1500 cal burn then eat crap???

micls

I think the one thing that everyone is missing here is that if you burn high calories and simply eat "junk" to reach you caloric goals then yes, you will lose weight. The problem with this theory is, when you go into maintenance and maybe slack a bit on the exercise or what not, by not having learned the tools to eat better, the cycle of gaining will continue.

Again though, this depends on the person. Which is why we all have different individual goals and they won't always make sense from the outside looking in.

petreebird

I think the one thing that everyone is missing here is that if you burn high calories and simply eat "junk" to reach you caloric goals then yes, you will lose weight. The problem with this theory is, when you go into maintenance and maybe slack a bit on the exercise or what not, by not having learned the tools to eat better, the cycle of gaining will continue.

Again though, this depends on the person. Which is why we all have different individual goals and they won't always make sense from the outside looking in.

Ok, this is a fair statement. I won't presume to know what everyone's individual goals are. But losing weight and maintaining the lose seems like a fair assumption, but again, I won't assume that.

MHunte

If you exchange junk food for low glycemic foods, such as vegetables, fruit and lean meats, you will have more energy before, during and after a workout by maintaining your blood sugar levels. Cutting out unnecessary calories and adding more protein to your diet allows you to lose weight and build lean muscle. The food you consume can make or break your exercise routine. According to Jillian Michaels, you should "just say no thank you to the unhealthy fare." Junk food has little or no nutritional value, containing high levels of cholesterol, saturated fat, salt and sugar.

micls

Ok, this is a fair statement. I won't presume to know what everyone's individual goals are. But losing weight and maintaining the lose seems like a fair assumption, but again, I won't assume that.

Sorry, I wasn't clear. Obviously that is the goal. What I'm saying is it will depend on the person if they will struggle with maintenance or not. It's not a given that if you're not eating clean you will slip into old habits/slack off while on maintenance.

micls

If you exchange junk food for low glycemic foods, such as vegetables, fruit and lean meats, you will have more energy before, during and after a workout by maintaining your blood sugar levels. Cutting out unnecessary calories and adding more protein to your diet allows you to lose weight and build lean muscle. The food you consume can make or break your exercise routine. According to Jillian Michaels, you should "just say no thank you to the unhealthy fare." Junk food has little or no nutritional value, containing high levels of cholesterol, saturated fat, salt and sugar.

I don't think anyone would disagree with you.

However, I know all of this, and I have no intention of giving up junk food completely. I enjoy eating it, and I'm not going to spend the rest of my life not doing so.

I'm aware this may make exercise/dieting more difficult and I think it's worth it. It's up to everyone to make that call individually.

Obviously I've cut down, and improved my diet in order to maintain my deficit, and try to hit my macros most of the time. But I've no intention of giving up things I like completely. I try to eat in moderation and fit it into my calories etc. That's working for me so far.

petreebird

If you exchange junk food for low glycemic foods, such as vegetables, fruit and lean meats, you will have more energy before, during and after a workout by maintaining your blood sugar levels. Cutting out unnecessary calories and adding more protein to your diet allows you to lose weight and build lean muscle. The food you consume can make or break your exercise routine. According to Jillian Michaels, you should "just say no thank you to the unhealthy fare." Junk food has little or no nutritional value, containing high levels of cholesterol, saturated fat, salt and sugar.

This is true, but...if you eat too much protein you can put your body into a ketogenic state and can harm your kidneys because they kick into high gear trying to rid your body of the toxic ketones. This can lead to dehydration, bone and muscle lose, and heart problems. So you can get too much protein. You just have to balance, that's the key. Your body needs protein, but it also needs carbs and fats. Its the ratio that needs to be right.

petreebird

If you exchange junk food for low glycemic foods, such as vegetables, fruit and lean meats, you will have more energy before, during and after a workout by maintaining your blood sugar levels. Cutting out unnecessary calories and adding more protein to your diet allows you to lose weight and build lean muscle. The food you consume can make or break your exercise routine. According to Jillian Michaels, you should "just say no thank you to the unhealthy fare." Junk food has little or no nutritional value, containing high levels of cholesterol, saturated fat, salt and sugar.

I don't think anyone would disagree with you.

However, I know all of this, and I have no intention of giving up junk food completely. I enjoy eating it, and I'm not going to spend the rest of my life not doing so.

I'm aware this may make exercise/dieting more difficult and I think it's worth it. It's up to everyone to make that call individually.

Obviously I've cut down, and improved my diet in order to maintain my deficit, and try to hit my macros most of the time. But I've no intention of giving up things I like completely. I try to eat in moderation and fit it into my calories etc. That's working for me so far.

I agree with this completely. Most trainer would even say cheating, in moderation, is encouraged. It helps to keep you on the right track for the majority of the time.

MHunte

If you exchange junk food for low glycemic foods, such as vegetables, fruit and lean meats, you will have more energy before, during and after a workout by maintaining your blood sugar levels. Cutting out unnecessary calories and adding more protein to your diet allows you to lose weight and build lean muscle. The food you consume can make or break your exercise routine. According to Jillian Michaels, you should "just say no thank you to the unhealthy fare." Junk food has little or no nutritional value, containing high levels of cholesterol, saturated fat, salt and sugar.

This is true, but...if you eat too much protein you can put your body into a ketogenic state and can harm your kidneys because they kick into high gear trying to rid your body of the toxic ketones. This can lead to dehydration, bone and muscle lose, and heart problems. So you can get too much protein. You just have to balance, that's the key. Your body needs protein, but it also needs carbs and fats. Its the ratio that needs to be right.

That's true ,I agree 100%

blueandigo

Bentley2718

Wow, this thread combines (and confounds) the two most common threads I've seen on MFP "should I eat exercise calories" and "does it matter what I eat if I'm within my macros." Kudos to the OP, but next time, maybe try the search feature, or just browse a little.

MaximalLife

I feel you.
I do that sometimes and feel HORRIBLE!
My solution is to plan a weekly "free day" where I eat to maintenance, and a monthly binge where I eat like a pig anything and as much as I want all day.

I usually average around 8-10 thousand calories.
LOVE IT!

This gives me the satisfaction I need as well as a sense of control.

LorinaLynn

I love having total binge days where I have cake for breakfast, pizza for lunch, then go out for drinks and appetizers for dinner. I don't log those days, because the point in them for me is to enjoy what I'm eating and I'm not enjoying it if I'm weighing/measuring everything and counting how many tortilla chips I dipped in queso.

I don't eat like that every day, and it doesn't affect my progress. Maybe I'd have a flatter stomach if I never ate like that. Maybe I'd be a faster runner. But... I don't care. I'm not a fitness model and I'm not a professional athlete. I'm a middle aged wife, artist and web publisher. :laugh:

Perfection isn't attainable. Happiness is.

ashnm88

This is a lifestyle change, not a "diet"! You can have whatever you want in moderation. Portion control is a key thing.

You also should only worry about yourself and not what others are doing. Its their bodies not yours.

I've lost 23lbs since being on MFP, (started Oct. 7th, 2011) and I eat what I like, I'm not going to give up ice cream for the rest of my life or breads, pasta and so on. Before I joined I had already lost 35lbs. So 58lbs down and I eat what I want and do what I want.

So don't worry about the others, offer helpful suggestions when asked and just be there to say hey your doing great and to give some motivation when you notice someone struggling.

We are all different and do things in different ways.

P.S. The word diet shouldn't be used. Your changing the lifestyle your led before.

Good luck too everyone here.

natalieg0307

I'm the same way. MFP says I should eat 1200 calories per day. I eat my exercise calories too. With age my metabolism has slowed down A LOT. I took a nutrition class in college....we tracked our calories for a week. I averaged 2500 per day.....little exercise.....just walking to and from class (and weighed 105). 25 years later.....trying to stay close to 1200 is HARD. But if I ride the bike an extra 10 minutes......or do jumping jacks for a few minutes.......to get a few extra exercise calories so I can have a bowl of sherbet.....I'LL DO IT!.

LJV1031

I eat what I want, when I want, & how much I want AND log everything. I SOMETIMES (like yesterday) go to the gym & work extra hard JUST so I can eat more. As one lovely lady has saId at the bottom of her post... "perfection isn't attainable, but happiness is." something I definitely live by... While rocking the world out of my bikini. So good luck & super kudos to those who eat ZERO junk food, which means there's a LITTLE more for me on the DAYS that I want it. :drinker: :flowerforyou: :happy:

ttulio

I tend to look at my weight loss as a series of ongoing 30 day challenges. After my first 30 days on MFP, I had a meal of a bunch of appetizers from the Chinese takeout place down the street, and I did the same after the second 30 days. It made me feel like I was rewarding myself with something that I enjoyed. The next day, I went back to normal eating and still met my goal for the week. Now the reward is the increased health and fitness, but it was something that I needed at the time to move along in the journey. Do whatever works for you.

runfoodierun

I love having total binge days where I have cake for breakfast, pizza for lunch, then go out for drinks and appetizers for dinner. I don't log those days, because the point in them for me is to enjoy what I'm eating and I'm not enjoying it if I'm weighing/measuring everything and counting how many tortilla chips I dipped in queso.

I don't eat like that every day, and it doesn't affect my progress. Maybe I'd have a flatter stomach if I never ate like that. Maybe I'd be a faster runner. But... I don't care. I'm not a fitness model and I'm not a professional athlete. I'm a middle aged wife, artist and web publisher. :laugh:

Perfection isn't attainable. Happiness is.

amen! amen! I will never judge what is on your plate, do me the favor of not judging mine. Eating healthy should be a goal, loving your body beyond a weigh issue....BUT there will be splurges. We already feel enough personal guilt over foods we choose, we dont need anyone to point out to us what a LOSER we are, that we arent SERIOUS about our health, because we just hit up the local buffet....Come on now....
Should we start on smokers next....bc why would you exercise and eat healthy, yet smoke? (I am not judging here, only making a point...)

BerryH

Many of us have been on this so-called "journey" before. The reason we didn't stay slim was in many case because we chose a route that wasn't sustainable. Personally I couldn't get round a 10-mile run or club tempo repeats without daydreaming of the heaping roast dinner washed down with a few glasses of wine I'll be having later. Today's was beyond awesome, thankyouverymuch :drinker:

Angellore

Many of us have been on this so-called "journey" before. The reason we didn't stay slim was in many case because we chose a route that wasn't sustainable. Personally I couldn't get round a 10-mile run or club tempo repeats without daydreaming of the heaping roast dinner washed down with a few glasses of wine I'll be having later. Today's was beyond awesome, thankyouverymuch :drinker:

A million times this! If I didn't allow myself 'junk food' I would have given up ages ago. Being able to eat something 'junk' keep me on the straight and narrow at other times. For me it's mental far more that physical.

Ilovedrinkingtea

Many of us have been on this so-called "journey" before. The reason we didn't stay slim was in many case because we chose a route that wasn't sustainable. Personally I couldn't get round a 10-mile run or club tempo repeats without daydreaming of the heaping roast dinner washed down with a few glasses of wine I'll be having later. Today's was beyond awesome, thankyouverymuch :drinker:

A million times this! If I didn't allow myself 'junk food' I would have given up ages ago. Being able to eat something 'junk' keep me on the straight and narrow at other times. For me it's mental far more that physical.

Yep right with you xx

MissKim

I totally get having a little something..but like 2 or 3 meals or even a day of crap?? u just destroyed all your hard work...wether your goal is to lose weight or eat healthy etc...it still seems pointless...when I go into maintenance I am looking forward to being able to eat a little n not gain but by no means will I burn a crap ton of calories to throw it away by eating 500 cals of fat,sodium n crap...

My boyfriend loses 6-8 lbs a week and every sunday he takes a day off and eats breakfast tacos and donuts and i think he's wanting whataburger tonight. He gets away with it b/c he eats super clean all week and works out everyday and he has alot of muscle mass. His maintenance calories are pretty high. he burns like 1000 calories on the elliptical for 30 min where as i would only burn 300. At first I was like, are you crazy, you can't be eating like that all day. but it's worked for him every single week! basically i think he's just eating maintenance calories every sunday. I have a "carb up" day on sunday where i eat alittle more too. but i don't go over my maintenance calories. it really works for him b/c it keeps him motivated all week and he knows he can't give up some o fhis favorite foods forever. but it's really all about finding what works for you and not judging what others do. We all have our own paths and our own eating styles that will work for us. Saying someone else's "way" is stupid, is not nice at all. Look at the little ticker on there page and if it says they've lost weight, any weight, i wouldn't say their diet is stupid.