Under the Calorie Goal-Why is it bad?

Mrfuzbear

Can someone explain to me why the calorie goal is important? I mean I hear things like just snack on crackers all day, etc. I mean as long as your eating something your body wont shut down right?

Forgive me if it sounds stupid. I am VERY under-educated in the health department, as people can clearly tell.

What is the most honest and best way to slowly lose weight
(without putting a lot of emphasis on exercising until more weight is lost to make that not be such a pain in the a**)

mommamuscles

I highly recommend you check out the group Eat more to weigh less, I think you'd find a lot of answers to your questions there.

sharpeoplepc

Try to eat most of your calories. focus on lots of fruits and veggies, lean protein and whole grains. Those things will make you feel more full. When I have a snack, I always make sure I have some protein with it. Here are some of the snacks that I enjoy:

Greek yogurt and a piece of fruit
Beef or Turkey Jerky and a piece of fruit
A few crackers and a piece of string cheese
Granola bar and a glass of 1 % milk

If you eat too few calories, your body will consume muscle for energy. You may lose weight, but it will be valuable muscle.

I hope that helps!

Oh yeah, drink lots of water too!

LiddyBit

Look for some credible sources on the starvation mode myth. You are fine if you are under your caloric goals. I highly doubt you will starve yourself into shutting down your bodily functions.

The best way to lose weight is to make slow changes to your lifestyle that you can sustain over a long period of time. For a lot of people, you can't just diet and exercise temporarily until you're at your goal weight and then go back to your old habits. You have to make changes you can stick to forever.

adietron

The best way to lose weight is to make slow changes to your lifestyle that you can sustain over a long period of time. For a lot of people, you can't just diet and exercise temporarily until you're at your goal weight and then go back to your old habits. You have to make changes you can stick to forever.

^^^ THIS.

The ONLY way to lose weight is by burning more calories than you consume. PERIOD. There are lots of unhealthy, unsustainable ways to do this.

If you keep track of what you eat (calorie goal), then you know how much exercise you need to lose weight. It's that simple.

Yes, you can lose weight if you only change one side of the equation (eating). But, you'll always lose more weight if you change BOTH sides of the equation (diet and exercise). The key is doing this in a way that you could see yourself doing for the rest of your life. Not that you need to live in a calorie deficit all your life... just think of slowly changing your grocery list into something you can maintain forever.

http://www.teambeachbody.com/eat-smart/michis-ladder

Mrfuzbear

Thanks for all of the information everyone, I appreciate it. I didn't know that your body ate its own muscle over fat and calories. That's kinda scary, in itself. I will totally hit my calorie count everyday then, even if its nothing but bananas XD

LiddyBit

Thanks for all of the information everyone, I appreciate it. I didn't know that your body ate its own muscle over fat and calories. That's kinda scary, in itself. I will totally hit my calorie count everyday then, even if its nothing but bananas XD

Why do you think this? It is not true. Your body will not cannibalize itself if you hit under your calories a few times.

mystic_elegance

Your body needs a certain amount of calories to survive, this is based on how active you are. The reason most places do not recommend losing more than 2 pounds a week is because its hard on your body and organs. You need to look up your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate). It varies based on many things, height, weight, age, exercise, how active you are ect. I stil dont think it is very healthy to do just the minimum to survive. Its not about dieting, its about permanent life style changes. Learning how to eat and educating yourself on how to maintain once the weight is off.

iwantahealthierme13

I'm almost always under my calories unless I don't exercise. I don't eat all of my exercise cals back. I eat when I'm hungry if I'm not hungry I don't eat. That's worked. Don't worry about the goal as long as you're not over by a lot.

gostumpy

According to everyone cheering everyone else for being under their calorie goal, I'm pretty sure it's a good thing

ipsamet

I honestly just feel better when I eat more - I have more energy, my mood is better, I can think straight, AND my weight loss is more consistent when I hit my calorie goal. So why wouldn't I?

MoreBean13

I don't know who has been telling you to eat crackers all day, but I think that is very bad advice. I'm not a low-carber, but most crackers are just wasted garbage calories. If you need to snack to add calories, try to do it with nutritious foods- fruits, vegetables, greek yogurt, nuts, hummus, peanut butter, and the occasional crackers.

kdeaux1959

You don't want to be too far under your goal simply because you want to lose fat and not muscle... However, some suggest that if you don't eat them all and preferably more you will actually shut down your body metabolism. Gotta love that one... After all, overeating is how most of us got in this predicament. On the other hand, eating too little will possibly cost you muscle mass since you would have inadequate protein to maintain muslce. Eating crackers all day will not help in that regard... We all need a well balanced diet to maintain optimum function.

duhblond

From what Ive found... going too far under your calorie goal will just slow down your metabolism, plus it can leave you feeling tired and grumpy.
Just look at what you are considering eating before putting it in your mouth. I try and limit processed food.
Just eating crackers is a bad idea...
Try and eat a balanced meal.
If you need snacks try peanut butter, fruits, veggies, yogurt, nuts,. Things like that and you will feel better and be healthier in general. crackers are empty calories which will also prob hold too much sodium.
also whenever you cut most all from your diet... even if you do lose weight from it, once you start introducing food back into your diet you will just regain the weight.
Best bet is all things in moderation.
Good luck to you

muppetsbear

I always try to stay under my calories as a buffer just in case my math or information on calorie amounts is off. That way I don't go over unknowingly on a consistant basis.

TeaRexParty

This is just me personally but if I don't eat all my calories one day on accident because I wasn't hungry, I don't worry about it. I usually end up having a day somewhere in the week where I'm super hungry and go over a bit that makes up for it and it seems to average out.

As far as just eating bananas or crackers, the thing about that is you'll end up getting more cravings and being hungry which can lead to some crazy over eating over the long term. Plus your body needs good nutrition. Better to try and eat somewhat healthy but still have the foods you love in moderation than to eat all just one thing.

Oh and also I got a food scale pretty inexpensively. They are pretty quick and easy to use when you're putting stuff together and I found I was shorting myself on some stuff, going over on others. The first time I used it I was like "wow THAT's an ounce of shredded cheese? I can have alot more on my salad than I thought" lol

Lozze

It won't be an issue if it's few and far between but being under your cals by over 1000 is not a good habit to get into. Don't try and do this all at once, you'll just discourage yourself.

As a guy you need more calories than women. You also have a lot to lose. So therefore need more. 2800 cals is prob at the lower end of what you should be eating.

Good luck!

em9371

Ive had a look at your diary, eating more than 1000 calories below goal is not good. The 'calories remaining' at the bottom of your diary should be as close to 0 as you can get.
Your goal was set as a healthy loss for your height / weight, if you consistently under eat by so much you will lose muscle, which means your body burns less calories, which means you have to eat less and less, see where this is going???

Your sugar is ridiculously high, your fats and protein are too low. Macros are just as important as calories, it can be hard to get it right at first but its all down to planning. I ususally log my diary the night before, I will start with dinner as thats the biggest meal, then lunch, then breakfast and snacks. You will soon learn which combinations work best to fit your goals - eg if I am having pasta for tea, I wont have a sandwich for lunch as they are both high in carbs.

You need to eat more proper foods rather than just yogurt, fruit and cereal!!! Foods that are 'low fat' are usually high in sugar - your 'low fat' yogurt alone has way more than your daily sugar count. Foods that are 'sugar free' usually have lots of added chemicals.
Try to eat things like chicken, turkey, lean beef, fish, naturally lower fat cheeses like mozzarella, cottage cheese, ricotta, feta etc, whole grains (brown rice / pasta / cous cous / quinoa), lots of vegetables & fruit (5 portions a day is the minimum, try to get more veg to keep the sugar count down - fruit is good but in large quantities the sugar can add up), healthy fats like olive oil, nuts, avocado.
My diary is open if you want to take a look for meal ideas x

Exercise is important too, it has so many health benefits other than weight loss - even if you feel like you cant do much at the minute, a walk around the block is a good starting point, when you can do that easily, walk 2 blocks etc.
You should look at starting some weight training if possible. Muscle burns more calories than fat, so by building muscle it will be easier for you to lose the lbs. Dieting without exercise will lead to muscle loss and it will get harder to lose.

divacat80

The safest way to lose weight?
It might take longer than other marketed diets and strategies, but i was told to follow USFDA "MY Plate" guidelines, and exercise every day. That means eating all food groups, small portions, 5 meals a day.

Also, you need to change your lifestyle to keep your weight off and you can't achieve that overnight. Each week cut something from your lifestyle that might be making you gain fat. If you do it slowly it will be easier!

Good luck!

Lozze

Your sugar is ridiculously high, your fats and protein are too low. Macros are just as important as calories, it can be hard to get it right at first but its all down to planning. I ususally log my diary the night before, I will start with dinner as thats the biggest meal, then lunch, then breakfast and snacks. You will soon learn which combinations work best to fit your goals - eg if I am having pasta for tea, I wont have a sandwich for lunch as they are both high in carbs.

You realize this was the OPs FIRST diary and is probably already a significant change on what he's eaten previously? Yes macros are important but you don't criticize a drowning persons stroke technique.

SorchaRavenlock

Take baby steps. Changing everything over in one go is daunting and can cause you to despair and give up.

Try to stay near the calories given to you by MFP, make sure you get your 5 a day and drink your water, and going for a walk every day (like you are doing) is a great start. As you go on you can make more changes, and see what fits you.

Good luck, just by being here you are off on a great start!

em9371

Your sugar is ridiculously high, your fats and protein are too low. Macros are just as important as calories, it can be hard to get it right at first but its all down to planning. I ususally log my diary the night before, I will start with dinner as thats the biggest meal, then lunch, then breakfast and snacks. You will soon learn which combinations work best to fit your goals - eg if I am having pasta for tea, I wont have a sandwich for lunch as they are both high in carbs.

You realize this was the OPs FIRST diary and is probably already a significant change on what he's eaten previously? Yes macros are important but you don't criticize a drowning persons stroke technique.

I do realise that, I ate absolute crap before joining MFP, but my first diary was at least attempting to follow the goals MFP had set me - starting out SO wrong is not going to help OP.
I didnt mean to criticize, my overall post was intended to be helpful, I thought explaining an easy way to meet macros rather than just saying 'you must eat XXX, dont eat XXX' would help OP see its not as hard to do as he may think.

Mrfuzbear

Your sugar is ridiculously high, your fats and protein are too low. Macros are just as important as calories, it can be hard to get it right at first but its all down to planning. I ususally log my diary the night before, I will start with dinner as thats the biggest meal, then lunch, then breakfast and snacks. You will soon learn which combinations work best to fit your goals - eg if I am having pasta for tea, I wont have a sandwich for lunch as they are both high in carbs.

You realize this was the OPs FIRST diary and is probably already a significant change on what he's eaten previously? Yes macros are important but you don't criticize a drowning persons stroke technique.

I do realise that, I ate absolute crap before joining MFP, but my first diary was at least attempting to follow the goals MFP had set me - starting out SO wrong is not going to help OP.
I didnt mean to criticize, my overall post was intended to be helpful, I thought explaining an easy way to meet macros rather than just saying 'you must eat XXX, dont eat XXX' would help OP see its not as hard to do as he may think.

^,^
Although taking offense initially, I did come to the conclusion by the end of the post that you were being helpful.
The guy IS right It was my fist attempt at filling out the food diary and I didnt know that the page saved before you filled out the rest of the diary for the rest of the day. Needless to say I went over that mark by a few hundred. I gave myself props for eating and cooking a quarter of what I would normally though.

I personally did not think to look at the sugar count in the yogurt, I get told often by people to hit that up, and well I did xD

So...macros? What The Hell? I am a gamer and macro's are terms we use for using keys to instantly do something that they weren't intended to do. I don't think that same term applies here. A little explanation could help me out there

I am a pretty decent "go with the flow" kind of guy. I don't usually think people are out to get me with comments-so em, loz-and everyone else that has posted. I greatly appreciate feedback, even if its blunt like Em

wahmx3

This!

Ive had a look at your diary, eating more than 1000 calories below goal is not good. The 'calories remaining' at the bottom of your diary should be as close to 0 as you can get.
Your goal was set as a healthy loss for your height / weight, if you consistently under eat by so much you will lose muscle, which means your body burns less calories, which means you have to eat less and less, see where this is going???

Your sugar is ridiculously high, your fats and protein are too low. Macros are just as important as calories, it can be hard to get it right at first but its all down to planning. I ususally log my diary the night before, I will start with dinner as thats the biggest meal, then lunch, then breakfast and snacks. You will soon learn which combinations work best to fit your goals - eg if I am having pasta for tea, I wont have a sandwich for lunch as they are both high in carbs.

You need to eat more proper foods rather than just yogurt, fruit and cereal!!! Foods that are 'low fat' are usually high in sugar - your 'low fat' yogurt alone has way more than your daily sugar count. Foods that are 'sugar free' usually have lots of added chemicals.
Try to eat things like chicken, turkey, lean beef, fish, naturally lower fat cheeses like mozzarella, cottage cheese, ricotta, feta etc, whole grains (brown rice / pasta / cous cous / quinoa), lots of vegetables & fruit (5 portions a day is the minimum, try to get more veg to keep the sugar count down - fruit is good but in large quantities the sugar can add up), healthy fats like olive oil, nuts, avocado.
My diary is open if you want to take a look for meal ideas x

Exercise is important too, it has so many health benefits other than weight loss - even if you feel like you cant do much at the minute, a walk around the block is a good starting point, when you can do that easily, walk 2 blocks etc.
You should look at starting some weight training if possible. Muscle burns more calories than fat, so by building muscle it will be easier for you to lose the lbs. Dieting without exercise will lead to muscle loss and it will get harder to lose.

Lozze

I do realise that, I ate absolute crap before joining MFP, but my first diary was at least attempting to follow the goals MFP had set me - starting out SO wrong is not going to help OP.
I didnt mean to criticize, my overall post was intended to be helpful, I thought explaining an easy way to meet macros rather than just saying 'you must eat XXX, dont eat XXX' would help OP see its not as hard to do as he may think.

I get that I do. But someone who's just starting (and remember the OP is 160lbs overweight) is going to look at that and their eyes will cross. That stuff is important yes, but when you are just starting out its not necessary. The best thing for the OP is to be given healthier options not told he's still eating crap and do better. That isn't helpful.

TeaRexParty

So...macros? What The Hell? I am a gamer and macro's are terms we use for using keys to instantly do something that they weren't intended to do. I don't think that same term applies here. A little explanation could help me out there

Being a gamer too I thought the same thing, lol. But whenever I see something I know I have to go google :X If I'm understanding its just the word used for fats, proteins, sugars and carbs?

Anyway I'm pretty new to the site and always used another site to log my food but after Em's comment on comparing to MFP I had to go look. It's pretty neat that they have it pre figured out based on calories. I don't see me being super strict on that yet though, it'll make me crazy. But it will be nice to see if I'm going way overboard in one area continually.

em9371

Your sugar is ridiculously high, your fats and protein are too low. Macros are just as important as calories, it can be hard to get it right at first but its all down to planning. I ususally log my diary the night before, I will start with dinner as thats the biggest meal, then lunch, then breakfast and snacks. You will soon learn which combinations work best to fit your goals - eg if I am having pasta for tea, I wont have a sandwich for lunch as they are both high in carbs.

You realize this was the OPs FIRST diary and is probably already a significant change on what he's eaten previously? Yes macros are important but you don't criticize a drowning persons stroke technique.

I do realise that, I ate absolute crap before joining MFP, but my first diary was at least attempting to follow the goals MFP had set me - starting out SO wrong is not going to help OP.
I didnt mean to criticize, my overall post was intended to be helpful, I thought explaining an easy way to meet macros rather than just saying 'you must eat XXX, dont eat XXX' would help OP see its not as hard to do as he may think.

^,^
Although taking offense initially, I did come to the conclusion by the end of the post that you were being helpful.
The guy IS right It was my fist attempt at filling out the food diary and I didnt know that the page saved before you filled out the rest of the diary for the rest of the day. Needless to say I went over that mark by a few hundred. I gave myself props for eating and cooking a quarter of what I would normally though.

I personally did not think to look at the sugar count in the yogurt, I get told often by people to hit that up, and well I did xD

So...macros? What The Hell? I am a gamer and macro's are terms we use for using keys to instantly do something that they weren't intended to do. I don't think that same term applies here. A little explanation could help me out there

I am a pretty decent "go with the flow" kind of guy. I don't usually think people are out to get me with comments-so em, loz-and everyone else that has posted. I greatly appreciate feedback, even if its blunt like Em

OP, apologies if I offended you, I was only trying to help and if you have eaten 1/4 of what you usually do that's a great start!!!!!
I've been dieting on and off for years, so I kind of assume that everyone knows what's in their food, if you have not dieted before there is no reason you would know this, my bad :-(

Macros are the amount of protein / fat / carbs / sugar etc.