Why even bother coming here?

chevy88grl

I've found that the number of calories MFP gives me to achieve my goal isn't enough and my body goes into starvation mode (which shuts down ALL weight loss). My BMR is 1450 and MFP wants me to only eat 1700 calories a day. I go to the gym 3-5 days a week and I'm there for 60 mins each day. I do some kind of cardio everyday that I go - some days it is full 60 mins of cardio, some days is mixed with strength training. I've adjusted my calories and am losing again. I still track my food on here - but I know my body well enough to know that 1700 is just too low.

jazgal

I am confused ...
First you have to determine your daily calorie needs .. WE are All Different since our metabolism systems are different (Age, height, frame, and basic exercise level) ...

then to loss weight we need to create a deficit ... you can create a deficit of calories in three different ways ... 1. Eat fewer calories than you burn each day 2. Burn more calories than you consume by increasing your physical activity 3. A combination of eating fewer calories and exercising to burn more calories ... one pound of fat is made up of roughly 3,500 extra calories. So in order to lose one pound of fat, you need to create a caloric deficit of 3,500 calories. So why would you be eating you deficit? If that were the case the biggest losers would be eating about 5000 calories a day and losing weight ... instead or trying to have a deficit of close to 3500 cal a day .. to lose their 5 to 7 lbs a week ...

then we get into more stuff lean protein burns more fat to digest ... and our friend the Glycemic Index...
Not all carbohydrate foods are created equal, in fact they behave quite differently in our bodies. The glycemic index or GI describes this difference by ranking carbohydrates according to their effect on our blood glucose levels. Choosing low GI carbs - the ones that produce only small fluctuations in our blood glucose and insulin levels - is the secret to long-term health reducing your risk of heart disease and diabetes and is the key to sustainable weight loss. and then you have to drink enough water to flush it all out ... and so much more .. etc,etc.

it is all a balancing act ... that is why we weigh ourselves and tract our food and physical activity ... we are all different .. what works for one may not work for another ... the whole thing is to use tools and try different things to see what works ...

Azuleelan

Whatever

Azuleelan

There's no reason to eat your exercise calories. 1200 is the minimum amount allowable, and I'm on a 1500 cal, but I'm NOT eating my exercise calories. Love that site but the fact that they add your exercise calories so you can eat more is just absurd.

Absurd? It's absurd to keep your calorie deficit constant and refuel your body when working out?

That's like saying "I love to take road trips in my car, but having to put gas in the tank is absurd!"

Your car doesn't go into its FAT reserves if there's a deficit. But you should.

That's why the site factors in a calorie deficit in the first place (see the original post, and hundreds of other posts on this site, with new ones posted several times a day). If you exercise and don't eat, you're increasing that deficit. If you've got a whole lot of weight to lose, this might be ok, but if you keep doing that for long enough, you will slow your metabolism and burn muscle, and possibly worse.

As long as you don't eat less than 1200 cal a day and you're in a 40% protein, 40% carbs and 20% fat or very close to that, you're not eating into muscle. Exercise calories should be an extra deficit, that's the whole point of exercising in the first place.

If you take in 1200 calories a day and you burn 500 with exercise and don't eat them back, you are really only getting 700 calories a day.

1200-500=700

PLZL3ARN2MATH.

That's what I said: extra deficit. E-X-T-R-A D-E-F-I-C-I-T

If somebody around here is very fit and has little fat, extra deficit will be a problem. If you are overweight, and I assume most of us are, then that deficit will make your body go into its FAT reserves (which, again, if you are overweight it has in abundance) and start using them as fuel...
See, it isn't that difficult!

Azuleelan

I don't really get why everyone is so concerned with what other people are doing.

It would be incredibly rude to go up to an overweight person in a McDonald's and say, you really think you need that Big Mac?

And yet that's essentially what people are doing here when they offer unsolicited advice or criticism to another person about their eating habits.

If someone wants advice, they'll ask for it, otherwise, just let people be... my two cents.

Except that that person is in McDonalds, and we're on MFP actively trying to educate ourselves on healthy weight loss.
I mean, people can do whatever they want (yay freedom!), but if they're new and completely disagree with the system they're using, then why use it in the first place?

Exactly. This site is designed to work a certain way, i.e., to help a person maintain a steady calorie deficit or surplus over a length of time in order to lose or gain weight.

It would be silly to walk into McDonalds and try to talk everybody there into eating organic tofu, tempeh, and sprouts instead of big macs. It would be silly to walk into a catholic church and try to convince everyone there to be mormon. It would be silly to go to an AA meeting and try start offering people beer and vodka.

Similarly, it's completely absurd when the people who either "don't get" or don't believe in how MFP works start trying to discredit the whole thing. Why are they even here? It's confusing for the newcomers and annoying for the veterans.

I agree with you. I love this site but I use it as support, not as the base for my knowledge. I might be newbie here, but I've been into this for years and only a few months have I ever had weight issues due to a medication... I already have a system based on scientific evidecence, and I'm here only for the convenience of the databases...
Precisely because we are in a place were people want to learn about eating healthy is that one can voice dissenting opinions. MFP's is not a bad system, but it has its flaws and can be improved... very low protein levels as default setting, and automatically adding up exercise calories are mistakes.

Azuleelan

I don't really get why everyone is so concerned with what other people are doing.

It would be incredibly rude to go up to an overweight person in a McDonald's and say, you really think you need that Big Mac?

And yet that's essentially what people are doing here when they offer unsolicited advice or criticism to another person about their eating habits.

If someone wants advice, they'll ask for it, otherwise, just let people be... my two cents.

Except that that person is in McDonalds, and we're on MFP actively trying to educate ourselves on healthy weight loss.
I mean, people can do whatever they want (yay freedom!), but if they're new and completely disagree with the system they're using, then why use it in the first place?

But I'm not here for weightloss. And I'm really surprised at how easily people will yell "starvation mode", while the actual truth is that for the vast majority of people here it will never be a reality. Not even when they eat below 1200 calories a day. I restrict calories severely for quite another reason than weight loss, but one of the reasons why I am not making my food diary public is to keep people from giving me undoubtedly well-meant, but rubbish advice.

You can not imagine how awesome it was to read your post... It seems these beliefs come from the fact that MPF automatically adds up our exercise calories like we should be eating them. Totally not true if you have fat reserves. Anyway.

angisnee

My understanding of the way MFP works (and why they say to eat your exercise calories) is that you choose your NORMAL activity level (without exercise factored in) when setting your goals. Then when you exercise, you "earn" the calories that you burned so that you stay at the same deficit you decided on when setting your goals.

If you chose your activity level based on the amount of exercise you do, then no, you wouldn't eat back your exercise calories. The problem comes in when those people start telling everyone that MFP is wrong and that no one should eat back their exercise calories. This *could* create an unhealthy and unsafe deficit for a new person who hasn't learned how their body will react to such a deficit.

I feel for you if you have a medical condition that warrants you eating less than what is considered healthy for most people. It's just not a good idea to go around telling others that it's okay for them without knowing their specific situation.

This debate will never be settled, I'm sure. It would be great if the issues could be discussed without getting nasty though.

kao708

I don't get some people. MFP has a way of doing things like creating a deficit for you so you lose just by sticking to the calories given. When someone asks for advice about should I eat my exercise calories or should I keep eating below 1200 calories most people chime in (myself included) about how MFP works and why it works. Then come the people that totally doubt MFP and say that it is wrong, it doesn't work for me, there is no proof...etc...Ok they are entitled to their opinions but the site is MFP so why join and be apart of a site you don't agree with? I hate to see the newbies think that it is safe to eat 800 calories and from what I read so does MFP so why is it ok to put down a site that you are on and using?

I just don't get it.

I'm cracking up at the number of people that responded to this post by explaining why you should or shouldn't eat your exercise calories. That really isn't what this post is about at all, now is it? I wish people would read the entire post and make sure they uunderstand it before they comment. It's frustrating to have to read through a ton of responses that don't even match the original post.

Yes, people should just find a different weight loss site if they don't believe MFP works. Plain and simple! :bigsmile:

Wileyjoe

I just follow MFP -other than that I don't know why I lose weight???

WarmDontBurn

I don't get some people. MFP has a way of doing things like creating a deficit for you so you lose just by sticking to the calories given. When someone asks for advice about should I eat my exercise calories or should I keep eating below 1200 calories most people chime in (myself included) about how MFP works and why it works. Then come the people that totally doubt MFP and say that it is wrong, it doesn't work for me, there is no proof...etc...Ok they are entitled to their opinions but the site is MFP so why join and be apart of a site you don't agree with? I hate to see the newbies think that it is safe to eat 800 calories and from what I read so does MFP so why is it ok to put down a site that you are on and using?

I just don't get it.

I'm cracking up at the number of people that responded to this post by explaining why you should or shouldn't eat your exercise calories. That really isn't what this post is about at all, now is it? I wish people would read the entire post and make sure they uunderstand it before they comment. It's frustrating to have to read through a ton of responses that don't even match the original post.

Yes, people should just find a different weight loss site if they don't believe MFP works. Plain and simple! :bigsmile:

LOL...thank you!

I just logged on and actually LOL that the post is STILL going. My vent turned into a lecture.

chrisyoung0422

This topic is now about kittens.....go

waaaaah it broke T_T

HAHAAHAHAHAHHA

BflSaberfan

:yawn:

audjrey

Everyone is shooting for a common goal, so its cool, but we're also learning from each other and the site is just a place to start a change in your lifestyle. everyone's body is different though, and if someone realizes that they don't need to eat the exercise calories, or they would prefer not to than it's up to them. They shouldn't badmouth MFP though, it isn't the site's fault. If you know enough about your caloric needs to adjust it yourself then so be it, but I think that the way the site has it set up allows people who are totally clueless about calorie counting an oppurtunity to start somewhere on a positive path.

Personally, I logged in according to what the site recommended for the beginning. Then I did my own research to adjust my calorie intake based on my exercise schedule. I'm still learning, but it's a process, and I love that the site allows users to express their opinions and concerns because I've read some valuable insight from others.

Bottom line, MFP shouldn't be badmouthed for giving people a place to start.

Well said!