I'm new and have a ?

AlyssaLoflin

So, I got on here for the first time in May I guess, but I haven't actually used it or really been committed to my weight loss. Now I just have to, so I'm going to stick to it this time (yeah I've said that a thousand times like everyone else). The last time that I was really determined to loose weight, I went on weight watchers and lost 45 lbs. Well I've now gained 30 of that back, which well sucks, and was partly due to medication I was on to prevent migraines by decreasing stress levels. When I finally figured that out, I decided that if it was causing me to gain weight, then it was definitely not decreasing stress enough so I stopped it and now am just trying to use exercise and meditation as a stress reducer. The weight gain was also to due with my lack of exercise and huge sweet tooth. I think myfitnesspal will be a very helpful tool to my weight loss, as it is very similar to the weight watchers program I used, it just uses calories instead of points (though the points are figured out by calories).
So, to my actual question; When I add in cardio that I have done for the day it adds those calories to my daily "goal" for calories to be eaten, should I try to eat some of these or just stick to the normal 1250 goal that it gives me? When I was on weight watchers, I did their point system and it did something similar, it would add half the points you burned so basically half the calories, and I found that sometimes it was good to eat some of them but on a regular basis I didn't eat many, if any of the extra calories/points that I burned. My husband says to just completely ignore the extra calories that I burn and don't eat into them. Let me know what you think. Also it doesn't tell me how much I burn for any strength training exercises that I do, how should I figure that out?

Thanks for any help :happy:

Tinker73

Let me start with a Congrats:drinker: that you came back and started again.I have been on my journey for 2 years now and lost a total of 88 lbs.Just like you I was with Weight Watchers before and was successful in loosing weight.I however ate half of my exercise points.For awhile I was only eating the calories this site gives me and ended up gaining weight.Depends on the level of your activity you should atleast eat half of your calories from exercising to avoid "starvation mode".AS per your question on weight training you can add it to the cardiovascular exercise which will give you calories burned, but I dont use those calories to eat more.I hope this helps you out with the questions you had.Keep up the good work:flowerforyou:

stormieweather

Welcome!

Here is the way I look at it...

If I eat 1200 calories to stay out of 'starvation mode', and I exercise 500 calories away, that is 1200 - 500 = 700 which puts me in dangerous territory as far as my metabolism is concerned. So I try to eat most of what I exercise, making the formula look like this instead: 1200 - 500 = 700 + 500 = 1200. So what is the point of exercising, you say? To speed up the metabolism, to create muscles (which burn more calories than fat), to tone the flab left from losing weight, and to benefit my health in general.

That's MY opinion and what is working for me, anyway :bigsmile:

jules1984

YES YES YES EAT YOUR EXERCISE CALORIES.

1250 is the amount of calories you should be NETTING by the end of the day. This means what what you eat - what you exercise. If you worked out you've earned those calories so eat em' up. Think of it this way. If you need 1550 to maintain and exercise 300 off, you'd net 1250 and that would be correct. If you don't exercise one day, eat 1250 to create your calorie deficit from 1550.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo
Please please read that.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10665-newbies-please-read-me-2nd-edition
That too for more info.

:flowerforyou:

CasperO

Everybody's different, and I've changed my routine several times to beat plateaus.

When I started I was just dieting. I was a really big heavy guy (270 pounds) and my calorie intake was about 2000 a day, and that was fine, I wasn't uncomfortable.

When I got to 260 MFP adjusted my intake down to 1920 or something, and that was lean but I was Ok. When I got to 250 it dropped me down to 1850, and then it was starting to get hard. When I got to 240 it cut me down to about 1780 a day and that just wasn't enough food and I was $&%in' miserable.

So then I went to Walmart and blew $300 on an elliptical machine, and now I'm doing 30 minutes a day, earning 400-500 extra calories and I'm feeling great and I get enough to eat and I'm still meeting my weightloss goals. I also really feel like I've made a real lifestyle change that I'll be able to sustain and not gain the weight back.

Anyways,,, I eat my exercise calories, and I do my exercise, and I'm making progress and doing great and feeling better than I've felt in a long time. I got my 34" waist jeans back (I was in 40's at new years')!!!.

Works for me, and it'll work for you too. Welcome aboard and good luck.

MOMOFTWO29

Hello and welcome to MFP. This site is awesome. You will love it here if you don't already. I love it here. It is so motivational, supportive, helpful, easy to use and everyone is so nice and friendly here. I just wanted to tell you good luck on your weight loss journey. You can do this!!!!!!!! :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: