Eating TOO much...?

Lindsay7360

Hey all, I'm new here to MFP. And I'm getting overwhelmed with all of the information... in a good way!

The one thing I am questioning is my calories in. I know, I know, MFP is smart and I should stop thinking about it!

Here's the deal, MFP tells me to eat 1,640 calories per day... not including most of my exercise calories. I am getting SO much grief that I am eating too much. For instance, yesterday, I burned 371 calories at the gym, giving me 2,011 to eat for the day (1,640 + 371 = 2,011). By bed time rolled around I had eaten 1,849 calories. I wasn't hungry anymore and just couldn't justify eating the remaining 162 calories just because they were "there".

Well here come the trouble... I have friends telling me I'm eating way too much and they can't imagine a woman being able to eat 2,011 calories while trying to LOSE weight. Most of them are recommending 1,200-1,300 calories per day. One woman is suggesting as little at 1,100 (um, HECK no!)

Anyways, I'm just looking for feedback... or at least some reassurance. I'm just trying to trust MFP and the process, but so many people have me second guessing it. Please help the newbie.

PS - yes, I HAVE read the newbie links... those are GREAT, thank you!

nijeka

The calculations go by how much you want to lose, current weight, length of time you are giving yourself to lose, etc, etc. Your calories do sound high though. I am only given 1250 or so per day.....And they say you need to eat all the calories you are set at; otherwise you go into "starvation mode"....so, I know I wasn't much help here.....don't know what to tell you. I agree though, seems senseless to eat if you are not hungry just to fill in your MFP calories!!

Good luck....

npryor100

most people on MFP suggest not eating your exercise calories, ESPECIALLY if your not hungry

imagymrat

Hey all, I'm new here to MFP. And I'm getting overwhelmed with all of the information... in a good way!

The one thing I am questioning is my calories in. I know, I know, MFP is smart and I should stop thinking about it!

Here's the deal, MFP tells me to eat 1,640 calories per day... not including most of my exercise calories. I am getting SO much grief that I am eating too much. For instance, yesterday, I burned 371 calories at the gym, giving me 2,011 to eat for the day (1,640 + 371 = 2,011). By bed time rolled around I had eaten 1,849 calories. I wasn't hungry anymore and just couldn't justify eating the remaining 162 calories just because they were "there".

Well here come the trouble... I have friends telling me I'm eating way too much and they can't imagine a woman being able to eat 2,011 calories while trying to LOSE weight. Most of them are recommending 1,200-1,300 calories per day. One woman is suggesting as little at 1,100 (um, HECK no!)

Anyways, I'm just looking for feedback... or at least some reassurance. I'm just trying to trust MFP and the process, but so many people have me second guessing it. Please help the newbie.

PS - yes, I HAVE read the newbie links... those are GREAT, thank you!

you're doing the right thing, and unless the friends have an MD behind their name I wouldn't pay them much attention,

suzikelley

Hi Lindsay!! Welcome to MFP! :drinker: I just started last Friday, and at first had entered the recommended 1 lb. per week as my goal, which gave me over 1400 calories per day. I couldn't get over how much I had to eat either... so I decided to change my goal to 2 lbs. a week.... which gives me 1200 calories per day. I try to stay right around 1200 calories - and personally, I try to not eat the calories that I burned from exercising, but it's nice to know that they're there if I need them! (like today - except I went 23 calories over! boo! We were out of town all day and had to eat on the road) If it's late, and you are just not hungry, and you still have calories left from working out, I wouldn't worry about it.

kerrymh

you don't have to eat all the calories...its just nice to know that you can eat that much and still lose.
I always try to eat 1200cal...and I sometimes eat up to my 1550cal and sometimes I eat my exercise cals but most of the time I don't. But its nice to know that when I've gone on some dates recently that I can eat out and share a dessert if I make smart choices. Because I can still eat around 1600cal and lose 2 lbs a week But don't force yourself to eat all your exercise cals if you aren't hungry.

somigliana

That's the beauty of MFP and tracking your eats and exercise: you CAN lose weight eating like that.

I had the same sort of commentary from my colleagues because they saw me either eating or snacking on a regular basis and wondered how on earth I was losing weight. Eventually they learned to look at WHAT I was eating so often and realised that I never went for the morning tea chocolate biscuits, choosing a more healthful snack instead. Now they (sort of) understand.

I guess my perspective is that I enjoyed not feeling deprived, making healthy decisions, learning about good nutrition and choices, and eating wholesome food... I've taken that way of eating into the maintenance phase and I'm going to do my best to eat this way for life.

Good luck on your journey, and ENJOY!

TracieJ65

When I first started, in March, I put in that I wanted to lose 1.5 pounds per week, my exercise goal was 15 min, 3 times per week, with a goal of loosing 100 pounds. MFP gave me over 2100 calories per day and then, of course, when I did exercise I had those calories too. I always, always put in more exercise than I had put in for my goal, and there were some days that I was able to have over 2500 calories. Honestly, the first three months, I found myself eating pretty much all of my calories, both exercise and what MFP gave me. At 30 pounds lost I changed my goals to 2 pounds per week and 30 min of exercise, 5 times per week. MFP took me too 1820 per day and there are some days I am burning over 600 calories in a day. That takes me right back up to over 2400 calories and now, 7 months into my journey, two before MFP, I find it very, very hard to eat that many calories and find that pretty much most days I have calories left over and sometimes a lot left over. Yesterday I had over 800 calories left to eat, but was just a tad over on sodium so I didn't want to eat more calories. So, long story short, I am 7 months down the road and 60 pounds lost, so it works!

Lindsay7360

Thank you, this is so totall reassuring. I appreciate it!

Congrats on your loss! That's awesome!

TracieJ65

Absolutly Lindsay! Really you can do it if you just follow what MFP recommends and stick to it! With each month that passes, for me anyway, you will find that it is easier and easier, and then one day it just becomes a way of life! I rarely crave sweets anymore and if I do I keep 100 calorie snacks, clif mojo bars, and litehouse chocolate yogurt dip for fruit around. I love the dip with strawberries or bananas and it curbs the sweet tooth. The chocolate dipped clif mojo bar is just like a chocolate covered rice crispy treat. Good luck!