1800 calories a day!?

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  • baisleac
    baisleac Posts: 2,019 Member
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    I know most people are saying to eat back your exercise cals, but i don't know if i can. I have my whole day maxed out with what i plan to eat and it says i still have to eat 695. How is that possible? At this point, the thought of eating more than i already planned makes me want to throw up. What are some filler foods i can eat and give the calories but not the fat?

    First, dietary fat is not the enemy.

    Second, suggestions: Add a little olive oil to your cooking. Peanut butter on an apple. Protein shakes and/or fruit smoothies (sometimes it's easier to drink calories than eat them). Avocado (if you like them) spread on whole wheat toast. Any kind of nut (almonds, peanuts, walnuts).

    Thirdly, honestly, when I have extra calories I often treat myself with a glass or two of wine or a Guinness.
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
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    If you stay close to it each day you should lose at the pace you set. A little over or under won't make much difference, just try to make 1800 the average. And if you "earn" more calories from exercise try to eat those too.

    This.
  • science_star
    science_star Posts: 6
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    I'm also trying to balance slowly losing weight and breast-feeding a 3.5 month old. I also express milk 3-4 days a week for a "freezer-stash" for the days I need to work away from my baby. I find that my appetite really fluctuates in response to my baby's growth spurts etc so there are days I go over my ideal calorie in-take. I am trying to focus on eating nutritious foods and drinking plenty of water.

    I am new so consider adding me as a friend.
  • mark03264
    mark03264 Posts: 334 Member
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    If you set up MFP right to start with then the daily calorie goal that MFP gives you already has a calorie deficit built in to lose weight. That said, you should eat close to the calorie goal MFP gives you each day including eating back most of your exercise calories. Depending on how far under the daily calorie goal you are, you are very likely to cause your body to hang onto the fat it has by either slowing down or even stopping fat loss. It may not happen right away but eventually you will most likely plateau. If you have a lot of weight to lose you can probably get away with it longer but as you have less to lose your body will plateau easier. May sound counter-intuitive but that's just the way it is.

    I generally have my meals and exercise for the day planned in the morning or the night before. This way I know approximately what my exercise calorie burn will be and I plan my meals through the day to "pre-eat" enough calories so that I can just eat a sensible supper and maybe a snack. Been working great!

    Most health care professionals recommend losing 1 pound per week. This level of calorie deficit is less likely to cause loss in muscle mass in addition to fat loss. Also, at this rate the calorie deficit is in a range that most people can stick to over an extended time.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    Are you brestfeeding? 1800 sounds high for someone shootig to lose 2 lb a week. 1800 is how I maintain 124 lbs at 5'7"..... you should eat what it says and in addition you eat more when you exercise. People try to change how this site is designed which is not a good idea. Always try to get "goal" number as clpse as possible to "net" and track your exercise.

    For this person, 1800 is fine.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    Heya I have an "allowance" of 1800 calories a day. For me to see my 2lb a week goal do I NEED to make sure to eat this many? Or is that just the maximum? TIA!! :happy:

    I would try to stay in that ballpark. If you can lose 2lb per week at that level, why not? It will make it a lot easier to stay consistent and not feel "deprived".

    At this point, however, I would not worry about eating back exercise calories, unless you are doing a high volume of intense work--like 800 to 1000 calorie workouts. 1800 should be enough, even with the exercise thrown in. Down the road, you will have to adjust things, but there is plenty of time until then.
  • finchase
    finchase Posts: 174
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    I don't eat back my exercise calories. For one thing, I don't trust MFP's exercise calories. I think it is ridiculously high on the elliptical trainer which is my primary cardio workout. The machine cuts it by about a 3rd, and my HRM cuts it down still further. After a long workout this morning, MFP says I've earned 1300+ exercise calories! That's more than my entire daily calorie goal. I generally eat up to my daily goal. If I'm still hungry I'll have something else without stressing about it. If I'm not hungry then I don't have it. I listen to what my body is telling me.
  • skinnyjeanzbound
    skinnyjeanzbound Posts: 3,932 Member
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    I don't eat back my exercise calories. For one thing, I don't trust MFP's exercise calories. I think it is ridiculously high on the elliptical trainer which is my primary cardio workout. The machine cuts it by about a 3rd, and my HRM cuts it down still further. After a long workout this morning, MFP says I've earned 1300+ exercise calories! That's more than my entire daily calorie goal. I generally eat up to my daily goal. If I'm still hungry I'll have something else without stressing about it. If I'm not hungry then I don't have it. I listen to what my body is telling me.

    If you are using an HRM you should definitely be logging based on the calories it says you burned, NOT what the MFP database says. I don't have an HRM so I always check a few different websites with calorie burn calculators and choose whichever is the lowest just to err on the side of caution.
  • finchase
    finchase Posts: 174
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    I don't eat back my exercise calories. For one thing, I don't trust MFP's exercise calories. I think it is ridiculously high on the elliptical trainer which is my primary cardio workout. The machine cuts it by about a 3rd, and my HRM cuts it down still further. After a long workout this morning, MFP says I've earned 1300+ exercise calories! That's more than my entire daily calorie goal. I generally eat up to my daily goal. If I'm still hungry I'll have something else without stressing about it. If I'm not hungry then I don't have it. I listen to what my body is telling me.

    If you are using an HRM you should definitely be logging based on the calories it says you burned, NOT what the MFP database says. I don't have an HRM so I always check a few different websites with calorie burn calculators and choose whichever is the lowest just to err on the side of caution.

    Well, this is only my second day of using the HRM, so I'm still seeing how things work with it. I have to admit that I'm surprised by how few calories it shows I've burned. I thought the machine--where I enter my weight and age as well as using the touchplates to check my heart rate--was reasonably close to being accurate. Apparently it is not.

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