Confused about calories to eat....?

AH2013

Hi

Okay, I have 1280 calories a day to eat, if I want to lose between 1 and 2 lbs per week.

When I go on the cross trainer and burn 600 cals 5 nights a week, I will still only eat 1280 - 1300 cals. Is this right, I'm not going to be putting my body into starvation mode or slowing down my metabolism?? I'm not hungry at all.......anyone know the answer?

calamity71

I have 1200 calories and the when I rode my bike and "earned" 500 additional calories, entered the exercise leaving me with a credit balance at the end of the day. When I completed my entry it the system told me I ate to little that day.

melbell213

You add extra calories you burn during exercise. So, 600 calories burned will add 600 calories to you calorie needs for the day. You should try to eat the additional calories you earn via exercise, you body needs them!

morganadk2_deleted

Are you eating to enough?

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficit


This is just a part of it! please read the link above


Generally someone with a BMI over 32 can do a 1000 calorie a day (2 lbs a week) deficit
With a BMI of 30 to 32 a deficit of 750 calories is generally correct (about 1.5 lbs a week)
With a BMI of 28 to 30 a deficit of 500 calories is about right (about 1 lb a week)
With a BMI of 26 to 28 a deficit of about 300 calories is perfect (about 1/2 lb a week)
and below 26... well this is where we get fuzzy. See now you're no longer talking about being overweight, so while it's still ok to have a small deficit, you really should shift your focus more towards muscle tone, and reducing fat. This means is EXTRA important to eat your exercise calories as your body needs to KNOW it's ok to burn fat stores, and the only way it will know is if you keep giving it the calories it needs to not enter the famine response (starvation mode)


Also this might be helpful http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/00trayn/view/how-to-bust-a-3-month-plateau-87677

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/153704-myth-or-fact-simple-math-3500-calories-one-pound-eat



Good luck on your journey

dorairwin

You need your 1280 calories a day , so that your body dont go in starvation mood and nutrient wise also

To loose a pound , burn 3500 calories =1 pound

FatDadSlim

When I go on the cross trainer and burn 600 cals 5 nights a week, I will still only eat 1280 - 1300 cals. Is this right = No
I'm not going to be putting my body into starvation mode or slowing down my metabolism? = Yes
I'm not hungry at all.......anyone know the answer? = Eat some nuts / avocados / peanut butter

howmyworldruns

I have wondered the same thing. Sometimes I am hungry at bedtime, so I grab a few carrots or drink a big glass of water and I'm usually fine. I am losing, so even though it says I'm "starving" myself I don't think my body is reacting that way.

surfinbernard

I'm not sure I buy into this 'starvation mode' business, it sounds like nonsense. If you're eating a healthy diet and exercising and are losing weight I can't see a problem, particularly if you're not hungry, why force food down that you don't want or need?. Well done you!

russelljclarke

If this happens on a regular basis, they yes, you are. Eat 'em back! If you're baffled by the conflicting opinions in response to your question, see my blog, where I ran an experiment to test the theory.

russelljclarke

I'm not sure I buy into this 'starvation mode' business, it sounds like nonsense. If you're eating a healthy diet and exercising and are losing weight I can't see a problem, particularly if you're not hungry, why force food down that you don't want or need?. Well done you!

I's not nonsense. I questioned it at first too, then ran the experiment (journaled at my blog) to test the theory.

AlwaysSarah87

I'm not sure I buy into this 'starvation mode' business, it sounds like nonsense. If you're eating a healthy diet and exercising and are losing weight I can't see a problem, particularly if you're not hungry, why force food down that you don't want or need?. Well done you!

It can happen. Not saying it happens to everyone at the exact same time but if someone starts not losing weight then that might be the issue. Everyone is different for sure. But the net should be around 1200 a day to properly fuel your body. Someone might lose even MORE weight by doing this.

howmyworldruns

Thank for this information! I am at a healthy BMI and I probably a healthy weight even though I still need to lose 8 pounds to meet my personal goal and I'd really like to lose an extra 5 pounds so I don't have to stress about getting over 130 again. :-)
I have been kinda stuck for about 10 days, so I need to change some things up and eat more calories. Yesterday I was short 600 after exercising and I was up 1/2 pound this morning, you'd think I'd be down!

Are you eating to enough?

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficit


This is just a part of it! please read the link above


Generally someone with a BMI over 32 can do a 1000 calorie a day (2 lbs a week) deficit
With a BMI of 30 to 32 a deficit of 750 calories is generally correct (about 1.5 lbs a week)
With a BMI of 28 to 30 a deficit of 500 calories is about right (about 1 lb a week)
With a BMI of 26 to 28 a deficit of about 300 calories is perfect (about 1/2 lb a week)
and below 26... well this is where we get fuzzy. See now you're no longer talking about being overweight, so while it's still ok to have a small deficit, you really should shift your focus more towards muscle tone, and reducing fat. This means is EXTRA important to eat your exercise calories as your body needs to KNOW it's ok to burn fat stores, and the only way it will know is if you keep giving it the calories it needs to not enter the famine response (starvation mode)


Also this might be helpful http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/00trayn/view/how-to-bust-a-3-month-plateau-87677

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/153704-myth-or-fact-simple-math-3500-calories-one-pound-eat



Good luck on your journey

russelljclarke

I'm not sure I buy into this 'starvation mode' business, it sounds like nonsense. If you're eating a healthy diet and exercising and are losing weight I can't see a problem, particularly if you're not hungry, why force food down that you don't want or need?. Well done you!

It can happen. Not saying it happens to everyone at the exact same time but if someone starts not losing weight then that might be the issue. Everyone is different for sure. But the net should be around 1200 a day to properly fuel your body. Someone might lose even MORE weight by doing this.

Exactly!

amymeenieminymo

I'm not sure I buy into this 'starvation mode' business, it sounds like nonsense. If you're eating a healthy diet and exercising and are losing weight I can't see a problem, particularly if you're not hungry, why force food down that you don't want or need?. Well done you!

Why would you think it is nonsense? People who suffer from eating disorders lose weight, but it is not healthy and they could eventually die from it. If one creates too much of a calorie deficit (the one MFP builds in and from not eating back exercise calories) it is a fact that your body will start shutting down and not run right. It may not happen right away, and you might still see a loss for a while, but eventually your metabolism will be so slow that if you start eating even the smallest amount more, you'll gain back like crazy

It doesn't matter how healthy a person eats, if they do not eat enough, it can cause some serious problems. You can put the best, most expensive gas in your car, but if you don't give it enough it won't run for very long, correct? Same thing with our bodies.

jess213tx

It really depends on what works for you and your body. I was eating 1200 calories and burning 500 everyday for a week, but I didn't lose anything that week or the following week. I've started eating most of my exercise calories back since I got my HRM (about 2 weeks ago) and now I'm losing again.

Another MFP pal of mine was netting below 500 calories a day for at least two weeks and lost alot of weight. However, as soon as she ate more (still under her net) all the weight came back on! Plus, I'm pretty sure she lost some muscle since she was eating so little.

Everyone on MFP has an opinion about this, it's really very daunting at first. But just listen to your body and see what works for you!

SueInAz

I have wondered the same thing. Sometimes I am hungry at bedtime, so I grab a few carrots or drink a big glass of water and I'm usually fine. I am losing, so even though it says I'm "starving" myself I don't think my body is reacting that way.

Are you sure the fact that you're hungry at bedtime isn't a sign that your body needs more food? It would seem so to me.

AH2013

Thanks for all the responses! I'm a little nervous about eating more but I think I'll maybe go up to 1500 cals a day when exercising, I cannot bring myself to eat up to the full amount. When I first started this I was eating up to my full amount (including earned calories) and was losing nothing. I'm eating 3 proper meals with a snack mid-morning and mid-afternoon. That's 5 times a day so that should be good for my metabolism.

AH2013

If this happens on a regular basis, they yes, you are. Eat 'em back! If you're baffled by the conflicting opinions in response to your question, see my blog, where I ran an experiment to test the theory.

Thanks Russell. Where do I find your blog???

nsimportant

I know it sucks but weight loss is really different between male and female and even different body types.
If it means someone can eat their calories back and yield better results others cant.
Woman tend to move on scale up and down.
You really need to experiment and see what suits you. Like many said it weight loss is not a sprint its a marathon.

surfinbernard

I agree that everyone is different, I have personally struggled to lose any more weight (in the past) while following a strenuous exercise regime and I tried 'eating back' some of the calories and not. The only thing I have found which works to get it moving again for me is stopping exercising as much as reducing my calories. There is something about exercising a lot which makes some people cling to their remaining fat stores but I have not had the same experience from reducing calories but perhaps some people do. There will always be anecdotal evidence for and against any theory because nobody is exactly the same.

shnazzy

i just dont get you people who say that !!!how did ya get to be overweight in the first place if ya cant eat 1200 calories ??i am confused ??

babygurl48

bump!

Pebble321

The reason you lose weight is because you have created a calorie deficit - that means that you are eating less calories than you are burning (from exercise plus regular daily activities).

MFP has calculated your daily calorie allowance to ensure that you have a calorie deficit - of 1000/500/250 cals depending on the weight loss goal you've chosen.

If you don't eat those 600 calories you burnt off today then you have just made your calorie deficit a whole lot larger. If you are set to lose 2 pounds a week (1000 cal per day deficit) then you have just increased your daily caloire deficit to 1600 cals. Theoretically this should mean that you lose weight faster, but our bodies are complex and it doesn't always work out this way.

For some people (like Biggest Loser contenstants) that large deficit may not be a problem - especially if you have a lot of weight to lose.
However for other, people such a large deficit means that your body isn't getting enough energy (calories) to function well - this is when weight loss can slow down or stall as your body tries to function more efficiently on less energy and slows down your metabolism.

Ultimately it's up to you to decide - but it's important to understand what you are doing and why, and the possible consequences.

My personal opinion is that I don't see the point in depriving myself unnecessarily, I will still have a calorie deficit and will still lose weight, so why not eat those extra calories?