Is it bad to be under your calorie goal?

latinstarlite1

So just so I'm clear. Here on MFP. It is ok for one to reply to a post and be on the harsh side. But as soon as the poster has something to say about it there is a problem. hahahah I love the way of the world....

I thank all of those who were actually kind enough to give me a little help.

Lysander666

Do you know the definition of "goal"?

You're supposed to be hitting it. That's why it's a goal.

nickalow11

I try to get within 100 calories of my goal each day. Any less, I feel like I'm super hungry and really lack energy. Good Luck!

Pebbles91909

Everybody smile

It makes you feel better, calms you down, lifts your mood.

Everybody needs to remember, the typed word lacks all the human touch - tone of voice, facial expression, body language, so it's easy for comments to come across other than you intended, and it's easy to read comments other than they were intended.

Keep smiling everyone, we're all in this together :flowerforyou:

Love this!

pinkraynedropjacki

5'3"
38yo
1345 cals a day I put myself on now.
Exercise about 1500 a day
Can not eat them all back so I'm about 500-600 under goal each day. I'm not dead.... I'm eating under 1000 cals (after taking exercise off) an I'm still not dead, starving or...... losing muscle.

There is no way on earth I can eat all those back & not feel sick. I eat good, I eat later. I look good & feel great.

Dragn77

5'3"
38yo
1345 cals a day I put myself on now.
Exercise about 1500 a day
Can not eat them all back so I'm about 500-600 under goal each day. I'm not dead.... I'm eating under 1000 cals (after taking exercise off) an I'm still not dead, starving or...... losing muscle.

There is no way on earth I can eat all those back & not feel sick. I eat good, I eat later. I look good & feel great.

You are an exception though....sounds like you are doing pro training...to burn that kind of cals would be like running 10-15 miles or working our over 5hrs every day. The needs of pro athletes and those of children and babies do not sync with the norm.

But even then, most athletes *do* eat back their calories. They have to...because of their training, their metabolism is insane...just sitting aroudn they burn more calories than most people sweating their butt off doing Zumba for an hour. Michael Phelps eats like 12,000 cals a day when hes training.

Actually, considering all that, maybe its not so different afterall...no matter what, one needs to eat back cals to sustain their activity level and bodily functions.

ETA: I just noticed your math.. you eat 1345 cals a day, and burn 1500 cals a day...putting yourself at -155 cals to function off of every day. I dont understand how that works...I mean if it works for you I cant say one way or the other. Just that, I dont understand how it works that you live off of less than 0 calories a day considering the average person needs around 2000 cals just to maintain.

cmriverside

oops...

cmriverside

Latinstarlite, you really should set your ticker/weight loss goals accurately and not in 20 (or whatever you've chosen) pound increments. With your height and weight, you probably would be given less calories were you to accurately represent your goals in the setup. The tool may think you are pregnant or whatever, since you are telling it you only have XX amount of weight to lose, when it is more like, what, 80-90 pounds? That's why I asked why your ticker says you don't need to lose weight. The tool/wizard here is going to take in all the info you give it to create your "plan".

Be more realistic. If it's just that you don't want people to see how much you need to lose - remove your ticker from forum posts, or change the ticker to a style that doesn't show that.

It's only going to work if you are honest and keeping good records.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

I think you are misinterpreting the intent of the responses to your message. Everyone was being helpful, until you started in giving rude responses to those who were giving you the information you requested. Consider giving the benefit of the doubt to those kind enough to give their advice and experience.

You are meant to eat back your exercise calories. That's the way MFP is designed. However, MFP does sometimes overestimate calorie burn so I personally used to eat back 3/4 of mine to leave a margin of error. Now I've switched to the TDEE method so as not to have to worry about whether or not to eat them.

Graelwyn75

You might find reading this topic useful.
It is often cited as a very good source of information and has led to much success among other members... so much so that it has 3 incarnations.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/974889-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet

pinkraynedropjacki

5'3"
38yo
1345 cals a day I put myself on now.
Exercise about 1500 a day
Can not eat them all back so I'm about 500-600 under goal each day. I'm not dead.... I'm eating under 1000 cals (after taking exercise off) an I'm still not dead, starving or...... losing muscle.

There is no way on earth I can eat all those back & not feel sick. I eat good, I eat later. I look good & feel great.

You are an exception though....sounds like you are doing pro training...to burn that kind of cals would be like running 10-15 miles or working our over 5hrs every day. The needs of pro athletes and those of children and babies do not sync with the norm.

But even then, most athletes *do* eat back their calories. They have to...because of their training, their metabolism is insane...just sitting aroudn they burn more calories than most people sweating their butt off doing Zumba for an hour. Michael Phelps eats like 12,000 cals a day when hes training.

Actually, considering all that, maybe its not so different afterall...no matter what, one needs to eat back cals to sustain their activity level and bodily functions.

ETA: I just noticed your math.. you eat 1345 cals a day, and burn 1500 cals a day...putting yourself at -155 cals to function off of every day. I dont understand how that works...I mean if it works for you I cant say one way or the other. Just that, I dont understand how it works that you live off of less than 0 calories a day considering the average person needs around 2000 cals just to maintain.

Nope not pro training fat all. I just am unable to sit down for more than a few mins a few times a day due to pain so all I do all day from the time I wake up is walk. I workout, either walk at home for 6-7 miles, Zumba, run 10km, or hop on my bike (with the exercise stand so it's not moving) and then after all that I'll walk to the supermarket to go shopping.... that's my whole day. Then I'll walk more at home all day...I really on do sit down for about 5-10 mins a day. I eat my MFP allowance, and then some of the exercise ones (Fitbit helps with that) and there is no way on earth I can eat all of those back & not feel like crap. I'll be a few hundred cals left on goal..... yesterday was about 800 in total I think. Been like that for the whole time, it's almost a year & a half so far. It works for me, I lost my weight, toned up, gained muscle & feel great. Pity none of it helped my back though.

ken_hogan

So just so I'm clear. Here on MFP. It is ok for one to reply to a post and be on the harsh side. But as soon as the poster has something to say about it there is a problem. hahahah I love the way of the world....

I thank all of those who were actually kind enough to give me a little help.

So just so I'm clear. You get the answers that you 'want' to hear and those are the posts that are 'kind'. The posts that you don't want to hear are 'harsh'. Sorry that you feel the way that you do and wish you luck with your weight loss.

allstatemom

You do realize that MFP gives you a calorie deficit built into your calorie goal, before any exercise, right?

I am new here. I did not know this. I thought I HAD to stay under my goal. I appreciate your pointing this out in a short concise manner!

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

You do realize that MFP gives you a calorie deficit built into your calorie goal, before any exercise, right?

I am new here. I did not know this. I thought I HAD to stay under my goal. I appreciate your pointing this out in a short concise manner!

+1

toutmonpossible

I don't think that eating 1300 calories is a problem for someone who is 208 pounds unless you are feeling unwell. It's nowhere near a Very Low Calorie Diet. Your body will use your fat stores for energy.

jofjltncb6

I don't think that eating 1300 calories is a problem for someone who is 208 pounds unless you are feeling unwell. It's nowhere near a Very Low Calorie Diet. Your body will use your fat stores for energy.

Fat stores for *energy*, perhaps yes...

...but wouldn't it be prudent for you to also suggest that OP be very diligent about getting sufficient nutrients on this not-quite-VLCD-but-still-LCD?

candifeola

I find myself under my intake as well, it's hard to eat all of my calories after I work out...I'm sure it isn't ideal but it is what it is...