should i eat more?

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wearystar
wearystar Posts: 72 Member
in Food and Nutrition
i have been having a lot of trouble with this mostly because i come from an eating disordered past and in my mind less calories= weightloss, because honestly it worked perfectly back then... although i'm guessing now my body has wised up to my scheme and won't just drop the pounds.

lately i've sen everyone talking about eating more and losing more so i thought i'd see if maybe you think that would help me.

i am a student with class from 10am-10 pm two days a week, i work 3(more or less) days a week at a local art supply store-cashiering, restocking, cleaning up ect. but i have my lifestyle set to sedentary since besides that, unless i go out of my way to work out i;'m usually sitting on my computer doing work.
at this setting MFP has me eating 1200 cals a day, (my BMR is 1312.)
i try my best to work out at least twice a week, but as i've just started both school and work in the same week i find myself totally sapped of energy.
on days i don't work out and eat healthy food i will be somewhere from 800-900 cals. on days i eat junk i sometimes make it to the 1200 mark, but i feel like that is counter productive. days i work out and eat well i usually make it to 1100-1200 even though at that point MFP is usually telling me to eat 1300-1400.

so, eat more? workout more? eat healthy? force feed calories?
someone give me some insight, i'm totally discouraged as i've seen no change

Replies

  • littlemili
    littlemili Posts: 625 Member
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    What is your workout schedule?
  • wearystar
    wearystar Posts: 72 Member
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    What is your workout schedule?
    at the moment i've been sick so doing as much as walking the dog makes my head feel like it's about to explode. lol
    i get really restless so i mix it up- i workout twice a week doing one of the following
    - 30 mins(or more it if can) on the elliptical, plus squats, crunches, light weight lifing, lunges, ect
    - 45-60 mins zumba dvd- i've done the classes so i'm really intense about it even in my own living room lol
    -yoga/pilates type dvds, i've done real classes too so i try to be just as intense

    i was trying to start the Insanity workouts, but have been discouraged since i can't do it every single day.
  • MissMaryMac33
    MissMaryMac33 Posts: 1,433 Member
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    I'm pretty sure it only gave you 1200 because you chose "lose 2lb a week" as your goal ---and you don't look like you have much to lose. What does it say when you choose 1/2lb a week?
  • littlemili
    littlemili Posts: 625 Member
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    What is your workout schedule?
    at the moment i've been sick so doing as much as walking the dog makes my head feel like it's about to explode. lol
    i get really restless so i mix it up- i workout twice a week doing one of the following
    - 30 mins(or more it if can) on the elliptical, plus squats, crunches, light weight lifing, lunges, ect
    - 45-60 mins zumba dvd- i've done the classes so i'm really intense about it even in my own living room lol
    -yoga/pilates type dvds, i've done real classes too so i try to be just as intense

    i was trying to start the Insanity workouts, but have been discouraged since i can't do it every single day.

    Maybe you should do something using weights. Do you do hands-free/backwards on the elliptical? Do you do HIIT? How about regular running? Twice a week workouts are not much, of course that's smart if you're sick but if that's the case you shouldn't be trying to lose weight. I would say 4-6 times a week should be your goal. Exercise will fire your metabolism which is probably something you need since you are a) small and b) not eating much.
  • wearystar
    wearystar Posts: 72 Member
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    I'm pretty sure it only gave you 1200 because you chose "lose 2lb a week" as your goal ---and you don't look like you have much to lose. What does it say when you choose 1/2lb a week?
    it actually is only 1 pound a week. and only goes up by 100 cals if i move it to 1/2 pound

    the point of my question was more if i should force feed in all the calories and/or raise the amount i'm eating in general
  • starwhisperer
    starwhisperer Posts: 367
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    yes force feed. I am refusing to weigh in on the "eat your exercise calories" thing, but absolutely you should not be going below 1200 a day especially if you come from a back ground of eating disorders. Add a banana, and some peanut butter and you will hit your mark.
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
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    You've had an eating disorder in the past. Pretty sure your body cannot be trusted to send hunger signals correctly. Yes, you need to force yourself to eat more. Hopefully once it gets used to eating more it'll figure out how to work again and you'll start feeling hunger.
  • cooktima87
    cooktima87 Posts: 10
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    iM NEW TO THIS NOT SURE ABOUT EATTING BACK MY EXERSICE CAL. HOW DO YOU LOSE WIEGHT IF YOU JUST EATTING BACK WHAT U WORKED OFF. iM cONFUSED? ALSO IT TELLS ME I EAT TOO LESS AND I PUT MY BODY IN STARVATION MODE!! BUT IF I KEEP IT UP I WILL LOSE MY WIEGHT FASTER!! UMMMM SO DO I EAT LESS IF I WANT FASTER RESULTS ? hELP
  • ji225
    ji225 Posts: 89 Member
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    Okay from first glance Id say you prob need to eat more.

    I have bee working out and countng claories for 2 months and not lost a single pound - yes I'm discouraged and a bit fed up, but when I worked out the total cals I was eating a week minus my exercse cals, it left with me with about 950 -1000 cals each day which is what I am thinkiing has slowed down or actually halted any loss from the start.

    I am now trying the calorie cycling thing, as I have heard it shakes things up. .....and I will def post back if it works,

    I only wanted to lose 10lbs max, but the fact that i have been working out most days ( I cycle an hour per day to work and back and usually do circuits 5 times a week) Over the week this was working out to about 400 cals of exercise per day and as I was only taking in an average of 1400 per day ( worked this out over a long period of weeks), I really think my body has been trying to protect me , especially as my BMR is at a guess is around 1450-1600(according to various websites anyway), Im quite enjoying the high cal days with less exercise overall :)

    so now im trying to net on average of 1250 cals per day - of course it could lead to weight gain in which case I might cry - but I will def keep trying to re-work it, as there must be some way to get my body out protecting fat mode! :)

    Good luck with your quest too!

    Jenny
  • blue4myeyes
    blue4myeyes Posts: 93 Member
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    yes force feed. I am refusing to weigh in on the "eat your exercise calories" thing, but absolutely you should not be going below 1200 a day especially if you come from a back ground of eating disorders. Add a banana, and some peanut butter and you will hit your mark.

    I agree completely with this post. Your body needs the energy and there are several healthy choices you can make to quickly get to your calorie goal WITHOUT eating junk food. A banana (or apple) with peanut butter is a great idea, adding olive oil to sauteed veggies, or a handful of nuts. Good luck and hang in there :)

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