calorie intake

tipsygyrl
tipsygyrl Posts: 1
edited October 4 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm confused! MFP suggests I eat 1200 calories daily to reach my goal weight. That's what I've been eating. After I log my exercise for the day it tells me my intake is too low.

Should I be eating more calories so that I'm at 1200 after my workouts?

Replies

  • rockerbabyy
    rockerbabyy Posts: 2,258 Member
    yep :) mpf calculates your calorie goal basically assuming you wont do any exercise, so when you DO exercise you need to eat more to keep your body functioning properly and metabolism going :)
  • SergeantSunshine_reused
    SergeantSunshine_reused Posts: 5,382 Member
    Yep! That is fuel :] eat up!
  • aliann30
    aliann30 Posts: 291 Member
    What if you're not hungry? I feel like I'd be eating all day if I ate 1200 plus whatever I burned.
  • rockerbabyy
    rockerbabyy Posts: 2,258 Member
    What if you're not hungry? I feel like I'd be eating all day if I ate 1200 plus whatever I burned.
    i had that problem when i first started - i made it a point to eat to net at least 1200.. sometimes it was as easy as eating a serving of all natural peanut butter.
    now i try to pre-log my exercise in the morning so that i have all day to try to work those calories in.. i eat a little bigger breakfast, or "splurge" a bit on lunch, or plan a dessert. some days i end up eating close to 2000 calories, but still net between 1200 and 1500
  • SergeantSunshine_reused
    SergeantSunshine_reused Posts: 5,382 Member
    What if you're not hungry? I feel like I'd be eating all day if I ate 1200 plus whatever I burned.
    i had that problem when i first started - i made it a point to eat to net at least 1200.. sometimes it was as easy as eating a serving of all natural peanut butter.
    now i try to pre-log my exercise in the morning so that i have all day to try to work those calories in.. i eat a little bigger breakfast, or "splurge" a bit on lunch, or plan a dessert. some days i end up eating close to 2000 calories, but still net between 1200 and 1500

    Then you need to be eating more calorie dense foods such as:

    avacado, nuts, full fat dairy and milk, olive oil and such
  • rockerbabyy
    rockerbabyy Posts: 2,258 Member

    Then you need to be eating more calorie dense foods such as:

    avacado, nuts, full fat dairy and milk, olive oil and such
    this too :)
  • dianalewis78
    dianalewis78 Posts: 5
    What if you're not hungry? I feel like I'd be eating all day if I ate 1200 plus whatever I burned.
    i had that problem when i first started - i made it a point to eat to net at least 1200.. sometimes it was as easy as eating a serving of all natural peanut butter.
    now i try to pre-log my exercise in the morning so that i have all day to try to work those calories in.. i eat a little bigger breakfast, or "splurge" a bit on lunch, or plan a dessert. some days i end up eating close to 2000 calories, but still net between 1200 and 1500

    I saw your working out for net calories on my earlier question but I so must be dumb cause I just don't get it. Can you give me another example?
  • aliann30
    aliann30 Posts: 291 Member
    What if you're not hungry? I feel like I'd be eating all day if I ate 1200 plus whatever I burned.
    i had that problem when i first started - i made it a point to eat to net at least 1200.. sometimes it was as easy as eating a serving of all natural peanut butter.
    now i try to pre-log my exercise in the morning so that i have all day to try to work those calories in.. i eat a little bigger breakfast, or "splurge" a bit on lunch, or plan a dessert. some days i end up eating close to 2000 calories, but still net between 1200 and 1500

    I saw your working out for net calories on my earlier question but I so must be dumb cause I just don't get it. Can you give me another example?

    I'm with you, so you're not dumb...unless I'm dumb too lol...

    I get that we have to refuel, but if we are working out to lose weight, why put even more calories in just to burn off those? I know that I need to exercise to lose weight, and I know that if I don't eat enough my metabolism will slow down... but if I'm also adding calories, wouldn't it be just the same to just not exercise and not eat the extra calories? I guess in any other program I've done, it's always just been "you need to eat about 1500 calories. Then you need to exercise this much" but I've never heard upping the calories even more to balance out the exercise.

    Sorry for hijacking the thread, I really don't mean to be so blond about this.
  • rockerbabyy
    rockerbabyy Posts: 2,258 Member


    I'm with you, so you're not dumb...unless I'm dumb too lol...

    I get that we have to refuel, but if we are working out to lose weight, why put even more calories in just to burn off those? I know that I need to exercise to lose weight, and I know that if I don't eat enough my metabolism will slow down... but if I'm also adding calories, wouldn't it be just the same to just not exercise and not eat the extra calories? Sorry for hijacking the thread, I don't mean to be so blond about this.
    i know its hard to wrap your head around - but its just that mfp works different.
    Here is how it works, in a simplified manner:

    You tell MFP: I want to lose 1lb per week.

    MFP says: Okay, you need to eat X calories per day in order to lose 1lb/week, without exercise.

    You do what MFP says, but then you decide to exercise and you burn an additional 400 calories. MFP then says "Hey, I told you to eat X per day to lose 1lb/week without exercise. You exercised, now you're going to lose it too fast and that's not ideal. Now I want you to eat X+400".
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