Do you eat just to get your calories in ?

I'm just wondering  what you all do if you are not hungry do you all go ahead and eat just to get your calories in for the day ?

This whole week expect for one day I have been lucky to get in 700 calories a day .  I'm just not hungry .  Like right now I  have just hit 650 calories for today and I'm munching on carrots and ranch dressing just to get more calories in me .I also did a hour of Zumba tonight also.

It worries me because I do intense Zumba classes two times a week with  core / strength training and then I just picked up a step and kickboxing class this week also. 

I have exercised every day this week for a good hard hour .

I dont want to get into the habit of eating when I'm not hungry , but also  know that just eating 700 calories a day with my exercise program is not  healthy for me either *sigh*.

Just wondering what you all would do .  Eat to eat so I dont hurt myself or just  dont eat if I'm not hungry .

No -- I don't eat just to get calories in --- but if you feel you need to, you would be much better off with added protein instead of carrots and rance dressing.

Do you track your protein intake?  With your level of exercise, it is important to be getting over 70 grams per day ----- so, 700 calories might be too low to satisfy that need.

I know that I have plenty of body fat to go a while on a small number of calories (I did Medifast for 26 weeks several years ago -- and consumed about 500 calories a day) ---- but that really seems to screw with metabolism.

So, alot of the benefit of the exercise you are doing can be 'un-done' by training your body to get by on so few calories.

Eat. When u r working out like that it will speed up your metabolism. You do not want to lose muscle. Make sure you are getting plenty of nutrition,calcium & protien.

 And this might seem counter-intuitive, but I try to eat something with good carbs in it (oatmeal or whole-grain crackers) about an hour before an intense workout.  I find that it gives me more energy.  Not processed carbs.. but something that's slowly released.  And some protein along with the carb.

And I try and get in 10 to 20 grams of protein in the first hour after my workout.  Preferrably liquid.(muscle milk light, skim milk or syntrax nectar are my preferences).  Yesterday I had a nail appt after my step class so liquid wasn't a good option, so I had some beef jerky instead.

I wouldn't worry about a day here or there being below 1000 calories.. but would try not to make a habit of it.  

thanks for the input ladies :o).  Kathy I do get my protein in that seems like that is all I am eating lately for my meals because it fills me up.  Like last night after my Zumba class I just had 5 oz of chicken with mushrooms that was it.

Lisa, thanks.  I do need to eat some carbs before my workout and I know better.   Last night about halfway through my Zumba I was just physically tired.  I didn't have the energy to do anything. I'm not a fan of oatmeal but I will eat it if I need to.

Thanks Silver . I think that is part of my problem right now is my metabolism from my calories staying to low.  I just have a bad habit that I'm starting to pick up on again when I'm not hungry I just dont eat .  90% of the time now I dont even eat breakfast and I know that isn't good .

I guess it depends, if I am not hungry and I feel great, I will not force myself to eat, but if I have not gotten much to eat in a whole week, then I  would get concerned because your body needs energy to live and especially to exercise.