Is anyone finding it hard to eat all the daily calories?

saritaeliz86

Hello All!

I'm new to the mfp and I was surprised that we get extra calories to use when we work out. I'm a little worried that I can't eat the 700 plus calories that are left for the day as I don't really get hungry after 7:00pm. With all the water and fiber than I'm consuming, I'm just not that hungry. What should I do? Does it really matter? Help!:huh:

love2cycle

My first reaction was to laugh, because most days I want more than I have left!! I do know what you mean, though, because in the summer, I ride a bike and that burns a lot of calories. I usually feel the need to eat them back, but if it's too late in the evening, I don't.

KristalDawnO

no lol

970Mikaela1

You will get 100 opinions saying eat them and 100 saying dont eat them!!! Sometimes I do sometimes I dont it depends on how im feeling Good luck with your question!!

ChrisWag

It does, you should at least try to eat most of them back, otherwise your body is not getting enough. I sometimes run low on calories, so I throw together a protein shake made with Almond milk and peanut butter, that's good for almost 400 cal Or just 2tbsp peanut butter quick. Something like that is small portion but healthy and high in calories.

Hope that helps

SammyPacks

I can't view your diary... so I don't know how much you're consuming on the daily basis...

wish21

At first yes, but after that not anymore. you'll get used to it

BetteLovr

I have days I cant get to al the calories either... and I dont eat all the exercise cals anyway.. I think you have to watch it for a few wks to see what works best for you. I like to keep a surplus of 400 to 500 cals a day ... but try to at least hit my 1200 to 1550 cals consumed daily . It takes 3500 cals burned to lose a lb.

taso42

Get a jar of peanut butter and a bottle of olive oil. You won't have this problem any more.

WhitneyAnnabelle

I have a very difficult time getting to my calories. It could be because I'm a vegan who doesn't eat vegan processed foods, but maybe not. I've just always had a small appetite. It worries me because of all the exercise I do, so I can definitely relate.

fguillory

Yes x.x I am allowed 1810 calories a day, but I often am around 1300s is so i gotta force myself to eat more.

BetteLovr

I totally agree with you... Took me a mnth to figure out my sweet spot and I use a bodybugg for accurate cal burned counts.

qwe3nz

it depends how much are you ment to be eating if its 1200cal a day and your not eating 700 cal of it. Then theres something wrong with you or your not tracking your food properly. But if your ment to be eating 2000 cal per day and not eating 700cal i'd say your fine

BrienJD

Only a little on exercise days (unless I have pizza or burgers of course) On Non-exercise days, I reach my totals really really quickly it seems. It's amazing sometimes what you can eat, if it's not cookies candy icecream and cupcakes:laugh:

Happyguy

Sit back and relax.

Have two or three double shots of bourbon.

You'll catch up before you know it.

PaganLady

Well, my boyfriend used to be a personal trainer and I asked him about this and he said it was ridiculous to eat the calories you lose because it would defeat the purpose. And I agree. This thing of mfp giving you extra calories when you burn them is just weird. Think about it - why would you try and burn all of these calories to then get them back? Doesn't make much sense, does it?

christina0089

I am a noob in the health and fitness arena and this is only my undertanding of things I maybe wrong but I am pretty sure it works like this:

Its not 100 absolutley necess to eat all of your excercise calories. As long as you try and eat all or most of your alotted base calories (before any excercise) your body will have enough fuel for basic function with a deficit already factored in for weight loss.

If you are hungry and have earned calories through excercise then you can also choose to eat them or a portion of them, which ever works for you. But I would say try not to get a negative in your net calories because that means your body probably is not getting enough nutrients to sustain it.

Good luck on your journey~

MiniMichelle

I have the hardest time. Especially when I workout. Its nearly impossiable for me to eat all the calories I have left.

I am really trying to spread my eating better.

300 Breakfast
400 Lunch
500 Dinner
1200 Total

This does not include snacks or dessert.

It might help

12skipafew99100

no

Jordynnsmom

I have this problem also and it is kind of frustrating. The thing is I eat a lot of veggies. Like 3 cups at dinner! ( I have replaced a lot of my starches with veggies.) I eat plenty, but the choices I make are low cal so I never make my daily calories. I even eat desert every night! I have decided not to worry about it. If I was starving myself and eating one cracker and calling it a meal them I would worry.

maidentl

Well, my boyfriend used to be a personal trainer and I asked him about this and he said it was ridiculous to eat the calories you lose because it would defeat the purpose. And I agree. This thing of mfp giving you extra calories when you burn them is just weird. Think about it - why would you try and burn all of these calories to then get them back? Doesn't make much sense, does it?

Then I am guessing you didn't properly explain how this site works.

MaximalLife

It is best to eat clean, but eat to goal daily no matter what.
A McD cheeseburger should do the trick even though is not clean eating.
Seriously, eating a few "bad" foods and reaching goals beats clean foods that fall short of your daily calorie goal. Your progress is stifled by not eating to goal.
That's just more self-sabotage.
Eat to goal no matter what; your body does not know or care the reasons why.
It's just registering the too large deficit, and while you may lose weight for a season, what will be the quality of the weight loss, and does it lead to optimal health?

Just eat to goal; none of us got too heavy not knowing how to eat.

hockeystar84

Also it is good to have one day to where you eat a little over your calories like for me i eat anywhere from 1800 - 2100 on my off day im gonna eat anywhere from 2300-2600 it helps rev up your thyroid and helps your metabolism i read it in a magazine today lol

aippolito1

Nope! I start with a base of 1380 and burn minimum 400 calories a day ... and tend to eat that and a little more sometimes. I'm over today by about 150 and burned about 440 calories.

MaximalLife

Well, my boyfriend used to be a personal trainer and I asked him about this and he said it was ridiculous to eat the calories you lose because it would defeat the purpose. And I agree. This thing of mfp giving you extra calories when you burn them is just weird. Think about it - why would you try and burn all of these calories to then get them back? Doesn't make much sense, does it?

WRONG!
MFP is set up with a built in deficit, so the PT's advice was rooted in his ignorance of how MFP operates.
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.
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.
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.

Elleinnz

Plan your day on the days you workout, and start eating more at each meal - that way you don't have 700 extra cals late at night....
As others said also add some higher calorie foods - good fats, salmon, avocado, olives, nut butters, nuts - by putting in some of these foods it is much easier to reach your calorie goals

Beezil

omnomnomz exercise calories. *is obviously very fat from eating back her exercise calories.* :sad:

0AmyMarie0

I have a difficult time reaching my 1200 calories for the day. The food I eat leaves me satisfied so I don't crave more! I had a few people on here tell me to add something like a handful of almonds as a snack in to bump it a little bit.

FitKate

I don't eat my work out calories. I just eat between 1000 -1200 every day.

psiren28

I struggle on Zumba days, non exercise days not at all, I like my food too much .
On exercise days I try to eat at least half of my exercise calories back, I've not got a lot left to lose and my daily amount before exercise is 1200 so I think I need to have at least some of them back.
I need to plan better for Zumba days as I go in the evening: Too early for dinner beforehand (I hate jumping around on a full stomach) but by the time I get back it's a bit late for a proper meal. I tend to load up on cereal afterwards to make up the calories.

I'd say try eating them back with some higher calorie foods, see how it works for you and make changes if you're not happy with the results. Some peeps seem to be OK not eatng them back, me I stop losing after a while

Ginger4real

I average 700-800 cals eaten per day ...period ! I can't imagine eating the ones I burn unless I turn to junk food ..I am not gonna eat a chocolate bar with no nutrition to get them ... I eat til I feel satisfied. I was too excited that I got over 1000 when I recorded a couple nights ago ...and then I had to have a pudding cup and a few almonds to get it ... Some people just don't have a big apetite....I know I end up with a lower metabolism from taking in so few ..but what can ya do ? I have lost 16 pounds so I don't think it's harming me too much in the fat loss dpt.