Am I eating enough?!?! Help

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  • cloemillerpicton1
    cloemillerpicton1 Posts: 21 Member
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    It just seems so lame... I know, I'm too impatient
  • Forty6and2
    Forty6and2 Posts: 2,492 Member
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    The last thing I want is for my body to go into starvation mode... I just see so many Instagram profiles of beautifully skinny girls and want it so bad :(

    Sweetie, you shouldn't base your goals on people who are likely photoshopped. I think you look good in your profile picture and I understand that you probably want to lose a bit more to be healthy. However, SO MANY pictures on the internet are not realistic goals. You should do some research for what a healthy weight would be for your height and check out mybodygallery.com to see what you find attractive in the women on here. I find that some of the pictures on there are photoshopped but they're not nearly as bad as other places on the webz.
  • knra_grl
    knra_grl Posts: 1,568 Member
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    I just feel terrible... I did a great workout today and then had some cheese and crackers to make it up to what it is now. I HATE eating high calorie foods after. Workout!! Plus, it's 22:18 at night where I am... I just feel so low

    Eating late at night won't hurt your progress. Eating high calorie foods won't hurt your progress. As long as you're meeting your calorie and nutritional goals, it doesn't make much difference how you space those calories out. The cheese and crackers sounds like a good thing to me!

    +1
  • cloemillerpicton1
    cloemillerpicton1 Posts: 21 Member
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    You're all so helpful - thank you!! I don't have much of an idea really, it's frustrating. I think I'm just too ambitious and not patient enough
  • Forty6and2
    Forty6and2 Posts: 2,492 Member
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    You're all so helpful - thank you!! I don't have much of an idea really, it's frustrating. I think I'm just too ambitious and not patient enough

    I get you there. My first try at losing weight, I ate around 800 thinking I would lose quicker and be happier. I was just moodier and tired all the time. I rebounded and gained back most of what I lose. Then, I did some research and stalked the MFP forums and got great advice and I'm now eating around 1600-1800 and losing a pound a week. It's not the quickest weight loss, but it's HEALTHY! Which is what truly matters.
  • Apocalypz
    Apocalypz Posts: 155 Member
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    You're all so helpful - thank you!! I don't have much of an idea really, it's frustrating. I think I'm just too ambitious and not patient enough
    There's your lesson learned then, yea? If you deprive your body, then it will fight back and you won't like those results. Based on your most recent post, it appears that patience is what needs to be accomplished more so than weight loss, right? Let's start there.
  • cloemillerpicton1
    cloemillerpicton1 Posts: 21 Member
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    I think it's literally about getting my head around that concept.. I hate the idea of eating a lot of calories. I think it's definitely clear that I need to do some research - that's why I posted on here. It's nice to hear others opinions
  • cloemillerpicton1
    cloemillerpicton1 Posts: 21 Member
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    Yeah, definitely. The whole net calorie thing really confuses me and the last thing I want is to be starving my body
  • Forty6and2
    Forty6and2 Posts: 2,492 Member
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    I think it's literally about getting my head around that concept.. I hate the idea of eating a lot of calories. I think it's definitely clear that I need to do some research - that's why I posted on here. It's nice to hear others opinions

    Look up the group Eat, Train, Progress. Sarasf2uk is an awesome example of women who look good and eat plenty. She and Sidesteel have awesome advice and are probably the best people on MFP to follow.
  • _HeartsOnFire_
    _HeartsOnFire_ Posts: 5,304 Member
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    I workout so I can eat more food!!!

    I lift all the heavy things and walk.

    I'm 5'5' and eat around 1900 calories a day.
  • cloemillerpicton1
    cloemillerpicton1 Posts: 21 Member
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    Wicked - thank you!! :)
  • _HeartsOnFire_
    _HeartsOnFire_ Posts: 5,304 Member
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    I think it's literally about getting my head around that concept.. I hate the idea of eating a lot of calories. I think it's definitely clear that I need to do some research - that's why I posted on here. It's nice to hear others opinions

    Look up the group Eat, Train, Progress. Sarasf2uk is an awesome example of women who look good and eat plenty. She and Sidesteel have awesome advice and are probably the best people on MFP to follow.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/10118-eat-train-progress
  • Forty6and2
    Forty6and2 Posts: 2,492 Member
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    Yeah, definitely. The whole net calorie thing really confuses me and the last thing I want is to be starving my body

    Net calories is what you eat minus exercise calories. Gross calories is all the calories you eat throughout the day.

    For example: my goal is 1600 calories. If I burn 200 calories, my net will be at 1400. If I eat an extra 200 calories that day, my net will be at 1600, gross at 1800. Net is what you really want to concentrate on unless you're going to factor in your exercise calories daily and go by your TDEE (Total Daily Expenditure something, something.) TDEE is your gross calories but it assumes your activity level (which should be accurate to be successful) but MFP uses net. I prefer net so I can log what I do and eat back the calories.
  • Forty6and2
    Forty6and2 Posts: 2,492 Member
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    I think it's literally about getting my head around that concept.. I hate the idea of eating a lot of calories. I think it's definitely clear that I need to do some research - that's why I posted on here. It's nice to hear others opinions

    Look up the group Eat, Train, Progress. Sarasf2uk is an awesome example of women who look good and eat plenty. She and Sidesteel have awesome advice and are probably the best people on MFP to follow.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/10118-eat-train-progress

    ^ That.
  • cloemillerpicton1
    cloemillerpicton1 Posts: 21 Member
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    So am I keeping the net as close to my goal calories as possible?! Ahhhh it's so confusing!
  • Forty6and2
    Forty6and2 Posts: 2,492 Member
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    So am I keeping the net as close to my goal calories as possible?! Ahhhh it's so confusing!

    Yes and kinda no. Depending on what you use to calculate how many calories you burned, you may not want to eat back ALL of your exercise calories. MFP tends to overestimate how many calories you burn, so I would go by a heart rate monitor if I were you. That being said, your goal should be higher than 1200. Probably somewhere closer to 1500-1600, if not higher.
  • _HeartsOnFire_
    _HeartsOnFire_ Posts: 5,304 Member
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    So am I keeping the net as close to my goal calories as possible?! Ahhhh it's so confusing!

    Here's another great pretty easy read.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1235566-so-you-re-new-here?hl=so+you're+new+here

    I am doing the TDEE-15% method. I eat 1900 every day, if I'm under, it's not by much.

    If I were doing the MFP method I would eat say 1500, but then say I burned 300 calories, I'd then NET 1200, but I should eat back at least half of those calories.

    TDEE you do not eat back your exercise calories.
  • cloemillerpicton1
    cloemillerpicton1 Posts: 21 Member
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    I see... Okay!
  • _HeartsOnFire_
    _HeartsOnFire_ Posts: 5,304 Member
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    Oh and I said eat back half because if you are relying on MFP calorie burns, they are over-estimated. If you are using a heart rate monitor then you would eat back your calories. Yes, you'd still lose.

    Personally, I like the TDEE method better, just because I don't have to worry about calorie burns as much. I eat 1900 every day, that's it.

    My diary is open if you want to look. You'll see I've logged workouts as having calories burned, but I just focus on 1900. Most people who do TDEE log their workouts as 1 calorie burned.
  • HerkMeOff
    HerkMeOff Posts: 1,002 Member
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    I gotta give to to the OP.

    She is actually taking what people are telling her, and applying it...


    I'm impressed. You'll be just fine.

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