1200 calories a day and workouts?

Options
VictoriaFL84
VictoriaFL84 Posts: 37
in Health and Weight Loss
I am still so lost so I thought I would see if anybody else is in my shoes or knows how to help.

I've read the roadmap over and over but to be honest I'm still confused. I'm 5'3", currently 127.6 pounds, goal weight 110 pounds (my pre-pregnancy weight my whole adult life was this).

I am given 1200 calories a day by MFP which doesn't change even if I switch to 1 pound a week from 2. I'm happy "only" losing 1 pound a week at this point, or even less. I just want to lose and get fit.

I workout at the Y 4-5 times a week doing 20 minutes of cardio and 50 minutes of weight lifting. Those 50 minutes include spotting my husband who also weight lifts so it's not actually 50 minutes of lifting, just the amount of time we are in weight area.

My question is on workout days, should I eat more than 1200 calories? I haven't really been doing that since I only burn a little over 200 calories during elliptical and I don't know how to calculate weight lifting so I don't. I'm just really afraid of not losing anything and destroying muscle, but I also don't want to overeat

Thank you for any and all advice!

Replies

  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
    Options
    You should eat back your exercise calories.

    That's how MFP was designed to be used.
  • imhungry2012
    imhungry2012 Posts: 240 Member
    Options
    Yes, eat back your exercise calories - 1200 cals is already a deficit. Track strength training under cardio (search strength training) and put in the number of minutes you are doing strength training (not spotting) and it will calculate. I do 30 minutes of strength training and it "gives" me 94 calories...it's based on your weight, too, so yours will likely be a little different.

Categories