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

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  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
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    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?

    So far the person who wrote this seems to be the only one who knows what they are talking about. It is common sense pretty much.

    Except that MFP already factors in a calorie deficit based on your weight loss goals. So you eat those calories back and you hit your planned deficit. Don't eat them and your deficit gets bigger.

    But why are we even talking about this? This isn't a "should i eat my exercise calories thread". it's more of a "i can't seem to eat 1200 calories" thread. Either way, both topics have been covered ad nauseum.
  • maru84
    maru84 Posts: 128
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    I say just eat when you're hungry and only eat until you're full, don't let MFP completely dictate how much (in your case) or when to eat. Listen to your body.
  • MaximalLife
    MaximalLife Posts: 2,447 Member
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    You will get 100 opinions saying eat them and 100 saying dont eat them!!!
    WRONG!
    There are no opinions that matter - only what this site is actually set up for.
    MFP expects you to eat them, and if you do not, you are following some other program apart from the MFP recommendations.
    That's not opinion but fact.
    The confusion is wrought by those NOT following the MFP prescribed program of safe, healthy weight loss.
    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.

    and as you know maximal, MFP is wrong about the 1200 calorie a day thing for most people.

    I dont like to be mean on this wonderful site, but whoever wrote this is an idiot.
    Look who is calling who what....:laugh:
    If you don't know how MFP works, read up and learn before rendering judgement....:noway:

    This is how MFP works
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/help/faq/3-how-does-myfitnesspal-work

    Just get started by going into settings to Update diet/fitness profile.
    Set your goals for 1 lb weight loss per week.
    NO MORE!
    And eat lean meats, low fat dairy, nuts, whole grains, fresh fruits and veggies.
    Do both cardio and resistance exercise.
    Log in those exercises to your MFP exercise diary.
    AND EAT BACK YOUR EXERCISE CALORIES!
    Remember, this is not a race, and you can reach your goals if you stick to a good plan as recommended on this site.
  • alecta337
    alecta337 Posts: 622 Member
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    Hi all,

    I was recently prescribed a medication that initially destroyed my appetite, so for about 2 weeks I was averaging 1000 calories, but that side effect has passed, thank goodness and now I am back to eating my 1200 calories.

    I wrote this thread the other day and no one responded (me sad) and it has to do with this stuff so I am going to pimp out my thread. Its for people who sometimes net under 500 calories. Or anyone interested in neuroscience =]

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/483595-please-read-if-you-eat-under-500-calories-some-days

    P.s. I am a biomedical engineer in training so I thought I could share some relevant information with you all.
  • MaximalLife
    MaximalLife Posts: 2,447 Member
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    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?

    So far the person who wrote this seems to be the only one who knows what they are talking about. It is common sense pretty much.
    No, actually it's common sense to read up on how a program works before waxing eloquent.
    Once again....
    This is how MFP works
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/help/faq/3-how-does-myfitnesspal-work
  • Tcarreen
    Tcarreen Posts: 11
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    YesI know what you mean! This is my rule: King's brkfst, Queen's lunch, and a Princess dinner. Let your breakfast be your biggest meal of the day and definitely have snacks in between! Good luck!:flowerforyou:
  • alecta337
    alecta337 Posts: 622 Member
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    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?

    So far the person who wrote this seems to be the only one who knows what they are talking about. It is common sense pretty much.
    No, actually it's common sense to read up on how a program works before waxing eloquent.
    Once again....
    This is how MFP works
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/help/faq/3-how-does-myfitnesspal-work

    MaximalLife, you are 100% correct. The problem is that there will always be people who are set in their opinion who refuse to budge, even when presented with FACTS. I agree with you, and probably so do most people who have done actual research about nutrition and weight loss. I am a biomedical engineer in training and I read scientific research articles for my information, not random internet sites.
  • Tkwild
    Tkwild Posts: 116 Member
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    Sit back and relax.

    Have two or three double shots of bourbon.

    You'll catch up before you know it.

    Sometimes I resort to this, works well if you have the self-control not to blow it after a few drinks.
  • Fretzy
    Fretzy Posts: 9
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    I tend to try and stay well under the daily allotted calories. Like today: I ate 1200/1950. Burned 330. Not even hungry because I don't want to risk eating back what I just burned. A few good things to do when feeling that craving, especially when your running low on the limit is: drink lots of water and chew gum. Craving more? Crow down an apple. Hope that helps a bit.
  • getfit4u89
    getfit4u89 Posts: 60
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    I love your response, I understand MFP much better now, thank you!
  • ishallnotwant
    ishallnotwant Posts: 1,210 Member
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    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?

    So far the person who wrote this seems to be the only one who knows what they are talking about. It is common sense pretty much.

    So, uh, how is not eating your exercise cals back working for you? Judging by your other thread, not very well...
  • lovelee79
    lovelee79 Posts: 362
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    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:

    I never have trouble eating back my exercise cals because I love food !! LOL
    I'm not sure which calorie calculator you're using. The thing you need to realize is that the MFP calorie calculator over estimates quite a bit.
    For my workout the other day: MFP tells me I burned 670, My HRM tells me I burned 509, and the machine at the gym tells me I burned 400.
    So I always go with my HRM its the most reliable source I have!
  • happyhiram
    happyhiram Posts: 89
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    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?

    So far the person who wrote this seems to be the only one who knows what they are talking about. It is common sense pretty much.

    No. Common sense would be to actually have a grasp of how this site works before you go off on a tangent and calling people idiots when you apparently have no idea of what you're talking about yourself.

    As everyone has been harping at you about MFP is set up to where you are losing weight WITHOUT working out. So when you do work out, that means you're increasing the calorie deficit to a level that might not be healthy. If your body is constantly dealing with a huge deficit your metabolism is likely to slow down and make fat loss harder. The exercise, as MaximalLife has pointed out, will eventually cause your body to burn more calories at rest.

    Not saying you HAVE to eat those exercise calories back...but there are lots of people who do and their progress has been outstanding. (I've lost about fifty to sixty pounds doing just that).
  • kasicrawford
    kasicrawford Posts: 33
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    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?

    So far the person who wrote this seems to be the only one who knows what they are talking about. It is common sense pretty much.

    So, uh, how is not eating your exercise cals back working for you? Judging by your other thread, not very well...

    Doesn't seem to be working to well for her, now does it!!! Eat to fuel your body to burn more fat and not muscle!
  • skylark94
    skylark94 Posts: 2,036 Member
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    I also think it is weird how people eat there calories they burned from exercising, i mean if you eat them all back then it was pointless in exercising to lose them ...

    and if you want to eat them, don't complain about it when you don;t lose weight.

    I totally agree with the girl who said her boyfriend was a personal trainer and what he said.

    Look, the way that MFP was set up, your deficit needed to lose weight is *already included in your calorie intake*. When you burn more calories, you need to refuel your body to make sure that you don't create too much of a deficit. You need to focus on your NET calories, not on your gross intake.

    It is NEVER pointless to exercise.

    BINGO!

    I think too many people get trapped into thinking that the only purpose of exercise is for actively losing weight. Exercise builds strength, endurance, and boosts metabolism. Yes, that helps with weight loss, but proper nutrition is absolutely key.

    Weight loss requires LIFESTYLE CHANGE, not crash low cal dieting. When I ate 1,200 per day and burned 500-600 in the gym to net only 600 per day I plateaued very quickly and felt like crap. Once I increased my net to 1,600 I started losing again, feel great, and I get to EAT. I'm losing about a half a pound a week, dropping body fat, and almost to goal.
  • Rayman79
    Rayman79 Posts: 2,009 Member
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    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?

    So far the person who wrote this seems to be the only one who knows what they are talking about. It is common sense pretty much.

    It really irritates me when people spout off crap as fact, and abuse others in the process. YOU are wrong, ML is completely correct. Perhaps if you spent a little less time judging others and spouting nonsense, and a little more time listening and learning, you would have more success.

    You would do well to heed the advice of one of my favourite quotes:
    'You have one mouth and two ears, use them in proportion'
  • ishallnotwant
    ishallnotwant Posts: 1,210 Member
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    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?

    So far the person who wrote this seems to be the only one who knows what they are talking about. It is common sense pretty much.

    It really irritates me when people spout off crap as fact, and abuse others in the process. YOU are wrong, ML is completely correct. Perhaps if you spent a little less time judging others and spouting nonsense, and a little more time listening and learning, you would have more success.

    You would do well to heed the advice of one of my favourite quotes:
    'You have one mouth and two ears, use them in proportion'

    But she is very knowledgeable about this stuff...I mean, she's lost FIVE pounds...since November 2010.
  • HotBodUnderConstruction
    HotBodUnderConstruction Posts: 420
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    Haha not at all. I just finished and enjoyed all 1700 calories today :)
  • Rayman79
    Rayman79 Posts: 2,009 Member
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    Funny timing that these posts come up at the same time this thread resurfaces:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/238941-sick-of-it

    But I think that's enough bashing for one day. We all make mistakes, hopefully a lesson has been learned and she is better for it. Afterall the last thing we want to do is ridicule a person to the point of driving them away from the community, particularly when they obviously still have so much to learn. :flowerforyou:
  • ishallnotwant
    ishallnotwant Posts: 1,210 Member
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    Funny timing that these posts come up at the same time this thread resurfaces:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/238941-sick-of-it

    But I think that's enough bashing for one day. We all make mistakes, hopefully a lesson has been learned and she is better for it. Afterall the last thing we want to do is ridicule a person to the point of driving them away from the community, particularly when they obviously still have so much to learn. :flowerforyou:

    Excellent point. I'll behave now. :happy:

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