WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR APRIL

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  • barbiecat
    barbiecat Posts: 16,987 Member
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    :drinker: Vicki, when I started on MFP I kept my calories under 1500 no matter what.....at that time I weighed over 180 so my BMR was pretty high........the exercise calories allowed me to aim for a range rather than a ceiling. I liked ending the day with 500 extra calories but except for rare occasions, never consumed fewer than 1200 calories......I didn't start eating my exercise calories until one day when I came home from a two hour walk and felt weak and lightheaded and realized that I had to eat a snack right away......since then I have adjusted my eating to be in line with the amount of exercise I do. While I was losing weight I didn't eat all my exercise calories, but on a day when I danced, walked, rode the exercise bike, did yoga, etc, I ate more than I would on a day filled with meetings and no exercise. When I log in calories I always try to err high on food and low on exercise......I don't want to underestimate the food I eat or underestimate the exercise I do. Yes, I love that the extra exercise helps me lose weight faster, but I don't want to jeopardize my health so I continue to seek balance.
  • HeatherV697
    HeatherV697 Posts: 10
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    I was also wondering if anyone else starts with 1200 cal? My exercise is limited at the moment to yoga and light walking. I am also only 5'1.
  • kerrynev
    kerrynev Posts: 20 Member
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    Vicki M
    I DO NOT eat my exercise calories. I am like you why would you want to eat what you just burned up. I lose more weight staying at a 1000 calories a day. I am K to eat around 1200 a day, I know my body and I can not lose weight at 1200. I have lost 69 pound in 5 months at 1000 calories a day. I decide to give my body a break and up my calories to 1200 a day. I was losing 4 or more pounds a week, but now I am on a plateau. This has been going on for two weeks and I am a very, very active person. I plan on decreasing my calories back to 1000 tomorrow after my monthly weight in with measurements done at the weight loss clinic. I am hoping I have lost some inches. I feel like you have to get to know your own body and what works for you. I know some people go in to a starvation mode, if they do not eat the higher number of calories. You need to figure out what works for you.
    Kerry
  • spaniel
    spaniel Posts: 468
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    Vicki: I know so many people say we need to eat our exercise calories and some days I do and some days I don't. I am going to have my RMR tested to find my baseline because I think it's lower than what MFP is telling me. Will keep you posted.
  • earlie
    earlie Posts: 22
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    Hi-- I'm over fifty and can use all the support I can get. I'm currently at 1200 cal. a day and workout 6 days a week.
  • rfsahae
    rfsahae Posts: 68 Member
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    Terri - - Thank you thank you for letting me know about No Housework Day! :love:

    Heather - - I do use my extra calories on restaurant nights - - which for me is usually two nights per week. Otherwise I try not to. My goal each day is 1400 consumed and 200 (or more) expended.

    To All: Welcome California Strawberries !!!! Here in the Bay Area we are getting fresh big fat strawberries for under $1.50 a pound right now ($1.22 yesterday). I had 12 oz for breakfast and it was 108 calories! How awesome is that!

    Back to work.
    Randy
  • rjadams
    rjadams Posts: 4,060 Member
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    Vicki,
    I set my own goal at 1450 which is my RMR I aim for that everyday except during the weekend when I want to drink wine so then I use up my exercise calories. MFP would have me at 1300 to loose a pound a week but I am doing so much exercise that I am happy with the 1450 goal. I usually have 500 to 700 cals left at the end of the day.
  • rosy54
    rosy54 Posts: 46
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    I was also wondering if anyone else starts with 1200 cal? My exercise is limited at the moment to yoga and light walking. I am also only 5'1.

    I do 1200 cal/day as well. If I plan my food for the entire day rather than as I go along, I find that I'm better able to stay on track and not go over.
  • rosy54
    rosy54 Posts: 46
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    Hi ladies,
    I would like to take a poll of sorts. I would like to know how many of you eat your exercise calories versus those who dont. also if you do or dont are you losing weight. I know we have discusse this before but just curious is anyone cares to comment. i just dont get why you would want to eat more when you have worked so hard to burn those calories. That is more weight that is lost. Anyway I would appreciate any comments you may have.
    Vicki M

    I haven't been doing this for very long, but I've tried other diet plans, including Weight Watchers and I never eat my exercise calories for the same reason that you mention, Vicki. Having said that though, I have a friend who always eats hers or she doesn't lose any weight! Go figure. :ohwell:
  • BirdieM
    BirdieM Posts: 791 Member
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    Hi ladies,
    I would like to take a poll of sorts. I would like to know how many of you eat your exercise calories versus those who dont. also if you do or dont are you losing weight. I know we have discusse this before but just curious is anyone cares to comment. i just dont get why you would want to eat more when you have worked so hard to burn those calories. That is more weight that is lost. Anyway I would appreciate any comments you may have.
    Vicki M

    Vicki,
    I always eat my exercise calories and I have lost almost 45 lbs since August. The reason why I do this is simple. Your body will adjust to the calories you are eating, and I am trying to be on a regime that I can live on the rest of my life. If I eat 1000 cal a day, I WILL lose faster, but the minute I start eating....even 1200 cal a day, I could start to gain the weight back.:noway: Like Barbie, I seek balance.:wink: Also by programming my body to eat 1000 calories, I may eventually need to eat even LESS to lose. :angry: Your body can go into "starvation mode" and slow down the process of losing by saving its energy if it’s getting a signal that you don’t have sufficient food (fuel) to function. Your body does not know if you are on a diet or starving.:wink:

    I want a "way of living" not just a weight loss program, so by eating my calories (calories = food) I can plan on exercising more ....when I know I'm going to be in a situation where I will most likely eat a little more (or eat foods that are a little bit higher in calories) and still lose weight.:flowerforyou: I try to exercise everyday I can so that my body becomes a fuel burning body at all times.

    On Easter I had some foods that I don't usually have, but by the end of the day, the food was out of my house. I drank a lot of water :drinker: :drinker: and exercised (yes, even on Easter.....ESPECIALLY on Easter) and lost another pound this week.
    I want to be healthy as well as have a type of “quality of life”, that includes social eating, (not pigging out….just eating things that I don’t prepare myself which makes the calories unpredictable)……. and not feel that I am GOING ON.... or GOING OFF of something.
    I can deal with just about any situation by doing this.:happy:
    Everyone is different. But that's what works for me.:smile:
    BirdieM:drinker: :drinker: :bigsmile:
  • mynyddisamrs
    mynyddisamrs Posts: 387
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    Back here again ...:ohwell: trying to stop myself snacking !! I've just squeaked in within my 1200 calories tonight!
    Vicki ... I don't know where I stand in your poll as I usually get to eat all my 1200 calories and I admit to not doing exercise!!! now I'm not working!! I know I should but the motivation just won't come!! :sad: The dancing is off the menu at the moment The weights staying the same so I suppose I should go to 1000 calories to lose without exercise ....any thoughts?
    :smile: I think some "frock trying on" is needed to help me realise I should not put on any more weight!! I can take the cruise frocks in but I can't let them out can I?
    :heart: Mum's op was this afternoon and she's back on the ward with the stock comment of "comfortable". We'll see her again tomorrow and hope she's back to her chirpy self.
    :glasses: We have some nice weather on the way which will help with motivation I'm sure!!:flowerforyou: the garden beckons but I don't feel like doing anything manual at the moment as hand , arm and shoulder are still playing up. I did a bit of lifting yesterday and driving too which didn't help.:sad: A lazy old crock or what!!!
    So ...cheerio again from me
    Back tomorrow .... pounds lighter (Only if I go shopping, I think)!!!!:laugh:
    :heart: :heart: Jackie
  • pmjsmom
    pmjsmom Posts: 1,926 Member
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    Hi ladies,
    I would like to take a poll of sorts. I would like to know how many of you eat your exercise calories versus those who dont. also if you do or dont are you losing weight. I know we have discusse this before but just curious is anyone cares to comment. i just dont get why you would want to eat more when you have worked so hard to burn those calories. That is more weight that is lost. Anyway I would appreciate any comments you may have.
    Vicki M

    Hi Vicki,
    I have a base calorie goal of 1620 and usually earn another 500-700 each day. I can't possibly eat all my calories (I've tried) unless it's a special occasion. I do try to eat enough of them to stay around a net of 1500-1600 each day.
    I average a pound a week lost and I'm happy with that. As someone else said (can't remember who!), I want to be able to go to outings, reataurants, etc, and eat without feeling that I've fallen off and need to get back on. (Even on my 'bad' days I notice that I'm over on my fat or carbs but not my calories.)
  • doobiedoo
    doobiedoo Posts: 194 Member
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    :flowerforyou: I had to work this afternoon and the dress I put on I hadn't tried since Christmas. It was too small then, but today it fit nicely! I should have measured this whole time I've been losing, I'm sure it is revealing! Looking forward to a hamburger on one of those thin buns. They are great, especially at only 100 calories! Have a good evening.:flowerforyou:
  • vickim26
    vickim26 Posts: 685 Member
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    Thank you guys for all of the replies. They all really helped me a a lot. I have always wanted to try eating mine but am afraid I will gain or not lose. When I lost all my weight i did not eat them and did fine. lost about 2 sometimes 3 pounds a week at first. Birdie your explanation makes perfect sense and as always Barbie yours does also. Again many thanks for responding. i really appreciate your feedback. i did the exercise video with the two girls this afternoon. One of them did the entire thing and the other took several breaks and kept asking for her snack. it was a lot of fun. I forgot to turn my HRM on so I have a few extra exercise calories that I did not record. Very hungry, going eat my supper and hope to ride my bike and do my ellipitical again today.
    Vicki M
  • weaklink109
    weaklink109 Posts: 2,831 Member
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    Hi All,

    Thanks to VickiM for the birthday greetings. Great minds think alike. I also emailed Momof10. She hasn't posted since last October. I couldn't remember Heather's login name, but it looks like it doesn't matter, as she has returned I see. Welcome back Heather. Hope you mend quickly.

    Also, in answer to your poll question. I usually eat my exercise calories, but if I have a day where I went over on calories and I follow it with a day where I exercise more than my minimum effort, I will stay under---trying to balance out the two days.

    Terri--Forget National No housework DAY. My house looks like I have been celebrating National no housework MONTH,:noway: or maybe even YEAR!!:laugh:

    I am putting off going back to work on my storage unit project, so I better get with it, there is another 2-3 hours of daylight left and it is NOT raining, so see you all later.


    Barb
  • MacMadame
    MacMadame Posts: 1,893 Member
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    Hi ladies,
    I would like to take a poll of sorts. I would like to know how many of you eat your exercise calories versus those who dont. also if you do or dont are you losing weight. I know we have discusse this before but just curious is anyone cares to comment. i just dont get why you would want to eat more when you have worked so hard to burn those calories. That is more weight that is lost. Anyway I would appreciate any comments you may have.
    Vicki M

    Well, I'm maintaining now so it's different....

    When I was losing, I did what my doctor told me. :laugh: He knew about my exercising and, as I upped it, he upped my protein goals. As a result, my calories went up (and, to some extent, my carbs and fats). So I was eating more as I exercised more, but it wasn't a direct 1-to-1 correspondence.

    Now that I'm working on maintaining, I try to balance it out over a couple of days. So, a lot of time I'll exercise late at night and not eat all the calories I burn because I just wasn't hungry enough to do so. But, sure enough, the next day, I'm a lot hungrier than the calories I burned so then I eat more but I try not to eat more than what I didn't eat the day before. I definitely don't want to get into a position where I'm stuffing myself when I'm not hungry and starving myself when I am just because some online program told me I had extra calories one day and none the next.
  • jam0525
    jam0525 Posts: 1,681 Member
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    I was also wondering if anyone else starts with 1200 cal? My exercise is limited at the moment to yoga and light walking. I am also only 5'1.

    Heather - I started with my BMR (under tools) which was 1400 calories. As I've lost weight I've checked my BMR and lower my daily calories. I'm down to 1265 now.

    VickiM - To eat or not to eat the exercise calories. At first I didn't but then I read somewhere that you should never be under your calories by 500 or more or you could trigger starvation mode. While I'm not sure if that is really true I did start eating some of them on my weekend warrior days when I exercise a lot and burn lots of calories.

    I got a cooking tip from a women's group today that is so common sense I had to laugh over the fact that I never thought of doing it before. I was making a 30 minute pasta/chicken/veggie dish and it said to throw the veggies in with the noodles to cook to save washing a pot. I never thought about it but it makes sense to just throw them in when the pasta's almost done. Anyway, it saved me from washing the pot.

    I just sort of scanned the posts quickly, so if I missed anything anything, my apologies. Things are still very hectic around here. I do care about what is going on with all of you.

    Jeannie
  • LaurelFisher
    LaurelFisher Posts: 407 Member
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    :flowerforyou: Good Evening Ladies, today we started the biggest loser at work. $6 to join and the winner gets the pot, 18 have signed up so far.:happy:
    :noway: I got a bit of a shock when I weighed in, 192 uuugghhh just to think in November I was 175 then again this time last year I was 221. :huh: I was a little confused when I read the newsletter our resident Dietician had put out for the participants. It talked about how to figure out how many calories you should eat a day. 12 x your weight - 510=ideal calorie intake
    12x192=2316-510=1806 what in the heck.:noway: She says it boost your metabolism and makes it easier to stick to. I don't think I can handle that many calories and still lose weight. Today I ate 1300 and burned 455 in exercise . We will see how it goes. :flowerforyou: Everyone have a wonderful evening, Rose
  • heartrw
    heartrw Posts: 187 Member
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    Loved reading all the posts on the calorie limits and exercise calories. Weighing in on the topic...I am on approximately 1200 calories a day. I generally burn 150-300 calories/day on exercise...sometimes more depending on housework (none of those today:laugh: ). I generally eat a few of those calories because even though I shoot for 1200/day I usually go a little over winding up at 1250-1350/day. Now I know my weight loss goes pretty slowly sometimes but I attribute that to periodically succumbing to night time snacking, not completely eliminating any groups of food...not even sugars or breads, and loving soy sauce on my chinese!!

    Hope everyone had a good day! :heart: Terri
  • msh0530
    msh0530 Posts: 1,675 Member
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    It is great reading about how all of you are doing. Makes my evening before I go to bed when I have had a busy day. I did want to share that I did my monthly measuring yesterday, and even though I have lost very little weight, I continue to lose inches. Except in my calves, which are increasing. So, do you think that instead of losing weight I am gaining muscle, which weighs more than fat, or do you think that is a cop out? Just wondering.

    Anyway, everyone have a good night's sleep and hope tomorrow goes well for you. Here's to smart choices!

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