For those confused or questioning "Eating your exercise calo

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  • melathon
    melathon Posts: 246 Member
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    BUMPathon by Melathon.
    :wink:
  • frankp
    frankp Posts: 83
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    Great post Peter,

    I'm at my last 10 lbs. so I think this was an important thread for me. If I understand correctly we have on average 1000 calories of margin from I presume our maintenance level before our bodies go into survival mode.

    My Question: I set goal at 1/2 lb per week and it yeilds 1780 calories and after my excercise that goes to about 2000 or more. (BTW, if I had set my goal at 1&1/2 lbs per week I'd be at 1280 calories :mad: ).

    So I have been just making sure that I eat a well balanced diet and come within 500 calories of my target, (i.e. at my target calories plus excercise calories or below but never more than 500 below).

    Is this 500 calorie range close enough to not put my body in survival mode?

    And thanks for the great site, great threads like this give this site so much credibility.

    Frank
  • banks1850
    banks1850 Posts: 3,475 Member
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    Banks, that was really interesting info, thanks for posting it. Not that I need convincing, in fact I was horrified when the site said I needed to restrict my calories to 1200 a day just to lose 1/2 lb a week :laugh: So I've had to up my exercise just to stay within my calorie limit, I'm now eating between 1300 calories (for days when I don't do any extra exercise other than walking to work) and 1550 calories a day. I've even been struggling to stick to this amount - I've been following the South Beach diet since March (and have lost about 5 pounds) and when I put the recommended amount into my food diary to see how it fitted, I was about double my calories! I'm not sure how I lost weight in that case, but I think I must have either been eating under the allowance, or I hadn't worked it out properly :laugh: So I've had to tweak it considerably, but I'm happy with what I'm eating now. But without my lovely extra 'exercise calories' I think I would either be very hungry or very bored! So thanks for confirming that, not only is it ok to eat these calories, it is actually essential.

    Pretty sure you lost weight with the south beach because of the "shock" for lack of a better term. I could also have just been a "good fluctuation day" for you. Tough to tell but 5 pounds is very reasonable sounding to me for an initial loss. Many times people will lose up to 10 lbs initially in water weight.
  • banks1850
    banks1850 Posts: 3,475 Member
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    Great post Peter,

    I'm at my last 10 lbs. so I think this was an important thread for me. If I understand correctly we have on average 1000 calories of margin from I presume our maintenance level before our bodies go into survival mode.

    My Question: I set goal at 1/2 lb per week and it yeilds 1780 calories and after my excercise that goes to about 2000 or more. (BTW, if I had set my goal at 1&1/2 lbs per week I'd be at 1280 calories :mad: ).

    So I have been just making sure that I eat a well balanced diet and come within 500 calories of my target, (i.e. at my target calories plus excercise calories or below but never more than 500 below).

    Is this 500 calorie range close enough to not put my body in survival mode?

    And thanks for the great site, great threads like this give this site so much credibility.

    Frank

    LOL, that's not my name, I hope you realize, Peter Griffin is the lead character in the cartoon The Family Guy (my favorite cartoon of all time).

    Anyway, to answer your question Frank, I'm no doctor, but you're reasoning sounds fine to me, I don't see 500 cals as being to much under for you, but it's up to your body, at this point in your weight loss "career" you should know your body well enought to know if this isn't working for you after maybe 3 or 4 weeks of attempting, if it isn't tweak it a little. The fact that our bodies are so dynamic is what makes us great, but it also makes it difficult to pin down exactly what will work for each person, unfortunately. You may have to do a little trial and error in the end game to get it perfect.

    Best of luck to you!

    Banks
  • shorerider
    shorerider Posts: 3,817 Member
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    Pretty sure you lost weight with the south beach because of the "shock" for lack of a better term. I could also have just been a "good fluctuation day" for you. Tough to tell but 5 pounds is very reasonable sounding to me for an initial loss. Many times people will lose up to 10 lbs initially in water weight.

    I remember reading somewhere--back several years ago when I did Atkins--that the body normally carries around 15 pounds in water weight due to carbs; so when you do the initial Atkins stage, which is like no more than 15 carbs a day for a month (I think it was), you'll lose those 15 pounds just from water weight.

    That's what happened to me, too. Didn't last though--soon as I went to stage 2, I gained and eventually came off of it completely.
  • hamilton4beaumont
    hamilton4beaumont Posts: 122 Member
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    Me too shorerider! I lost a lot initially which is what hooked me on it. Then after 6 months of induction and not moving the scale anymore, I went to the doctor. I had bloodwork done and the results were crazy! I had my big 64 ounce water jug that goes everywhere with me when the doctor said, "you're terribly dehydrated!" I held up my jug and told him I'd have more before bed! Then he asked about my diet because blood pressure and cholesterol seemed a little high for my weight and age! I told him what I'd been doing for 6 months or so and he told me to stop immediately. He said God gave us all the food groups and our bodies work best with all of them.
    The only advice that he gave me that contradicts what I'm doing now is eating less. He said to eat 1200 calories, and I've been doing that since (2 years). I joined this site about 2 months ago. I haven't lost any weight, but I've increased my calories almost 800 a day and I'm not gaining either. Just my experience with it. Hope it helps someone realize that it's not the best way to go about it.
  • TashaKnight
    TashaKnight Posts: 50 Member
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    haha this bumping has been going on for a longgg time now.
    thanks, Banks!!!
  • shorerider
    shorerider Posts: 3,817 Member
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    Bumping again--this needs to be "pinned" somewhere!

    party0009.gif
  • Gabbi
    Gabbi Posts: 206 Member
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    :flowerforyou: bump!!!!
  • maverickyanda
    maverickyanda Posts: 422 Member
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    I'm still waiting for doctoral citations.
  • maverickyanda
    maverickyanda Posts: 422 Member
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    re: atkins. i think modified atkins is okay. i mean, eating steaks and chesse all day is bad! duh! not all carbs are created alike.

    yes, you do carry around a lot of water.

    i personally prefer eating higher protein lower carb diets but by carbs i mean:

    - less potatoes, pastas, bread, refined sugars

    where as veggies, fruits are okay.

    for example, i ate 47g of carbs today with my watermelon for breakfast. yum yum and that consisted of some serious water! i must have peed four times before i even read the morning paper! tee hee!

    this is why i'm getting frustrated with low calories here. grr. i'm hunnnngrrry but things that would fill me up also make me feel like crap (ie, potatoes, a cup of pasta)

    i'm tempted to start the SB diet because it's modified low carb and much better for you (from what i can tell).
  • IndigoElectron
    IndigoElectron Posts: 143 Member
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    re: atkins. i think modified atkins is okay. i mean, eating steaks and chesse all day is bad! duh! not all carbs are created alike.

    yes, you do carry around a lot of water.

    i personally prefer eating higher protein lower carb diets but by carbs i mean:

    - less potatoes, pastas, bread, refined sugars

    where as veggies, fruits are okay.

    for example, i ate 47g of carbs today with my watermelon for breakfast. yum yum and that consisted of some serious water! i must have peed four times before i even read the morning paper! tee hee!

    this is why i'm getting frustrated with low calories here. grr. i'm hunnnngrrry but things that would fill me up also make me feel like crap (ie, potatoes, a cup of pasta)

    i'm tempted to start the SB diet because it's modified low carb and much better for you (from what i can tell).

    I can wholeheartedly recommend South Beach, it's a very healthy diet which is based around whole grains, lean protein, low fat dairy, good fats, fruit and lots of vegetables. I do advise you read the book, but don't rely on it completely as the menus are limited and it doesn't really tell you how to adapt them for your own tastes. Look at southbeach-diet-plan.com and southbeachfriends.net and check out the forums, there is loads of good advice on there. Bear in mind that you will probably have to 'tweak' it a little to stay within your calorie limit (I eat less beans, fat, dairy and whole grains than it recommends) and unless you are addicted to carbs, don't bother with Phase 1 because you only have 10 pounds to lose.

    Now I have another question! I've gone over my calorie limit every day since I joined this site (and was undoubtedly doing it before because I've actually cut back since then, not sure how I was losing weight!), and by careful planning and some exercise, I think I will be within my limit for today. In fact, it looks like I'll be 300 calories under.

    So should I eat those calories or not? I know you're not supposed to fall below your limit, but I've also heard some people say you should give your body a bit of a boost by having more calories some days and less on others. And bearing in mind I've gone over the last few days, what should I do? I'm on a 1200 limit but have gained 200 extra today due to exercise, and I'll have eaten about 1100 calories by the end of the day.
  • maverickyanda
    maverickyanda Posts: 422 Member
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    How about this:

    If you're hungry, eat something that's healthy =) and low on the GI index so that your body can digest it properly.

    I have epilepsy, and while ketogenic diets are Rx'd for children, some studies are showing promise for adults :heart: and the Mayo Clinic just released a study on a modified Atkins (read: much simpler to follow) for children with epilepsy.

    I <3 WebMD and will have to check it out. My ex fiance (ahh why did I break up with him? tee hee) is a PharmD and I wish I could bug him for med journals again! Oh well.

    There's something about the ketonic state (sp) that decreases neuro activity in the brain (in a good way for some of us) and I suppose a side effect for me would be some fat-burning pluses he he he.

    Plus I'd feel better all around, I'm sure.

    I think I'm going to wait. I did some reading and just by looks, it's a lower-calorie diet - duh. But I think what I'll do is wait for this study to be published and try to follow a lower GI diet and used SB products in the store as a guide he he he cause when you DO want/need to buy boxed foods they can help (ie, pizza, snack bars or weight watchers brownies nomnom).
  • IndigoElectron
    IndigoElectron Posts: 143 Member
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    Well I ate a bit more and even though I have 125 calories left, the site has stopped saying 'you're not eating enough' so I might leave it there for today because I've just eaten and am unlikely to be hungry again before bed. I put on a pound this week too, despite doing more exercise in a week than I usually do in a month :angry: So I'm feeling a bit fed up about that.

    I think I have the hang of things now, and rather than follow a set plan, I think I'll just try watching the calories for a while. I know I'll naturally choose healthy food anyway, as it tends to be lower in calories and I like it, so it's not like I'll suddenly start using my calories for junk food.
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
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    Well I ate a bit more and even though I have 125 calories left, the site has stopped saying 'you're not eating enough' so I might leave it there for today because I've just eaten and am unlikely to be hungry again before bed. I put on a pound this week too, despite doing more exercise in a week than I usually do in a month :angry: So I'm feeling a bit fed up about that.

    I think I have the hang of things now, and rather than follow a set plan, I think I'll just try watching the calories for a while. I know I'll naturally choose healthy food anyway, as it tends to be lower in calories and I like it, so it's not like I'll suddenly start using my calories for junk food.

    Any time you eat less than 1200 calories, MFP will give you that warning...1200 is just a (very, very, very loose) guideline that assumes that pretty much any female can eat 1200 calories a day regardless of activity level and get all the micro and macronutrients she needs. :grumble: It's pretty much bunk. In any case, it's a great idea to find out just how many micronutrients you're taking in at 1100 calories. Is that enough to supply all of your energy needs? To get 100% RDA of all micronutrients? To maintain your activity level? Probably not, considering that you're an active, growing woman, which is why MFP gives you that message.

    Your scale weight will fluctuate wildly based on how much water an glycogen (stored blood sugar) you're holding, how much you've eaten, how much waste you have in your bowel, etc. When you exercise, you increase your glycogen and water storage capacity, so it's not uncommon to gain a little bit of weight. Just remember to take measurements in inches, and pay closer attention to those. Weight tells you almost nothing about your body composition, whereas girth measurements give you a much better idea of what's changing.
  • IndigoElectron
    IndigoElectron Posts: 143 Member
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    Well I ate a bit more and even though I have 125 calories left, the site has stopped saying 'you're not eating enough' so I might leave it there for today because I've just eaten and am unlikely to be hungry again before bed. I put on a pound this week too, despite doing more exercise in a week than I usually do in a month :angry: So I'm feeling a bit fed up about that.

    I think I have the hang of things now, and rather than follow a set plan, I think I'll just try watching the calories for a while. I know I'll naturally choose healthy food anyway, as it tends to be lower in calories and I like it, so it's not like I'll suddenly start using my calories for junk food.

    Any time you eat less than 1200 calories, MFP will give you that warning...1200 is just a (very, very, very loose) guideline that assumes that pretty much any female can eat 1200 calories a day regardless of activity level and get all the micro and macronutrients she needs. :grumble: It's pretty much bunk. In any case, it's a great idea to find out just how many micronutrients you're taking in at 1100 calories. Is that enough to supply all of your energy needs? To get 100% RDA of all micronutrients? To maintain your activity level? Probably not, considering that you're an active, growing woman, which is why MFP gives you that message.

    Your scale weight will fluctuate wildly based on how much water an glycogen (stored blood sugar) you're holding, how much you've eaten, how much waste you have in your bowel, etc. When you exercise, you increase your glycogen and water storage capacity, so it's not uncommon to gain a little bit of weight. Just remember to take measurements in inches, and pay closer attention to those. Weight tells you almost nothing about your body composition, whereas girth measurements give you a much better idea of what's changing.

    Oh I see, thank you! I'll check my nutrition report for today and see what it says, though I feel I've eaten a balanced diet. And thanks for the advice about the exercise, I actually just posted a question about this on the exercise forum, I was wondering if it might be water weight.
  • laurenk182004
    laurenk182004 Posts: 1,882 Member
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    just bumpin'
  • beep
    beep Posts: 1,242 Member
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    :wink:
  • shkaki
    shkaki Posts: 234 Member
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    i just think its very sad that the media doesnt report things such as this post, instead they hype up all the "fad diets" , and weight loss pills which are helping keep people unhealthy and over weight. being a "health Professional" its really refreshing to read what people write on MFP! There is a lot of good information on here, and a lot of people who are finally finding the right way to be healthy and take care of thier bodies! Great job everyone!!! i encourage you all to forward this site, and tell as many people as you can about it!! I know I do!
  • alacio86
    alacio86 Posts: 36
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    Bump! thanks for this information. I just joined this website. The past days I have not been eating my work out calories, thinking that will help me lose weight, since I am working out more than I am eating.

    So, the article was very helpful!

    Thank you!

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