I'm not sure if I'm doing this right

ohmywonwon

I'm never fully certain if I'm eating enough or exercising enough. I was wondering if people could take a look at my diary and see if I'm on the right track? The last thing I want to do is hurt my body and damage my chances of weight loss.

ShadowSoldier23

It looks like only your friends can view your stuff. What sort of stuff do you eat?

ohmywonwon

Oh really? :S My diary settings are set to public? Unless there's something else I need to change?

My breakfasts are normally small because I'm not hungry in the mornings, so homemade banana choc muffins, piece of fruit, fruit smoothie or yoghurt. Lunches depend on whether I'm home or not, but I eat stuff like the weight watchers meals, sushi, subway, or leftover veggies and meat from the night before. Dinner is veggies and meat, whether it be stir fry, stew, baked, and I only eat half a cup of rice unless I'm really hungry, and homemade salad with olive oil dressing. Snacks are usually smoothies, fruit, yoghurt or muffins. I drink 8 glasses of water every day.

I exercise for 45 minutes - an hour or a bit more every day. I do my gym's circuit which I burn around 400+ calories. I also do zumba, and for the past few days I've been doing Ripped in 30.

ansonrinesmith

I'm not sure how you have your MFP setup, but you are always 500-1000 calories in deficit. If you have it setup for 2lbs a week, you are already 500 calories in deficit. You also seem to be exercising every day. You need days off to recover/rest.

ohmywonwon

I have MFP set up to lose 1.5lbs/week.

So I shouldn't be exercising everyday? Or just not that much? I feel so guilty and just "bleh" if I don't work out for at least half an hour.

I just get so confused. My brain just can't seem to understand what exactly it is I'm supposed to be doing, or how much I'm supposed to be eating.

Pebble321

How much does MFP suggest you eat?
If it suggests 1400 cals a day, then you eat 1400 plus the calories burnt while exercising.

MFP has done all the maths for you to work out how much you burn in your regular day (without exercise) and taken away calories to create a calorie deficit so you can lose weight.
Easy!

marycmeadows

I have the same problem with feeling bleh without working out - but rest days are important. on rest days try going for a walk or something light..... not actually 'working out'....

ohmywonwon

Yeah I'm supposed to eat 1410 calories. And I always do eat that plus the majority of my exercise calories.

I'll have my rest day tomorrow. I'm going shopping with my cousin so I'll still be doing something, but yeah, not so vigorous.

ShadowSoldier23

Oh really? :S My diary settings are set to public? Unless there's something else I need to change?

My breakfasts are normally small because I'm not hungry in the mornings, so homemade banana choc muffins, piece of fruit, fruit smoothie or yoghurt. Lunches depend on whether I'm home or not, but I eat stuff like the weight watchers meals, sushi, subway, or leftover veggies and meat from the night before. Dinner is veggies and meat, whether it be stir fry, stew, baked, and I only eat half a cup of rice unless I'm really hungry, and homemade salad with olive oil dressing. Snacks are usually smoothies, fruit, yoghurt or muffins. I drink 8 glasses of water every day.

I exercise for 45 minutes - an hour or a bit more every day. I do my gym's circuit which I burn around 400+ calories. I also do zumba, and for the past few days I've been doing Ripped in 30.

apparently it let me look at your diary, i just wasnt looking in the right spot. I just had my doctor tell me to cut out wheat (pretty much all grains/rice) and dairy for at least 6 weeks to help me lose weight. I'm having a hard time myself eating all the calories I am supposed to in a day. My suggestion for the food part is, as long as you are full I think you are on the right track with that part if you are under your calories for the day. Exercise just helps with that. Even if you go over once in a while it's still okay as well, as long as you aren't starving to death.

BobbyClerici

You're leaving too many calories left over. Your goal is to eat all your calories, including those earned through exercise.

Your MFP settings are ALREADY set for weight loss, so eat all your calories, including your exercise calories. For each pound per week to seek to lose, MFP factors in -500 or so calories, so again, your daily goal already takes weight loss into consideration.

pftjill

to lose 1 lb you need a 3500 cal deficit. So you need to somehow take in 3500 cals less each week, weather it be by burning them off or eating 500 less/day. I can look at your journal and your choices and let you know what could be hindering you. I will also look at your exercise. I will tell you-circut training doesn't do much for your body. It doesn't do enough cardio for you to get the benefits and the fact that you are doing cardio you don't get the true benefits of resistance training-just and fyi.

ohmywonwon

What if I'm not hungry and I still have a heap of calories left? Do I force myself to eat? Because that can't be good either. What sort of exercise should I be doing then if circuit training isn't enough? If you did look at my diary, one circuit training is at my gym "Curves" and the other is from doing Jillian Michaels Ripped in 30 workout, and I can tell you now, I can feel them both working my body hard.

ShadowSoldier23

If you have a huge amount of calories left then yes, you should try to eat at least some of them. If you don't eat enough calories throughout the day your body goes into starvation mode. I have been under my cals severely the last few days because i've been sick and it warns me of this each time (although I can't do much when I just don't feel good!).

cydonian

Everyone else has touched on your calorie intake /exercise but I did notice something else... you might want to try logging your sugar. I'm noticing a lot of processed sugar in your diet. Fruit is fine; even fruit juice is fine, but you seem to have 2-3 items of boxed/processed sweets on a daily basis and that could inhibit your weight loss down the road. Just a suggestion.

MinnieInMaine

Try planning your days more. If you know you're going to be going to working out, then make sure you have more calorie dense foods that day. These are foods that are healthy and high in calories so you don't have to eat much to get to your calorie goal - nuts, seeds, nut/seed butters, avacado, beans, lean red meats, healthy oils, salmon, even dark chocolate. Get your net calories (that's the one on your home page) as close to 1200 as you can.

Ranchetta

I'm new to MFP and now reading this I'm confused. I'm suppose to eat 1200 calories a day. I usually eat 1000-1100, which I understand might not be correct either. And I've not been able to get the exercise thing in but working on adjusting daily schedules to fix that. But I'm not understanding this "deficit" thing mentioned here.
Is it not correct if you eat what your suppose to and the calories you "earn" from exercise your not going to loose? If your eating the same amount as your burning you won't loose, correct?
Sorry I'm confused....

tbloor

Based on the few days that I looked at, I would try to increase your protein (especially if you're working out) and track your sugar to attempt to reduce. I am still a little bit over on sugar each day, but since I have been tracking, I've noticed easier weight loss and inches have been coming off my waist!