MFP Beginner FAQ #1

bobbybdoe

Okay, due to some of the current recurring questions that you see on here, I made this FAQ for newbies.



#1 Should I eat my exercise calories?

It depends on if you feel like it. If you're still hungry and under your caloric goal, go for it if you want. If you're not hungry and people are telling you to eat your exercise calories, don't. No need to stuff yourself. :P

#2 I don't want to get big lifting weights. What do I do?

You aren't going to get big eating at a caloric deficit and lifting 5-10 pound weights. Besides, muscle helps burns calories even while you're in a sedentary/stationary status. Apparently (according to some researchers), for every 3 pounds of lean muscle, an extra 120 calories are burned doing absolutely nothing.

#3 I'm craving sweets, what do I do?

This is a tough one despite its simplicity. Just don't bring anything you'd regret eating into your house. Get some sugarfree sweet gum (I love 5 Gum and Trident), and it keeps me from cravings. Toss out the junk and keep the stuff out of your house in general!

#4 I'm not losing weight. Oh noez what do I do?

Sometimes you just don't lose weight. Start tracking inches as well. Also, drink more water to help keep sodium from being retained in your body. Make sure you exercise daily and that you change up the exercises you're doing if you plateau. Eat lots of veggies too!

#5 PROTEIN WILL MAKE ME FAT AND I ALWAYS GO OVERBOARD



Change up yo' macros ! MFP starts out the macros for protein at 15% which is WAY too little. Up to 40% is fine with protein. It doesn't harm you at all.

#6 OMG FATS R BAD AND I ALWAYS GO OVERBOARD



Fats aren't bad either. It depends on the type of fats as well. Remember, everything in moderation.

#7 I want to try HCG/preggo hormone piss -- should I?

Only if a doctor recommends in in certain health situations. Don't do it just because you don't want to exercise or eat right, as you'll just end up gaining all the weight back and usually more.

#9 CARBS ARE BAD FOR ME SAYS -insert crappy magazine name-

Carbs are the basic unit of "fuel" we get from eating different foods. Carbs are AWESOME when working out, as it keeps you fueled and energetic throughout it. They aren't bad at all. Remember -- MODERATION.

#10 Are cheat days/meals good?

I recommend a cheat day/meal as it can keep you from binging out throughout the week. Make sure you schedule it and only have ONE a week.

#11 I like this thread and have some suggestions to add for it. (blueshred (Robert) is awesome and I would totally date him if we lived in the same county and I was a female.)

Suggest me some via PM and add me as a friend if you want and I'll make another, longer one for you all.

Thanks for reading and I certainly hope this answers some questions for you.

vanessaclarkgbr

LOL - very good, thanks!

anda2oo5

I did like it and find it useful
waiting for a next one...

McKayMachina

Sorry but #1 is wrong.

MFP accounts for you to eat those calories burned. I like the idea of an MFP beginner FAQ but this isn't really gonna cut it.

mermx

ROFLMAO very good post ;-)

But in your profile pic are you having a pee...cos it looks like your arms are reaching for pee mode lol!

bobbybdoe

Sorry but #1 is wrong.

MFP accounts for you to eat those calories burned. I like the idea of an MFP beginner FAQ but this isn't really gonna cut it.

Nope. 50% of my friends list don't eat their exercise calories back and have lost 10, 30, and 2 have lost over 150 pounds. Just sayin'.

bobbybdoe

ROFLMAO very good post ;-)

But in your profile pic are you having a pee...cos it looks like your arms are reaching for pee mode lol!

Darn you... I was eating while you said that. Brb cleaning off my keyboard.

msaap

LOL!

veganbaum

I think #1 is poor advice based on how this site is set up. Each person can do their own research and decide for themselves what they wish to do, but to lay out there that it is not necessary to eat ANY of your exercise calories unless you are hungry goes against how this site is created to work. If someone is given a 1200 calorie goal, their daily deficit is 1000 to lose 2 pounds a week - then they burn 500 calories exercising - you're saying it's okay to have net calories of 700 and a daily deficit of 1500? Plus, it is very easy for many people to "not feel hungry" when they have been chronically undereating, so to advise someone who is a chronic undereater to only "eat when they are hungr"y makes no sense. For those of us who have been chronic undereaters, our bodies are not sending us appropriate signals. I was undereating at around 800-1000 calories for months (before i started tracking my food using MFP), and I never felt hungry. Are you telling me that I was getting all the nutrition I needed to stay HEALTHY from eating 1000 calories, far below my BMR? Yes, people can disagree about eating exercise calories back, though many will at least agree to eat back some portion of them but that each person should play within the range to see what works, but to say never eat them flat out defies how MFP is set up. Aside from that, I just think it's really poor advice to tell all newbies to "eat when they're hungry," some people can do that and be successful, but a whole lot of us are here precisely because that didn't work.

bobbybdoe

I think #1 is poor advice based on how this site is set up. Each person can do their own research and decide for themselves what they wish to do, but to lay out there that it is not necessary to eat ANY of your exercise calories unless you are hungry goes against how this site is created to work. If someone is given a 1200 calorie goal, their daily deficit is 1000 to lose 2 pounds a week - then they burn 500 calories exercising - you're saying it's okay to have net calories of 700 and a daily deficit of 1500? Plus, it is very easy for many people to "not feel hungry" when they have been chronically undereating, so to advise someone who is a chronic undereater to only "eat when they are hungr"y makes no sense. For those of us who have been chronic undereaters, our bodies are not sending us appropriate signals. I was undereating at around 800-1000 calories for months (before i started tracking my food using MFP), and I never felt hungry. Are you telling me that I was getting all the nutrition I needed to stay HEALTHY from eating 1000 calories, far below my BMR? Yes, people can disagree about eating exercise calories back, though many will at least agree to eat back some portion of them but that each person should play within the range to see what works, but to say never eat them flat out defies how MFP is set up. Aside from that, I just think it's really poor advice to tell all newbies to "eat when they're hungry," some people can do that and be successful, but a whole lot of us are here precisely because that didn't work.

Nope, I'm saying do what's good for you (as stated in the post), but despite it working for you, it's not necessary as lots of people who do not eat their exercise calories do see amazing results. Just sayin'.

~<3 Robert

veganbaum

Sorry but #1 is wrong.

MFP accounts for you to eat those calories burned. I like the idea of an MFP beginner FAQ but this isn't really gonna cut it.

Nope. 50% of my friends list don't eat their exercise calories back and have lost 10, 30, and 2 have lost over 150 pounds. Just sayin'.

Many people can get away with not eating exercise calories back, most of them tend to be those with a lot of weight to lose because you can get away with it for longer that way - but that still doesn't mean they are getting the nutrition they need to be healthy - and after all, this is not just a weight loss site - it is a fitness and health site - so it also about being healthy. It is not responsible to tell ALL newbies that is is not necessary to eat back exercise calories unless you're hungry - as I explained above. And there are loads of members who have only lost weight eating back their exercise calories, or who didn't eat them when they had lots of weight to lose, lost a lot, stalled, started eating them, then lost the rest of their weight. Just sayin'

veganbaum

Okay, due to some of the current recurring questions that you see on here, I made this FAQ for newbies.



#1 Should I eat my exercise calories?

It depends on if you feel like it. If you're still hungry and under your caloric goal, go for it if you want. If you're not hungry and people are telling you to eat your exercise calories, don't. No need to stuff yourself. :P

#2 I don't want to get big lifting weights. What do I do?

You aren't going to get big eating at a caloric deficit and lifting 5-10 pound weights. Besides, muscle helps burns calories even while you're in a sedentary/stationary status. Apparently (according to some researchers), for every 3 pounds of lean muscle, an extra 120 calories are burned doing absolutely nothing.

#3 I'm craving sweets, what do I do?

This is a tough one despite its simplicity. Just don't bring anything you'd regret eating into your house. Get some sugarfree sweet gum (I love 5 Gum and Trident), and it keeps me from cravings. Toss out the junk and keep the stuff out of your house in general!

#4 I'm not losing weight. Oh noez what do I do?

Sometimes you just don't lose weight. Start tracking inches as well. Also, drink more water to help keep sodium from being retained in your body. Make sure you exercise daily and that you change up the exercises you're doing if you plateau. Eat lots of veggies too!

#5 PROTEIN WILL MAKE ME FAT AND I ALWAYS GO OVERBOARD



Change up yo' macros niqqa! MFP starts out the macros for protein at 15% which is WAY too little. Up to 40% is fine with protein. It doesn't harm you at all.

#6 OMG FATS R BAD AND I ALWAYS GO OVERBOARD



Fats aren't bad either. It depends on the type of fats as well. Remember, everything in moderation.

#7 I want to try HCG/preggo hormone piss -- should I?

Only if a doctor recommends in in certain health situations. Don't do it just because you don't want to exercise or eat right, as you'll just end up gaining all the weight back and usually more.

#9 CARBS ARE BAD FOR ME SAYS -insert crappy magazine name-

Carbs are the basic unit of "fuel" we get from eating different foods. Carbs are AWESOME when working out, as it keeps you fueled and energetic throughout it. They aren't bad at all. Remember -- MODERATION.

#10 Are cheat days/meals good?

I recommend a cheat day/meal as it can keep you from binging out throughout the week. Make sure you schedule it and only have ONE a week.

#11 I like this thread and have some suggestions to add for it. (blueshred (Robert) is awesome and I would totally date him if we lived in the same county and I was a female.)

Suggest me some via PM and add me as a friend if you want and I'll make another, longer one for you all.

Thanks for reading and I certainly hope this answers some questions for you.

What I see is that #1 specifically says to eat your exercise cals only if you're hungry, only if you feel like it. Poor advice for people who need to readjust their body's response to food. If you want to say - this is what has worked for me and some of my friends - great, do it - everyone can read the info posted and make their own choices, but here you're saying hey newbies - no need to eat them back unless you feel like it.

bobbybdoe

What I see is that #1 specifically says to eat your exercise cals only if you're hungry, only if you feel like it. Poor advice for people who need to readjust their body's response to food. If you want to say - this is what has worked for me and some of my friends - great, do it - everyone can read the info posted and make their own choices, but here you're saying hey newbies - no need to eat them back unless you feel like it.

I understand what you're saying -- I'm just saying to eat them back if you want, or if you don't want to I don't believe you should have to. Btw, mind removing that entire thread quote from your statement? That slows down the web page loading.

veganbaum

What I see is that #1 specifically says to eat your exercise cals only if you're hungry, only if you feel like it. Poor advice for people who need to readjust their body's response to food. If you want to say - this is what has worked for me and some of my friends - great, do it - everyone can read the info posted and make their own choices, but here you're saying hey newbies - no need to eat them back unless you feel like it.

I understand what you're saying -- I'm just saying to eat them back if you want, or if you don't want to I don't believe you should have to. Btw, mind removing that entire thread quote from your statement? That slows down the web page loading.

Had to quote it to point out that you're NOT saying - here's what works for me, find what works for you - but instead just eat them when you're hungry. Not the same thing. MFP can be very confusing and daunting for those just starting - that's why there are sticky topics already addressing some of these things in each section, which bottom line all say you shouldn't have an unhealthy deficit. I just have to say that It helps to make things explicit for newbies, regardless of the fact that there is a disclaimer at the bottom of every page. While it's easy to say that people should just search and learn and make choices based on that, the reality is that a lot of people don't, for whatever reason, so I just think it would be helpful to add that disclaimer at the start of your post because it comes across as a "this is what you should do" post. Here's my disclaimer: Just my opinion.

McKayMachina

Sorry but #1 is wrong.

MFP accounts for you to eat those calories burned. I like the idea of an MFP beginner FAQ but this isn't really gonna cut it.

Nope. 50% of my friends list don't eat their exercise calories back and have lost 10, 30, and 2 have lost over 150 pounds. Just sayin'.

Many people can get away with not eating exercise calories back, most of them tend to be those with a lot of weight to lose because you can get away with it for longer that way - but that still doesn't mean they are getting the nutrition they need to be healthy - and after all, this is not just a weight loss site - it is a fitness and health site - so it also about being healthy. It is not responsible to tell ALL newbies that is is not necessary to eat back exercise calories unless you're hungry - as I explained above. And there are loads of members who have only lost weight eating back their exercise calories, or who didn't eat them when they had lots of weight to lose, lost a lot, stalled, started eating them, then lost the rest of their weight. Just sayin'

Exactly. MFP accounts for those calories. If you want to call it the BLUESHRED Beginner FAQ, that's one thing. But calling it an MFP FAQ like it's official and sanctioned is irresponsible.

I don't have 150 lbs. of fat to lose, so I can't speak to the success of those 2 people. But I have lost 60 lbs. in 8 months eating my exercise calories and am on track to lose my remaining 40. So, sure, everyone is different, but this is not an MFP FAQ. This is your own personal interpretation. MFP says eat the calories burned.

I understand the idea behind this thread but it's just not something I will stand behind. Sorry.

mermx

Exercise cals....sometimes I eat them all sometimes I eat some...sometimes I don`t eat them...and I am losing weight.


I don`t think there is any hard and fast rule.

BTW I am alloted 1200 cals a day + exercise cals.

mermx

Forgot to add...it is controversial and maybe should have been posted under `chit,chat,fun`

But having said that people are not stupid and will still ask the relevant questions in the hopes of getting experienced answers from the lovely, helpful members of MFP

Its not the end of the world folks...just a lite hearted post in the wrong category perhaps?

bobbybdoe

I understand you guys. Just said that. I already stated to do what works for you. T_T

Enforcer25

This is all you really need to say
'" Use the search box before you ask your question as is as probably been asked numerous times."
" Click the help tab next to your name for answers to different questions"

This would help a lot of people, don't get me wrong, I don't mind answering questions, but there are established threads for many common questions.