Calorie Consumption VS Burning

prplepeep

I have been tracking my calorie for a week now on here, and quickly found that staying under my recommended calorie intake is normal for me. In fact, it "fussed" at me the other day for not consuming enough calories.

That particular day I was on the go but didn't get any notable exercise in that would require me to intake - plus, I simply wasn't hungry, and I ate when I was (and got too full). I am used to listening to my body tell me when it needs. Some days it is more than others. Some days I am more active than others.

It kinda stressed me out though...well because I need to maintain a lifestyle (NOT a fad diet) that supports losing and keeping fat off me with health as the main priority. I have a hundred pounds to shred... so being told I'm not eating enough was kind of discouraging. (Who eats MORE to shed pounds???) It made me feel like I have to force feed myself when I'm not hungry... is that healthy??

SO... I was wondering, if I do up my calories, but then counter it with burning more calories then I consume, will that be beneficial or give me red flags too??

(P.S. I am on hormone treatment that helps my insulin production so I'm not storing extra fat which is likely why I am as overweight as I am. I'm not sure if maybe that is why my recommended calorie intake is more than I can handle??)

Thanks!!

DeguelloTex

It's going to be hard to burn just carbs.

Did the app fuss at you for not eating enough carbs or not eating enough calories?

Sued0nim

prplepeep wrote: »

I have been tracking my carbs for a week now on here, and quickly found that staying under my recommended carb intake is normal for me. In fact, it "fussed" at me the other day for not consuming enough carbs.

That particular day I was on the go but didn't get any notable exercise in that would require me to intake - plus, I simply wasn't hungry, and I ate when I was (and got too full). I am used to listening to my body tell me when it needs. Some days it is more than others. Some days I am more active than others.

It kinda stressed me out though...well because I need to maintain a lifestyle (NOT a fad diet) that supports losing and keeping fat off me with health as the main priority. I have a hundred pounds to shred... so being told I'm not eating enough was kind of discouraging. (Who eats MORE to shed pounds???) It made me feel like I have to force feed myself when I'm not hungry... is that healthy??

SO... I was wondering, if I do up my carbs, but then counter it with burning more carbs then I consume, will that be beneficial or give me red flags too??

(P.S. I am on hormone treatment that helps my insulin production so I'm not storing extra fat which is likely why I am as overweight as I am. I'm not sure if maybe that is why my recommended calorie intake is more than I can handle??)

Thanks!!

Are you focusing in carbs because of your medical condition? Because generally one could replace the word carb with calories to make this make sense

The answer is don't sweat the daily figures...average it out over the week..you might be hungrier another day so save them for then

Oh and carbs don't have a minimum..only protein and fat have a minimum ...

prplepeep

DeguelloTex wrote: »

It's going to be hard to burn just carbs.

Did the app fuss at you for not eating enough carbs or not eating enough calories?

It is indeed Calories rather than carbs- You are so right! Sorry about that, let me see if it will let me edit the post (I had them mixed up)

DeguelloTex

In that case, it's fussing at you not so much because you'll lose more weight by eating more, but because there are minimum thresholds below which it is considered unhealthy to eat. It wants you to eat at a certain deficit, but not too low.

prplepeep

rabbitjb wrote: »

Are you focusing in carbs because of your medical condition? Because generally one could replace the word carb with calories to make this make sense

The answer is don't sweat the daily figures...average it out over the week..you might be hungrier another day so save them for then

Oh and carbs don't have a minimum..only protein and fat have a minimum ...

Yes, I did have them confused, I've edited it to make sense! LOL - Thank You!!

StaciMarie1974

MFP tries to discourage disordered eating. Having an odd day where you have a low calorie count is not likely a problem. But doing this on a regular basis could mean your body is not getting the nutrients it needs.

TimothyFish

Technically, you can't burn more carbs than you consume. When exercising, if you have carbs available, your body will use them for energy, but when they aren't available it has to get energy from elsewhere. It'll pull from glycogen most readily, but it'll attempt to get energy from fat as well. If you consume more carbs than you use, they will be converted to glycogen and fat and stored.

999tigger

Id go with the dont sweat one days results, dont draw conclusions from just a weeks data. Tbh it was hard understanding what you wanted to say or your point. I kept thinking of an answer and then you changed track again and again. Do you wnat to list a maybe make clear questions you want answers to?

TR0berts

prplepeep wrote: »

(P.S. I am on hormone treatment that helps my insulin production so I'm not storing extra fat which is likely why I am as overweight as I am. I'm not sure if maybe that is why my recommended calorie intake is more than I can handle??)

Since your have a medical condition going on, the "automatic" recommendations made by MFP may not be suitable for you. Do you have recommendations from your doctor or a registered dietician, with regards to how much you should eat?

prplepeep

DeguelloTex wrote: »

In that case, it's fussing at you not so much because you'll lose more weight by eating more, but because there are minimum thresholds below which it is considered unhealthy to eat. It wants you to eat at a certain deficit, but not too low.

I see. It still makes me feel as if I am supposed to eat more than I do. If anything, I thought I over-eat ( I get too full, you know that stuffed feeling) But I don't eat a "normal diet" ..so it is naturally going to be lower calorie. I don't shop the middle of the supermarkets. The majority of the foods I have are fresh veggies, meats, dairy, and grains and I fill up on them. I make huge bowls of salad, for instance... that I would be embarrassed for anyone to see me put down. LOL But they don't include processed dressings - I use extra virgin olive oil and spices. Last week was an off week too- I did consume foods that were much less healthy than usual (It was my son's Birthday) and was still under. Perhaps I should snack a bit more, maybe on nuts and veggies.

DeguelloTex

Nuts, peanut butter, ice cream... there are plenty of things you can eat that are more calorically dense. There's no reason "unhealthy" foods can't be part of an overall good diet that meets caloric and nutritional needs.

I've lost 111 pounds eating ice cream and Tex-Mex and Snickers and whatever I want. It's more a question of "how much" than "what" at some point.

malibu927

MFP suggests eating 1200 to ensure you're getting adequate amounts of nutrients to fuel your body. Too low calorie intake over a consistent time frame can result in loss of muscle, as well as other serious health risks. There's a post in the Food & Drinks forum of calorie-dense items you can add to fill your day up. Just make sure you continue to log accurately.

prplepeep

DeguelloTex wrote: »

Nuts, peanut butter, ice cream... there are plenty of things you can eat that are more calorically dense. There's no reason "unhealthy" foods can't be part of an overall good diet that meets caloric and nutritional needs.

I've lost 111 pounds eating ice cream and Tex-Mex and Snickers and whatever I want. It's more a question of "how much" than "what" at some point.

Good job! I agree, and I do eat what I want in moderation. I ate the last piece of twix and oreo caramel chocolate icecream cake I made, today!! LOL. I don't mind some processed foods- but in making things myself I control what ingredients go into it., and still enjoy the shelved favorites. I have a thing for all these wierd ingredients we see in pre-made foods. Especially after taking chemistry!

Thanks for the support. Like I said, health is my #1 goal- which is why I was concerned.

999tigger

You didnt gain your weight by eating at a deficit.

Just because you eat low calorie foods sint a gauarantee of whether you are at deficit or surplus. Im not really sure you get the whole way cico and nutrition work.

prplepeep

malibu927 wrote: »

MFP suggests eating 1200 to ensure you're getting adequate amounts of nutrients to fuel your body. Too low calorie intake over a consistent time frame can result in loss of muscle, as well as other serious health risks. There's a post in the Food & Drinks forum of calorie-dense items you can add to fill your day up. Just make sure you continue to log accurately.

I'll check it out. Thanks!!

SezxyStef

prplepeep wrote: »

I have been tracking my calorie for a week now on here, and quickly found that staying under my recommended calorie intake is normal for me. In fact, it "fussed" at me the other day for not consuming enough calories.

That particular day I was on the go but didn't get any notable exercise in that would require me to intake - plus, I simply wasn't hungry, and I ate when I was (and got too full). I am used to listening to my body tell me when it needs. Some days it is more than others. Some days I am more active than others.

It kinda stressed me out though...well because I need to maintain a lifestyle (NOT a fad diet) that supports losing and keeping fat off me with health as the main priority. I have a hundred pounds to shred... so being told I'm not eating enough was kind of discouraging. (Who eats MORE to shed pounds???) It made me feel like I have to force feed myself when I'm not hungry... is that healthy??

SO... I was wondering, if I do up my calories, but then counter it with burning more calories then I consume, will that be beneficial or give me red flags too??

(P.S. I am on hormone treatment that helps my insulin production so I'm not storing extra fat which is likely why I am as overweight as I am. I'm not sure if maybe that is why my recommended calorie intake is more than I can handle??)

Thanks!!

1 week does not dictate "normal"...

the last year does...and if you have over 100 lbs to lose you were not eating in a deficit so it's not "normal" for you.

I currently eat anywhere between 1500-2200 calories a day to lose weight...depends on activity.

Today it will be close to 1800 or 1900 I suspect since I am running and lifting and I had a very busy weekend...

Wednesday...closer to 1500 as it's my rest day.

prplepeep

Actually it does, as I didn't change a thing aside from keeping track on here- in fact, ate more calories than normal. If you read the part that said I had a medical condition leading to my weight - YES, it is quite possible I have indeed been eating in deficit and still gain (It's how we knew something was wrong). It's quite rude of you to accusingly assume you know what is normal for me. This tracker recommends I eat 1710, but I averaged right around 1200 -1300 on a higher calorie week.

TR0berts

prplepeep wrote: »

Actually it does, as I didn't change a thing aside from keeping track on here- in fact, ate more calories than normal. If you read the part that said I had a medical condition leading to my weight - YES, it is quite possible I have indeed been eating in deficit and still gain (It's how we knew something was wrong). It's quite rude of you to accusingly assume you know what is normal for me. This tracker recommends I eat 1710, but I average right around 1200 -1300 normally.

No. That is scientifically impossible.

What happens is your medical condition affects the CO part of your CICO equation. As such, your CO may be smaller than expected. MFP and other Calculators are simply estimations based on averages. This is why I asked earlier if you had a Calorie (and possibly macronutrient) recommendation(s) from a doctor.

rjmudlax13

prplepeep wrote: »

Actually it does, as I didn't change a thing aside from keeping track on here- in fact, ate more calories than normal. If you read the part that said I had a medical condition leading to my weight - YES, it is quite possible I have indeed been eating in deficit and still gain (It's how we knew something was wrong). It's quite rude of you to accusingly assume you know what is normal for me. This tracker recommends I eat 1710, but I averaged right around 1200 -1300 on a higher calorie week.

Even with a medical condition you cannot gain weight while in a deficit. It is physically impossible. However, your medical condition can decrease your BMR which would make the typical BMR and TDEE formulas inaccurate for you. Since you do have a medical condition, I recommend working with a professional dietician. Although, the rule of CICO still applies.

prplepeep

TR0berts wrote: »

prplepeep wrote: »

Actually it does, as I didn't change a thing aside from keeping track on here- in fact, ate more calories than normal. If you read the part that said I had a medical condition leading to my weight - YES, it is quite possible I have indeed been eating in deficit and still gain (It's how we knew something was wrong). It's quite rude of you to accusingly assume you know what is normal for me. This tracker recommends I eat 1710, but I average right around 1200 -1300 normally.

No. That is scientifically impossible.

What happens is your medical condition affects the CO part of your CICO equation. As such, your CO may be smaller than expected. MFP and other Calculators are simply estimations based on averages. This is why I asked earlier if you had a Calorie (and possibly macronutrient) recommendation(s) from a doctor.

I'm new to this, so no, I don't understand what you mean by your abbreviations.

My doctor and I went over my daily diet and exercise regimes and concluded that it didn't make sense that I wasn't losing weight, but instead gaining. That along with other symptoms lead to a diagnosis of having PCOS. She gave me a thumbs up on my diet, and prescribed me METformin to help lower my Androgen levels. The only instruction I have with the meds is to take with breakfast.