Should I REALLY be eating all my cals?

rbbrrmqn

OK, so I know this comes up fairly often, but...

I have been trying really, really hard since mid Nov, at least, and right now have been stuck at my same weight for at least 4 weeks!! I should be dropping like a stone!!!

I have been eating 800 cals below my target number, not factoring in exercise cals, which I never eat.
I did the avg today of these last 13 weeks, so I know these numbers are accurate.

Also, am I really supposed to eat my exercise cals?
And what about spike days? Would they likely be helpful, at least for a booster to get started?

PS At this time, I care not to open my food diary for all to read; thanks for understanding.

Thanks so much--I am trying SO gosh dang hard!!!

mallory3411

Eat all your calories up to your BMR and than your exercise calories. You said you haven't lost weight for weeks.... you are not eating enough. Less isn't always better. You are doing more harm than good eating so few calories.

lilkitn

Yes, you definitely need to eat your exercise calories. Your body needs extra energy to exercise and if it can't find it then it will go into what many people call "starvation mode" and hang onto all the glucogen (your bodies energy stores). It will also make you feel tired and sluggish. If you eat your calories you'll find your workouts go better, you'll have more energy, and your body will willingly give up it's glucogen so that you can loose weight.

ahinski

YES.

Go to the thread at the top of this forum that is titled "Newbies Please Read Me (2nd Edition)" there are a lot of helpful links to other threads about this topic, especially take the time to read the thread about how a person could eat 700 cals a day and still be obese.

JacksMom12

A target is something you should strive to hit, so yes. It's a healthy goal to try to hit, it's not a contest to see who can be the furthest below goal. That wouldn't even make sense. EAT. Your vital organs will thank you.

xraychick77

its a myth that you need to 'eat more' to lose weight.

the thing is...without knowing any of your stats its hard for anyone to say anything.

the FACT is..if you eat below your total energy expenditure you will lose weight..now how far below dictates where you lose that weight.. too low and your body will use up muscle tissue as well as fat. which is never desirable. your body doesnt magically shut down its metabolic activities because you only eat 1200 cals or whatever. plus, i never count my exercise either..why? because its already accounted for in the activity level you chose. what is the point in working out burning a thousand calories only to eat them back? there is no point..and in fact too much exercise can hinder (not stop) weight loss. it starts to affect hormones and such. more exercise does not 'boost' metabolism.

there are two types of metabolis or energy expenditure..your basal and your activity. your basal is unchageable..the only one you have control over is your activity.

mallory3411

If you don't eat enough your body will hold onto what you give it. You need to properly fuel your body to get it to work properly.

On MFP exercise that you donis NOT counted into your total calorie amount. Yes you say when setting up your profile how often and for how long you work out but it isn't factored into the calorie goal the site gives you. Don't believe me, change your exercise goals to none and calories will not change. The only activity type thing that changes caloric goals is the activity level for your job.

To the original poster... not sure what you are afraid of but without seeing your diary we cannot help you much.

30yearssincebikini

Did you say you are eating 800 BELOW your target? Without eating exercise calories? No wonder you don't want to open your diary-there is nothing written in it!

ahinski

its a myth that you need to 'eat more' to lose weight.

What do you mean by "eat more"... more than what? If you want to have successful weight loss, you need a caloric deficit, but if that caloric deficit is too low for too long, you will need to eat more (yet still maintain a caloric deficit just not as low) in order to lose weight. It's not only a fact, it's my real-life experience.

xraychick77

xray... can you explain? You will lose weight if you go low on calories yes. will it be healthy and lasting losses? Not a chance.

It is FACT that you need to eat to lose healthy. Your body requires certain calories to just function and run your organs. Very low calorie diets are incredibly bad for someones health, organs, brain etc.

of course..but the way people just re-hash these diet myths around here without even having any real proof or scientific knowledge about the subject irritates me. i am not saying i am an expert by any means, i'm still just a biology student..nutrition is still a growing field with MANY unknowns, even to experts. but the fact is, you will lose weight if you expend more calories than you take in. period. is it healthy to starve yourself..no..i never said that. but facts are facts..and fact is your body doesnt shut down or store calories for later if you starve yourself. it HAS to use them. look up true starvation. its a slap in the face to people who are truely starving in this world for us to sit around in our affluent world and say 'i'm fat because i dont eat enough'.

daphnemoon

I think you just have to experiment with eating different %s of your exercise cals to see what works for you. The past three weeks I've been eating about 50% - 75% of my ex cals back and I have lost nothing.

Yet if I don't eat above my 1200 MFP target I am starving. You can't win sometimes

xraychick77

its a myth that you need to 'eat more' to lose weight.

What do you mean by "eat more"... more than what? If you want to have successful weight loss, you need a caloric deficit, but if that caloric deficit is too low for too long, you will need to eat more (yet still maintain a caloric deficit just not as low) in order to lose weight. It's not only a fact, it's my real-life experience.

any type of 'stall' or so called plateaus people have is due to our bodies adjusting and becoming efficient at either exercise or our eating habits. so of course changing anything, from eating more to eating less will spur on continued change.

vmwmvb

According to my nutrition class you should eat a normal diet in order to lose weight. In other words at least eat the 1200 calories that are recommended...starvation mode is not something you want to place your body in. 1. You lose weight WAY to fast, 2. Your body will break down its storage and then start breaking down proteins you need to for basic functions. 3. Your body will remember that you were in starvation mode and make sure to collect storage when you start eating again so it is ready for the next starvation. Just look at animal and how their weight fluctuates depending on the season.

I do not eat all my calories either but I make sure that I get the 1200 in. (Today is not a good day to look at my diary since I had a 'cheat' day...) However, when I have days where I have burned 2000 calories in exercise I make sure to eat at least a little of them so that my net intake is not negative, Honey believe me you may lose fast, but you will hit the phase where you stop losing and eventually your body becomes so sluggish you will have to eat. After that you put on weight so fast you wont know what hit you. I would know...I have done the starvation thing

PinkEarthMama

Without seeing your diary, and knowing how many calories you're taking in... there is no way to help you.

I strive to eat all of my calories, and nearly all of my exercise calories. Occasionally, I knowingly go over. I'd rather lose weight REALLY slowly than be starving all the time.