Excess Calories, help!

ToughMudderAddict

I really don't think this should be a problem for me but it is.. What can I eat to get rid of my calories without being too unhealthy? I'm at the point in the day where I've finished my breakfast, lunch, and dinner and I still have 400 calories left and I have no idea what to do with them.. I don't want to stop working out but jees I'm full!! Please help me!

AmyW4225

I'm having the same problem!! I have 900 calories left and I'm not hungry. I don't want to not exercise either! It makes me feel better! I don't even know how to eat 900 "healthy calories." Should I eat 9 oranges or apples? LOL

lilchino4af

Try nuts; a little bit goes a long way. Or add glass of milk w/dinner. Or, have nuts & milk as a mid-afternoon snack! I personally like apples w/peanut butter, it adds up but it's healthy.

candicecumbie

You should think of exercise calories as a bonus. You don't have to eat them. You must eat at least 1200 calories a day to keep your body from going in to "starvation" mode. 1 pound of fat consists of 3500 calories. The more exercise calories you have that you don't eat the quicker you get rid of that 1 pound of fat.

kwardklinck

I'd say plan your food for tomorrow right now and balance it out so you don't go under again. You shouldn't eat so many calories at the end of the day. You need to eat more before dinner.

barkmelv

That all depends on which calories you are talking about. When you first signed up and answered all the MFP questions to configure your base calories, what did it come up with?

Those calories are what MFP figures you need to lose the desired amount of weight (i.e. 1-2 lbs/week) without doing anything else. The calories you "earn" (hate that term btw) from exercise are not necessarily calories you need to consume. If you have a deficit then those are your "burnt" calories. Having a deficit will assist you in your weight loss journey.

Here's why... to burn 1 lb of fat you need to burn 3500 calories. You can do that either by cutting calories you eat or by exercising or a combination of the two. To find out what your base caloric need is (http://calorieneedscalculator.com/) you can check out the link or just google. Make sure to select the correct activity level for your lifestyle. Do not include exercise in this. If, for example, you have a desk job and don't walk around much during the day, then you want to select "sedentary" (you should have done the same for MFP). On the other hand, if you lift boxes all day then you want to select something more active.

Since the basis of weight loss is more calories out than in ... you should be able to determine if you are burning enough (deficit) to lose at the rate you want.

Hope that helps :drinker:

ToughMudderAddict

I've found quite a bit of info including http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo that states we should eat those exercise calories to keep our bodies from going into survival mode and inhibit weight loss. So.. I, personally, am going to continue to try my best to get my overall calories as close to zero as I can.. I just would like some good ways to help me in that for eating..

Thank you to those of you who have put up some ideas and to those who will be!

AmyW4225

I, too, am going to stay close to goal and eat my "exercise calories." It just sucks when I burn off 1600 calories in one day and then I have those calories to eat. That's like 4 more meals LOL. I haven't been eating my "exercise calories" and haven't been seeing results, so today I ate the extra calories, we'll see what happens. Maybe I'll tone down the exercise because I don't feel hungry enough to eat the extras!! Thanks for the link, iarepocket!! And, peanut butter and apples is my favorite snack, lately!!

imagymrat

8oz. of milk. 1 banana, 1 tbsp peanut butter, 1 scoop of whey isolate protein powder. blend it up....an easy 450 calories and you'll be helping to build on that lean muscle mass all us gals want!

imagymrat

8oz. of milk. 1 banana, 1 tbsp peanut butter, 1 scoop of whey isolate protein powder. blend it up....an easy 450 calories and you'll be helping to build on that lean muscle mass all us gals want!

Quick edit, I now eat 2400 calories a day to maintain my weight, when I increase this number to 2900 with exercise the pounds literally melt off of me..go figure I eat more I lose quicker....you eat less, you'll lose but it will take a lot longer, and i'm too impatient for that!

AmyW4225

8oz. of milk. 1 banana, 1 tbsp peanut butter, 1 scoop of whey isolate protein powder. blend it up....an easy 450 calories and you'll be helping to build on that lean muscle mass all us gals want!

Quick edit, I now eat 2400 calories a day to maintain my weight, when I increase this number to 2900 with exercise the pounds literally melt off of me..go figure I eat more I lose quicker....you eat less, you'll lose but it will take a lot longer, and i'm too impatient for that!

Thank you for the idea! I am too impatient for such slow weight loss, too. I need a way to lose it faster but in a healthy way where the weight won't come back.

ToughMudderAddict

That sounds AMAZING!

imagymrat

8oz. of milk. 1 banana, 1 tbsp peanut butter, 1 scoop of whey isolate protein powder. blend it up....an easy 450 calories and you'll be helping to build on that lean muscle mass all us gals want!

Quick edit, I now eat 2400 calories a day to maintain my weight, when I increase this number to 2900 with exercise the pounds literally melt off of me..go figure I eat more I lose quicker....you eat less, you'll lose but it will take a lot longer, and i'm too impatient for that!

Should have mentioned I use skim chocolate milk

ToughMudderAddict

That sounds even better!! Thank you so much!