hello all! 40th coming soon and started healthy weight loss plan, help appreciated.Thanks

TriforceDragonHeart
TriforceDragonHeart Posts: 4 Member
edited July 2015 in Introduce Yourself
Hi ,My Name is Rachael, I have 35lbs to lose and made a start 10 days ago, my 40th birthday is approaching and using vivofit i want to be slim again! Im really getting into exercising, so much that my dog thinks i must be someone else who looks like me! im confused though as im doing plenty of exercise and eating healthy meals and snacks,but MFP keeps giving me extra calorie allowance and i cant meet this, so now keeps saying im not eating enough? im trying to be careful what i eat and do the exercise,i dont want to eat more or exercise less?any help is appreciated.Thanks

Replies

  • SpicyBaconCake
    SpicyBaconCake Posts: 96 Member
    edited July 2015
    Anytime you consume less than 1200, you will get that message, cause that's like the FDA recommended minimum. When you exercise, you need more calories. Some people think of it as earning more, which makes sense cause calories=energy. I try to eat about half my 'bonus' calories in case they got overestimated, as MFP database does sometimes.
    Some things I like to do to fill those calories is adding peanut butter to my banana, or apple, or celery, or just a spoonful on its own. Just a little tuna on crackers before bed, unless I just stay up too late lol. Be on the look out for denser foods to get up to your goal without actually eating more food, ya know?
  • oma8times
    oma8times Posts: 4 Member
    I try to stay at 1200 and exercise at about 600. I am losing about 3 lbs a week. Its working for me.
  • htecky76
    htecky76 Posts: 32 Member
    Hi ,My Name is Rachael, I have 35lbs to lose and made a start 10 days ago, my 40th birthday is approaching and using vivofit i want to be slim again! Im really getting into exercising, so much that my dog thinks i must be someone else who looks like me! im confused though as im doing plenty of exercise and eating healthy meals and snacks,but MFP keeps giving me extra calorie allowance and i cant meet this, so now keeps saying im not eating enough? im trying to be careful what i eat and do the exercise,i dont want to eat more or exercise less?any help is appreciated.Thanks

    There actually was a blog on here (I think 2 days ago) that talked about just that. It said you should aim to "eat back" only a third of those "gained calories". The reasons being that we tend to overestimate the calories burned and that you do not replenish all the calories If you are meeting your normal calorie goal. That said it doesn't hurt to add a little protien after a workout. Even a whey protein drink can add 100 calories. Also, if your concerned about ur saying your not meeting your goals ... you can set the calories burned to "1" for any excersie you do, or better yet, one third the actual value.
  • TriforceDragonHeart
    TriforceDragonHeart Posts: 4 Member
    Thankyou for the help i appreciate it. I have tried to lose weight several times as over the years i keep gaining that extra stone! but diets usually usually last until ive lost a half stone to a stone and start to feel better and slimmer and then old eating habits start again.for most of my life, ive had the habit of not eating breakfast,and most days i dont usually have time for lunch either so i eat in the evenings and snack late evening. since buying vivofit i am getting the motivation to eat healthy and monitor everything on here for the guidance on calories etc. im enjoying the step challenges on Garmin and hence my increased excerise. im very new to trying to find healthy meal recipes and healthy snacks so ive stuck to just what seem obviously a healthy option,which so far is baked cod,peas or green veg with new potatoes,and filling myself up with nesquick banana milkshake or a fruit smoothie. this is as far as ive got. ive lost 5 lbs now and dont want to cut back on the walking as it feels im working towards my new slimmer me goal. im just very stuck for what i should be eating and shouldnt be now. ive added myself to a group who share recipes as i cant live off cod alone! :/
    at the moment MFP is telling me im on -450 or so calories after its retrieved my exercise from my step tracker.by this time its early evening and i dont want to keep eating meals at that time of night as thats what got me into this state in the first place. i want to acheive a healthier,fitter me in a sensible way and keep the weight off,but it seems more complicated getting it all right and balanced than i thought :o