Do you consume all of your allotted calories?

erickirb

Exercise is the key factor. Don't eat your exercise calories as they are a bonus for weight loss. I have been over weight for 20 years until I started using MFP and by just looking at my daily calorie intake was enough to help me change my ways. I am currently eating 1500 calories a day and losing weight every week. I LOVE MFP

That is wrong. They are not a bonus, you must eat them in order to keep your deficit constant to lose your goal amount of weight. The MFP program is designed around this concept.

Yes you don't have to eat them to lose weight, but you do have to eat them to lose your goal amount of weight or to ensure your deficit is not too large. Slow and steady wins the race.

schoswife

What? Did we suddenly forget how to eat?:laugh:
Just eat.
If you are like me, you did not get fat not knowing how to eat.
So, yes, eat your calories.
MFP calculates our total daily calorie intake WITHOUT exercise to lose 1 pound or so per week.
And after we log exercises, our daily calorie limit increases.
Why?
Because MFP telling us to eat our exercise calories in addition to our daily calorie goals.
Eating a McD cheeseburger is better than not eating to goal, because you will stifle progress not eating enough.
Large deficits are unhealthy, because while you will lose weight, what's the quality of the weight loss?
In many cases you'll lose lean body mass - MUSCLE - which LOWERS your metabolic rate, making weight loss harder.
These crash diets work well for a season -- and sure enough, the pounds melt away. But when you eat so
few calories, you train your metabolism to slow down. Once the diet is over, you have a body that burns calories
more slowly -- and you gain weight.:noway:
Be smart.
Exercise well both cardio and resistance, and eat back the calories.
The exercise will RAISE your metabolism and burn more fat at rest.

WOW!!! This is so true. I loved how you put that..."did we forget how to eat" :happy:

mauramalade

It depends. I have my calories set up at 1350 calories but I usually end up eating round 1100-1250 calories. I thought 1200 calories was set too low, but i end up usually eating under my set goal anyways.

It's actually quite unhealthy to eat under 1200 calories.. 1200 is the bare minimum that your body can survive on, and giving your body less than that causes your body to not only store anything extra it happens to get as fat right away, but it also starts to eat away at itself when it's not getting what it needs.

I'm currently reading a really great book, "Skinny Chicks Don't Eat Salad." It's about the science of losing weight, and how it's not just about low calories, but the KINDS of calories that you are putting into your body. I highly suggest it to anyone who is trying to successfully lose and keep off weight!

30yearssincebikini

I did up until yesterday, because so many people were saying I should, but I found I was gaining, so starting today I will only eat my base 1200 and see where that takes me. I think different things work for different people. I think eating back the calories will be ok, and maybe even better for you, but may cause weight loss to slow down. For me it did anyway.

rides4sanity

I find that to meet my 1200cal on a "non-exeercise" day I have to be very conscious of my choices, or I go over. Exercise days however, I rarely meet the calories they suggest. I typically workout in the evenings and in the back of my mind I know there is a possibility that my plans will change(2 kids and all), so I'm pretty good throughout the day (around 600cal consumed before dinner). Then when I workout (typically 400-1000 calories according to HRM) it's like 8:00pm and I've got >1000 calories left to consume. Gorging doesn't seem like a good plan, so I here is my latest plan...If I burn 500 or less in exercise I stick to the 1200 but if I burn over 500 I make a conscious effort to eat back about half so that I'm not famished the next morning. Anybody have any thoughts or other suggestions I'm open? :happy:

erickirb

I did up until yesterday, because so many people were saying I should, but I found I was gaining, so starting today I will only eat my base 1200 and see where that takes me. I think different things work for different people. I think eating back the calories will be ok, and maybe even better for you, but may cause weight loss to slow down. For me it did anyway.

most likely the cause for you was one or a combo of the following:
Under estimating the amount you ate (to get it right you must weigh solids and measure liquids)
Over estimate calories burned (most estimators tend to be off such as MFP or most machines, use a HRM and back out resting (maintenance) calories from the total burned
under active thyroid
some other metabolic issue (small amount of lean muscle leading to your BMR being over estimated)

If all the above are calculated and logged correctly you will lose your goal amount of weight by eating all of the calories MFP tells you to (including exercise calories)

Nserrano3

i am soo new to this too... i think 1200 is not enough. as for my exercise, well not sure what to put down beacuse i work in retail and I am always running around up to 5-6 hours a day. that would be my exercise of the day Lol... I really do need motivation though Looking for friends to motivate and is really seriouse to loosed weight and keep it :P

30yearssincebikini

The concept of not eating all the calories I'm allowed doesn't even occur to me. The only reason I leave <5 on the table is because I haven't found anything that's 1 calorie.

However, in the interest of full disclosure, I'm a pig.

this. i do my best to eat almost every single calorie i'm allowed. matter of fact, i prefer to see my number a little in the red rather then under my goal.


people get into diet mode and think all they can eat are egg whites and veggies. your body needs more then that. toast with peanut butter, almonds, dried fruit like raisins, and chicken, are all excellent foods to eat, that have plenty of healthy calories.

StrugglingtoMove

No, not close and if you start adding friends you will see most of them are under the calories as well. There are a few who stick right on the line, but dont include exercise calories. Then the others who do. I think each person is different, depends on how much you have to lose, what your goal is, you must have a goal whether a pound a week or 20 lbs every 6 months. You must motivate to something. Find what works for you best and then try something new when you stall.

30yearssincebikini

I did up until yesterday, because so many people were saying I should, but I found I was gaining, so starting today I will only eat my base 1200 and see where that takes me. I think different things work for different people. I think eating back the calories will be ok, and maybe even better for you, but may cause weight loss to slow down. For me it did anyway.

most likely the cause for you was one or a combo of the following:
Under estimating the amount you ate (to get it right you must weigh solids and measure liquids)
Over estimate calories burned (most estimators tend to be off such as MFP or most machines, use a HRM and back out resting (maintenance) calories from the total burned
under active thyroid
some other metabolic issue (small amount of lean muscle leading to your BMR being over estimated)

If all the above are calculated and logged correctly you will lose your goal amount of weight by eating all of the calories MFP tells you to (including exercise calories)

Thank you. This is a helpful bit of info. I need to get a food scale and a hrm. I am afraid of the hrm though, because I do so much jumping around at the gym (I take all their early morning classes, like aerobics and boxing and lifting, etc) I am afraid it will fall off or something. But yes, estimating the right amount of calories burned is very hard.

CityGurlA

No we did not "forget how to eat" but I do sometimes forget to eat or get too busy to eat....by the time I remember or have time, it's later in the day and there's no way I can stuff that much food down my throat. MFP told me that I was eating too little, therefore forcing my body to hold on to fat. I exercise like crazy and wasn't eating enough...not losing any weight...and I don't want to "just eat"...I want to make sure I'm putting good things in my body. It seem like even when I do eat now, I get full really quickly. So even though I appreciate you taking the time to respond, please get all the facts and information before doing so. Thanks.

DeenieWeenie

I eat at or under goal, I find *personally* (wish I could bold this!) that if I eat all my exercise calories back my weight just stays the same. Sometimes I eat into them a little bit, but not all the time. Basically I just let my stomach guide me. If I'm comfortable/full, I stop. I hate that feeling when you've ate too much and you just feel completely stuffed. But if I'm starving I do eat.

This is how I am too!

me2u77

im knew to this only joined last week and decided to follow my hunger pangs but exercise as well i find that some days im over and some days im below but when i checked it for last week it had balanced out quite nicely my daily calorie intake is 1200 and my average for the week was 1100. i also lost 2lbs in the past week x

sergetns73

no i do not

kerri_thing_1

i love my food and i never go over my alloted calories and always have a few left. since joining mfp, it has made me think alot more about what i eat/drink daily... for the better