To eat or not to eat?

Kylies_mom87

Hello, I need some advice (as usual). I've limited my calorie intake to 1200 and my exercise goal is to burn 250 calories each day. But if I i eat the calories I've burned am I going to lose weight, or maintain the weight I'm at now?? Please help.

janinealfke

I think that varies from person to person. I have had RNY Gastric Bypass surgery. I eat like 800 calories a day and burn like 1400. I almost never eat back my calories that I burned...but you could try doing that, and see if you gain, lose or maintain...play with it and see...I prefer to be at a deficit with my calories, but I have had weight loss surgery. That is what is working for me at the moment. I would think you might maintain if you eat back all your calories, but you never really know until you try! Best of luck!!

Janine Alfke

emmalousmom1

you weight around 200lb?? you must have chosen a 2lb weight loss goal per week? to get 1200 cal per day. MFP is set up for you to still lose weight if you eat back your exercise calories:)
Louise

jess6742

From your picture it doesn't look like you need to lose any weight. Your goal sounds aggressive and may slow down any weight loss. I would try eating your TDEE - 10%. If you eat to little your weight loss will stall out or you'll gain it all back.

Kylies_mom87

Yes, I weigh 202. I had my meals planed out for the whole day but now my sister is in town and I'm tempted to have a few more glasses of wine. but i don't want my workout this morning to have been for nothing.

Kylies_mom87

Thank you but that picture was taken before I had my baby. Now I am twice that size. I have managed to dodge cameras since then.

ljglivingfree

Yes! You absolutely can eat your exercise calories and still lose because you will still balance out at 1200 calories a day. Try setting up your goal to maintain your weight and it will give you a number (probably around 1800 calories a day). As long as you stay under that number you will not maintain, you will lose. it just depends on how quickly you want to lose. But yes you can eat the exercise calories back and still lose. Sometimes if you need a "cheat" day just eat the amount of calories it would take to maintain your weight. Then at least you aren't gaining and you can have a cheat day when your sister is in town or other parties/functions.

clarkeje1

eat

cebiginalaska

Eating only 1200 calories and not eating exercise calories back will make it hard for your body to let go of the fat. I am not saying it is not impossible I am saying it will be difficult. There are lots of topic posts by people who say they lose the weight and inches faster when they increased how much calories they eat.

MFP is designed to work with net calories. It gives you an amount you should eat by deciding on how much weight you want to lose. Net Calories = Total food you ate - exercise calories (MFP is designed so you EAT ALL OF THEM BACK) = Net Calories

TDEE is the total amount of energy you burn in a day. With the TDEE -10 to 20 percent method you don't worry about how much calories you burn or how much you should eat back.
Calculate your TDEE and add a deficient much easier than trying to worry about worrying about how much calories you should eat back

Find out more here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/7965-in-place-of-a-road-map
it has lots of great information about figuring out your TDEE and how much you should eat

This is a short form for the full document contained here:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/974888-in-place-of-a-road-map-2k13


The Road Map is simply a tool to find Body Fat%, BMR and TDEE.
All 3 items are important to understanding fat/weight loss.

Once you know these 3 numbers, you'll be able to manipulate nutrition and training to get to your next goal.

1) Body Fat%
Knowing the ratio of body fat to lean mass is crucial in understanding body composition.
The less fat you have, the leaner you'll look.
The more lean muscle you have, the better your definition (tone) will look.
Having ideal body fat is not only healthier for the individual but it also helps you look good naked!

Athletes (6-13% for men, 16-20% for women) 
<---Ideal area for Bulking
Fitness (14-17% for men, 21-24% for women) 

Acceptable (18-25% for men, 25-31% for women) 

Obese (25%+ for men, 32%+ for women)

The shocking part about BF% is most people who PM me numbers don't know how much fat they carry.
It's the most important part of figuring out the rest of your caloric intake.

Bottom Line: Buy a tape measurer or a set of Calipers and learn how to objectively track body fat while cutting/bulking.
The ultimate goal is to lose unwanted fat and maintain or even gain beautiful lean muscle.

Useful links:
http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bf/
http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/mbf/
http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/cbbf/
Do all 3 BF Calcs and use the average number.
Write it down, you'll use it later!

2) BMR/RMR
Basal Metabolic Rate or Resting Metabolic Rate.
This covers all body functions outside of activity.
If you were in a coma and you were fed enough nutrients to keep you alive, Thats BMR.
Think "Baseline Calories" if you did absolutely nothing.
Sub-sedentary.
All vital organs are covered when eating BMR.

For those who like math, you'll find several different types of calculations for BMR.
1) Harris-Benedict formula: Overestimates in obese: Avoid this setting!
MEN: BMR = 66 + [13.7 x weight (kg)] + [5 x height (cm)] - [6.76 x age (years)]
WOMEN: BMR = 655 + [9.6 x weight (kg)] + [1.8 x height (cm)] - [4.7 x age (years)]

2) Mifflin-St Jeor: Better estimate for those that are obese, but still inflated.
MEN: BMR = [9.99 x weight (kg)] + [6.25 x height (cm)] - [4.92 x age (years)] + 5
WOMEN: BMR = [9.99 x weight (kg)] + [6.25 x height (cm)] - [4.92 x age (years)] -1613)

3) Katch-McArdle: Best estimate if decent estimate of BF% is known and is especially good in leaner individuals.
BMR = 370 + (21.6 x LBM)Where LBM = [total weight (kg) x (100 - bodyfat %)]/100

If you'd like to calculate on your own, you can get calculated TDEE using this chart:
Multiply BMR x Activity factor = TDEE.
1.2 = Sedentary (Little or no exercise + desk job)
1.3-1.4 = Lightly Active (Little daily activity & light exercise 1-3 days a week)
1.5-1.6 = Moderately Active (Moderately active daily life & Moderate exercise 3-5 days a week)
1.7-1.8 = Very Active (Physically demanding lifestyle & Hard exercise or sports 6-7 days a week)
1.9-2.0 = Extremely Active (Hard daily exercise or sports and physical job)

Or use the formula that chart is based on, if you want to use number of hours of exercise per week instead of guessing which level.
For daily activity not sitting at a desk but always moving around, count the hrs as 1/8 the time (40 hr nurse on feet counts as 5 hrs)
Walking exercise counts as 1/2 time (6 hrs walking is 3 hrs).
Other exercise is straight time (3 hr Insanity is 3 hr).
(Weekly movement hrs * 0.0875) + 1.2 = Activity Factor

Realize that this isn't just about your training but your lifestyle as well.
Example: You work at a desk all day but come home and play with your children for an hour, lift weights 3x a week for an hour and jog 2mi every other day. In this example id use Moderate or possibly Active settings.

Heres a helpful link for figuring your BMR and TDEE:
http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/
Enter all pertinent info.
Make GOAL weight the same as CURRENT weight to get todays TDEE.

Bottom Line: Know what your base caloric needs are and stay above them if you are active.
Eating too low for extended periods of time may allow for weight loss, but you could still have high body fat.
Skinny-fat: http://foodtrainers.blogspot.com/2012/09/are-you-skinny-fat-find-out-why.html

Once you know your base "Comatose" calories you can move on to TDEE.

3) TDEE
Total Daily Energy Expenditure
This is the total amount of calories you burn in a 24hour period.
You wake up, brush your teeth, lift, run, play, work.....
You get the idea.
One thing I've noticed over the years is people underestimate activity.
They say "I'm sitting at my computer all day long so i'm sedentary!"
I'll ask "Workout routine?"
They say "Oh i run for 3 hours a day and do CrossFit all weekend long!"


If you sit all day and barely walk and dont workout, Sedentary.
If you workout 1-2x a week, Light.
If you workout 3-5x a week, Moderate.
If you workout 5+, active/very active.

Youll find these numbers at the bottom of the BMR page in Fat 2 Fit.
You can also use other calculators around the internet.

Once you have TDEE you can decide what to set MFP calories to.
I recommend -20% for individuals who are Obese and under.
-30% for individuals who are Obese and over.

Bottom Line: Be realistic with activity. If you are a marathon runner trying to take a few pounds off, don't use sedentary settings. First start with the top number that applies to you and stick with it for several weeks. If nutrition is right and activity is right, you should maintain eating TDEE. To lose fat, subtract calories. To gain LBM, add calories. Lift weights, walk, sleep and eat right.
Use your common sense.

Kylies_mom87

Thank you all for your comments! I learn something new everyday

JetblueWife

Have white wine spritzers and use no calorie mixer.

Lazy White Wine Spritzer, makes one.

Combine 6 ounces white wine, 3 ounces Sprite (or Sierra Mist or 7up), a few ice cubes and melon+mint to garnish.
Makes 2

leaaa92

Thank you for this thread! I was wondering the same thing