Hi new to this and have a question..

clk238

hey so I've been "kindof" trying to drop ~10-15 lbs for about 6 months now. this basically means "watching what i eat and going to the gym more". Well, it was not working. no lbs dropped, no change in clothing fit, etc. So i came to this site to allow me to pay more attention to the calories and exercise. I've done pretty well so far, and am currently doing/planning to workout most days and "eat back" my exercise cals.

Questions: 1.will eating back my exercise cals really allow me to lose? i see some people on here eating only 1200 AND exercising... don't think i could do that..

2. what if i have a "slip day" (have to eat fatty lunch at work due to lunch meeting, can't get to the gym, etc..) does it make sense to try to "work off" those calories the rest of the week, ie. make cals in/out sortof more of a weekly goal than a daily one? I find that on the days when i have the time to eat well, i also have the time to get to the gym (therefore have a lot of leftover cals). on those hectic days where i grab quick highcal food, i just can't fit in time at the gym!(therefore am over my limit) is it crucial to stick to the plan day-to-day?

just trying to get ideas on how to make this program "work for me/my lifestyle". i need some flexibility!

clk238

hey so I've been "kindof" trying to drop ~10-15 lbs for about 6 months now. this basically means "watching what i eat and going to the gym more". Well, it was not working. no lbs dropped, no change in clothing fit, etc. So i came to this site to allow me to pay more attention to the calories and exercise. I've done pretty well so far, and am currently doing/planning to workout most days and "eat back" my exercise cals.

Questions: 1.will eating back my exercise cals really allow me to lose? i see some people on here eating only 1200 AND exercising... don't think i could do that..

2. what if i have a "slip day" (have to eat fatty lunch at work due to lunch meeting, can't get to the gym, etc..) does it make sense to try to "work off" those calories the rest of the week, ie. make cals in/out sortof more of a weekly goal than a daily one? I find that on the days when i have the time to eat well, i also have the time to get to the gym (therefore have a lot of leftover cals). on those hectic days where i grab quick highcal food, i just can't fit in time at the gym!(therefore am over my limit) is it crucial to stick to the plan day-to-day?

just trying to get ideas on how to make this program "work for me/my lifestyle". i need some flexibility!

LuckyLeprechaun

Hi! welcome! there is a thread especially for you! it addresses all your questions and you willlearn stuff you didn't even think of yet: here you go:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10665-newbies-please-read-me-2nd-edition

there is a lot to read there, and there is some level of controversy about eating back the exercise calories. but the ones who complain they are losing so slow are the ones who are not doing it, and I have been here seven weeks, and just look at my beautiful ticker!!!

expressbug

Everyone is differant and what might work for one person may not work for another person.

Here are some things I do..

Drink Lots and Lots of water
Pack my own lunch everyday, instead of going out.
Portion control - Measure serving size
Eat several times a day.

Snacks that work for me on the go

Fruit
Baby Carrots
Cerery and Peanut Butter
Granola Bars
Gold Fish
Apples and Peanut Butter
Yogurt - Lowfat

Hope this helps

thejarviclan

Hi! And Welcome. I was skeptical of the exercise calories, too. But in the end, I needed at least some of them. I find myself trying to keep my "Net Calories" around 900. You can view your net calories under the "Reports" tab, in "Nutrition." 900 may not be your magic number, but play around with the "theory" and see if anything works.

I have slip days, too, and I try to compensate the next day if I can't make it up with exercise that day. It's okay to have a slip day now and then! Sometimes I find it even helps my metabolism to throw a curve in there.

It may take 2 or 3 weeks of adjustment, but you can definitely make this plan fit your lifestyle. If not - maybe it's the lifestyle that needs adjusting! :happy:

LuckyLeprechaun

Hi- I (and many many others here) do not recommend anyone, any adult to be consuming less than 1200 net calories on any day. the metabolism will slow, weight loss will slow and stop, and the body will begin consuming muscle mass.

Jarviclan- my advice to you is to bring up the calories. 900 per day is very very low. I am consuming 1560 net a day and have lost 20 lbs in seven weeks.

I'm not a know it all, but I don't want our newbies to get advice that could be detrimental