Scales or measurements?

Hi, I’ve just started my new plan and I’m on 1500 calories but I burn anywhere from 300-800 by activity a day. Sometimes I tend to eat some of the calories back. I got in the scales today 2 weeks in and stayed the same? Should I start eating what I stated as 1500? Also, is it better to track measurements then scales as I tend to have results with measurements even if I don’t slim down? Also aware different TOM can have effect on bloating which is annoying 😂 thanks for any advice

Replies

  • Dogmom1978
    Dogmom1978 Posts: 1,580 Member
    You should eat some of the calories back if you are hungry. The 1500 is pre exercise, so it’s designed for you to eat them back, but different people eat varying amounts of those calories back depending on hunger level.

    Do you have a food scale? Weighing and measuring everything? What activity level do you have MyFitnessPal set at? If you set it at active, are you active BEFORE the exercise? For example: I work a sedentary job where I get no exercise at work. I set my activity level to sedentary and then add all of my exercise in manually. If your settings are correct and you are weighing everything you eat and tracking it. then I would give it some more time. Also, don’t overestimate your exercise calories. Not sure what exercise you are doing each day, but that 800 might be a bit high (again MIGHT, maybe you do some crazy intense exercise and you do burn 800 calories a day, only you know that).
  • Hi, I totally agree give it more time just going to try stick to 1500, as like you say the movement is all estimated and I think I need more portion control with dinner. Made a few tweaks and hopefully have a better week. Not going to get too obsessed with the scales long as I’m slimming. Thankyou
  • mgalsf12
    mgalsf12 Posts: 350 Member
    Using a scale is more accurate, but I use both, but mostly I weight my food with a scale.
  • gazpainter
    gazpainter Posts: 22 Member
    Measurement over scales. I lsot half an inch of my belly in last 2 weeks but scales show I weight extra 1lb. Scales can be devastating for confidence.

    Don't eat back exercise calories. I spent 6 months 5 days a week in the gym doing that and hardly lost anything.

    3 months on les Mills on demand home bodyweight classes and not eating exercise calories and lost over 20lbs and around 7 inches

    I stuck to 1750 a day without fail. Weekends I would do about 2000 as a treat but made sure it wasn't chocolate... It was like healthy Ceral or extra protein shakes
  • Dogmom1978
    Dogmom1978 Posts: 1,580 Member
    gazpainter wrote: »
    Measurement over scales. I lsot half an inch of my belly in last 2 weeks but scales show I weight extra 1lb. Scales can be devastating for confidence.

    Don't eat back exercise calories. I spent 6 months 5 days a week in the gym doing that and hardly lost anything.

    3 months on les Mills on demand home bodyweight classes and not eating exercise calories and lost over 20lbs and around 7 inches

    I stuck to 1750 a day without fail. Weekends I would do about 2000 as a treat but made sure it wasn't chocolate... It was like healthy Ceral or extra protein shakes

    Mfp is designed for you to eat back exercise calories. Most likely, you were eating more calories than you accounted for or burning fewer calories than you thought.

    You should eat some exercise calories back if you are hungry. Don’t just eat them all back “because you have to” or NOT eat them because you think it will help with weight loss and then be hungry and miserable (also makes you more likely to give into temptation).

    There is no one size fits all, so telling someone that they shouldn’t eat their exercise calories back is awful advice. If the OP is hungry, they should eat some or all, if they wish, of those calories back.
  • Thankyou both for your opinions and advice xx

  • I do both measurements AND scales. It works for me to weigh every morning so the scale is not threatening, and it lets me watch the variations in real time. Every two weeks I measure.
  • domeofstars
    domeofstars Posts: 480 Member
    I always just use my scales because I'm too lazy to measure myself.