New here - and new to exercise!

Options
MaggotPig
MaggotPig Posts: 89 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello :)

I've been using MFP for weight loss since August 2014 and all is going swimmingly (excuse the pun!). Prior to that I was following the weight watchers plan, but got bored of calculating points and was gaining weight again. I downloaded MFP in desperation one night, and haven't looked back since!

My weight loss journey started on 1/1/14 and to date, I've lost 6st (84lbs) through diet alone. The only exercise I do currently is walking my dog, which I don't really "count" as exercise, as I've always done it, but I do use a fitbit and have it synced to my MFP account. I tend not to use the calories earned though walking, although I will use them as a buffer if I have a particularly high calorie day.

I'm currently halfway through my weight loss journey (another 3lbs off and I will be exactly at my halfway point!) and I'm just about to sign up at my local gym, as I know that I cannot sustain this level of weight loss without exercise.

I have a heart rate monitor that I use when exercising (my previous attempt at weight loss a few years back had me doing [irregular!] exercise, and at the time, I had an issue with tachycardia that was being investigated, and was advised to use a HRM) - so I'll have an idea of how many calories I'm burning when I exercise.

What I guess I'm wondering, is how do I judge how much I should eat calorie wise vs what I've burned through exercise? Do I just aim to stay in the green each day or is there more to it than that?

Replies

  • alyhuggan
    alyhuggan Posts: 717 Member
    Options
    Your weight loss is based on calories in vs calories out.

    If you burn 300-400 calories at the gym think about eating about half to 3/4 of those back if you are still currently losing weight at your calories.
  • MaggotPig
    MaggotPig Posts: 89 Member
    Options
    Thank you for your reply :)

    I'm relatively well educated in the theory behind it all (my degree was anatomy with a large element of physiology) but I'm aware that it doesn't always work like the textbook says it should! I'm losing well at the moment, averaging 1.3lbs a week (my calorie count is set with the aim to lose 1lb a week).

    I know that I have a long road ahead, and what I don't want to do is be eating too few calories too soon, and then reach a point where I'm struggling to reduce my intake further when the scales stop moving.

Categories