Please help

VeryKerri

First of all, Hello!!! I just became a member a few weeks ago and I love this site. I have really found it to be very helpful. I like to plan out for the day what I am going to eat so that I know what my totals are just in case something comes up. This has been wonderful. I have a question though. I am so confused about how many calories a day I should be eating. According to my criteria I should be eating 1760 a day to lose 1-2 pounds a week, but then when I put my exercise in there, it increases. Should I eat more? I am so clueless. Can anyone help? Thanks!

LavenderBouquet

Some people eat their exercise calories and some don't.
I would judge how you feel, if you're hungry, and just make sure you stay above 1,200 calories =]
Hope this helps!

I always eat my exercise calories, and I'm not gaining weight, so it's working for me.

KPaden1221

I USUALLY EAT MY ALLOWED CALORIES BEFORE EXERCISE, BC SOMEDAYS I DONT GET TO EXERCISE.. AND THE DAYS I EXERCISE MORE THAN NORMAL I WILL EAT A LITTLE MORE BC I FEEL HUNGRIER THOSE DAYS.

Lea10

I stick to below 1200 calories I wouldn't eat your exercise calories because your not benefiting then you want to be doing exercise to loose the pounds not to loose weight to eat the exercise calories if that makes sense.

jdier

I'm supposed to eat 1200cal./day not including exercise calories. When I burn 500 calories during my workout, I only eat 250 of those exercise calories and I am losing about 1 lb/wk.

jillcwhite

You can lose weight by eating your work out calories. You seem to have a lot calories to start the day without exercise, so if not hungry dont eat them all. If you are hungry eat your work out calories and dont worry. I only have 1200 calories to start and if I work out I can get around 1500 - 1800 calories. I have lost weight by keeping on track 6 days and eating more calories on the 7th day. I do eat my exercise calories everyday. I have lost total of 22 pounds - 12 since joining this site.

poisonapple

I eat a portion of my exercise calories back but not all. I burn anywhere from 1000-2500 depending on the day and I usually try to stay about 1000 under what MFP says I should.
If you eat them back you should lose weight at the rate you set up for (1lb or 2 lb /week) however if you don't eat them you should lose more. Most importantly FEEL GOOD! Make sure you eat enough that you have plenty of energy and don't starve yourself (and don't gorge yourself if you aren't hungry just to make calories)

Allibaba

I read somewhere here that the site reccomends eating your exercise calories so that your body doesn't go into starvation mode. I try to stay close, though I am often a bit under.

VeryKerri

Thanks everyone. I am staying under 1500 calories a day and so far I feel great! I am losing inches, but no real movement in the weight. I can't figure that one out though.... I am in this for the (extremely) long haul so as long as I feel better I am happy. I just know I would be happier if I could see the scale move.
Thanks again!

jillcwhite

Give it a month to see the weight come off - I got discouraged at the scale, but after a month I started seeing the scale move. I think the body needs time to adjust to the calorie drop and exercise. Hang in there!

Soon2beskinny73

Glad to see you here. Thanks for adding me as a friend I don't eat any of my exercise calories just because I have so many to eat already that it is hard for me to get them in but eventually I know I will have to start eating my exercise calories or at least some of them but for now I am steadily losing 2+ pounds per week. I say just listen to your body and do what it says Usually you do get hungrier if your exercising though so you will find you might have to eat your exercise calories.