NOT EATING ENOUGH CALORIES - will this make it harder to lose weight?
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So everyone please note I am not intentially disregarding what MFP is telling me to do....this is why I jumped on here to ask questions. I'm new to this. I set my weight and my goal weight and am giving myself well over a year and forward to get where I'd like to be. I cant set a goal date....if I could I'm sure my calorie count would go up but please don't think I'm purposefully being ignorant with the advice this app is providing. If I didn't care to do this correctly or in a healthy manner, I wouldn't have reached out for advice.8
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ashleyhines8490 wrote: »Thanks everyone! Yes I'm tracking CALORIES using MFP, and tracking steps and CALORIES burned with a fit bit Alta I wear. It really only takes in active time when I'm power walking/jogging or hiking bit not when I'm doing my weight lifting. I've been doing a circuit type of workout AT HOME. I have a retention pond behind my house so I've been circling that for a mile or two with increased heart rate, then follow up with squats, linges, dumbell arm workouts....all sorts of things! I plan on joinging the gym at work now that's it's free for my weight lifting work. I've also been climbing the retention pond hills.
I weighed in at 187.4 Today
....giving myself 15 months in hopes to get down to around 130ish
I'm eating. Premiere protein shake each morning and keeping lunch and dinners to around 300 calories with snacking on fruits and veggies and I'm not hungry at all! That's why it's hard to take in those extra calories, because I don't feel like I'm hungry
Eat some nuts or avocados, eat some peanut butter . . . heck, have a calorie-dense treat.
I started weight loss around your weight. Netting 1200 was way, way too low - and I didn't even start eating that low until the 150s, and netting means eating back exercise to gross 1200+exercise calories eaten. I can't even imagine grossing 1200, and netting way less. Thing is, I felt great . . . until I didn't. I got fatigued and weak. It took weeks to recover normal energy, even after increasing my calorie goal.
Please don't go there. I'm likely old enough to be your granny, and grannies say things like: Please stay strong and healthy while you achieve your weight loss goal!
And there's the rub. By the time you realize why you're always exhausted, losing shedloads of hair, etc., you've dug a nice deep hole to climb out of. Assuming the deficit doesn't correct itself by triggering binges that erase it and leave you feeling like you're depriving yourself only to tread water, that is. OP, very smart people here! Listen to them
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ashleyhines8490 wrote: »So everyone please note I am not intentially disregarding what MFP is telling me to do....this is why I jumped on here to ask questions. I'm new to this. I set my weight and my goal weight and am giving myself well over a year and forward to get where I'd like to be. I cant set a goal date....if I could I'm sure my calorie count would go up but please don't think I'm purposefully being ignorant with the advice this app is providing. If I didn't care to do this correctly or in a healthy manner, I wouldn't have reached out for advice.
Healthy and correctly: That's exactly the right attitude to have! :flowerforyou:
Don't be misled by the fact that maybe several of us post the same basic thing, it's not really trying to doubt or browbeat you. There are a couple of reasons that might happen. One is just that some others post similar things while some of us are typing a reply - kinda like things crossing in the mail.
Another is that we're kind of used to people who are not as level-headed as you're obviously being - our reflexes may be that we need to work a little harder at making the case, because many new folks arrive here after watching reality TV weight loss shows where people lose 10+ pounds a week, after reading blogs that recommend extreme strategies, etc. . . . and they take some convincing to follow a moderate, healthy route.
You're doing just fine - you sound like someone who's going to listen thoughtfully to experienced people, and go on to great success.
Best wishes!
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Here is an article, FROM MFP, that says you do not have to eat back your exercise calories.... it's more focus on your macros and nutrition. https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/ask-the-dietitian-should-i-eat-back-my-exercise-calories/
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Here is an article, FROM MFP, that says you do not have to eat back your exercise calories.... it's more focus on your macros and nutrition. https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/ask-the-dietitian-should-i-eat-back-my-exercise-calories/
The MFP blog is not written by MFP. It's ads and "articles" that are created to generate clicks. Actual information is WAY down the list of priorities for those blog articles. Which is a shame.
That said, whether or not you should eat back exercise cals depends on how you are logging and tracking. There are times when you should and times when you shouldn't. Based on OP's post, she should be.9 -
I sometimes find I am hungrier the day after exercising and find it helpful to look at the weekly view of my calorie intake.1
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Thank you AnnPT77. I've been using the app for quite some time now, but haven't actively posted in the community. I'm definitely not here to do anything fast tracked, celebrity endorsed, fad dieting. I want to build a healthy lifestyle over years as I plan to be a mother in the far off future and I can't do that willingly if it means carrying a child in an unhealthy vessel. That's not my only reason but I think it's a darn good one.2
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If you eat too little for too long your body WILL stop losing. I increased my macros/calories have started losing again. If you hit a plateau try tweaking your nutrition and workouts to get back on track. Don't worry until there is a reason to worry. If your steadily losing and trending down then there isn't an issue!20
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If you eat too little for too long your body WILL stop losing. I increased my macros/calories have started losing again. If you hit a plateau try tweaking your nutrition and workouts to get back on track. Don't worry until there is a reason to worry. If your steadily losing and trending down then there isn't an issue!
I feel like there's more to this story...9 -
Here is an article, FROM MFP, that says you do not have to eat back your exercise calories.... it's more focus on your macros and nutrition. https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/ask-the-dietitian-should-i-eat-back-my-exercise-calories/
You really think that's a good idea for someone who is consuming 1,220 calories and sounds pretty active? Come on . . .7 -
Davidsdottir wrote: »ashleyhines8490 wrote: »
So here's the thing, no disrespect to you, not aimed at you specifically, but I honestly don't understand how people, who are overweight and had to eat in a caloric surplus to get there in the first place, are all of a sudden full on 1200 cals. My maintenance is 2800 and there are some days I'm STILL HUNGRY eating them all!
It is calories that effect weight, but often it is need for nutrition that drives hunger. They aren't quite the same. I could eat a whole packages of cookies and have enough calories to gain a pound but still be hungry because I need some protein and other macros to meet my nutrition needs. Eating better satisfies nutrition needs with minimum calories.1 -
I can eat boatloads of nutrient-dense food and still be hungry.Davidsdottir wrote: »ashleyhines8490 wrote: »
So here's the thing, no disrespect to you, not aimed at you specifically, but I honestly don't understand how people, who are overweight and had to eat in a caloric surplus to get there in the first place, are all of a sudden full on 1200 cals. My maintenance is 2800 and there are some days I'm STILL HUNGRY eating them all!
It is calories that effect weight, but often it is need for nutrition that drives hunger. They aren't quite the same. I could eat a whole packages of cookies and have enough calories to gain a pound but still be hungry because I need some protein and other macros to meet my nutrition needs. Eating better satisfies nutrition needs with minimum calories.2 -
Davidsdottir wrote: »ashleyhines8490 wrote: »I'm literally only doing this because this is what MFP told me to do....so if I should be doing something different, I have no clue. Maybe this app shouldn't be recommending this as a caloric intake for me if it's so dangerous.....
If you're syncing with the Fitbit, eat all the calories you're given. You've got this!
I don’t necessarily agree with this, because I have a Fitbit, and even on the days when I do no exercise, I can still end up with lots of extra calories for my steps taken- because Fitbit gives calories for steps taken, as well as for exercise.
I don’t eat back calories burned for steps taken. I do, however, look at what my calorie burn was for any exercise done on my Fitbit, and eat back half of those calories.
I agree with the advice that 1200-ish calories may be too low if you’re doing a fair bit of exercise, and you should look at eating back some calories for any exercise done.
Edit: for improved sense!3 -
Leannep2201 wrote: »Davidsdottir wrote: »ashleyhines8490 wrote: »I'm literally only doing this because this is what MFP told me to do....so if I should be doing something different, I have no clue. Maybe this app shouldn't be recommending this as a caloric intake for me if it's so dangerous.....
If you're syncing with the Fitbit, eat all the calories you're given. You've got this!
I don’t necessarily agree with this, because I have a Fitbit, and even on the days when I do no exercise, I can still end up with lots of extra calories for my steps taken- because Fitbit gives calories for steps taken, as well as for exercise.
I don’t eat back calories burned for steps taken. I do, however, look at what my calorie burn was for any exercise done on my Fitbit, and eat back half of those calories.
I agree with the advice that 1200-ish calories may be too low if you’re doing a fair bit of exercise, and you should look at eating back some calories for any exercise done.
Edit: for improved sense!
Then you are underestimating your NEAT.3 -
Davidsdottir wrote: »Leannep2201 wrote: »Davidsdottir wrote: »ashleyhines8490 wrote: »I'm literally only doing this because this is what MFP told me to do....so if I should be doing something different, I have no clue. Maybe this app shouldn't be recommending this as a caloric intake for me if it's so dangerous.....
If you're syncing with the Fitbit, eat all the calories you're given. You've got this!
I don’t necessarily agree with this, because I have a Fitbit, and even on the days when I do no exercise, I can still end up with lots of extra calories for my steps taken- because Fitbit gives calories for steps taken, as well as for exercise.
I don’t eat back calories burned for steps taken. I do, however, look at what my calorie burn was for any exercise done on my Fitbit, and eat back half of those calories.
I agree with the advice that 1200-ish calories may be too low if you’re doing a fair bit of exercise, and you should look at eating back some calories for any exercise done.
Edit: for improved sense!
Then you are underestimating your NEAT.
Yes- but only by about 280 calories- I have MFP set to sedentary, but in reality am lightly active.
This setting for me, that puts me at a deficit of about 780 calories a day (which at my weight is fine- I have a lot to lose).
Fitbit can still give me plenty of extra calories just for walking (above the 280 that I’d be getting if I wasn’t set at sedentary), so I don’t eat calories back gained just from doing my daily steps. I wonder about the accuracy of the Fitbit, so don’t eat given calories for steps, only for exercise.
What I do my not be relevant for the OP, because OP stated that she only eats 1200cal per day, and I eat a lot more than that. But I was just stating that I don’t eat calories for steps, for the reasons listed. OP still may want to reconsider her daily cals.2 -
Leannep2201 wrote: »Davidsdottir wrote: »Leannep2201 wrote: »Davidsdottir wrote: »ashleyhines8490 wrote: »I'm literally only doing this because this is what MFP told me to do....so if I should be doing something different, I have no clue. Maybe this app shouldn't be recommending this as a caloric intake for me if it's so dangerous.....
If you're syncing with the Fitbit, eat all the calories you're given. You've got this!
I don’t necessarily agree with this, because I have a Fitbit, and even on the days when I do no exercise, I can still end up with lots of extra calories for my steps taken- because Fitbit gives calories for steps taken, as well as for exercise.
I don’t eat back calories burned for steps taken. I do, however, look at what my calorie burn was for any exercise done on my Fitbit, and eat back half of those calories.
I agree with the advice that 1200-ish calories may be too low if you’re doing a fair bit of exercise, and you should look at eating back some calories for any exercise done.
Edit: for improved sense!
Then you are underestimating your NEAT.
Yes- but only by about 280 calories- I have MFP set to sedentary, but in reality am lightly active.
This setting for me, that puts me at a deficit of about 780 calories a day (which at my weight is fine- I have a lot to lose).
Fitbit can still give me plenty of extra calories just for walking (above the 280 that I’d be getting if I wasn’t set at sedentary), so I don’t eat calories back gained just from doing my daily steps. I wonder about the accuracy of the Fitbit, so don’t eat given calories for steps, only for exercise.
What I do my not be relevant for the OP, because OP stated that she only eats 1200cal per day, and I eat a lot more than that. But I was just stating that I don’t eat calories for steps, for the reasons listed. OP still may want to reconsider her daily cals.
I hear that.1 -
ashleyhines8490 wrote: »As I'm new to calorie intake and out. My my fitness pal tracker says I should be consuming only 1,220 calories a day for my weightloss goals, and obviously eat more of I'm burning calories. I am getting steps in and working out everyday, so by the end of the day, even after tracking all my food, once my exercise is added....it recalculates and tells me I have hundreds of calories left to eat for the day. If I'm not eating these extra calories.....will my body store fat?
I'm worried if I'm not getting enough calories in, my body will go into survival mode and hold onto the fat I'm trying to burn off and lose. I hope that makes sense....and I'm really new to this so I'm clueless.
No, but under eating does encourage your body to use existing lean muscle mass as fuel. For fat loss, moderate paced weight loss is best.
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Leannep2201 wrote: »Davidsdottir wrote: »ashleyhines8490 wrote: »I'm literally only doing this because this is what MFP told me to do....so if I should be doing something different, I have no clue. Maybe this app shouldn't be recommending this as a caloric intake for me if it's so dangerous.....
If you're syncing with the Fitbit, eat all the calories you're given. You've got this!
I don’t necessarily agree with this, because I have a Fitbit, and even on the days when I do no exercise, I can still end up with lots of extra calories for my steps taken- because Fitbit gives calories for steps taken, as well as for exercise.
I don’t eat back calories burned for steps taken. I do, however, look at what my calorie burn was for any exercise done on my Fitbit, and eat back half of those calories.
I agree with the advice that 1200-ish calories may be too low if you’re doing a fair bit of exercise, and you should look at eating back some calories for any exercise done.
Edit: for improved sense!
On the other hand, I have found through time and consistent tracking that my FitBit underestimates about 200 calories per day for me. The best way to know is to track weight (preferably) using a weight trending app, and consistently log your food (even the days when you just say eff it and eat all the foods). Use that data to get a best guess on your actual TDEE.1 -
Just leaving this here for the benefit of the OP and others who maybe don't understand how MFP is set up because it has an excellent explanation:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10569458/why-eating-too-little-calories-is-a-bad-idea/p17 -
No your body doesn't store fat as a response to caloric deficit anymore than your car stores gasoline as a response to being driven.
That is in fact the opposite of what happens.
The reason you should be concerned about not eating enough is nutrition, health, energy level, ability to sustain your diet, general happiness and potential muscle or bone density loss.8
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