How to deal with calorie adjustments

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Replies

  • maybe1pe
    maybe1pe Posts: 529 Member
    edited December 2017
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    aeloine wrote: »
    maybe1pe wrote: »
    I personally find that when I do lower intensity workouts I can increase the amount I burn without increasing my hunger a ton. I walk a lot because it gives me enough exercise calories that I can eat a little extra without wiping my entire deficit.

    After losing 100 lbs what honestly worked for me was setting myself to a sedentary maintenance level of calories for me MFP says 1910 and then using my exercise calories as my deficit.... I lose .3-.8 lbs a week depending on how much I'm able to get up and move around or exercise obviously and I get to eat 1900 calories. Plus it's a motivator to exercise more to create my deficit and continue working.

    I've accepted it will be slower loss during the winter because I'm not outside walking around as much and not walking my dogs as much but at the very worst case scenario I'll eat 1900 and maintain all winter until I'm able to be more active....

    I'd be curious to know what others think about this. Is this a generally viable strategy or is it like trying to out exercise a bad diet?

    It's such a simple change to one's mind set but I think it's kind of brilliant!

    I walk a good amount and I started because I also found it increased the amount I could eat and it didn't drive hunger like more intense cardio did. I think it is viable if walking (or whatever lighter cardio you choose) is something that you find sustainable. I walk 20 minutes or so on my lunch break and, when weather allows, I walk to and from work.

    Like any exercise, if it's something you hate doing or struggle to make time for regularly, I wouldn't necessarily recommend it. I don't think of it as trying to "out-exercise my diet" because I'm still keeping my calories in calibrated to my estimated calories out. I'm not just eating as much as I want and then hoping the walking is going to balance everything out.

    I definitely think it works for me because I LOVE to walk. I walk on my breaks at work to get outside and in the fresh air and I end up walking my dogs when I get home from work for 20-60 minutes weather permitting. I figure it's been pretty constant for most of the year. It's only just now become a bit of a struggle because it's 5 degrees out but I love to be outside moving so much that I still find I'm going out and doing it. Once I'm at goal I'll still do it, except I'll set me activity level appropriately so that I'm no longer in a deficit.

    I don't like running or don't like walking indoors and I don't like most kind of exercise. When I do other things I like it's strength training or kettlebells and I will increase intake slight to account for that on those days. Generally my deficit right now is around 200 calories a day. Sometimes more sometimes less. I never go over 500 calorie deficit per day and will rarely go over 400. I think it's sustainable for me at least.

    I also don't view it as out running a bad diet because, my diet isn't bad. It would be the same as setting myself to a higher activity level which based on recent averages I could go lightly active and set myself to .5 lbs a week and it'd be the same thing really. But mentally I'm trying to prepare for maintenance since I'm about 15 lbs from goal and want to slow myself way down.

    Edited for spelling
  • amyepdx
    amyepdx Posts: 750 Member
    maybe1pe wrote: »
    I personally find that when I do lower intensity workouts I can increase the amount I burn without increasing my hunger a ton. I walk a lot because it gives me enough exercise calories that I can eat a little extra without wiping my entire deficit.

    After losing 100 lbs what honestly worked for me was setting myself to a sedentary maintenance level of calories for me MFP says 1910 and then using my exercise calories as my deficit.... I lose .3-.8 lbs a week depending on how much I'm able to get up and move around or exercise obviously and I get to eat 1900 calories. Plus it's a motivator to exercise more to create my deficit and continue working.

    I've accepted it will be slower loss during the winter because I'm not outside walking around as much and not walking my dogs as much but at the very worst case scenario I'll eat 1900 and maintain all winter until I'm able to be more active....

    Wow - I like this idea too. I think it is motivating to keep active - not necessarily with excessive excercise just increased day to day movement. I’d have to train myself to aim to be in the red over the course of the week. I might try it after the holidays. Thanks!
  • maybe1pe
    maybe1pe Posts: 529 Member
    amyepdx wrote: »
    maybe1pe wrote: »
    I personally find that when I do lower intensity workouts I can increase the amount I burn without increasing my hunger a ton. I walk a lot because it gives me enough exercise calories that I can eat a little extra without wiping my entire deficit.

    After losing 100 lbs what honestly worked for me was setting myself to a sedentary maintenance level of calories for me MFP says 1910 and then using my exercise calories as my deficit.... I lose .3-.8 lbs a week depending on how much I'm able to get up and move around or exercise obviously and I get to eat 1900 calories. Plus it's a motivator to exercise more to create my deficit and continue working.

    I've accepted it will be slower loss during the winter because I'm not outside walking around as much and not walking my dogs as much but at the very worst case scenario I'll eat 1900 and maintain all winter until I'm able to be more active....

    Wow - I like this idea too. I think it is motivating to keep active - not necessarily with excessive excercise just increased day to day movement. I’d have to train myself to aim to be in the red over the course of the week. I might try it after the holidays. Thanks!

    Definitely not excessive exercise! In spring/summer/fall when I walk significantly more I increase my activity level to lightly active (when I'm really more like highly active) so that my deficit doesn't get bigger than I want it. And if I have a day where I just get a ton of steps and have a huge exercise adjustment I eat an appropriate amount of calories to keep my overall weekly deficit where I want it.
  • MossiO
    MossiO Posts: 164 Member
    maybe1pe wrote: »
    Definitely not excessive exercise! In spring/summer/fall when I walk significantly more I increase my activity level to lightly active (when I'm really more like highly active) so that my deficit doesn't get bigger than I want it. And if I have a day where I just get a ton of steps and have a huge exercise adjustment I eat an appropriate amount of calories to keep my overall weekly deficit where I want it.

    I pretty much created a deficit for myself by hitting 10k steps minimum every day during spring/summer/fall, but I don't seem to quite as eager to get outside right now, and am averaging more like 6-7k per day. Alas.

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