Not 'netting' enough calories.

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sbermud
sbermud Posts: 58 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi! I'm sure this has been asked before but I searched for a post and could not find an answer.

I aim for 1200 calories ( although it's difficult when not eating junk ). I have been exercising about 400-500 calories a day with 50 minutes of Elliptical.

That means sometimes I net 700-800 calories.
I feel fine.. not hungry...

Do I need to eat more?
I'm looking to be healthy.
Not sure netting so little is healthy.

Thanks.
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Replies

  • cramernh
    cramernh Posts: 3,335 Member
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    Hi! I'm sure this has been asked before but I searched for a post and could not find an answer.

    I aim for 1200 calories ( although it's difficult when not eating junk ). I have been exercising about 400-500 calories a day with 50 minutes of Elliptical.

    That means sometimes I net 700-800 calories.
    I feel fine.. not hungry...

    Do I need to eat more?
    I'm looking to be healthy.
    Not sure netting so little is healthy.

    Thanks.

    Yup - you need to eat more.... absolutely
  • PrincessNikkiBoo
    PrincessNikkiBoo Posts: 330 Member
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    Save for later
  • MelanieAG05
    MelanieAG05 Posts: 359 Member
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    aim to eat at least your BMR which you can work out at the tools section of this website.......this is the amount of calories your body needs for basic functions.
  • HotMummyMission
    HotMummyMission Posts: 1,723 Member
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    I'm the same babe if I have a busy day I only manage 300 and I'm not hungry what so ever x I'm trying my best to eat more x
  • JohnMessmer
    JohnMessmer Posts: 536
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    To be able to maintain a healthy eating pattern, it is generally recommended to Net 1200 calories; failing to do so, will probably result in a temporary weight loss that will not be maintained. This is why so many people lose weight only to gain it back.
  • Cindy393
    Cindy393 Posts: 268 Member
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    QUOTE:

    Hi Tony - people argue a lot about "eating back calories". If we are on the lowest 1200 calorie diet and burn off 500 through exercise, should we eat those back? Thanks.


    I don't recommend that my clients "eat back" calories from exercise because I use them in my estimations when I write their calorie prescription.

    In my opinion MFP can overestimate calories burned from exercise.

    My practical advice is that if you're able to function without eating back the extra calories, you don't feel worn down, or deprived, having a larger caloric deficit will just help you lose weight faster. If you're eating back calories and still losing weight at the rate you're happy with, then keep on eating them. If you're not losing weight, it could be a good place to start.

    Hope that helps.



    This came from a post yesterday that a personal trainer/nutritionist had posted. His complete thread is in the General Weight Loss forum. This is what he says about the above question, eating back exercise calories. Hope that helps!
  • donnamariewilliams
    donnamariewilliams Posts: 44
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    I know what you mean. I don't exercise as much as you. Kudos to you for doing 50 minutes on an eliptical machine. I average about 20 to 25 on an eliptical. I try not to go over 1200 a day but I may be older than you and may be not as active. I try to get in at least three days of exercise, but when I do I give it my all! :bigsmile: The key I have been told is eat small quantities of healthy food all day, get in as much protein as you can and drink a lot of water. In theory that keeps your metabolic rate up.
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
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    Why don't you just continue eating the same amount and spend 20-30 minutes on the elliptical instead of nearly an hour.

    Edit: Doing exactly what you did is how I ruined my metabolism (yeah, I lost the weight). Ask me how much fun it's been trying to repair it so I don't have to survive on 1200 calories for the rest of my life!
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,843 Member
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    I do not eat my exercise calories back and my "net" calories are always low.

    I aim to hit the calorie goal that I set on the site regardless of how much exercise I have done that day. For me the exercise calories are a "buffer" so that if I do indulge and dip into those calories it doesn't matter.

    I am perfectly satisfied with the calories that I consume during the day.
  • KimMaplesBaker
    KimMaplesBaker Posts: 20
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    Eat more! Really try to meet your calorie and protein needs. I was not losing, and if fact was gaining, while doing strenuous workouts every day. It took some time to get in the habit of logging everything i put in my mouth (even 1/2 a cookie) and really looking to find healthy alternatives with protein. This program kind of simplifies all that, though. Give it a bit of time and soon you will be meeting your needs. The first couple of weeks I felt sooooo full! But now it is much easier to eat AND I AM LOSING WEIGHT!
  • Noni2863
    Noni2863 Posts: 36 Member
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    Glad you asked the question - it's been bothering me for a while cos I keep reading that you MUST eat your exercise cals back.....I do, but usually not on the same day as I make them up....

    I always eat a minimum of 1200 a day but dont tend to eat back my exercise calories - especially at the beginning of the week. Giving me really low daily nets.
    However I will always have at least one or two (sometimes 3!!) max out days (usually the weekend with going out/demon drink!) when I will end up well into the red!
    So my real goal is to stay within the WEEKLY net (love that weekly graph!) for losing....
    14wks into it and seems to be working so far....
    Does that help...or just complicate it even more?!:noway:
  • MsNewBooty83
    MsNewBooty83 Posts: 1,003 Member
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    try nuts, avacado, protiens etc...you need to eat more than 800cals a day! these r little snacks that fill you up, but have a higher cal and good fats to help fill up ur intake for the day :D
  • JohnMessmer
    JohnMessmer Posts: 536
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    QUOTE:

    Hi Tony - people argue a lot about "eating back calories". If we are on the lowest 1200 calorie diet and burn off 500 through exercise, should we eat those back? Thanks.


    I don't recommend that my clients "eat back" calories from exercise because I use them in my estimations when I write their calorie prescription.

    In my opinion MFP can overestimate calories burned from exercise.

    My practical advice is that if you're able to function without eating back the extra calories, you don't feel worn down, or deprived, having a larger caloric deficit will just help you lose weight faster. If you're eating back calories and still losing weight at the rate you're happy with, then keep on eating them. If you're not losing weight, it could be a good place to start.

    Hope that helps.



    This came from a post yesterday that a personal trainer/nutritionist had posted. His complete thread is in the General Weight Loss forum. This is what he says about the above question, eating back exercise calories. Hope that helps!

    Presuming that he is who he claims to be, my question would then be "How many of your clients have you placed on a 1200 calorie diet that exercise 500-800 calories off a day? Of those, how many have successfully kept their weight off?
  • kelgalon
    kelgalon Posts: 34 Member
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    I can't speak for everyone, but I will tell you what happened with me. I was exercising quite a bit and burning 600+ calories a day (netting less than 1200 most of the time except rest days) and felt just fine for awhile. Eventually it caught up with me and I thought I was sick. I had absolutely no energy to get through the day. It's like I had the flu without the achy sniffles part. I talked with my trainer who had originally helped me set up the amount of calories I would eat on exercise days and off days. He told me I had a classic case of over training and recalculated the calories I should be eating (when I had originally spoke with him I hadn't been exercising as much). I would suggest you watch out for this. I try to plan my day out a little better now. If I know I'm going to exercise in the evening I'll eat a couple hundred more calories earlier in the day so I have the energy to get through my exercise and I don't overtrain again.
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
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    I would eat more. That sounds exhausting. But that's just me...

    ETA: I used to do what you did. While it didn't ruin my metabolism, I net 1200-1300 a day now (even after exercise) and lose weight as quickly, if not quicker than I did netting under 1200. Plus, I get to eat for pleasure, which is awesome.
  • SuMcP
    SuMcP Posts: 244 Member
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    Eat them back if you are actually burning that much. MFP over estimates the burn of most exercises, in some cases by twice the actual amount burned. If you want to accurately measure your burn use a heart rate monitor.
  • jetlbomb
    jetlbomb Posts: 43 Member
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    I have the same problem.

    On the days where you work out just add 1-2 protein shakes into your diet. They'll help you to build muscle and for your body to cope with the exercise.

    I use Kinetica whey protein. It's about 127 cals per scoop and you can mix it with water or milk (or frozen yoghurt and berries). Two of those should get your calories nearer to where they are supposed to be.
  • Lesa_Sass
    Lesa_Sass Posts: 2,213 Member
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    I'm the same babe if I have a busy day I only manage 300 and I'm not hungry what so ever x I'm trying my best to eat more x
    \

    I just looked at your dairy and I did not see a day where you ate above -1000 calories.

    You have a serious eating disorder and I beg you to seek help.

    YOU WILL DIE IF YOU KEEP THIS UP!
  • alpine1994
    alpine1994 Posts: 1,915 Member
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    I do not eat my exercise calories back and my "net" calories are always low.

    I aim to hit the calorie goal that I set on the site regardless of how much exercise I have done that day. For me the exercise calories are a "buffer" so that if I do indulge and dip into those calories it doesn't matter.

    I am perfectly satisfied with the calories that I consume during the day.

    I 100% agree with this.
  • sbermud
    sbermud Posts: 58 Member
    Options
    QUOTE:

    Hi Tony - people argue a lot about "eating back calories". If we are on the lowest 1200 calorie diet and burn off 500 through exercise, should we eat those back? Thanks.


    I don't recommend that my clients "eat back" calories from exercise because I use them in my estimations when I write their calorie prescription.

    In my opinion MFP can overestimate calories burned from exercise.

    My practical advice is that if you're able to function without eating back the extra calories, you don't feel worn down, or deprived, having a larger caloric deficit will just help you lose weight faster. If you're eating back calories and still losing weight at the rate you're happy with, then keep on eating them. If you're not losing weight, it could be a good place to start.

    Hope that helps.


    ______________
    This is good to hear! Thanks. I asked my Dr. she said I did not need to but I didn't know if she was correct.


    This came from a post yesterday that a personal trainer/nutritionist had posted. His complete thread is in the General Weight Loss forum. This is what he says about the above question, eating back exercise calories. Hope that helps!

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