Do i need to up my calories help

with all the exercise you are doing, are you eatting back some of the exercise calories?

Body composition has nothing to do with how much you run or how much (measured in calories) you eat. It's all about WHAT you eat.

There are many misconceptions spread around here on diet and exercise. The site itself enables many of these.

Body composition has nothing to do with how much you run or how much (measured in calories) you eat. It's all about WHAT you eat.

There are many misconceptions spread around here on diet and exercise. The site itself enables many of these.

Sorry, I don't understand this. A calorie is a calorie. Could you explain a bit more please?

Body composition has nothing to do with how much you run or how much (measured in calories) you eat. It's all about WHAT you eat.

There are many misconceptions spread around here on diet and exercise. The site itself enables many of these.

Sorry, I don't understand this. A calorie is a calorie. Could you explain a bit more please?

You're right. A calorie is a calorie. That is also an overly simplistic view on food. Our body doesn't use "calories" to burn fat, to build tissue, or to regulate hormones that control appetite and weight gain.

If you want more information on that, I would suggest you look into hormones, what they do, and the relationship they have with food.

Body composition has nothing to do with how much you run or how much (measured in calories) you eat. It's all about WHAT you eat.

There are many misconceptions spread around here on diet and exercise. The site itself enables many of these.

Sorry, I don't understand this. A calorie is a calorie. Could you explain a bit more please?

x2

Obviously what you eat has some effect, but from what I understand calories is just energy, if you eat too much the spare gets stored as fat, eat too little and the body uses what you've already got (fat & muscle)

I think what clobercow is trying to say is if your body needs protein to build or maintain muscle you need to eat protein and any amount of carbs or fat will not do the job and they will be stored as fat if they are not used in activity. Also to make sure you are getting enough minerals and vitamins to make sure the processes run smoothly.

So I guess so long as you take in the appropriate amounts of carbs, proteins and fats on your MFP account and have your settings right, that would be a good start and see how things go from there.

Sorry clobercow if I have misread you - still a bit vague.

I think what clobercow is trying to say is if your body needs protein to build or maintain muscle you need to eat protein and any amount of carbs or fat will not do the job and they will be stored as fat if they are not used in activity. Also to make sure you are getting enough minerals and vitamins to make sure the processes run smoothly.

So I guess so long as you take in the appropriate amounts of carbs, proteins and fats on your MFP account and have your settings right, that would be a good start and see how things go from there.

Sorry clobercow if I have misread you - still a bit vague.

I'm being vague on purpose. I want to spark interest to investigate. There is a lot of heated discussion about this very thing around here. Start by learning what your body needs to do it's job. You may be surprised that the recommended diet around here may be way off base.

Have you got any studies or scientific research we can use as a starting point? The internet is full of 'facts' about diets and I doubt many people have the time or patience to sift through all the rubbish to find 'what the body needs'.

Except, 100 calories from vegetables are far better than 100 calories from a chocolate bar.. I didn't understand this either until I started eating 'clean' and I can guarantee you that it does matter where you get your calories from - healthy, whole, nutritious food will help you lose fat and build muscle.

Except, 100 calories from vegetables are far better than 100 calories from a chocolate bar.. I didn't understand this either until I started eating 'clean' and I can guarantee you that it does matter where you get your calories from - healthy, whole, nutritious food will help you lose fat and build muscle.

I agree with the hot girl.

I agree with this because the 100 vegetable calories will also contain natural fibre, vitamins and minerals and some protein, whereas the chocolate will contain mainly fat, sugar and no fibre.

I think we're getting somewhere.

I've improved my diet recently, making sure I get enough fibre, protein, good fats and my 5+ a day of fruit and vegetables + a multivitamin and i have more energy, feel better in the mornings and I dont feel hungry (actual hunger, my brain loves food) between meals.

micronutrient balance matters.

2-3 miles, especially on the 2 miles end certainly isn't a massive amount of calories burnt, especially if you are used to it - My usual 'quick run with the dog' is 1.65 miles or so, but with a 300ft climb for the first half of that.
When I'm doing that relatively 'fast' for me (completed in 13 minutes), it's 185 calories. Slower we're talking maybe 170.

I've noticed that as I've been getting fitter, my HRM is showing lower calories burnt - presumably less exertion needed, along with a bit less weight to get up the hills!

What is your calorie deficit set to?
How sure are you everything in your diary is correctly entered?
How are you working out calories burnt?

good questions.

Except, 100 calories from vegetables are far better than 100 calories from a chocolate bar.. I didn't understand this either until I started eating 'clean' and I can guarantee you that it does matter where you get your calories from - healthy, whole, nutritious food will help you lose fat and build muscle.

Why?
What if the person in question hasn't eaten any fat that day?
What if they've had all the fibre, vitamins and minerals they need, but their body is looking for a quick energy boost pre/mid exercise, for instance?

The concept of 'healthy food' it's self annoys me - at any time for any person, what their body most needs will be vastly different to other situations.

ok. the simple question here is, is a nutritionally balanced important. yes it is. for everyone.

does that mean everyones "balanced diet" is the same. no. everyone has different needs. body builders and slimmers are different. people in general are all a little different, but for the most past we are very similar.

theres nothing wrong with chocolate, or vegetables.

but if your diet was only chocolate or only vegetables, although the vegetable guy would have green doodies and fart alot, the chocolate guy would be constantly hungry and crapping his pants.

both would be lacking things in their diet, but id say one more than the other.

you can eat chocolate in your diet. just like vegetables.

but if everything you eat is like chocolate or junk, that would be bad for you.

1 calorie isnt the same as another from a health / nutrition point of view.

1 calorie isnt the same as another from a health / nutrition point of view.

Yes and I quite agree that all of one or the other isn't great.
What I was getting to is that while you ideally want various amounts of micro-nutrients, once you go over these requirements, you won't generally become 'extra healthy'.

I've tried 'eating clean' at various points and it's given me no noticeable benefits, apart from for wanting to eat nicer food.
I'm better at not eating the food I want to if I'm kept busy generally - if I'm not, then I find using exercise to make up for extra calories* works well.

* And often those extra calories do come from fruit. A calorie too many is still a calorie too many.

This article may not apply to all on here, but I think is of interest:
http://www.simplyshredded.com/the-science-of-nutrition-is-a-carb-a-carb.html
I'm proud* to say I'm now considered 'healthy' - low teens body fat, circa 50bpm resting heart rate etc; so quite happily replaced the 'brown' stuff with the white I prefer and haven't had any problems from it - in fact white often has a bit fewer calories, so it makes it easier if anything.
*Which is a sin, but them I'm atheist, so what do I care?

I don't eat back because the calories allocated already have the deficit factored in that's why I don't log my excersize. I am 165 cm tall if that helps in any way.

No no no no no. If you didn't exercise, then your goal of 1600 or so is great. The exercising enables you to keep a caloric deficit and lose weight while enjoying more food. For your own peace of mind as well as fuel for the exercise. You are supposed to eat the calories you burn from the exercise, that is how this site is set up. If you don't feel like you want to eat so much, cut back on the cardio and try some weightlifting. Your body will change for the better.

I don't eat back because the calories allocated already have the deficit factored in that's why I don't log my excersize. I am 165 cm tall if that helps in any way.

No no no no no. If you didn't exercise, then your goal of 1600 or so is great. The exercising enables you to keep a caloric deficit and lose weight while enjoying more food. For your own peace of mind as well as fuel for the exercise. You are supposed to eat the calories you burn from the exercise, that is how this site is set up. If you don't feel like you want to eat so much, cut back on the cardio and try some weightlifting. Your body will change for the better.

This.

MFP only uses the number of workouts per week to set your fitness and calorie burn goals under Exercise tab. It does NOT put those burnt calories back into your net intake until you log them, which is why you need to be eating them back.