I am officially confused

boomboom011

Ok, i am eating my 1200 calories per day. Sometimes if I work out I dont eat my workout calories. Therefore I am at a deficit. DO I OR DO I NOT need to eat my workout calories? And basically I do not need to go under 1200 calories, correct? I want to lose 2lbs per week but I can take losing a pound per week. I am 5'4" small to medium build apple shaped (all my weight in my torso) and I currently weigh 160 pounds. The scale aint moving. SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHAT TO DO!

jdsouthernbelle

If you are exercising you should be eating back your exercise calories because your body needs the fuel to run itself. Try protein shakes after a workout to repair the muscles.

Also keep drinking plenty of water as well.

aippolito1

If you're not losing weight, EAT 'EM UP, GIRL! When you exercise, those extra calories are ADDED to your deficit. Since you don't have a lot to lose, too high of a deficit can put you into starvation mode...when you eat those calories to bring your deficit back down to what MFP has provided for you, you should lose weight. BEEN THERE, DONE THAT!! Trust me.

fitandhealthy

Hmm....since I've seen so much success on this site, including myself and my boyfriend, I would suggest starting over by looking at your settings/goals. Make sure that you really are calculating correctly; your weight, your BMR, etc and that you have a reasonable daily deficit. Make sure that you are calculating all your caloric intake correctly. Be honest and when in doubt, always over-calculate. Also use caloriesperhour.com, the calories burned calulator to determine your exercise calories that you should be eating. If you don't eat your exercise calories, that is a problem (there is lots of info on this site about this topic-read up on it), after all that, my advice is to just keep going. Your body metabolism/momentum might still be going in the weight gain direction, and just needs a little time to stop and turn in the other direction. Keep at it; you are living a healthier life, and it WILL catch up to you! Good luck!

ieatstickers

How often are your eating. It helps boost your metabolism if you eat every 2 to 3 hours. Try to keep it healthy ones though. Fruits, whole grain breads...stuff like that. It really helps. And drinking loads of water also helps with your metabolism, which will help you burn calories and shed those pounds faster. I was staying under 1200 a week and not eating my exercise calories either. Now I've been changing my routine and notice a tremendous difference.

So yes, pretty much seconding the person above me.

HippyGalore

I think everyone treats their workout calories differently. I don't eat them if they are below 300 and if above then eat half. So when I do 800 calories exercise, I eat 400 calories more. You could try that, then maybe vary it by how you feel and how it is working out. The 300 is my daily minimum of dog walks and cycle to work, so I don't think of it as real exercise - it isn't an official guideline, you r basic might be different and a good place to start.

I don't think you are big enough to lose 2lbs a week through eating less only, not if you stay above your minimum recommendation. Therefore you probably need to do quite a lot of exercise to stay on the 2lb a week target. Good luck, and focus on the other benefits, like getting fitter, as well.

davidlitz

Always eat or drink a protein shake within 30 minutes of working out. Make sure you drink plenty of water. I dont eat all my calories back that I burn at the gym but I definetly eat every 2-3 hrs to keep my metabolism going.

Umpire57

Please go read the "newbie" posts pinned at the top of the forum. They are absolutely imperative to read to keep confusion down on a variety of topics including the one you posed.

Good Luck in your journey.

lisawest

Here is a post by a gentleman I trust (he's done a LOT of research).
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/101833-10-answers-to-common-questions