Should I eat all my calories?

snackman92

Hey all, I just started a few weeks ago and I had a question.
RIght now MFP will allow me to eat 1700 calories a day. I have been either eating as low as 1500 to 1700 calories daily. I was wondering if I shouldn't do this? I mean I thought having slightly less calories was good but ive been reading the boards and would like some clarification.

Also, probably a more important question: Today I burned 350 calories by excersiing, so MFP compensated and allowed me to eat 2050.
In this case, is it more beneficial to eat 1700 or all of the 2050.

If I should eat all my calories, what should i increase it with?? fruits/veggies? a small meal?

Thanks for any answers ^_^

oh btw: whats the latest time I should eat? 3 hours before I sleep?

sleepytexan

eat all your calories, including exercise calories. Do not listen to people who tell you not to eat exercise calories because it will magically make you lose weight faster. It won't. Do not listen to people who tell you not to eat exercise calories because "they don't and it works for them" and they are not at goal and having maintained goal for at least a year. Do not listen to people who tell you not to eat exercise calories because "the LAST TIME they lost weight, blah blah blah".

In summary, do not listen to people who tell you not to eat exercise calories.

Here's why you should eat them:

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

Read it, even if you're not obese.

Then read this to further understand:

EDIT: bad link, sorry have to repost the whole thing:

From 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.

sleepytexan

the less processed food you eat, the better, meaning the closer to the original state of the food, the better. Cheez-whiz is not cheese.

there is no time limit for when you should eat.

Also don't cut out food groups, take diet pills or supplements or do fad diets. There is no magic pill. Eat right and exercise. Repeat.

jazee11

I agree with the above poster.



Eat all of your assigned calories, including the workout calories. Stay away from the processed food stuffs. Eat til you are done with your day with out a cut off time.

snackman92

So this means maybe I should maybe slightly overeat after I eat all my calories?
I know I said I live a sedentary lifestyle in my profile but I am actually a little more active, but I dont report that.

and thanks for the advice guys!

lovinmomma

So this means maybe I should maybe slightly overeat after I eat all my calories?
I know I said I live a sedentary lifestyle in my profile but I am actually a little more active, but I dont report that.

and thanks for the advice guys!

Either add in the little things you do, like cleaning, gardening ect. or switch to lightly active. I personally think as long as you stay above 1600 and eat back your work out cals you should be just fine. I personally aim for about 2100 calories a day but i have a very active life

Odin_The_AllFather

sleepytexan wrote: »

eat all your calories, including exercise calories. Do not listen to people who tell you not to eat exercise calories because it will magically make you lose weight faster. It won't. Do not listen to people who tell you not to eat exercise calories because "they don't and it works for them" and they are not at goal and having maintained goal for at least a year. Do not listen to people who tell you not to eat exercise calories because "the LAST TIME they lost weight, blah blah blah".

In summary, do not listen to people who tell you not to eat exercise calories.

Here's why you should eat them:

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

Read it, even if you're not obese.

Then read this to further understand:

EDIT: bad link, sorry have to repost the whole thing:

From 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.

This dude is dropping gems back in 2012, still relevant today. Great post and advice.

robertw486

Eat your calories at least most of the time.... IF you have a reasonable weight loss goal set and are reaching that goal on average. If you are not at least near your goal, double check your logging of both food and exercise, and if they seem accurate adjust as needed.

If your logging is accurate and you are maintaining or losing weight per your settings, then eating less will over time take a toll on hormones, eating habits, etc. While you can do it, long term it usually catches up. In some cases you can be feeling fine, but just not as capable as usual. This might impact workouts, or even general energy levels as well. If you do harder workouts, you will notice sooner.


As for the myth of starvation mode, it's a myth. If you stay in a deficit you will lose weight. Your metabolism can be affected, but you won't stop losing weight until your calorie intake matches your body size. The myth of certain foods is just that as well. Though it makes more sense to eat a variety of foods and nothing wrong with keeping them in a more natural state, science does not confirm that eating processed foods is bad as a whole. Overconsumption of anything can make you gain weight, deficiencies in nutrients is bad regardless of the why, and balance for most isn't that hard.

If anyone thinks processed food is a nail in the coffin, DON'T look into the Twinkie Diet. It essentially proved that you can eat junk and lose weight.



ETA: I just replied to a zombie thread and didn't realize until it was too late! I'm leaving it up because it still applies, and to humble myself!

PAV8888

Yeah, but it was a good response! 👍

nossmf

The one caveat not mentioned anywhere has to do with eat back all your ACCURATE calories burned. Some of the entries in the MFP database are suspect that you actually burn as many calories as it claims. Do your research elsewhere on the web, and whatever calorie burn seems to be most accurate and supported, that is the amount you eat back.

(Yes, zombie thread, but also New Year's resolution crowd may read, so worth adding my two cents even now.)