"...was under his/her calorie goal"
Celo24
Posts: 566 Member
I've come to a decision. I am starting to realize that the "good job" and "way to go" that we all give each other after we complete our food diaries may be doing more harm than good. A lot of my MFP friends do very, very well every day and a lot of them struggle on a daily basis. Some think they are doing great, some know they are and some hope they are. I love them all and want to encourage each and every one. So, I - like many others on here - spit out the "nice day" and "excellent choices" and everything else on their food diaries because I want my friends to feel good about what they are doing. That ends today.
Why would I quit doing that? Well, because for every person who truly DID do a good job and hit their NET calories, there are two who stayed under their calories but their NET was waaaay too low. And if all their MFP friends continue to congratulate them on that, then why would they change anything? Eventually, those people are going to hit a plateau, wonder what's wrong and get frustrated. If I - or anyone - say something then about eating more, they will most likely wonder why no one never brought it up before. They may even get pissed at us. And you know what? They would have every right to do so.
So, starting now, I will congratulate all my friends on a job well done when they are doing a good job and hitting their NET daily target. If you are one of my friends - and you all know how much I appreciate you all - you might see fewer "good job" posts from me on your food diary. I am certainly not the expert on all things MFP or a nutritionist or anything else, but I do feel like I have a good understanding on how the MFP system works and what is the best method to follow for success. So, if you notice fewer comments from me and you want to know why, let me know. I'll still support you all in any way I can and be in your corner. And honestly, I think being truthful IS the best way to support you all.
I would encourage anyone who reads this to do the same thing. Let's congratulate our friends on the NET intake, not the gross. The less we encourage undereating on here, the fewer "should I eat my exercise calories" posts we will get. The fewer of those we get, the more people we have (theoretically) doing things the right way. The more people we have doing things the right way, the more people we will have losing weight and reaching their goals. And that would be pretty cool.
Why would I quit doing that? Well, because for every person who truly DID do a good job and hit their NET calories, there are two who stayed under their calories but their NET was waaaay too low. And if all their MFP friends continue to congratulate them on that, then why would they change anything? Eventually, those people are going to hit a plateau, wonder what's wrong and get frustrated. If I - or anyone - say something then about eating more, they will most likely wonder why no one never brought it up before. They may even get pissed at us. And you know what? They would have every right to do so.
So, starting now, I will congratulate all my friends on a job well done when they are doing a good job and hitting their NET daily target. If you are one of my friends - and you all know how much I appreciate you all - you might see fewer "good job" posts from me on your food diary. I am certainly not the expert on all things MFP or a nutritionist or anything else, but I do feel like I have a good understanding on how the MFP system works and what is the best method to follow for success. So, if you notice fewer comments from me and you want to know why, let me know. I'll still support you all in any way I can and be in your corner. And honestly, I think being truthful IS the best way to support you all.
I would encourage anyone who reads this to do the same thing. Let's congratulate our friends on the NET intake, not the gross. The less we encourage undereating on here, the fewer "should I eat my exercise calories" posts we will get. The fewer of those we get, the more people we have (theoretically) doing things the right way. The more people we have doing things the right way, the more people we will have losing weight and reaching their goals. And that would be pretty cool.
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Replies
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Excellent post Celo!!0
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hell reading this made me cry. what the crap. thanks celo. needed people to hear this one. fo sho!0
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there is no rule stating you MUST eat back execise calories. if someone feels full and satisfied with what they've ate, then good for them. you dont know their bodies or what they are feeling..maybe they just dont feel hungry that day. why stuff yourself? just because some diet myth on these forums that states you MUST eat back all those workout calories. why? why eat back what you've worked so hard to burn off? ugh..this is so annoying0
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there is no rule stating you MUST eat back execise calories. if someone feels full and satisfied with what they've ate, then good for them. you dont know their bodies or what they are feeling..maybe they just dont feel hungry that day. why stuff yourself? just because some diet myth on these forums that states you MUST eat back all those workout calories. why? why eat back what you've worked so hard to burn off? ugh..this is so annoying
If you don't agree, fine. Don't do it. But for the vast majority of people, eating those calories works. You may be an exception but there are plenty of people who aren't.0 -
Bravo!!! Well said!!
I also made a decision to (not) do this when I saw how many of my friends were routinely 500+ calories below goal - and frequently under 1200 altogether. Now of course I have increased my activity level and am struggling to meet my goal, but rest assured I am aware of it and trying!0 -
I read a post like this a week or so ago and I agree with you. I have stopped making comments to folks way under their calorie goals. If they are over or under by less than 30 or so--a number I just chose out of my own head, then I do say something positive. I won't make comments if they are under 1200 w/o exercise or way under net calories with exercise. This is not healthy or productive. I've done these really low cal diets a hundred times and they don't work! I thought the whole purpose of MFP was to give us the tools to lose weight or shape up in a HEALTHY way without fad diets. Its working for so many folks and I'm sticking with and supporting those that do that.0
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there is no rule stating you MUST eat back execise calories. if someone feels full and satisfied with what they've ate, then good for them. you dont know their bodies or what they are feeling..maybe they just dont feel hungry that day. why stuff yourself? just because some diet myth on these forums that states you MUST eat back all those workout calories. why? why eat back what you've worked so hard to burn off? ugh..this is so annoying
This.
I, for one, have NEVER had real weight loss on a plan of eating back exercise calories, but have had great success when I've stayed at 1200 and exercised.
Everyone is different and I get bothered when people get on here chastising others. What works for one person may not work for another.
There are other factors as well that you can't know about. I believe most food companies underestimate the calories of their food, and I KNOW the calories the gym machines tell me I burned are too high. So I figure if I eat 1200 and burn what my elliptical tells me is 300, I may in reality be coming much closer to my net than my food and exercise diaries would have me believe.0 -
AMEN!!! Your post stated my thoughts waaay better than I ever could! Thanks for sharing!
smile: 0 -
I have been surprised to see how little some people eat. If I tried to burn 1000+ calories a day working out and only eat 1200 total, I'd melt into a puddle. I do think when you are way undereating, you are not seeing the gains from your workouts that you could be, and that your body will stubbornly hang onto every bit of fat it can to keep you from starving yourself to death.
*Disclaimer - I am not a dietician, nor do I play one on TV, so please take my opinion with a grain of salt. Or perhaps salt substitute, if you are watching your sodium :-).0 -
there is no rule stating you MUST eat back execise calories. if someone feels full and satisfied with what they've ate, then good for them. you dont know their bodies or what they are feeling..maybe they just dont feel hungry that day. why stuff yourself? just because some diet myth on these forums that states you MUST eat back all those workout calories. why? why eat back what you've worked so hard to burn off? ugh..this is so annoying
This.
I, for one, have NEVER had real weight loss on a plan of eating back exercise calories, but have had great success when I've stayed at 1200 and exercised.
Everyone is different and I get bothered when people get on here chastising others. What works for one person may not work for another.
There are other factors as well that you can't know about. I believe most food companies underestimate the calories of their food, and I KNOW the calories the gym machines tell me I burned are too high. So I figure if I eat 1200 and burn what my elliptical tells me is 300, I may in reality be coming much closer to my net than my food and exercise diaries would have me believe.
Couldn't have said it better.0 -
there is no rule stating you MUST eat back execise calories. if someone feels full and satisfied with what they've ate, then good for them. you dont know their bodies or what they are feeling..maybe they just dont feel hungry that day. why stuff yourself? just because some diet myth on these forums that states you MUST eat back all those workout calories. why? why eat back what you've worked so hard to burn off? ugh..this is so annoying
This.
I, for one, have NEVER had real weight loss on a plan of eating back exercise calories, but have had great success when I've stayed at 1200 and exercised.
Everyone is different and I get bothered when people get on here chastising others. What works for one person may not work for another.
There are other factors as well that you can't know about. I believe most food companies underestimate the calories of their food, and I KNOW the calories the gym machines tell me I burned are too high. So I figure if I eat 1200 and burn what my elliptical tells me is 300, I may in reality be coming much closer to my net than my food and exercise diaries would have me believe.
I didn't chastise a soul. I merely stated my intention to support my friends in what I feel is a more honest manner going forward. If what you are doing works for you, great. Keep up the good work!0 -
there is no rule stating you MUST eat back execise calories. if someone feels full and satisfied with what they've ate, then good for them. you dont know their bodies or what they are feeling..maybe they just dont feel hungry that day. why stuff yourself? just because some diet myth on these forums that states you MUST eat back all those workout calories. why? why eat back what you've worked so hard to burn off? ugh..this is so annoying
This.
I, for one, have NEVER had real weight loss on a plan of eating back exercise calories, but have had great success when I've stayed at 1200 and exercised.
Everyone is different and I get bothered when people get on here chastising others. What works for one person may not work for another.
There are other factors as well that you can't know about. I believe most food companies underestimate the calories of their food, and I KNOW the calories the gym machines tell me I burned are too high. So I figure if I eat 1200 and burn what my elliptical tells me is 300, I may in reality be coming much closer to my net than my food and exercise diaries would have me believe.
well said0 -
I was worried about not meeting my calorie goal, but I generally don't eat that much. I have always been like this. But this is me & I am barely 5'3" and very small boned. I am mainly concerned with my nutrients and not so much calories. I also think if I workout, I don't want to eat those calories back. I do have a few pounds to lose. But this is just me. I don't try to stay under my calorie goal, but after 2 weeks and 1 lb lost I have only met it once! And my fat content was high for that day. Just my op
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I agree Celo with almost everything you said.
One topic I thought should be mentioned is that some folks, like myself,are tracking other components of their diaries such as sodium and sugars. As a tall and big guy, with a history of high blood pressure, my caloric intake should be 2200 per day. My sodium intake is maxed at 2500mg per day. Now, I've been on MFP since last October, and have played with my menu to get these numbers in line, however, I'm finding it extremely difficult for me to eat 2200 calories and not go over my sodium intake. If you have menu choices that may work for me, please let me know. But for everyone to eat close to their calorie goal set by MFP, well, it just may not be what they're here to do....0 -
Of course not everyone coming in "under goal" is doing it wrong.
I, like many others, have my goal set to maintenence and just try to get under that each day, rather than have the rigidity of a certain daily deficit. So, for us to be at net goal every day is kinda defeating the purpose of what we're doing.
but I would also figure that those of us doing it this way, know what we're doing and why, and don't need any of these sort of affirmations, anyway (which to me never seem 100% sincere when done to everyone, every day, anyway and more an exercise in commenting to get comments, but that's just me)0 -
i love everyone saying no to eating back calories has lost around 3lbs, and the people eating some of 'em back are in the -20lb range. jusssst an observation.0
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Amen!
I absolutely agree and I often think my friends must think I'm an awfully unfriendly friend....
It drives me nuts to see young 18 and 19 year old women screwing up their metabolisms, in order to lose more vanity pounds than is probably good for them. When you do that drastic dieting when your young. it makes it oh so much harder when your middle-aged to to maintain a healthy weight. And at my age it's no longer a matter of vanity, but health.
Have struggled with my weight my whole life, having done stupid things when I was young, I REALLY don't want to see others go through that..0 -
i love everyone saying no to eating back calories has lost around 3lbs, and the people eating some of 'em back are in the -20lb range. jusssst an observation.
I hit goal weight doing it that way. Then I developed bulimia and gained it all back, but thanks for that 0 -
i for one am here to lose the last 10 lbs of baby weight ....i by no means at all starve myself and i very rarely eat back my exercise cals and i always come in under cal .....i eat healthy and i eat till i feel full i will never force myself to eat until i feel stuffed beyond capacity what works for one may not work for another .....i have my body nobody else has the same body as me there for nobody can tell me what is a healthy calorie goal for me or anyone else on here ....like i said in my first post eat healthy stay replenished but dont force yourself to eat if you dont want to make your own choices.......0
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lol
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Ok guys, let's get back on track here. This post was not intended to yell at people or make anyone feel bad. And I am fully aware that some people are exceptions to the rule. However, the vast majority of people on MFP need to eat and there are SO many people who are SO far under every day that IN MY OPINION (and I already admitted I am not an expert), they would be better served by honesty, rather than false praise. If you don't agree, fine. That's your choice. But please don't derail this thread into something it was not intended to be.0
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celo i appreciate your honesty and support!!! it can be a fine line encouraging people to stay on a good path and stick-with-it-ness and accidentally encouraging under-eating!!! i don't always look in detail at peoples diaries before i post a comment, but i do make sure that they are at least close to 1200 before i give a good job...i am not an expert either, but i have learned enough on here to know that very little food will not sustain a long-term happy healthy weight loss...that being said i usually have the opposite problem (as you well know) and often need my hand-slapped for over-doing it on sugar and sodium...tough love is necessary for some of us and often appreciated!!! 0
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i love everyone saying no to eating back calories has lost around 3lbs, and the people eating some of 'em back are in the -20lb range. jusssst an observation.
^Love!0 -
High five Celo!!! I completely agree, and I'm proud of you for sticking your neck out to write an obviously contraversial post. I am with you: I look at a journal before I comment, and if I can't honestly say "good job", I don't say anything. I refuse to congratulate someone for undereating. Keeping a net of at least 1200 has been a turning point for MANY members here. Obviously there is no "one size fits all", but it seems that a few readers have really missed that memo. 0
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You know, it's posts like this that are SO unhelpful and unnecessary. I saw this post immediately after my workout tonight, and instead of feeling proud of myself that I did a kick *kitten* workout, I started to feel guilty for not eating all 1700 freaking calories. I eat healthy, and I'm not hungry at 9 pm after my work out. If I am, I drink water. It's not okay for you to make people feel guilty because they're not hungry.0
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You know, it's posts like this that are SO unhelpful and unnecessary. I saw this post immediately after my workout tonight, and instead of feeling proud of myself that I did a kick *kitten* workout, I started to feel guilty for not eating all 1700 freaking calories. I eat healthy, and I'm not hungry at 9 pm after my work out. If I am, I drink water. It's not okay for you to make people feel guilty because they're not hungry.
And it's not okay to make people guilty for taking a different approach than the one that works for you.
Edited for grammar.0 -
i love everyone saying no to eating back calories has lost around 3lbs, and the people eating some of 'em back are in the -20lb range. jusssst an observation.
EXACTLY!!!! I eat mine & I have lost 14 lbs! (5'6", SW 160, CW: 146) since Jan 3rd.0 -
i love everyone saying no to eating back calories has lost around 3lbs, and the people eating some of 'em back are in the -20lb range. jusssst an observation.
EXACTLY!!!! I eat mine & I have lost 14 lbs! (5'6", SW 160, CW: 146) since Jan 3rd.0 -
I lost 19 pounds doing it my way. My point is to each his/her own.0
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You know, it's posts like this that are SO unhelpful and unnecessary. I saw this post immediately after my workout tonight, and instead of feeling proud of myself that I did a kick *kitten* workout, I started to feel guilty for not eating all 1700 freaking calories. I eat healthy, and I'm not hungry at 9 pm after my work out. If I am, I drink water. It's not okay for you to make people feel guilty because they're not hungry.
:noway: Shame on you. Celo was trying to be helpful and encouraging, and he made it clear more than once that he is NOT trying to make anyone feel guilty if another tactic works for them. If you disagree with a post, the mature approach is to walk away. That being said, congrats on kicking *kitten* in your workout. 0
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