Could someone explain this to me....

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robsgal
robsgal Posts: 50 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
in very easy terms.

I'm on a 1200 calorie plan but according to my food page even after eating two meals and snacks I still have almost 1300 calories to eat today. I'm confused, don't I want to workout and keep my diet around 1200 calories to loose weight? I guess I should add that today I did a great workout (step, spin & toning class for 75 minutes). I'm 5'7" and 170 lbs.

Here is what my home page report is saying...

Daily net calorie goal: 1,200+
calories burned: 810-
calories consumed: 728
Calories remaining: 1,282

I personally think I would have to eat very bad at dinner to add another 1,282 calories to my day.

Replies

  • robsgal
    robsgal Posts: 50 Member
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    in very easy terms.

    I'm on a 1200 calorie plan but according to my food page even after eating two meals and snacks I still have almost 1300 calories to eat today. I'm confused, don't I want to workout and keep my diet around 1200 calories to loose weight? I guess I should add that today I did a great workout (step, spin & toning class for 75 minutes). I'm 5'7" and 170 lbs.

    Here is what my home page report is saying...

    Daily net calorie goal: 1,200+
    calories burned: 810-
    calories consumed: 728
    Calories remaining: 1,282

    I personally think I would have to eat very bad at dinner to add another 1,282 calories to my day.
  • kellch
    kellch Posts: 7,849 Member
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    Here is a very good article for that

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/6832-eating-all-of-your-calories-bmr

    And a lot more good info:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/23912-links-in-mfp-you-want-to-read-again-and-again

    Be careful make sure you get your calories so you don't go into starvation mode. I'm sure someone can give you ideas for high calorie, yet healthy, foods:

    I know Peanut Butter is one of them :bigsmile:
  • réalta
    réalta Posts: 895 Member
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    how many pounds per week have you set for your goal?
  • Mangoaddict
    Mangoaddict Posts: 1,236 Member
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    Basically, try to eat most of your exercise calories. The mfp program has already created a deficit of calories in order to give you the best starting range. If you don't eat some of your exercise calories, you may go into starvation mode, which defeats the purpose of this program. You do not have to eat all your exercise calories but from my experience and what I see with others, most people tend to eat at least half of them. Hope that helps!
  • Chellekk
    Chellekk Posts: 421 Member
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    IDEA: If you know you burn that many calories during a work out and know you will be doing something like that again...just add something to each meal. A glass of milk, a piece of bread, ect. Adding a little more at each meal will make your totals grow without having to eat a ton at dinner.

    I know I'll be playing soccer tonight, which burns a good amount of calories, so I ate a little more at breakfast, added a snack to my day and will get a bigger portion at dinner.
  • ivykivy
    ivykivy Posts: 2,970 Member
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    When you exercise you add more calories to your daily goal to maintain the deficit you created when you signed up. As far as consuming the calories. You could eat about 2 ounces of walnuts which is about 400 calories as a snack then eat a 600-800 calories for dinner (add a little olive oil and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese to your vegetables).
  • Chellekk
    Chellekk Posts: 421 Member
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    When you exercise you add more calories to your daily goal to maintain the deficit you created when you signed up. As far as consuming the calories. You could eat about 2 ounces of walnuts which is about 400 calories as a snack then eat a 600-800 calories for dinner (add a little olive oil and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese to your vegetables).

    Nuts are a great add! Especially if you need to eat more. Great idea...I forgot about this one and NEEDED them Sunday!
  • LuckyLeprechaun
    LuckyLeprechaun Posts: 6,296 Member
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    eat your exercise calories! You couldn't drive across the country without refilling your tank, your body cannot do all that exercise without any fuel. You can leave some of them on the table, but try to eat at least 800-900 of those calories so that your body will "trust" that it's alright to let go of the fat stores. otherwise it thinks- OMG I had to do all that work and I got no fuel... better lock down all available calories into reserves. then you're defeating yourself.
  • Mangoaddict
    Mangoaddict Posts: 1,236 Member
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    eat your exercise calories! You couldn't drive across the country without refilling your tank, your body cannot do all that exercise without any fuel. You can leave some of them on the table, but try to eat at least 800-900 of those calories so that your body will "trust" that it's alright to let go of the fat stores. otherwise it thinks- OMG I had to do all that work and I got no fuel... better lock down all available calories into reserves. then you're defeating yourself.


    Thanks for that explanation! Very nicely put!
  • LuckyLeprechaun
    LuckyLeprechaun Posts: 6,296 Member
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    :blushing:

    No Problemo- I didn't trust it at first, but I have already lost 9 lbs! It works!
  • msujdak
    msujdak Posts: 141
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    You have to include your calories burned through excercise. Your 1200 calories are what you would burn if you just sat on the couch all day. The more you workout, the more you get to eat with out going over your required amount. If you don't eat the extra calories, your metabolism will slow down and you won't lose efficiently. Your body will try to reserve the calories(energy) you are eating.
  • robsgal
    robsgal Posts: 50 Member
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    Wow! Amazing feedback! I wasn't expecting all this great advise, I'm so happy I found this site. I guess I see all of your points for why I need to eat more, my mind is so much on eating less it's hard to imagine i need more, at the time I wrote this I wasn't hungry at all, but by dinner time I was starving. I have almonds in the house, we'll be getting some walnuts when they're gone, I know both are good, but for Dh we'll be getting walnuts.

    I was successful in 2007 when I lost most of my weight but It's been awhile, I think I just added a bit more on big workout days but it's been awhile and I totally have been off track since our daughter came along, somehow I kept off the weight until the past few months, but I sure didn't loose any. I guess I need to make sure I don't go in starvation and waste all my hard work, that could really frustrate a person.

    Also thanks for making it so easy to understand, at the end of the day after talking baby talk all I can understand is baby talk.

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