HELP PLEASE!! Calorie Issues!

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Replies

  • lynn1982
    lynn1982 Posts: 1,439 Member
    OK my first point in all this is always: How do people gain weight if they struggle to meet 1200-1500 a day now?




    Because these people probably ate junk that is high in calories but low in nutrition. Now that they're trying to eat healthy and nutritious food, they are finding it difficult to meet their calorie goals AND do not want to revert back to their old ways of eating.
  • cjdippo15
    cjdippo15 Posts: 17
    ^^^^ AGREE.

    I was a Dr. Pepper junkie and rarely made good choices when it came to food. When you're a fulltime student and working part time, my diet suffered. I get texts in class asking to come to work after my classes so I grab something and go. Those choices were not good choices.

    I'm trying to eat healthier and lose the 40 lbs I've packed on since graduating HS (7 years ago), getting married and moving to the South - Land of the Fried everything (yes I know there are healthier options)

    If I find I'm not losing weight like I want or am getting weak, I'll bump everything back up to the more fat filled version. I.e. 2% milk instead of almond milk and real peanut butter instead of PB2.

    I will try bumping up my calorie intake to see if I can lose the weight..

    I do eat meals throughout the day, some of those consist of snacks because I can't do "meals" all day long. I'm on the go and busy so I pack snacks.

    I normally have my protein shake around 730-8am bc I'm running out the door. But maybe I'll add a 1/2 bagel or something to that
    Then a snack around 11am
    Then lunch around 1pm
    Then workout about 2pm
    Then protein shake immediately after
    Then dinner (sometimes it's earlier due to night classes like around 530) but normally around 6-7.

    I don't want to eat at night because you're really not supposed to eat 3 hours before you go to bed. I'm not THAT strict about it but I don't want to eat a snack at 10pm and go to bed at 1030pm. If I eat a snack it's around 8 or 9 because I normally don't go to bed til 11 or later depending how long I'm up studying.

    Thank you all for your advice!!! I really appreciate it!
  • meminustwenty
    meminustwenty Posts: 6
    Stop eating back your calories from your workout. Never eat more food because you "earned" it from a workout unless you are actually hungry.
  • cjdippo15
    cjdippo15 Posts: 17
    I haven't eaten fruit the last few days because we ran out and I haven't had a chance to run to the store. But I do normally have fruit with breakfast and as an afternoon snack!
  • greyoutside
    greyoutside Posts: 98
    I think sometimes your body knows better than the calorie counter. I have days when I max out at around 900 calories and I've eaten well all day. I feel If I'm not hungry, I don't push it. Other days I manage to eat 1400 calories and I feel terrible about going over 1200 calories. I don't even log my exercise because I don't trust the calorie totals there.

    I've started to take my food diary off of calorie counting sites and onto a Word document so that I can monitor whether or not I'm eating healthy foods... instead of obsessing over how many calories I'm getting. I'm still losing weight, but I am now much happier about food.
  • 141by2016
    141by2016 Posts: 179
    Stop eating back your calories from your workout. Never eat more food because you "earned" it from a workout unless you are actually hungry.

    The MPF formula assumes you eat them back. An excessive deficit can cause metabolic issues down the road if it is maintained for a long period of time. Unless you have >50lbs to lose it is important to at least eat your BMR (the calories you would need for organ function in a coma).
  • greyoutside
    greyoutside Posts: 98
    I should also mention that I usually do not make 1200 calories and I work out fairly regularly. I also do not worry about eating in the evenings. I have not had my weight plateau since I've cut back on calorie counting and stopped worrying about when I eat.
  • circlecj
    circlecj Posts: 3 Member
    Isn't the reason you work out is to burn calories to loose weight? Doesn't it defeat the purpose of working out if you re-eat the calories you just burn? Just trying to understand the concept here.
  • cjdippo15
    cjdippo15 Posts: 17
    And for what I've seen for my BMR it's not 2500?! It's around 1600. So 500 less would be 1100 net after working out?

    I actually used the formula and figured it out

    Women: BMR = 655 + ( 4.35 x weight in pounds ) + ( 4.7 x height in inches ) - ( 4.7 x age in years )
  • jhgreer
    jhgreer Posts: 145
    And for what I've seen for my BMR it's not 2500?! It's around 1600. So 500 less would be 1100 net after working out?

    I actually used the formula and figured it out

    Women: BMR = 655 + ( 4.35 x weight in pounds ) + ( 4.7 x height in inches ) - ( 4.7 x age in years )

    You aren't taking the 500 from your BMR, the 500 should come off your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure). BMR is the absolute minimum you should net daily. Otherwise you are training your body to live on less. Which means when the weight all comes off, you'll have a much lower maintenance calorie goal.
  • Gramps251
    Gramps251 Posts: 738 Member
    I have recently lowered my calorie intake. I am finding that after going to the gym 4 times a week using the treadmill I have gained the weight back that I lost (only a pound). I have only been doing this for 2 weeks. Is this normal?

    Yes, that is normal for some if not all people. It's just water.
  • Gramps251
    Gramps251 Posts: 738 Member
    Isn't the reason you work out is to burn calories to loose weight? Doesn't it defeat the purpose of working out if you re-eat the calories you just burn? Just trying to understand the concept here.

    Read this:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
  • Jaulen
    Jaulen Posts: 468 Member
    OK my first point in all this is always: How do people gain weight if they struggle to meet 1200-1500 a day now?




    Because these people probably ate junk that is high in calories but low in nutrition. Now that they're trying to eat healthy and nutritious food, they are finding it difficult to meet their calorie goals AND do not want to revert back to their old ways of eating.


    You can still lose weight eating nothing but twinkies every day.....if you don't eat enough twinkies to go over your calories.

    Not going to be very healthy...but you can still lose weight eating 'junk' food.
  • lynn1982
    lynn1982 Posts: 1,439 Member
    OK my first point in all this is always: How do people gain weight if they struggle to meet 1200-1500 a day now?




    Because these people probably ate junk that is high in calories but low in nutrition. Now that they're trying to eat healthy and nutritious food, they are finding it difficult to meet their calorie goals AND do not want to revert back to their old ways of eating.


    You can still lose weight eating nothing but twinkies every day.....if you don't eat enough twinkies to go over your calories.

    Not going to be very healthy...but you can still lose weight eating 'junk' food.


    You are correct, but that is not at all what I wrote. When one is eating food that is low in nutrition and basically crap, one will not feel as full. It's much easier to consume 1200 calories when eating twinkies than it is when eating broccoli.

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