New and confused

Trapwolf
Trapwolf Posts: 142 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello, I have been here 5 days.
I am 4'11 and currently 128
My "correct" healthy weight is 96lbs-115
so Im trying for 115
I have 1200 calories a day to use and have had no real trouble with that.
I am trying to get in small exercise too, to hopefully increase over time

My confusion, is that it seems that exercise is key..and Im trying to fit some in..but are you suppose to really eat those extra calories you earn from exercise? I have heard so many different opinions on these subjects.

Replies

  • Trapwolf
    Trapwolf Posts: 142 Member
    also, How can you get so much exercise when its hard to breathe? am I going to be stuck at a "diet" range caloric intake forever..I guess this is more something I should talk to my Dr. about...but I thought someone here may have health problems and know of some exercises for people like me with lung issues..
  • slkehl
    slkehl Posts: 3,801 Member
    Let's see if I can answer some of these questions....

    -You will have to eat less than you have been eating, but no, you won't be stuck at a "diet" range caloric intake forever. Right now, you're eating at a deficit. Once you lose the weight, you'll need to eat to maintain. MFP or better yet, a dietician, can help you figure out what caloric intake is best for loss and for maintenance.

    -Why is it hard for you to breathe? In my case, I have a condition where my rib cage is very narrow. It used to be hard for me to breathe, but I trained myself to use my diaphragm and "belly breathe" instead of chest breathe when running. I've also noticed that it's easier and easier to breathe the longer I run, simply from conditioning and my body making adaptations. If you have problems because of asthma, swimming can help.

    -Exercise is going to give you a greater deficit. However, if you've burned off a substantial amount of calories, it may be a good idea to eat them back. Your body needs fuel, and eating too little a day can result in muscle loss, fatigue, and a slower metabolism. MFP should help in this case. Seeing as you're already at a very low 1200 cal a day, if exercise takes you below that, eat enough back so that your net cals are back up to 1200. However, if you ate, say 1800 calories and burned 300 calories from exercise, there's no need to eat them back.
  • alison0511
    alison0511 Posts: 32
    There have definitely been a lot of discussions about that on here, and it does seem that everybody has a different answer.

    One answer that I liked and have been doing myself, is that I try to use the calories I "earn" from exercise as a buffer zone on my daily goals. I think it is natural to feel hungry and like you need more fuel after a good workout, so I think it is okay to replenish a little of what you used up in that case. But I also don't overdo it, and use it as an excuse to eat a lot more calories than I should be. So if burn say 400... I might eat an extra 200 or 300 over my 1200 goal, but if I feel satisfied at that point, then I quit. I do find however that I tend to be much hungrier on days that I have burned a lot, so more often then not I HAVE been eating most of my calories back. But if there are days that I just burn a ton... I'm not gonna push myself to eat 1800+ calories that day just because MFP is telling me I have that many left.

    Listen to your body. I have been happy with my results so far, and I've only been at this for 3 months.

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