what to do???

raebear79

So I usually consider myself a smart person but I must admit I am a bit confused. My daily calorie intake is set at 1200 per MFP suggestion. I usually burn between 200 and 400 calories on days I work out. MFP says the more calories you burn the more food you can eat, but many of you say not to eat the exercised calories back. So that would leave me consuming only 800-1000 calories per day. I also read that going below 1200 calories will put my body into starvation mode and will stall my weight loss. Not sure what to do. I am 5'2" and weigh 129lbs. I am wanting to loose 15 to 20 pounds. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

sleepytexan

Here's one of my old posts from a similar topic:

OK. I'm gonna give this a shot. I am an avid lifelong athlete. I have never been overweight, however, I used to eat too few calories (without knowing it), and a couple years ago, I actually GAINED weight bc of having slowed my metabolism to the point that every little extra treat I ate caused a weight gain, even though overall my calories were too low. THIS DOES HAPPEN.

It is also the reason so many fat people stay fat. They restrict their calories so low, slow their metabolisms, binge (even a little), gain weight, restrict more . . . . and so on and so on. But they are still fat.

It is also the reason most people can't lose that last 10-20 lbs. For real.

1. MFP has a deficit built in. Let's say you're trying to lose 1 lb/ week. That is a 500/day deficit from your BMR (the amount of calories your body needs to complete basic functions.

2. You exercise and burn 500 calories. Now you are at a 1000 deficit. If you eat back those 500 exercise calories, you refuel your body and you still have a 500 deficit for that 1 lb loss. If you DON'T eat back those calories, you have too little fuel. This is bad. This is too much of a deficit for basic functions. If you do this for a long time, you will STOP LOSING WEIGHT. Why? bc your metabolism will slow down -- it's like a brownout--not quite enough electricity to make the whole city (your body) run, so it has to slow down some things. You will probably start being tired a lot, your skin and hair might start to look worse, and you might even gain weight. But you might NOT be hungry -- your body is getting used to fewer calories. That's bad.


That's when you start to gain weight. Let's say you're running along, eating 1200 calories a day, and exercising 400 calories a day, so net is 800. You're losing, you think this is great. You keep doing it, but after a while you stop losing. hmmmmm. One weekend you go out to a special event and have a slice of pizza and a beer. 1 slice of pizza and 1 beer. So you ate maybe 2000 calories that day and exercised off 400, so net 1600. BOOM! You gain 3 lbs! What?!

Next, you freak out and restrict yourself down to 1000 calories a day and work out extra hard, burning 500 calories. Great, netting 500 now. You don't lose any weight, but you sure feel tired. Better get some red bull.

Are you getting the picture?

EDIT: When you work out, you need fuel. Food is fuel. If you don't eat back those exercise calories, you will not only have a big calorie deficit, you will have an ENERGY deficit. Remember, the calorie deficit for weight loss is built in when you use MFP. Exercising basically earns you more calories because you must refuel.
--

There are many people who will tell you not to eat exercise calories. Before you take their advice, you might want to see whether they are at goal, have EVER been at goal, or have ever been able to maintain at goal. If anyone says to you 'THE LAST TIME I LOST WEIGHT", just stop listening right there.

Ask some athletes whether or not they replenish their bodies with food equal to the calories they burn. Ask people who are fit and have achieved and maintained a healthy weight for some years. Don't ask people who count walking across a parking lot as exercise.

Here's an interesting case study about how to stay fat while consuming only 700 calories a day. Take a moment, you'll be glad you did:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing

blessings.

hapoo100

the set amount from mfp gives you the weight loss rate you desire. if you exercise and dont consume those back and go below 1200, you will set your body up to slow way down...consume muscle, enter starvation mode. Loss of energy, etc. happen quite often in that arena.

trust me, I am no expert, this is just how I understand it.

r1veram

Hi! It sounds like you are confused.

You need to eat 1200 calories to lose weight at your current activity level. When you do more exercise, you can eat those calories (1200+300=1500) and still lose weight at the same rate (1 to 2 lbs a week). But if you continue eating 1200 calories and exercising 300 calories, you should be able to lose weight a little faster. That is why people say don't eat the extra calories allowed with exercise. So in fact, eating 1200 calories and exercising 300 calories is like you were eating 900 calories....but you are still eating 1200 calories.

Hope this helps.

raebear79

Thanks for all the info:flowerforyou: .I have a more clear picture and I hope I can get my weight lose back on track. Being stuck on the weight roller coaster was fraustrating

sleepytexan

Hi! It sounds like you are confused.

You need to eat 1200 calories to lose weight at your current activity level. When you do more exercise, you can eat those calories (1200+300=1500) and still lose weight at the same rate (1 to 2 lbs a week). But if you continue eating 1200 calories and exercising 300 calories, you should be able to lose weight a little faster. That is why people say don't eat the extra calories allowed with exercise. So in fact, eating 1200 calories and exercising 300 calories is like you were eating 900 calories....but you are still eating 1200 calories.

Hope this helps.

NO NO NO. WRONG. Please refer to my post above, because this is hogwash.

raebear79

Sleepytexan your info seems to make more sense to me..plz no offense to the other post. the more imput the better but i dont want to put my body into starvation mode and it seems not eating my exercised calories will do that

CaseRat

Hi! It sounds like you are confused.

You need to eat 1200 calories to lose weight at your current activity level. When you do more exercise, you can eat those calories (1200+300=1500) and still lose weight at the same rate (1 to 2 lbs a week). But if you continue eating 1200 calories and exercising 300 calories, you should be able to lose weight a little faster. That is why people say don't eat the extra calories allowed with exercise. So in fact, eating 1200 calories and exercising 300 calories is like you were eating 900 calories....but you are still eating 1200 calories.

Hope this helps.

NO NO NO. WRONG. Please refer to my post above, because this is hogwash.

Agreed. THIS IS WRONG.

You need to NET at least 1,200!
I was netting 2,200 and still losing weight. I may be a male, but that doesn't mean that you need to eat over 1,000 calories less than me to lose weight.

sleepytexan

Hi! It sounds like you are confused.

You need to eat 1200 calories to lose weight at your current activity level. When you do more exercise, you can eat those calories (1200+300=1500) and still lose weight at the same rate (1 to 2 lbs a week). But if you continue eating 1200 calories and exercising 300 calories, you should be able to lose weight a little faster. That is why people say don't eat the extra calories allowed with exercise. So in fact, eating 1200 calories and exercising 300 calories is like you were eating 900 calories....but you are still eating 1200 calories.

Hope this helps.

NO NO NO. WRONG. Please refer to my post above, because this is hogwash.

Agreed. THIS IS WRONG.

You need to NET at least 1,200!
I was netting 2,200 and still losing weight. I may be a male, but that doesn't mean that you need to eat over 1,000 calories less than me to lose weight.

I eat 1850 - 2200 per day. 5'4, female.

LordBezoar

Hi! It sounds like you are confused.

You need to eat 1200 calories to lose weight at your current activity level. When you do more exercise, you can eat those calories (1200+300=1500) and still lose weight at the same rate (1 to 2 lbs a week). But if you continue eating 1200 calories and exercising 300 calories, you should be able to lose weight a little faster. That is why people say don't eat the extra calories allowed with exercise. So in fact, eating 1200 calories and exercising 300 calories is like you were eating 900 calories....but you are still eating 1200 calories.

Hope this helps.

NO NO NO. WRONG. Please refer to my post above, because this is hogwash.

Agreed. THIS IS WRONG.

You need to NET at least 1,200!
I was netting 2,200 and still losing weight. I may be a male, but that doesn't mean that you need to eat over 1,000 calories less than me to lose weight.

I'm going to add my affirmation that you do not listen to this lady. SleepyTexan has it correct.

raebear79

Hi! It sounds like you are confused.

You need to eat 1200 calories to lose weight at your current activity level. When you do more exercise, you can eat those calories (1200+300=1500) and still lose weight at the same rate (1 to 2 lbs a week). But if you continue eating 1200 calories and exercising 300 calories, you should be able to lose weight a little faster. That is why people say don't eat the extra calories allowed with exercise. So in fact, eating 1200 calories and exercising 300 calories is like you were eating 900 calories....but you are still eating 1200 calories.

Hope this helps.

NO NO NO. WRONG. Please refer to my post above, because this is hogwash.

Agreed. THIS IS WRONG.

You need to NET at least 1,200!
I was netting 2,200 and still losing weight. I may be a male, but that doesn't mean that you need to eat over 1,000 calories less than me to lose weight.

ok so i will be sure to eat at least my 1200 per day and see if my weight starts to go down. I thought it was a good thing when I closed the day under my allowed calories but now I see I was sabotaging myself. Thank you

maryellen8301

2. You exercise and burn 500 calories. Now you are at a 1000 deficit. If you eat back those 500 exercise calories, you refuel your body and you still have a 500 deficit for that 1 lb loss. If you DON'T eat back those calories, you have too little fuel. This is bad. This is too much of a deficit for basic functions. If you do this for a long time, you will STOP LOSING WEIGHT. Why? bc your metabolism will slow down -- it's like a brownout--not quite enough electricity to make the whole city (your body) run, so it has to slow down some things. You will probably start being tired a lot, your skin and hair might start to look worse, and you might even gain weight. But you might NOT be hungry -- your body is getting used to fewer calories. That's bad.


EDIT: When you work out, you need fuel. Food is fuel. If you don't eat back those exercise calories, you will not only have a big calorie deficit, you will have an ENERGY deficit. Remember, the calorie deficit for weight loss is built in when you use MFP. Exercising basically earns you more calories because you must refuel.


~~omg thank you for the simplest explanation of weight loss.. i completely understand that.. i was having the same problem and now i am watching my net calories more than ever..even in the few short days that i have increased my net i have seen some weight loss as apposed to plateau i was stuck at THANK YOU SOO MUCH