems generally occur due to the low levels of tryptophan (a naturally occurring amino acid found in protein) that plays an important role in regulating the normal sleep cycle.

 Anxiety & Depression

Anxiety and other mental disorders are quite common in people who starve (constantly consume low calories). When your body does not meet enough energy requirements it can lead to difficulty in concentration, confusion, moodiness, forgetfulness, and many other low feelings.

Use A Calorie Calculator & Maintain Your Food Diary

Calorie tracker helps you to track your macros with its easy barcode scanner and device integration. Whether you want to lose weight or gain some muscles, a calorie-counting calculator will help you in your journey.

There are many online FREE calorie calculators available. It is quite easy to create an account. Enter your name, gender, height, weight, basal activity level, and your goal, and you will get access to data that will support you.

Moreover, maintaining a food diary will help you record everything you eat and drink in a week. You can also log your activity level and the exercises you do in a day. As per different research studies it has been seen that those who maintain their food journal daily often stick to their diet plans longer and lose weight quickly.