So I've read the questions and answers thread but...

dragonfly81

I still have a couple of questions.

First, let me make sure I understand this correctly. (I'm slow.)

If MFP tells me to eat 1,730 cals a day, I eat them.
Now, if MFP tells me that I'm going to burn 350 cals from exercising per workout (assuming three 30 mins workouts a week), then I should also eat that 350? -- I get the not wanting to go into starvation mode, but that doesn't make sense to me, UNLESS, we're working out to tone up, not loose weight. Is that about as clear as mud?

And also (this one should be much easier to understand) - once I start loosing weight, when do I go in and update my goals settings in order to get a new Calorie intake number?

I'm just starting out and I want to make sure I'm doing it right! TIA :flowerforyou:

dragonfly81

I still have a couple of questions.

First, let me make sure I understand this correctly. (I'm slow.)

If MFP tells me to eat 1,730 cals a day, I eat them.
Now, if MFP tells me that I'm going to burn 350 cals from exercising per workout (assuming three 30 mins workouts a week), then I should also eat that 350? -- I get the not wanting to go into starvation mode, but that doesn't make sense to me, UNLESS, we're working out to tone up, not loose weight. Is that about as clear as mud?

And also (this one should be much easier to understand) - once I start loosing weight, when do I go in and update my goals settings in order to get a new Calorie intake number?

I'm just starting out and I want to make sure I'm doing it right! TIA :flowerforyou:

Hannah_Banana

Okay, first:

If MFP tells you to eat 1730 calories a day and your goal is set to (for instance) loose 2lbs a week, then you need to eat those calories. If you exercise, you just burned 350 calories therefore you need to eat 350 more to reach that 1730 calorie number. You will still loose 2lbs per week. Exercise is to loose weight, but it isn't as direct as most people think. You are building lean muscle when you exercise, thereby increasing the number of calories your body burns simply by resting since muscle takes more calories to maintain than fat. Make sense?

The answer to the second question is... never! MFP calculates the number of calories needed based on your current weight, so it will make the adjustments for you. :flowerforyou: Now, if you want to go in and change how much you want to loose a week - from 2lbs to 1lbs for instance - you will need to do that manually but it is completely at your discretion.

dragonfly81

ahhh okay.. That makes sense. Perfectly. Thank you!

BrandNewLaura

Okay, first:

If MFP tells you to eat 1730 calories a day and your goal is set to (for instance) loose 2lbs a week, then you need to eat those calories. If you exercise, you just burned 350 calories therefore you need to eat 350 more to reach that 1730 calorie number. You will still loose 2lbs per week. Exercise is to loose weight, but it isn't as direct as most people think. You are building lean muscle when you exercise, thereby increasing the number of calories your body burns simply by resting since muscle takes more calories to maintain than fat. Make sense?

The answer to the second question is... never! MFP calculates the number of calories needed based on your current weight, so it will make the adjustments for you. :flowerforyou: Now, if you want to go in and change how much you want to loose a week - from 2lbs to 1lbs for instance - you will need to do that manually but it is completely at your discretion.

Actually you do have to go into the goals tab every so often to get an accurate calorie number. You don't have to actually change anything because MFP will automatically have your current weight in there, but until you actually save those settings with your current weight you will still be given the same number of calories every day. If I hadn't ever gone in and changed my goals, I'd still be eating 1800 calories a day, and for my current weight, I'm at 1500 a day. You do need to go in (I believe the suggested frequency is every 10 pounds) and update your goals in order to get a proper calorie count to lose the number of pounds you want to lose per week.

DjBliss05

Actually you do have to go into the goals tab every so often to get an accurate calorie number. You don't have to actually change anything because MFP will automatically have your current weight in there, but until you actually save those settings with your current weight you will still be given the same number of calories every day. If I hadn't ever gone in and changed my goals, I'd still be eating 1800 calories a day, and for my current weight, I'm at 1500 a day. You do need to go in (I believe the suggested frequency is every 10 pounds) and update your goals in order to get a proper calorie count to lose the number of pounds you want to lose per week.

I think MFP will give you a notification. I haven't actually seen it, lol! :blushing: I keep messing with my goals before I get to 10 pounds.... but it is rumored to exist!

You are right though... once you see that you have to change your goals with your new weight.

BrandNewLaura

Actually you do have to go into the goals tab every so often to get an accurate calorie number. You don't have to actually change anything because MFP will automatically have your current weight in there, but until you actually save those settings with your current weight you will still be given the same number of calories every day. If I hadn't ever gone in and changed my goals, I'd still be eating 1800 calories a day, and for my current weight, I'm at 1500 a day. You do need to go in (I believe the suggested frequency is every 10 pounds) and update your goals in order to get a proper calorie count to lose the number of pounds you want to lose per week.

I think MFP will give you a notification. I haven't actually seen it, lol! :blushing: I keep messing with my goals before I get to 10 pounds.... but it is rumored to exist!

You are right though... once you see that you have to change your goals with your new weight.

LOL I've never seen the notification either because I update my calories EVERY time my scale changes...I'm weird like that lol...but I know the notification comes becasue several people on the boards have mentioned it...I just like to do it every time I weigh in because then I don't have to lose a big chunk of calories at one time. I only go down about 10 or 20 calories at a time and it's really not noticeable, whereas if my calories changed by 100 to 200 calories it would be more difficult to adjust to.

cmriverside

Actually you do have to go into the goals tab every so often to get an accurate calorie number. You don't have to actually change anything because MFP will automatically have your current weight in there, but until you actually save those settings with your current weight you will still be given the same number of calories every day. If I hadn't ever gone in and changed my goals, I'd still be eating 1800 calories a day, and for my current weight, I'm at 1500 a day. You do need to go in (I believe the suggested frequency is every 10 pounds) and update your goals in order to get a proper calorie count to lose the number of pounds you want to lose per week.

I think MFP will give you a notification. I haven't actually seen it, lol! :blushing: I keep messing with my goals before I get to 10 pounds.... but it is rumored to exist!

You are right though... once you see that you have to change your goals with your new weight.

LOL I've never seen the notification either because I update my calories EVERY time my scale changes...I'm weird like that lol...but I know the notification comes becasue several people on the boards have mentioned it...I just like to do it every time I weigh in because then I don't have to lose a big chunk of calories at one time. I only go down about 10 or 20 calories at a time and it's really not noticeable, whereas if my calories changed by 100 to 200 calories it would be more difficult to adjust to.

Notification? I didn't know that either!

reneeisom

To try and lose a little faster don't eat the extra calories that you burned - my opinion of course. And after you lose about 10 lbs MFP will automatically ask you if you want it to update your food & exercise.

BrandNewLaura

To try and lose a little faster don't eat the extra calories that you burned - my opinion of course. And after you lose about 10 lbs MFP will automatically ask you if you want it to update your food & exercise.

Here is a thread that explains the reasoning behind eating your exercise calories:

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

I have lost almost 60 pounds and have almost always eaten almost all of my exercise calories.

cmriverside

To try and lose a little faster don't eat the extra calories that you burned - my opinion of course. And after you lose about 10 lbs MFP will automatically ask you if you want it to update your food & exercise.

Here is a thread that explains the reasoning behind eating your exercise calories:

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

I have lost almost 60 pounds and have almost always eaten almost all of my exercise calories.

Sweetie, eat your exercise calories. Please read this thread that I am enclosing, all the links, and just try it. IT WORKS ! ! ! ! Give it a month, then see how you feel. You will need more calories the more you need to lose. Keep your weight goals updated, and all will be great!

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

:flowerforyou:

lessertess

To try and lose a little faster don't eat the extra calories that you burned - my opinion of course. And after you lose about 10 lbs MFP will automatically ask you if you want it to update your food & exercise.

Here is a thread that explains the reasoning behind eating your exercise calories:

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

I have lost almost 60 pounds and have almost always eaten almost all of my exercise calories.

I agree, you should eat your exercise calories. However, there are a few things to consider.

1. Most people who estimate the number of calories that they intake tend to underestimate. So you may think you're eating a 3 oz serving of protein when you are actually eating 4 or 5 oz. You may think you've had a teaspoon of olive oil when really, it's a tablespoon. So, unless you are actually weighing and measuring your food....assume that your calories are higher than you recorded.

2. Most people tend to overestimate the intensity of their workout and most calculators and machines also overestimate how many calories you've burned. So, unless you have a really good heart rate monitor, assume that you've not burned as many calories as you think you have

With those two assumptions, don't eat ALL your exercise calories. Leave a little bit of a deficit to allow for the mistakes in the estimates. I generally try to leave about 10% to 20% of a deficit to allow for these estimate problems. The numbers are not the be all/end all answer. You have to experiment a little bit to find out what works for you, your life, and your metabolism.

Finally, the more weight you have to loose, the safer it is to have a larger deficit. So if you're body is in the obese or morbidly obese category than you may actually be able to afford a bigger calorie deficit than the one allowed for 2 pounds a week. If you want to lose faster, you don't have to eat all your calories. That's what they are doing on Biggest Loser. The best bet, if you are in these categories is to talk with your doctor or with a nutritionist for recommendations on how/what/how much you should be eating to safely loose weight without starving yourself.

As for my personal opinion. I like food. I try to eat as much as I can and still maintain enough of a deficit to loose weight. It's less stressful for me and I've been more successful than if I had set up an eating plan where I felt hungry.