Don't bite my head off here.....

OK, so here's the deal. Obviously I'm not great with fitness, or I wouldn't have let myself get to the weight I am now at 5'9. So..yes, I have mfp set to lose 2lbs a week, so I know I already have a 1,000cal deficit a day. My TDEE is 2485. I am sedentary. When I'm not doing my workouts, I am on the couch or in a chair doing homework on my lap top. Might be up playing with my son, but not so much that it would cause such a big difference.

Here's the deal, I burn anywhere between 700-1200 cals a day when I do my workouts. (I know some may say well hey, you're not sedentary, you're lightly active blah blah..no, I'm really not ok?) I usually do my biggest burn after my son goes to bed and I have more time. I eat throughout the day-I swear I do. I usually eat about 1700-1800cals a day but of course after my evening workout, I'm down to netting mmmmm about 250-700 cals. But the thing is, since I'm doing the biggest workout before shower and bed, I'm not hungry throughout the day. My first workout is done right after lunch so I get hungry, have a snack, eat dinner. Work out, cals get low so I have a light snack and then shower and bed....

Is it REALLY that bad that I'm netting that low before bed?:huh: I'm not hungry..I feel fine. We're talking about somebody who is in the 40's for a Body Mas Index-yup they classified my fat *kitten* (pun intended) as obese. :grumble:

And hey, I don't need smart *kitten* comments, I don't need negativity. Constructive criticism is always welcome, or I wouldn't be asking, but I read a lot of these forums and some of you people can be real JERKS.:grumble:

So as a foreword-if you have something smart to say you can just shove it..mkay? :bigsmile:
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Replies

  • lyttlewon
    lyttlewon Posts: 1,118 Member
    If you can't eat back enough calories maybe reconsider the level of activity you are doing in comparison to your body's ability to fuel itself with what you feed it.
  • acm130
    acm130 Posts: 100 Member
    I work crazy irregular hours and often work out at night, sometimes my "dinner" is at 10 p.m. I don't think it matters it's the net effect over 24 hrs. There's a lot of information out there, but honestly, for me the best thing has just been consistency. Working out, no matter what time of day it is, is working out. You'll find your "sweet spot" in terms of energy in, energy out, just stick with it and don't give up:)
  • tmauck4472
    tmauck4472 Posts: 1,783 Member
    I personally don't think it's bad, but eat very low calories anyways, to the point of negative net most days with exercise.
  • JessyJ03
    JessyJ03 Posts: 627 Member
    OK, so here's the deal. Obviously I'm not great with fitness, or I wouldn't have let myself get to the weight I am now at 5'9. So..yes, I have mfp set to lose 2lbs a week, so I know I already have a 1,000cal deficit a day. My TDEE is 2485. I am sedentary. When I'm not doing my workouts, I am on the couch or in a chair doing homework on my lap top. Might be up playing with my son, but not so much that it would cause such a big difference.

    Here's the deal, I burn anywhere between 700-1200 cals a day when I do my workouts. (I know some may say well hey, you're not sedentary, you're lightly active blah blah..no, I'm really not ok?) I usually do my biggest burn after my son goes to bed and I have more time. I eat throughout the day-I swear I do. I usually eat about 1700-1800cals a day but of course after my evening workout, I'm down to netting mmmmm about 250-700 cals. But the thing is, since I'm doing the biggest workout before shower and bed, I'm not hungry throughout the day. My first workout is done right after lunch so I get hungry, have a snack, eat dinner. Work out, cals get low so I have a light snack and then shower and bed....

    Is it REALLY that bad that I'm netting that low before bed?:huh: I'm not hungry..I feel fine. We're talking about somebody who is in the 40's for a Body Mas Index-yup they classified my fat *kitten* (pun intended) as obese. :grumble:

    And hey, I don't need smart *kitten* comments, I don't need negativity. Constructive criticism is always welcome, or I wouldn't be asking, but I read a lot of these forums and some of you people can be real JERKS.:grumble:

    So as a foreword-if you have something smart to say you can just shove it..mkay? :bigsmile:

    You're causing yourself more harm in the long run. The body needs fuel to continue doing the activity you are doing. If you don't feed it properly it doesn't run properly. Period. Eat more. If you have trouble putting high volume in try eating higher calorie foods (GASP! I know). You really don't want to shut down your metabolism and after awhile of eating so low when your weight loss stalls you will be left wondering what's going wrong. Eat... I know it's weird to eat more to lose weight but you need to. It's how this is going to work for you long term.
  • lyttlewon
    lyttlewon Posts: 1,118 Member
    Oh and what does it look like if you go by week? Are you netting a good value at the end?
  • cartrat
    cartrat Posts: 120 Member
    if you're hungry, you're hungry. if you're not, you're not. just listen to your body's natural cravings. don't feel like you have to answer to complete strangers just because you netted a small amount of calories. like you said, there are some self-righteous people on here who think they know all about food and everyone's body because they read a bunch of stuff on the internet. and then there are people who are just along for the ride and practice diff'rent strokes. you're not going to screw up anything if your body is telling you that it doesn't need anymore food. you would have to do some crazy damage to screw up your metabolism. in fact, some sources say there's no possible way to screw it up. just do what makes you happy and healthy.
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
    Your diary isn't open so it's difficult to try to help you.

    So I'm going to answer the basic/simple question with a basic/simple answer.

    Eat more calorie dense foods.
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,554 Member
    If this is a one off, don't worry about it, just eat a bigger breakfast the next day or just let it go.
    If this happens on a regular basis - then as I see it you have two choices:
    - start planning your meals for the day so you eat more during the day to ensure that your body is well fuelled for the exercise you do.
    or
    - cut your exercise intensity or duration to something that balances better which how much you choose to eat.
    Exercise is great for your physical and mental health but maybe you are doing more than is necessary. Exercising intensely while not eating enough isn't going to be good for your health in the long term.


    (And - an unsolicited suggestion here - if you want positive answers, you'll probably get more if you post your question in a positive manner. Assuming that everyone on here is rude, is just...... well.... rude!)
  • subcult
    subcult Posts: 262 Member
    Eating 1800 calories doesn't. Sound crazy low to me.
  • clrrrr
    clrrrr Posts: 261 Member
    if you're hungry, you're hungry. if you're not, you're not. just listen to your body's natural cravings. don't feel like you have to answer to complete strangers just because you netted a small amount of calories. like you said, there are some self-righteous people on here who think they know all about food and everyone's body because they read a bunch of stuff on the internet. and then there are people who are just along for the ride and practice diff'rent strokes. you're not going to screw up anything if your body is telling you that it doesn't need anymore food.

    this. eat when you're hungry, and be mindful of whether what you're eating is appropriate to fuel the activities that you have planned until the next time you eat. calories in, calories out.
  • I say, if its working for you then keep doing what you are doing.. Everybody is different. If you aren't losing and you think you should be try to eat a few more calories thru out the day! Listen to your body, I think thats most important!!!
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
    So you don't want rude people.. but yet you tell people to shove it.. Pot calling the kettle black anyone?

    Anyway, back to your question.. if it's one day, no I don't think it will be a problem.

    My question is, are you basing your calories of TDEE or what MFP gives you? If it's TDEE then exercise is already included, and you don't need to eat those calories back. If it's based of what MFP gives you, then you should prob. eat some of those calories back depending on how much you need to lose.

    Also, how are you calculating exercise? Because 700-1200 calories for workouts sounds a bit out there..
  • fat214
    fat214 Posts: 109
    This is me just not 5 9" I'm 5 4". I want to know too.
  • phynyxfyre
    phynyxfyre Posts: 145 Member
    Sounds like you have something that is working for you. Be confident in your choices. You know your body better than anyone else, so if you are full, don't eat any more. :)
  • wildcata77
    wildcata77 Posts: 660
    if you're hungry, you're hungry. if you're not, you're not. just listen to your body's natural cravings. don't feel like you have to answer to complete strangers just because you netted a small amount of calories.

    This times 1000. People who stay naturally thin throughout their adult lives follow this practice. Eat when you're hungry, stop when you are not. It really is that simple, unless you are training for something. Some days I'm close, some days I'm over, today I'm over 500 under because I swam late, ate some popcorn, drank some water, and don't feel the need to shovel food in before bed.
  • sydnisd183
    sydnisd183 Posts: 247 Member
    maybe try having a protein shake in the evening?. 2 scoops of protein, 1/2 c. cottage cheese and 1/4c. greek yogurt and some water, (or milk) blended. add some frozen fruit to the mix if you want.

    i understand how it is......i just did not feel like eating today. i do heavy weight training sessions using compound movements 3x a week. i also run 3 mi. 3x a week. i run outside here in Houston and it was 102 at 6pm. by the time i get home i don't want ANYTHING to eat haha so i make myself drink these shakes so at least i get something in
  • Nerdy_Rose
    Nerdy_Rose Posts: 1,277 Member
    How sure are you of the accuracy of your calorie burns?
  • thompsonpyl
    thompsonpyl Posts: 3 Member
    I think you just need to keep an eye on your body. Make sure you are getting plenty of water. If you aren't hungry don't force yourself to eat; however, if you notice that the scale is not dropping or that it's increasing, your body is probably going into starvation mode and holding onto the calories. A lot of people recommend a protein shake after an intense workout. Today, I ate a kid's size cup of Chobani Greek Yogurt. It's only 100 calories, with 8 grams of protein. I also drank about 24 oz of water, though not all at once. Best of luck.
  • gabi_ele
    gabi_ele Posts: 460 Member
    I have been there done that a couple of times. If i would have kept off the weight I have lost over the years there would be nothing left of me. The problem is can you live like this (eating 250 to 750 cal net) for the rest of your life? What happens if you can't keep up with your exercises for some reason( injury, time restrictions whatever).
    I remember being on 700 cal. a day, losing weight like crazy and keeping it off for a little while and as soon as I was not watching it crept up and up and up and all of a sudden I was back to my former weight and then some. I have jo joed myself from a size 14 to a 26 over the years. Maybe right now it's not hurting you as much, but look into the future.
    Just my 2 cents worth and you can do what ever you feel like ...
  • nz_deevaa
    nz_deevaa Posts: 12,209 Member
    If you've got a lot of weight to lose, then it's likely not really a problem. FOR NOW.

    It might get to be a problem in the future, but if you feel good, your not tired, and you are losing consistently, then keep doing what you are doing.

    If you get to a point (like I did), that you're weight loss stalls, your tired all the time and your hair starts falling out, then it's time to up the calories.

    However, if you don't have a lot of weight to lose, I'd set my goal much less aggressively.