calories with exercise

just out of curiosity...how many calories do you take in when you're exercising regularly. i'm 13 months post op and have been exercising the whole time but now that i'm at my goal i've been eating more to maintain BUT i've also increased my workouts. i just bought an elliptical machine which burns more calories than the leslie sansone videos apparently. anyway according to fitday i burn about 700 calories a day with my activities/exercise and i take in about 1000-1200 calories a day. do i need to up the calories or is that good? also...is it best to do the elliptical before or after eating. i've been doing it 2 times a day...before lunch and after. around 1:30pm and 4:30pm. do i need to be eating before i do it. i usually drink a nectar protein drink before but i didn't last night and i did the elliptical for only 15 minutes right before dinner and my blood sugar dropped to 43! i was feeling really funny on there so i had to stop after 15 minutes. any advice would be great and thanks in advance!! Steph 350/140 (5'8")

at 4'11" and 135 pounds I maintain well on 1500-1700 calories a day. I exercise 4-6 times a week very strenuosly. I usually eat something small before I work out with some protein and some carbs, last time it was a small banana with a Tb of peanut butter on it. I try to get something with some good protein after. Could be a protein bar like my favorite ONe Way bars, or a few slices of ham, turkey, or a yogurt w/ Kashi high protein cereal on top.

thanks for the info...i'll try eating a little before and after i exercise next time and see what happens. thanks again!!

I have a question for you both. Regardless of whether I was 228, or that I am 144 pounds I exercise at about 70-80% of my maximum heart rate. Of course the more weight I lose, the more I have to walk/run to reach my 70-80% heart rate... My question is why is it that it is harder for me to maintain this (what is to me) high level of work out NOW that i have lost the weight? I used to could go on and on... now I give out less than 40 minutes into it. I used to could exercise at 75% of my MHR for a good 40 minutes... no problem. Now it is all I can do to exericse 40 minutes... I give out around 20 minutes. Regardless of the fact I am performing more strenuous exercise, my body doesn't know the difference really because I am STILL at 70% max... you knwo what I mean? I realize I am exercising harder//// but am I really? because when you have more weight on you, you can b urn calories easier... anyway, that's my question. And no way can I last at 1200 calories a day... I don't see how either of you are doing it.

you have lost close to a hundred pounds! You may feel like you are working harder but your heart does not agree. get some weights equal to what you have lost and see how hard you have to work just to lift them. then think of strapping them to your body and exercisng. How many calories do you usually get? I am ravenous on much under 1500 a day, but I am 3 1/2 years out and in maintainence mode.

I have a question for you both. Regardless of whether I was 228, or that I am 144 pounds I exercise at about 70-80% of my maximum heart rate. Of course the more weight I lose, the more I have to walk/run to reach my 70-80% heart rate... My question is why is it that it is harder for me to maintain this (what is to me) high level of work out NOW that i have lost the weight? I used to could go on and on... now I give out less than 40 minutes into it. I used to could exercise at 75% of my MHR for a good 40 minutes... no problem. Now it is all I can do to exericse 40 minutes... I give out around 20 minutes. Regardless of the fact I am performing more strenuous exercise, my body doesn't know the difference really because I am STILL at 70% max... you knwo what I mean? I realize I am exercising harder//// but am I really? because when you have more weight on you, you can b urn calories easier... anyway, that's my question. And no way can I last at 1200 calories a day... I don't see how either of you are doing it.

well don't have the answer for you on the exercise. i think i was more motivated when i was losing weight. maybe that's part of it? i really don't know. and as for the calorie intake...i rarely have that hungry feeling but maybe my body is starving...who knows. i'm going to try and increase my calorie intake a little at a time and see how i do. i just feel like i eat a lot now as it is. i see that daily post about what people ate and i think...man i'm a pig then cuz those people don't look like they're eating anything!