New to this....help!?!!

mandee1919

Hello! My name is Mandy and I am 31 years old. I have two young sons and since I got pregnant with each of them it has been a continuous struggle with my weight. I was always the "skinny" girl who could eat whatever she wanted....but once I got pregnant...that was all gone!!! Sad to say that my youngest is 5 so needless to say this is a OLD problem!
I am very strict on myself because I have my eyes on the prize and I so badly want to get my body back! I am confused on if I should eat my calories back after I workout or burn them off? Please any suggestions would be great! I work in an office setting so I am mostly sitting all day so that is why I go to the gym every day! I have to because obviously what I was doing what NOT working! lol
Thank you!
Mandy

breezymom81

That is a highly debated topic here! I have tried both ways and I now try to eat some of them back, but not all! I tend to net around 1000 cal. and am loosing weight on this. Also, don't be too strict, find some treats! It is ok to have them just build them into the day...example I had an ice cream sandwich the other day because if I denied my self I would have ended up eating 3 of them another day! It is portion control, this is not a DIET(bad 4 letter word) it is a life style change!! Good luck feel free to friend me, I am almost 30 with 2 little ones!

aimgirl

I try to only eat about half back.

mandee1919

What does "net" mean? I am sorry....I just sooo confused!! It is way easier to be the chunky girl but I have made myself a promise to not be her anymore!!
Thank you!!!

motherflutter13

Yes and no. What you want to do is eat a small healthy carb before your work out, like some whole wheat toast, and a healthy protein, like pistachios, after. The idea is to create a deficit in calories. when you work out it means you can have more calories in your day, BUT, you should listen to your body. If you are famished after a work out by all means eat something, just be smart about it.

JLaSoul333

Welcome and congratulatons on starting your weight loss journey! I work in a bank so I feel you on the office environment and sitting all day. Stand as much as you can and walk on all of your breaks. It's nice because you not only get out of the building but you can burn a few calories too. About eating your exercise calories, it's really up to you. There is no right or wrong. For me it depends on my mood. For example, I started Couch to 5K on Tuesday and afterward I was friggin starving. I ate most of my calories back that day (I think part of it was because I was off work and I exercised at the beginning of the day). Today I am doing C25K day two at the end of the day and I will not be eating my calories back. Some people on here prefer just to eat their daily goal regardless of exercise and others do the opposite. Feel it out and see what works for you. As the exercising and eating less becomes more of a habit it will be easier for you to just consume your daily goal regardless of exercise. I do both and I have lost 8 pounds since Easter!

akossen

Most of the time I don't use any of mine, every so often I "treat" myself by indulging in a nice treat that takes most of my exercise calories.

mandee1919

I work in a Credit Union so you definately feel my pain.....it seems like every day is a "food day"!!
How many calories do you allow yourself a day?

Jmartinturner

I am glad I read this posting! I need to step up my workout and eating and these replies help! I just read if you introduce a whey protien into your diet it will help curb your cravings, of course protien is what we need to burn! I read about using Jello sugar free/fat free pudding and mixing the whey protien into it along with using skim milk---protien!! I thought it tasted very good!!! It says to eat or drink a whey shake about an hour before your lunch and it will help you consume less calories at lunch.
I know when you work out you get hungry and you don't want to eat back your calories. I love the half idea! One thing is if you fall off the wagon, brush yourself off and get back on! I actually started back in Jan. and fell off the month of March and got back into the swing of things! Also, get back into setting goals...not just your wieght goals, but walk a mile or run in a 5K, be around people who want a healthy life style. I started a "bucket list" of things I almost forgot I wanted to do because I fell into the mommy rut!
Remember, if mama ain't happy, nobody's happy!:)

breezymom81

What does "net" mean? I am sorry....I just sooo confused!! It is way easier to be the chunky girl but I have made myself a promise to not be her anymore!!
Thank you!!!

Please don't be sorry! If we all knew answers we wouldn't be chunky! Net is your total eaten minus total burned!