Is it necessary to get at least 1200 net calories?

FireOpalCO

Do you have anything after your evening workout at all? An evening protein shake might be a good option if you aren't really feeling hunger but need to have some more calories.

I'm also in the same boat where MFP is flagging me for not eating enough on some days and yet not feeling hungry. I've decided to not get paranoid over it, since I'm just starting out, and instead focus on making sure I'm hitting my required fiber/protein goals and see if that excess gets slowly eaten up over time as I make adjustments. I'm making such huge adjustments in what I eat, I'm not surprised that I'm feeling full on way fewer calories.

ruffnstuff

My own opinion is that you're a dude who should eat more! So here's my theory on all this for myself. I figure my own personal goal is to be able to keep my caloric consumption as high as possible and still lose weight. When I reach maintenance, I get to increase that by a few hundred!! Woo hoo, cuz, ya know, MOAR FOODZ. I've lost a little over 60 lbs and in the 8 months I've been logging, I've found that it's about averages for me. Frankly, I don't pay attention to what the "net" calories say because I know for myself that with the exercise I do and the lifestyle I live, I can average 1800-1850/day for the week and still lose.

I think focusing too much on the "net" cals could hurt you because it's super easy to overestimate cals burned. Also, you say you're overestimating your food. Why? Get a food scale and weigh everything that isn't liquid. This way you know how much you're really eating and you don't have to overestimate.

In the end (and I'm only saying this cuz you keep asking), I think you should switch your activity level to at least slightly active. You are NOT sedentary. I sit on my butt most days at work, but do enough before and after with kids and house and such that I list myself as light or moderate active...and it's been working out just fine.

BlueBombers

You should be getting a lot more than 1200 calories since you are a male.

ssbmacdaddy

That's good advice I think I'm going to not go crazy with trying to net as the last couple days I have been trying to eat up to net and I feel like I'm forcing myself to eat. That's how I got to being overweight to begin with. Back In My 20's I did calisthenics s and aerobics and was thin. Then I wanted to not be sqrawny and got into bodybuilding and started eating a lot of protein and shakes to gain weight. Well be careful what I wish for as I sure did gain. I don't like the idea anymore of shakes and not eating food the way it looks in nature. I used to force the eating. I feel forcing eating and not listening to the body will be a mistake. I agree with ruffnstuff above that a lot of times excercise may be overestimated by mfp. That's why when I do insanity workouts which are definitely harder then low impact aerobics I still list it as low impact aerobics. I lost 30 lbs so far and don't want to gain by any means. If my loss slows down a little because I'm not eating all I should so be it but I think forcing food will as a long term be detrimental I am one of those people who loves to exercise. It gives me a rush. Yet sometimes due to life work and family don't get as much time to do so. So I am trying to do something daily and when the work day was just too much I take a day of 2 off a week yet most of the time I do something everyday. I just feel better. What does the mfp community thing if not forcing the calories and not reaching 1200 net (assuming calculations are correct)? Would I really be sabotaging my weight loss?

ssbmacdaddy

That's good advice I think I'm going to not go crazy with trying to net as the last couple days I have been trying to eat up to net and I feel like I'm forcing myself to eat. That's how I got to being overweight to begin with. Back In My 20's I did calisthenics s and aerobics and was thin. Then I wanted to not be sqrawny and got into bodybuilding and started eating a lot of protein and shakes to gain weight. Well be careful what I wish for as I sure did gain. I don't like the idea anymore of shakes and not eating food the way it looks in nature. I used to force the eating. I feel forcing eating and not listening to the body will be a mistake. I agree with ruffnstuff above that a lot of times excercise may be overestimated by mfp. That's why when I do insanity workouts which are definitely harder then low impact aerobics I still list it as low impact aerobics. I lost 30 lbs so far and don't want to gain by any means. If my loss slows down a little because I'm not eating all I should so be it but I think forcing food will as a long term be detrimental I am one of those people who loves to exercise. It gives me a rush. Yet sometimes due to life work and family don't get as much time to do so. So I am trying to do something daily and when the work day was just too much I take a day of 2 off a week yet most of the time I do something everyday. I just feel better. What does the mfp community thing if not forcing the calories and not reaching 1200 net (assuming calculations are correct)? Would I really be sabotaging my weight loss?

dixiewhiskey

I would focus more on aiming to eat your Total Daily Eating Goal - sometimes you net sometimes you don't. That is if you are using the TDEE method

TeaBea

You should be getting a lot more than 1200 calories since you are a male.

This!^

Eating just 1200 & doing lots of exercise is like working out to shed muscle. Men should net more than 1200.....look up your BMR. That's just basic function.......heart, lungs, kidneys, etc.