Should I Eat Back the Calories?
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Because the 1200 already includes at deficit. The number MFP gives you already takes out whatever you should be in deficit (500 calories for 1 lb per week, 750 for 1.5, 1000 for 2.)0
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jessicaesqueda0409 wrote: »Hi Guys,
So this is becoming quite the learning journey. I've discovered through MFP message boards that I have no idea what I'm doing. :-) Help a girl out?
At this point, I am shooting for around 1200 calories a day (and probably eating way more than that, who knows? I'm buying a food scale shortly). I log my exercise, but don't eat back any calories. So, if I am actually eating 1200 calories (for the sake of mathematics, let's say I am), and then I burn 250, my net is at 950 for the day.
Could this be a part of why I'm not losing ANYTHING? I lost 10 pounds, then I hit a standstill. It kind of sucks, considering the mass amount of weight I have left to lose...
Insight, advice, tips, and what-the-heck-should-I-be-eating is appreciated!
Hey! I like eating light for breakfast Slimfast, Lunch small sandwich and fruit, carrots.
At dinner I have 700-800 calories left. On a 1380 calories diet! No snacks. Losing a pound a week!0 -
Jessica, more than likely you are not burning a lot of calories during your exercise. You will probably not exceed 500 calories. They shouldn't be a need to consume additional calories.
First, you need to determine how much fat you want to loose weekly. From that you will determine you caloric intake. One to one and half pound is reasonable per week this is slow process.
Now you determine your macro (carbs, fat and protein) intake. Your protein is very important because that will maintain your existing muscle and will be used to repair your muscle to build strength from when you exercise. So, I am saying that you are going to put protein first then the other two macros you will use to fill in the remaining calories. MFP tends to skew towards consuming more carbs than protein.
Fats vs carbohydrates.
Fats are essential for body functions. You want to intake quality fats. An example of quality fats will be almonds or avocados. You will not need a large quantity
Carbohydrates are you body go to fuel for energy therefore, restricting your carbs will aid in fat loss. Keeping your carbs around 100 grams per day normally works well. Body builders will go below 50 grams per day to get ready for competition. Since you are not a body builder don't go there.
In summary:
1-- determine how much you want loose per week and keep it realistic 1 to 11/2 lbs per week.
2--Determine you calories to accomplish this
3--Determine you protein level to maintain you muscles and try to near that number. Protein should be the core of your meals
4--The body needs fats for essential functions so consume quality fats
5-- Carbs are the go fuel your body like to burn. Therefore limit them and it will go to its next preferred source which is fat
Please feel free to ask anymore questions. By sending an email.0 -
i am new to this, can someone please help me understand, everyone keeps saying that we have to eat the calorie goal say (1200), and eat back what ever is burned correct? so how will i create a deficit if i eat 1200 + the calorie burned?
Because 1200 calories is you deficit...no way in hell is 1200 a maintenance level of calories for anyone who isn't 4' nothing and 90 years old. To boot, 1200 is an aggressive weight loss goal for a sedentary individual...if you workout you are no longer sedentary.
Let's do some math...let's say your maintenance is around 2000 calories WITHOUT exercise....1200 calories per day would be in the neighborhood of 1.5 Lbs per week loss (1200 is as low as MFP will go). Now let's say you exercise and burn off...400 calories and your new calorie GOAL jumps to 1600 calories...it's ok...because you still maintain that same 800 calorie deficit because your previous maintenance number of 2000 is now 2400 calories and 2400 - 1600 = 800 calorie deficit still.
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cwolfman13 wrote: »jessicaesqueda0409 wrote: »You're not eating enough... unless you're a midget.
If 5'11 and 300 pounds is a midget, count me into the fun-sized club.
Lol.
So, what exactly is a healthy caloric intake? I have no idea. 1200 just seems to be a number that is pretty common for weight loss, and I really, really, need to lose 100 pounds.
Have you seen a doctor at all? Many people in your weight situation have other things going on medically that jack with your hormones and your metabolism. At 300 Lbs you should be able to lose weight easily eating way more than 1200 calories per day.
I'm not sure of your age but I just generically put in your stats into the scooby workshop calculator with no exercise whatsoever and it is saying you should be able to lose about 1 Lb per week eating 2000ish calories which means you should be able to eat around 1500 calories to lose 2 Lbs per week (which at your size is perfectly acceptable). Mind you, that's without any exercise at all. Given your size, those seem very reasonable figures to me.
I will tell you this as well...the whole "starvation mode" stuff as it gets thrown around her is BS...but when you severely under-eat and restrict calories, it is a major stress on the body...this can really jack around with your hormones and it can slow your metabolism to some extent...and it most definitely can cause you to retain a *kitten* ton of water that can certainly mask short term scale losses.
At any-rate, I would make sure to net 1200...at your size you can afford to be more aggressive than many...just be careful not to overestimate your burns...and definitely get that food scale...it's a game changer for many.
Hormones are a part of it, but I don't want it to be my "excuse". I have PCOS, along with other issues. I recently started a birth control pill to regulate some things. It made me gain 5 pounds (probably bloat), which is really not okay.
I think I will always struggle with my weight, and that's okay. I just need to get to where I can manage it. I don't understand why at 1200 calories, or even 1500, I would not be losing SOMETHING without exercise. Factoring in exercise, I should definitely be losing.
The only logical conclusion is that I am eating way more than I think I am.
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Lissa_Kaye wrote: »My advice, ditch the 1200 calorie thing unless you are around 120 lbs. Go to this site: http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html and enter in your stats. Take that number and multiply by 0.85 and eat that amount. Make sure you choose the correct activity level. If you have a significant amount to lose like you are in the morbidly obese category don't worry about eating back exercise calories for regular workouts. If you are doing very long and/or hard strenuous workouts like hiking all day, long sessions of P90x you want to eat back some.
This is how I calculate what to eat back for me. My TDEE is 2200. So I normally burn around 80 calories an hour without exercise. I did a 2 hour hike yesterday, my burn for it was 870. I subtract 160 from that total (2 hours @ 80 calories). That gives me 710 calories burned from exercise. I will eat back 1/2 to a 3rd of that. I will eat that back with high protein and nutritionally dense food. I don't think of it as "yay I am gonna stuff on some chocolate cake and McD's". Also as you lose weight you will need to recalculate your calorie amounts. Do it every 15-20 lbs. Hop this helps.
I came out to just under 2600. That's way too many calories in a day, no?0 -
jessicaesqueda0409 wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »jessicaesqueda0409 wrote: »You're not eating enough... unless you're a midget.
If 5'11 and 300 pounds is a midget, count me into the fun-sized club.
Lol.
So, what exactly is a healthy caloric intake? I have no idea. 1200 just seems to be a number that is pretty common for weight loss, and I really, really, need to lose 100 pounds.
Have you seen a doctor at all? Many people in your weight situation have other things going on medically that jack with your hormones and your metabolism. At 300 Lbs you should be able to lose weight easily eating way more than 1200 calories per day.
I'm not sure of your age but I just generically put in your stats into the scooby workshop calculator with no exercise whatsoever and it is saying you should be able to lose about 1 Lb per week eating 2000ish calories which means you should be able to eat around 1500 calories to lose 2 Lbs per week (which at your size is perfectly acceptable). Mind you, that's without any exercise at all. Given your size, those seem very reasonable figures to me.
I will tell you this as well...the whole "starvation mode" stuff as it gets thrown around her is BS...but when you severely under-eat and restrict calories, it is a major stress on the body...this can really jack around with your hormones and it can slow your metabolism to some extent...and it most definitely can cause you to retain a *kitten* ton of water that can certainly mask short term scale losses.
At any-rate, I would make sure to net 1200...at your size you can afford to be more aggressive than many...just be careful not to overestimate your burns...and definitely get that food scale...it's a game changer for many.
Hormones are a part of it, but I don't want it to be my "excuse". I have PCOS, along with other issues. I recently started a birth control pill to regulate some things. It made me gain 5 pounds (probably bloat), which is really not okay.
I think I will always struggle with my weight, and that's okay. I just need to get to where I can manage it. I don't understand why at 1200 calories, or even 1500, I would not be losing SOMETHING without exercise. Factoring in exercise, I should definitely be losing.
The only logical conclusion is that I am eating way more than I think I am.
possibly...but you also mentioned it had only been a 2 week stall...they will happen throughout the weight loss process. That's what I meant when i said it wasn't a linear process. You will have weeks with no loss...weeks with big losses...weeks with small losses...weeks with small gains due to the kind of things you mentioned above. Add to that, you are female...so you pretty much have a hormonal wrecking ball bring havoc monthly...if you talk to more women around her you will find that it's very typical to have stalls during that time and even gains with bloat and water retention.
You just have to keep plugging away...focus on the process and realize that ultimately this journey is a long one. You have to get into the mindset of the long haul.0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »
possibly...but you also mentioned it had only been a 2 week stall...they will happen throughout the weight loss process. That's what I meant when i said it wasn't a linear process. You will have weeks with no loss...weeks with big losses...weeks with small losses...weeks with small gains due to the kind of things you mentioned above. Add to that, you are female...so you pretty much have a hormonal wrecking ball bring havoc monthly...if you talk to more women around her you will find that it's very typical to have stalls during that time and even gains with bloat and water retention.
You just have to keep plugging away...focus on the process and realize that ultimately this journey is a long one. You have to get into the mindset of the long haul.
It is the unhealthy response that I want it gone NOW. Or rather, tiny drops now so that in a year, I will be at my goal. It is the unhealthy response that I hate my belly, and I feel like if I don't keep moving, keep pushing, I'm going to have this roll of fat hanging off of me for the rest of my life. I'm not okay with that.
I am, however, okay with continuing to plug away, hopefully in a healthier manner. I get paid in an hour, and Amazon is my first stop for a food scale. I have joined a fitness challenge... we'll see where next month gets me I suppose.
And you're right-- I'm about a week away from the wrecking ball making its presence very known, and my ovaries/uterus has been killing me for about a week. There's likely a lot to do with adjusting to meds and adjusting to a normal cycle, and also preparing for an upcoming cycle. I just don't want to make EXCUSES. I am, finally, ready to hold myself 100% accountable and say "I'm not doing this right".
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jessicaesqueda0409 wrote: »Hi Guys,
So this is becoming quite the learning journey. I've discovered through MFP message boards that I have no idea what I'm doing. :-) Help a girl out?
At this point, I am shooting for around 1200 calories a day (and probably eating way more than that, who knows? I'm buying a food scale shortly). I log my exercise, but don't eat back any calories. So, if I am actually eating 1200 calories (for the sake of mathematics, let's say I am), and then I burn 250, my net is at 950 for the day.
Could this be a part of why I'm not losing ANYTHING? I lost 10 pounds, then I hit a standstill. It kind of sucks, considering the mass amount of weight I have left to lose...
Insight, advice, tips, and what-the-heck-should-I-be-eating is appreciated!
0 -
jessicaesqueda0409 wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »
possibly...but you also mentioned it had only been a 2 week stall...they will happen throughout the weight loss process. That's what I meant when i said it wasn't a linear process. You will have weeks with no loss...weeks with big losses...weeks with small losses...weeks with small gains due to the kind of things you mentioned above. Add to that, you are female...so you pretty much have a hormonal wrecking ball bring havoc monthly...if you talk to more women around her you will find that it's very typical to have stalls during that time and even gains with bloat and water retention.
You just have to keep plugging away...focus on the process and realize that ultimately this journey is a long one. You have to get into the mindset of the long haul.
It is the unhealthy response that I want it gone NOW. Or rather, tiny drops now so that in a year, I will be at my goal. It is the unhealthy response that I hate my belly, and I feel like if I don't keep moving, keep pushing, I'm going to have this roll of fat hanging off of me for the rest of my life. I'm not okay with that.
I am, however, okay with continuing to plug away, hopefully in a healthier manner. I get paid in an hour, and Amazon is my first stop for a food scale. I have joined a fitness challenge... we'll see where next month gets me I suppose.
And you're right-- I'm about a week away from the wrecking ball making its presence very known, and my ovaries/uterus has been killing me for about a week. There's likely a lot to do with adjusting to meds and adjusting to a normal cycle, and also preparing for an upcoming cycle. I just don't want to make EXCUSES. I am, finally, ready to hold myself 100% accountable and say "I'm not doing this right".
Those things aren't always excuses...they can be, but there are real physiological things that take place that are outside of your control. Heck, even without all that, natural weight fluctuations can be anywhere from 1- 5 Lbs day to day for the average person. For example, I'm a pretty healthy and fit guy...my nutritional profile is pretty much outstanding and I exercise regularly...this morning I was a good 4 Lbs heavier on the scale than I was yesterday...this isn't because of something I did wrong...this is because of something happening physiologically in my body. I'm not worried about it because after 2.5 years I'm pretty familiar with my own cycles and fluctuations.
The best thing you can do is to look at the trend rather than the weigh to weigh numbers. You keep plugging away and the trend will continue down...you get frustrated and discouraged and bounce around with your goals, and all you're going to do is...well, bounce around. Just keep plugging and be consistent and watch the trends.0 -
Hello: 1200 calories isn't enough for your height.
Be patient with your progress.
Walk as much as you are able.
Get oxygen-fresh air is wonderful for your complexion
and mood.
And this simple exercise is easy to do,
doesn't cost anything and you can walk anytime
or anywhere.Show Yourself What You Can Do!!!
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One of the easiest things to do is stop eating the second you're no longer hungry. That may sound crazy, but if you slow down the pace of your eating and stop when you're full, you'll consume fewer calories.0
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HUGE issue. Huge question. Lots of responses... not sure what works. have done the more thing (TDEE) (gained weight) have done the less thing, body holds on to fat. have done the don't eat it back, not lost... have done all and still trying to figure it out.. Drink more water, eat more high volume low cal foods (non carb veggies!!!) I am somewhere in the middle when it comes to eating my cals back to 1200. if I work out, I allow myself to eat the max. if I do not, which is every other day, I usually stick between 958 and 1200. Either way, it's science. I was 6 lbs away from my goal 2 years ago and had to have back surgery. gained back 12 lbs, and now, 17 lbs away from my goal.. GRR.. and it is harder than ever to drop even a .2 or .4 of a lb weekly.. it's not a diet, it's life, and a journey...0
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i am new to this, can someone please help me understand, everyone keeps saying that we have to eat the calorie goal say (1200), and eat back what ever is burned correct? so how will i create a deficit if i eat 1200 + the calorie burned?
Say you are aiming for a 1000cal deficit (2lbs a week), and you daily goal number is 1200.
On Monday you burn 2200cals, and you eat 1200cals. It is a normal typical day.
This is a 1000cal deficit.
Now on Tuesday you go shopping, and hit every single store in the mall, burning 3000cals. You eat 2000cals that day.
This is a 1000cal deficit.
If you had eaten only 1200cals, it would be a 1800cal deficit.
On Wednesday you sit at your desk all day long, and late into the night. You burn 1900cals. You eat 1900cals due to eating dinner out of the vending machine.
This is a 0cal deficit, but you still did not gain any weight.
Also understand that if you are the type that doesn't move (Meaning you burn very few cals in the course of a day), and tell MFP that you want to lose 2lbs per week, it will likely tell you your target is 1200/day...even though this will not get you a large enough deficit to cause you to lose 2lbs/week...Because doctors have pretty much determined that eating less than 1200cals a day for extended time periods will really mess you up, both physically and mentally (As you are not getting enough nutrients to power the brain fully).0
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