Trouble Understanding Calories

HellsBelles123
HellsBelles123 Posts: 8
in Health and Weight Loss
I am having some trouble understanding the daily calories. I am on a 1700 calorie a day diet and I exercise daily which would approx give me another 430 calories on top of that. I am finishing my diary every day in and around the 900 mark. Am I eating too few calories? Do I need to eat at least the 1700 a day. This part of dieting really really confuses me.

Replies

  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
    Wait, you're only eating around 900 calories a day?

    Yes, you are eating too few!!!

    I would aim for the 1700 calories a day at least. MFP has it set up that you have a deficit there, even without exercise, so you can even eat back your exercise calories.

    If you drop calories too low (like at 900) your metabolism may slow down in an attempt to preserve weight against the famine (many people call this 'starvation mode' but it's not necessarily as extreme as the label makes it sound). You also have a much harder time getting enough nutrients. The more active, the more vitamins, iron, and protein you need. And worst of all, it's not maintainable long run. Do you really want to be around 900 calories the rest of your life? If 900 calories is short term until the weight is gone, you'll gain a bunch of the weight back when you go back to eating "normally." If you set your "diet" closer to something you can maintain and make it a life-long change the weight may come off a bit more slowly, but it will stay off!
  • swingsintherain
    swingsintherain Posts: 121 Member
    Assuming that MFP gave you 1700 calories when you set up your profile, you should try to aim for around 1700 calories. Being over or under by 100 or so shouldn't matter too much, but eating only 900 calories in a day seems really low and you should probably eat more than that.
  • angel79202
    angel79202 Posts: 1,012 Member
    900 is too few..you need to eat at least 1200..and many will say u need to net 1200..meaning if u exercise and burn 400 calories, u need to eat 1600..1600-400=1200 net calories..900 you are not getting all the nutrients u need and u will make yourself sick and stall your weight loss..
    I hope that helps!
  • farway
    farway Posts: 1,264 Member
    You will find a very mixed response to this one. First the calories added by MFP for exercising are generally thought to be over generous, many just halve that figure as a guide

    I suspect this thread may degenerate into blood bath because of the many entrenched views on this subject. My tuppence worth is if you are not hungry, and are eating healthy meals with plenty of fresh veg & fruit and not living in a burger bar then go by your body and not a computer
  • jesswait
    jesswait Posts: 218 Member
    1700 calories a day is the allowance MFP set for your based on your reported hight, weight and activity level and weight loss goals. The calorie deficit needed to achieve your goals is already built into the 1700. You should eat at or around 1700 calories a day to achieve your weekly weight loss goal. If you are exercising on top of your deficit many people suggest that you eat back all or half of those calories on top, so on days you are exercising you should eat up to 2130, but at least 1700.

    I try to stay a bit under my daily goal for margin of error but there's no reason to eat as little as 900 if you can achieve your goals by eating 1700. Slow and steady weight loss is maintainable weight loss.
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
    You can't really be meeting your macro or micronutrient needs on 900 cals.
  • farmwife3815
    farmwife3815 Posts: 326 Member
    I try to eat at least my goal calories everyday. If I'm hungry, I'll eat my exercise calories. The base calories are assumed to be what you need to eat to keep going and be at a deficit. Then MFP will add in exercise calories to your base goal and subtract them from what you ate, creating net calories. You should try to keep those net calories close to your base goal. What I do is try something for a couple of days and see what it does to my weight. For example, if i'm eating all my calories and exercise calories and notice my weight going up, AND I know it's not because I had a lot of sodium or missed sleep, then I'll lower my calories by 100 to 200. Your body is constantly changing and reshaping and all kinds of fun stuff!! I hope this helps!! Good luck!! :flowerforyou: Also, it would be easier to advise you if we could see your diary. It helps to know what your eating. :smile:
  • irisredwing
    irisredwing Posts: 2
    I've read a lot on this and conclude you need to stay within 1200-1400 calories a day to lose weight, have 1 citrus fruit and 1 leafy green a day, plus 1-2 dairy, 2-3 more serving of veggie or fruit and 2 servings of protein. This is basically the old Selections weight Watchers diet. It's healthy and it works!
  • jesswait
    jesswait Posts: 218 Member
    I've read a lot on this and conclude you need to stay within 1200-1400 calories a day to lose weight, have 1 citrus fruit and 1 leafy green a day, plus 1-2 dairy, 2-3 more serving of veggie or fruit and 2 servings of protein. This is basically the old Selections weight Watchers diet. It's healthy and it works!

    1200-1400 That could be low, depending on her height, current weight and activity level and amount weight she needs to lose. If 1700 is what my fitness pal gave her it's a good number to start with. You only need to have a deficit to lose weight, if your TDEE is around 2,000 then you could lose weight by eating 1,999 calories a day, it just would not be very much. If she is trying to lose around .5-1lb a week then 1700 -exercise calories would get her there.
  • HellsBelles123
    HellsBelles123 Posts: 8
    I have made my diary viewable now. I am eating at least the 1200 calories a day. I don't know where 900 came out of. Due to exercise calories I usually have 700 - 900 calories left! I can have anything from 350 - 570 calories from exercise depending on how I feel.

    I just feel that I be so hungry in the evenings and even though I have what feels like loads of calories left I feel guilty eating something, like I'm not doing very well!! I just wondered was is advisable to eat all the 1700 allowance or was it very harmful to leave some.
  • farway
    farway Posts: 1,264 Member
    I have made my diary viewable now. I am eating at least the 1200 calories a day. I don't know where 900 came out of. Due to exercise calories I usually have 700 - 900 calories left! I can have anything from 350 - 570 calories from exercise depending on how I feel.
    .

    I have just had a look at your diary, only last few days so may have missed something, but you do seem to be light on fresh veg & fruit, perhaps substitute burger & Fox's bars for fresh carrots or an apple?

    This would help give you a "fuller" feeling, and instead of cornflakes with sugar,, how about a banana in the evening?
  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
    I have made my diary viewable now. I am eating at least the 1200 calories a day. I don't know where 900 came out of. Due to exercise calories I usually have 700 - 900 calories left! I can have anything from 350 - 570 calories from exercise depending on how I feel.
    .

    I have just had a look at your diary, only last few days so may have missed something, but you do seem to be light on fresh veg & fruit, perhaps substitute burger & Fox's bars for fresh carrots or an apple?

    This would help give you a "fuller" feeling, and instead of cornflakes with sugar,, how about a banana in the evening?

    ^^^

    Or cornflakes and a banana :wink:

    I tend to eat more as the day goes on. I know this is how my body works - light breakfast, moderate lunch, and bigger dinner and evening snacking (I know there are people who will tell me I have it all backwards! but that's just a difference of opinions). I plan for it and know that if I splurge and have a treat early in the day I will have to compensate later. But if i have the calories, I really don't feel bad for having a snack in the evening. If you're hungry, eat something (healthy!!)!
  • HellsBelles123
    HellsBelles123 Posts: 8
    I do feel very guilty for snacking in the evening. The burger was a one off as I don't eat them very often. My husband was getting a McDonalds so I decided to get the burger. I was also treating myself a little yesterday as I had weighed in and had a good loss and had a another week until weigh in. I am going to have a little treat every Sunday as long as I have the calories there to do it as then I won't feel it's all diet diet diet. I gave up smoking five months ago and I want and need to lose weight but I don't want to start heading down the road where I am thinking, cigarettes are gone and now nice food is gone. That would just make me have a binge and I really don't want to do that!!

    I have problems eating fruit due to IBS and I'm not very fond of raw veg like celery, carrots and stuff.
  • farway
    farway Posts: 1,264 Member
    Fully understand about "diet diet" and burger, this is from someone who had a lovely steak & kidney suet pudding, with roasted spuds, and 2 pints as Sunday pub lunch a week back, oh and Mr smarty pants here had a BLT baguette in Winchester yesterday, so I agree, just count them in and move on

    IBS, yep, done that as well, never did get to bottom of it [no pun intended], it just went away a few years back

    smoking, yep done that as well, and I stopped way before you were born, gulp, and congrats on that, it is hard to quit & diet, but I found food does taste nicer without *kitten*

    Your will power is amazing, not sure I could resist while still in *kitten* free time

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