Some MFP Basics

cmriverside

McKayMachina

Hello. When I set up my profile, I put in everything correctly. I work out 6-7 days a week for at least an hour and that I only want to lose .5lb per week and not more than 7lbs total.... it figured for me to eat only 1290 calories a day. That seems very low. I had figured that 1400 would be more reasonable. I am 32 years old, 4'11" and 115lbs. Does anyone else agree that it seems too low for someone who exercises as much as I do. I am a SAHM and some days are crazy while others are more relaxed, so I put lightly active to balance it out.

Us shorter girls and guys can go under 1200 as that number is just a basic guide for all humans.

A general rule of thumb is 10 calories per pound. So if you want to weigh 108, net 1080 calories.

LJV1031

Awesome post! Thanks for sharing.

ladyhawk00

Awesome post! Thanks for sharing.

Thanks and you're welcome :flowerforyou:

cmriverside

tee hee Friday night bunny bump

ladyhawk00

tee hee Friday night bunny bump

That sounds naughty!

ladyhawk00

It's my party and I'll bump if I want to :bigsmile:

clw_888

bump

Minnie_Moo

It's my party and I'll bump if I want to :bigsmile:

Lanfear

Great post!

SSawney

Thank you for this post I have a better understanding now

65kar52

bumpity bump

Calif_Girl67

yes but when we logg our details it asks what you do all day such as being Sedentary like I do so even if I exercise
everyday, I still have it set to Sedentary because I sit down all day while working only getting up to use the RR get something to eat etc. i work from home.

cmriverside

yes but when we logg our details it asks what you do all day such as being Sedentary like I do so even if I exercise
everyday, I still have it set to Sedentary because I sit down all day while working only getting up to use the RR get something to eat etc. i work from home.

Yes, that is a good place to start. Did you have a question? I'm not sure I understand your post. Since you set your Activity Level to Sedentary, you will still need to add your calories-burned by exercise to your Diary when you do it. Then Myfitnesspal will add those calories on, and you need to eat those calories as well. Does that make sense to you?

Calif_Girl67

Yes, I was just saying that some ppl think that since they are exercising that they need to add something different then sedentary if thats the type of work they do. I was just making sure that I was doing it right lol

JMun

ladyhawk00

Yes, I was just saying that some ppl think that since they are exercising that they need to add something different then sedentary if thats the type of work they do. I was just making sure that I was doing it right lol

Yes, sounds like you've got yours right. Generally for most people that work at a desk, sedentary is appropriate. Sometimes, however, they are active enough the rest of the day (apart from purposeful exercise) to bring it to lightly active; ie as in the case of many moms of small children who are quite busy with the kiddos.

Lauriek70

Ladyhawk- How do yo deal with a medium number of calories left over due to exercise and eating after 8pm at night? How can you add some additional calories to make up for the ones burned during exercise without eating after 8pm? This is my problem- I have trouble making up the calories burned from exercise throughout the day, I am not starving myself since I eat more throughout the day to help make up those calories but it is never enough. After dinner- I usually do not get hungry and I have heard that eating at night will add pounds.

ladyhawk00

Ladyhawk- How do yo deal with a medium number of calories left over due to exercise and eating after 8pm at night? How can you add some additional calories to make up for the ones burned during exercise without eating after 8pm? This is my problem- I have trouble making up the calories burned from exercise throughout the day, I am not starving myself since I eat more throughout the day to help make up those calories but it is never enough. After dinner- I usually do not get hungry and I have heard that eating at night will add pounds.

You'll hear differing opinions on eating late. However, I have never heard any reliable evidence that you'll turn into a pumpkin if you eat after a certain time. Some people get indigestion or don't sleep well if they eat late; for anybody else, it should not cause any issues and certainly won't impact your weight loss, IMO. The caveat of course is WHAT you are eating, but if it's healthy food, go for it.

When you have big burns, it can be a little more difficult to replace the cals, but with some planning can usually be done. There are several strategies, and you might find one works better for you, or a combination of more than one.

Planning is key. If you know you'll be working out, increase cals throughout the day. Just 50 cals more for each meal/snack adds up. Also, a snack after your workout is helpful, even if it's small (and late). My workouts are often later in the evening (8 or 9) and I almost always have a snack afterwards; usually yogurt and fruit or cottage cheese, and nuts, as they are light and don't make me feel stuffed. Some people like to have a protein shake or peanut butter, etc.

If you're not feeling hungry, a good way to increase cals without much volume is healthy fats from natural oils (olive/canola), nuts (almonds, pistachios, walnuts), and avocados. Also, I would stay away from "low cal" or "low fat" options - partly because you want to increase cals, and partly because those foods are usually processed and not nutrient dense, and the cals or fat they take out is replaced by sugar (real or substitute) and sodium. A fruit smoothie, protein shake or milk are good cal boosters, because drinking cals can be easier than eating when you aren't feeling hungry.

Typically, it may be hard for a few days or a week, but your body will adjust to the increased intake and you'll find it isn't an issue for long.

cocodp

bump for later

ladyhawk00

Bump

sinclare

thanks for reposting these links. I have read this many times and it is finally starting to sink in!

gcineas

bump

cmriverside

ladyhawk00

Time for a weekend bump

Windi38

LadyHawk, that was very well written! Thanks for posting it. I personally haven't had any trouble understanding how MFP works with the calories, but it seems a lot of people do. This was written very simply and hopefully will help more people understand!

It seems like such common sense that if you exercise a lot, you need to feed your body.

ladyhawk00

LadyHawk, that was very well written! Thanks for posting it. I personally haven't had any trouble understanding how MFP works with the calories, but it seems a lot of people do. This was written very simply and hopefully will help more people understand!

It seems like such common sense that if you exercise a lot, you need to feed your body.

Thank you, glad you liked it! :smooched:

cmriverside

**barely awake bump**

ladyhawk00

:drinker:

mrstessbowen

I would like to save this to read again at a later time. How do I do that within MFP?