Help Me Please!!!

Swoopette

I was here over a year ago and didn't last long. Needless to say the fat joined me and now is keeping me company. I am having a problem understanding my calorie intake. Before when I was 20 pounds lighter it suggest that I eat 1200 calories. Now that I am 20 pounds heavier it is suggesting I eat just under 1600 calories plus all that I burn a day. (about an extra 400 from walking 3 miles(thats what the treadmill says anyhow) So when I did this last time I found it hard to eat 1200 calories now it wants me to be eating 1600 plus what I burn. This is not making sense to me. Is there any reason I can't eat 1200 calories a day? Do I have to eat what I burn. So many people have so many different answers when you ask them these question. Anytime I had a question on here before I liked the answers I got.

SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME OUT!!

missouri_rain

The heavier a person is the more calories they require, the amount will go lower as a person loses weight.
you don't have to eat what you burn, but you should at least eat the 1600 or else your body goes into starvation mode

dawn_eichert

The system will set your calories based on the goals and parameters you put in. It is fine to eat 1200 calories but make sure you are getting enough calories in each day so that you don't put your body into starvation mode (recommendation is 1200 minimum). If you need help getting calories in, try some high protein snacks such as a scoop of peanut butter or some nuts or dairy such a yogurt or cottage cheese. I personally don't try to eat my exercise calories unless I have to and I try to stay between 1200 and 1500 a day. Seems to work for me but you will need to experiment a little to see what your body responds to.

Good Luck!!! :happy: :happy:

mrsyatesy

& eating exercise calories is a personal thing - but whenever I have tried not eating mine I have hit a stand still, which has only moved when I have started eating at least half of them!
Good luck on your weight loss.

smcgrady

I think the way the calculation works, when you're heavier you're allowed more calories per day to maintain the same weight. This makes some sense because it takes more energy just moving around that extra weight. As you drop weight (seems to be every 10 pounds) the calculator recomputes your caloric requirement and reduces your allowed calories. This happened to me twice and its a tough adjustment to cut another 65-to-70 calories out of your daily intake.
The calculator also adds calories to your budget based on the exercise you do. This weekend, I moved boxes and furniture out of my storage unit and into our condo. I got over 1000 calories credit for the work I did and so was "forgiven" for the Costco pizza and ice cream I ate at end of day.
But you don't have to eat all the calories in the budget! As long as you're getting all the vitamins, etc. you need, you can bank the execise allowance and lose weight faster. Your choice!
Best wishes,
--Stephen

PS Reading other posts--looks like ther's a minimum caloric intake. I haven't noticed this myself, but I'm no expert, and not a big exerciser. Maybe 1200 minimum is a good idea.

Swoopette

Okay fair enough but Okay say I am at 1600 calories a day. I go for a walk for 2 hours I have burnt 800 calories. If I don't eat what I burn then my body is only actually getting 800calories. cause I ate 1600 but burnt 800 and I just read on here on one of the messages you need over a 1000. So confused. Just read a book that said you are to eat what you burn?????????????

I also noticed on here when you input your excerise it give you more calories to eat. So myfitnesspal wants you to eat what you burn.


Hmm....I am going to try this. My calories allow me at 1200 so then when i excersices it goes to 1600. So I am going to try to eat between 1400 to 1600 for 2 weeks and see if I see a difference then i will drop down. Because if I am eating 1200 calories a day and excercise anywhere from 400 to 600 calories burnt that will put me way under 1000 calories and my body will go to starvation mode.