New and totally confused!

K2405

Hi everyone! I'm new here! I've been doing weight watchers for the last 7 months and have lost about 34lb so far. However, I'm now more interested in losing inches than what the scale says so am thinking of giving up weight watchers (as I feel it will be disheartening if I don't lose each week even though I may have lost inches and feel I will be questioned as to why I am not losing weight) and using my membership money to get a membership at the gym instead.

I've just started going to the gym this last fortnight (2 days per week for about 1 hour per day) while also doing the 30 day shred DVD 4 days per week. I want to up my gym and stop the DVD though.

I just have no idea how to transition myself from weight watchers to calorie counting? I have no idea how calorie counting works at all, no idea how many I'm supposed to eat per day or anything. I've got about 15lb to lose to be in 'healthy BMI range' but as I said I'm more interested in losing inches than lbs.

So, I'm basically an absolute beginner - anyone willing to help me get started? I'm easily confused too so it may take a while......

dsjohndrow

If you filled din your weight, age, activity level, and weight loss per week goal, MFP automatically set a caloric goal for you. Just click the FOOD tab and search for the foods you eat each day. If you have the app on a Smarphone, you can scan the bar codes. That's it. Then click on the Exercise tab and add in the workout from the gym.

Ramatang

Calorie Counting is easy now with all the tools out there to help you.. Like My Fitness Pal.. Once you know how many calories you should be eating to lose weight you will enter your food into the app and it will tell you the calories in everything you eat.

K2405

If you filled din your weight, age, activity level, and weight loss per week goal, MFP automatically set a caloric goal for you. Just click the FOOD tab and search for the foods you eat each day. If you have the app on a Smarphone, you can scan the bar codes. That's it. Then click on the Exercise tab and add in the workout from the gym.

I've done that, thanks it's given me 1370 calories per day. What happens if I don't hit my exercise calorie targets though? Does that mean I will put on weight? Or are the targets the extra calories I am given after exercising e.g. I went for run today and it was 165 calories burned so I got extra 165 calories to eat. So is the 1370 what I need to eat daily to lose weight before doing any exercise?

TaxPrepLiz

Basically, just follow the instructions as MPF has laid them out. Enter height, weight, goal weight, activity level and MPF will tell you how many calories you need to eat per day to lose. Just log the food into MPF using the food database or the barcode scanner on the app. And log your exercise too. Make sure to try to get to as close to your net calories most days. If MPF says you should eat 1500 calories, then your net calories should be as close to that number as possible. Not a big deal if its not exact every single day. But definitely log everything you eat and all your activities.

jerber160

why not try overlapping for a while? plug in what you're eating on weight watchers and see how many calories it comes out to be.

TaxPrepLiz

If you filled din your weight, age, activity level, and weight loss per week goal, MFP automatically set a caloric goal for you. Just click the FOOD tab and search for the foods you eat each day. If you have the app on a Smarphone, you can scan the bar codes. That's it. Then click on the Exercise tab and add in the workout from the gym.

I've done that, thanks it's given me 1370 calories per day. What happens if I don't hit my exercise calorie targets though? Does that mean I will put on weight? Or are the targets the extra calories I am given after exercising e.g. I went for run today and it was 165 calories burned so I got extra 165 calories to eat. So is the 1370 what I need to eat daily to lose weight before doing any exercise?

MPF gives you your net calories, this is the number you want to be close to. Logging your exercise gives you extra calories to eat. So if you don't exercise, don't log it and you won't have extra calories to eat and will still lose weight.

K2405

Calorie Counting is easy now with all the tools out there to help you.. Like My Fitness Pal.. Once you know how many calories you should be eating to lose weight you will enter your food into the app and it will tell you the calories in everything you eat.

Thank you! You've done amazing

If I exercise, do I have to eat those calories? Take today as an example - I went to the gym and did a run on the treadmill so was given 165 calories extra, do I have to eat those? I thought I had to burn more than I consume?

K2405

Basically, just follow the instructions as MPF has laid them out. Enter height, weight, goal weight, activity level and MPF will tell you how many calories you need to eat per day to lose. Just log the food into MPF using the food database or the barcode scanner on the app. And log your exercise too. Make sure to try to get to as close to your net calories most days. If MPF says you should eat 1500 calories, then your net calories should be as close to that number as possible. Not a big deal if its not exact every single day. But definitely log everything you eat and all your activities.

So if my daily calories are 1370 then my net should be as close to that as possible?

Ramatang

Calorie Counting is easy now with all the tools out there to help you.. Like My Fitness Pal.. Once you know how many calories you should be eating to lose weight you will enter your food into the app and it will tell you the calories in everything you eat.

Thank you! You've done amazing

If I exercise, do I have to eat those calories? Take today as an example - I went to the gym and did a run on the treadmill so was given 165 calories extra, do I have to eat those? I thought I had to burn more than I consume?

Thankyou

I know everyone says to eat them.. But I don't.. I never have.. The only time I will go over my daily goal of 1200 Calories is if I've worked out twice a day.. Therefore I need the food for my energy levels.

MelissaPhippsFeagins

I know everyone says to eat them.. But I don't.. I never have.. The only time I will go over my daily goal of 1200 Calories is if I've worked out twice a day.. Therefore I need the food for my energy levels.

You have done an amazing job losing so far, congratulations!
What MFP calculated for you IS a deficit and you do need to eat back at least some of your exercise calories. I am eating back all of mine today because it was just a walk and because I've been sick for two days so WAY under my goal of 1470 calories. I'm feeling better so I am eating today. usually I eat back half of my exercise.

good luck figuring it all out!!!

mreimer102

I'm like you. I'm usually under my target, but eat often, like every 2-3 hours. I don't bother to push to the daily goal unless I am way under. The more you work out though, the more you need food. Down from 178 to 165.8 in close to 3 weeks so far, so I guess the way I am doing it is working.
Melba

cwolfman13

Basically, just follow the instructions as MPF has laid them out. Enter height, weight, goal weight, activity level and MPF will tell you how many calories you need to eat per day to lose. Just log the food into MPF using the food database or the barcode scanner on the app. And log your exercise too. Make sure to try to get to as close to your net calories most days. If MPF says you should eat 1500 calories, then your net calories should be as close to that number as possible. Not a big deal if its not exact every single day. But definitely log everything you eat and all your activities.

So if my daily calories are 1370 then my net should be as close to that as possible?

Yes...this tool is designed to do all of the work for you. Just keep in mind that you most likely need to make some allowance for estimation error when it comes to calorie burn...most do 1/2 to 2/3 depending on how reliable they feel their burn estimate is. I always ate back about 80% of what my Heart Rate Monitor told me for an aerobic event...they're far less reliable for anaerobic exercises like weight lifting. What you have to be aware of is that larger individuals can sustain larger calorie deficits with little to no ill effects for quite some time...you are leaner with only 17 Lbs to lose...you should be eating back most of your exercise calories in order to properly fuel your activity...when you are leaner and have too large a calorie deficit, your body will start burning muscle mass to compensate...trust me, you don't want to lose muscle.

also in RE to your comment about burning more than you consume...you do realize that your "burn" calories all day long, 24/7 just being alive right? You also burn calories just livin' your day to day...exercise thermogenesis is actually a very small part of the average persons daily calorie requirements. Remember, you calorie goal already includes a weight loss deficit form what MFP is estimating as your maintenance level of calories (sans exercise)...you technically don't have to go exercise anything off...it's all built into your calorie goal.

With calorie counting it is very important to be as precise as possible...this means weighing and measuring your food and ingredients and making the best determination you can...also checking your calorie burns against multiple sources to make the best estimate possible. Underestimating intake and overestimating burn are the primary reasons that "it just doesn't work" for about 99.9% of those people.

padams2359

For optimum results, the exercise calories you eat back should be protein. Chicken breast, hummus, etc. don't go for the 300 calorie protein bars. Not enough substance to satisfy your hunger. You may get there, but not there yet. JMO

33Freya

why not try overlapping for a while? plug in what you're eating on weight watchers and see how many calories it comes out to be.

^^This^^

What's wonderful about MFP is that it calculates almost everything for you It's actually easier than converting everything to points, but it's basically the same gig. Use the tracking tools to keep track of your measurements as well.

Here's to you for keeping it up!!!
:drinker:

jlapey

Great info for beginners:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Robin_Bin