Hmm - calories... Need some advice.

Zerbertkisses

So, I'm really on my last 10-15 lbs stretch... so I JUST changed my weight loss goal to .5lbs a week as I just read that on here earlier. This means I have even more calories!

Yes, it's hard for me to wrap my head around "eating more calories will help you lose weight". I already struggled a little bit with meeting my calorie allowance every day. I try to eat something for breakfast, a light lunch, a protein bar after workout, and dinner. We eat dinner very early because my husband goes to bed at around 7pm (he goes into work at 3am) and he doesn't like to eat too soon to his bedtime. I stay up late - I'm just a night owl. So usually after he goes to bed I find myself trying to find things to eat because I still have calories to spend.

Is it important to eat all of my calories?
Do you eat the calories you burn from exercise?
What are some things that you snack on to use up your calories?

Any general advice would be helpful!

teamnevergoingback

If you're doing an intense work out, then I would say yes you need to eat those calories.

Also, I would probably use my extra calories making awesome fruit smoothies!

helenbeee

probably with the inclusion of exercise you should try to eat all the calories. But honestly you have done amazingly well to lose the weight you have Im certain we could learn more from you you appear to have the knowledge and processes to achieve weightloss just keep doing what you are doing it seems to work.

katieeweiss

Peanut butter.

LilMissStrawberry

OMG! Definitely use peanut butter to fill up your calorie count. I didn't realise how many calories it was till after I logged it this morning.

alex063287

It depends, I am around that 10 pounds to go mark however I am in a slump. Now I have been eating more and especially peanut butter since I am highly addicted to it but I haven't been losing. I started doing the same thing that helped me lost it before and that seems to be working. Do what works for you!

daad13

I try to eat all of the calories I'm allowed (without the calories burnt)
I'm also a night owl and I usually find myself snacking on fruits, non fat yogurt, granola and mostly Fit and Active products like their fruit crisps, rice cakes, pop corn etc... I also drink a lot of light packet drinks like Wyler's and Light Mixade. (Only 5 to 10 calories)
As to exercise calories, I don't do extreme/intense workouts so I tend to just eat a little of them, sometimes half. It really depends if I'm still very hungry or not. But if you do work out regularly for more than 30 minutes a day then I don't see why you shouldn't eat your calories.

muitobem

This is what one of my friends explained to me about eating all the calories...

basically the reason you would eat back the calories is....if I am eating 1200 cals a day (already a deficiency of 890 cal) and then I workout and burn 1000 cals a day, I am only netting 200 cals a day, so your body would go into starvation mode because 200 cals is not enough. By eating 1200 cals my body is already at a 1.8 pound per week loss (based on the 890 cals deficiency per day)...I just want to make sure by exercising and only netting around 400 a day I am getting enough food for my body to not be in starvation mode....I know its different for everyone...trial and error

raure

This is kind of a reply to those who said to use smoothies and peanut butter to use up your calories...I put almond butter (you could use peanut butter) in my smoothies. Even just a tablespoon adds a lot more than you would think.

aippolito1

YES! Eat your exercise calories, make sure your net at the end of the day is at least 1200. (It's on your homepage for you to find easily so you can keep track of it.) Your net is what your body is actually getting to use for fuel. What you burn in exercise doesn't count because your body already used it so yes, you need to eat some of your exercise calories to refuel your body - it's not just about calories at this point as it is nutrients.

Zerbertkisses

I LOVE everything I've had that's Fit & Active! These are probably all of my snacks, except for peanut butter wheat or whole grain toast.

sillygirljess

How is your water intake? I find that whenever I have had success with weight loss and breaking a plateau it is directly correlated to my water consumption. My trick is that whenever I use the ladies room, I "refill" by drinking another 8-16 oz of water.

It's a huge nuisance to constant be up and down using the ladies room, but I just imagine that my body is releasing lipids. We release them through body waste, sweat and breath (in that order). So drink up!

Zerbertkisses

I had a streak where I was doing great with my water intake. I would make myself drink my huge cup of water first thing in the morning before I allowed myself my coffee, haha. To be honest, I have to make a conscious effort to drink water. However, it is the only thing (other than my one cup of morning coffee) that I drink.