How many calories am I actually supposed to eat?

kristie874
kristie874 Posts: 774 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Okay, so I'm a little confused as to how many calories I'm supposed to eat. My target calories are at 1200. I know I'm supposed to eat at least that many. Now, when I work out and, say burn 400 calories, the bottom of my food intake info shows that I have 400 more calories to consume. Does this mean that I'm supposed to eat a total of 1600 calories for that day or does that mean that if I eat the extra 400 I'll be at a "no loss" point? Can anyone help shed some light on this subject for me? :tongue:

Replies

  • kristie874
    kristie874 Posts: 774 Member
    Okay, so I'm a little confused as to how many calories I'm supposed to eat. My target calories are at 1200. I know I'm supposed to eat at least that many. Now, when I work out and, say burn 400 calories, the bottom of my food intake info shows that I have 400 more calories to consume. Does this mean that I'm supposed to eat a total of 1600 calories for that day or does that mean that if I eat the extra 400 I'll be at a "no loss" point? Can anyone help shed some light on this subject for me? :tongue:
  • yoginimary
    yoginimary Posts: 6,783 Member
    Eat the 1600 calories. If you did no exercise (definitely NOT recommended), you would still lose weight at 1200. 1200 is the absolute minimum. I'm at 1400 plus exercise. That's still 1 pound a week for me.

    Everyone should remember, that if they set their food diary to 1 lb a week, that's a 500 calorie loss per day (3,500 per week, thus the lb loss). Unless you go over 500 calories, you will still lose, just not quickly. For example, you get 1200 calories to live, you do 400 calories of exercise - total 1600. Unless you eat more than 2100 calories that day, you are still burning more than you are taking in.
    Don't obsess. Be positive. Know you are heading in the right direction.
  • Razboo
    Razboo Posts: 439 Member
    Eat them. :smile: The 1200 is for doing nothing (basic survival calories, like for breathing and stuff). The other calories you "earn" from exercise should be consumed. They sort of cancel each other out so you remain at your target of 1200 cals.

    If you do not eat enough calories, you go into "starvation mode" where the body begins storing everything it can get as fat. Other threads explain this better than I can, but when caloric intake is too low, the body assumes it has entered a time of famine and lowers it's metabolism and stores the energy as fat to protect itself for the future.

    It may be tempting to not eat those calories, but you will slow your weight loss in the long run.
  • kristie874
    kristie874 Posts: 774 Member
    Okay, so then I'm supposed to eat all of the 1600 calories in the scenario I made. If I don't is it going to be a problem? I'm having a hard time hitting my 1200 calories for the week as it is and am always over my protein and way under on fat and carbs. It's hard to hit the numbers right! Thanks for the help and the input! I eat a lot of veggies and lean proteins but need to find a way to get more of the good stuff in to get my calories up. Perhaps a beer? :drinker: Heehehehe...kidding.

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