how much do you really eat?

Options
2»

Replies

  • drgmac
    drgmac Posts: 716 Member
    Options
    I agree with the posts about height, weight, and metabolism. Certainly, don't dip below 1200, but use how your clothes fit as an indicator. Sometimes you can gain muscle and the scale won't budge. I would try to incorporate more protein into your diet, if possible. Protein not only will help you feel fuller, but your body actually expends more calories digesting it...egg whites are particularly good for this purpose. Take a look at your sodium content as well. If you aren't flushing it out of your system, your body could be holding on to it.
  • ktd1987
    ktd1987 Posts: 6
    Options
    I set my target for 1300 and every morning quick add 100 into my snacks and then if I'm over I knock the 100 off and add whatever I've eaten. I don't log my exercises simply because I would just keep on eating if I did. So far I've lost 3lb since new year but it took 2 weeks to show and then the following week I maintained. I allow myself a cheat day every week too when family comes over and we eat out. Don't be too hard on yourself last year when I followed a rigid plan exercising and eating healthy it didn't show on the scales but I was losing inches so maybe log your inches too?
  • da_bears10089
    da_bears10089 Posts: 1,791 Member
    Options
    i have my allowance set at my TDEE which is 2237, so i'm trying to do -15% of that so roughly 1750-1900 regardless if i workout or not.
  • Summer_Lunatic
    Summer_Lunatic Posts: 543 Member
    Options
    ~3000 cals a day.
  • jennmariepantoja
    jennmariepantoja Posts: 145 Member
    Options
    I asked the same question earlier last week lol.
    Do a search and there are sooo many threads about this topic and your head will start to spin ha ha.

    MFP has me on 1200 a day as well. If I work out, it goes up but I never eat more than 1250 a day.
    I have lost 6lbs in the past 2 weeks doing this, but for everyone it is different.

    I say if you are hungry, eat something sensible. If not, don't eat. Listen to your body.
    It is possible for your body to go into starvation mode if the deficit is too large. You will most likely feel hungry if this is starting to happen. If you are very worried that this will happen on the days you work out, drink a protein shake if you do not already.

    HTH!
  • Aweymouth
    Aweymouth Posts: 3 Member
    Options
    I had lost 65lbs but gained 18 of it back over summer and the holidays. I'm new to MFP and just seem to be stuck in this plateau. I workout 6 days a week with an average burn of 500 - 850 calories a session. I sometimes have double sessions if I'm teaching my turbo class. I'm actually satisfied with eating 1400 calories but I'm thinking that's too low for the burn that I'm getting. What is the "net" everyone is talking about? I would like to lose another 30lbs to get to my goal. I'll increase my caloric intake and try eating 2/3 of my activity calories to see if that will help :-) Thanks guys!
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    Options
    You might not be eating enough and your body is holding on to the resources.

    Check this out:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    And if for some reason you decide not to follow this, there are a couple other options.
    1) You can change your weekly weight loss goal to 1/2 pound per week which is much more realistic considering the amount of weight you're trying to lose and should give you more daily calories. And yes, especially if you're set at sedentary, you should eat back all your exercise calories.
    2) Custom set your daily calorie goal to your BMR and eat back your exercise calories. This is what I've been doing for about a year and and it seems to be working pretty well. And ends up being pretty much the same as if I followed the road map, just a different approach.
  • kr1stadee
    kr1stadee Posts: 1,774 Member
    Options
    On your Daily Summary, it says "Goal" "Food" "Exercise" "Net"
    Your goal is just that, food is how much you've taken in, exercise is what you burn, and net is what is left. You want to keep that above 1200
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    Options
    (Snip)
    What is the "net" everyone is talking about?

    gross calories (total calories consumed in the day) minus exercise calories = net calories
  • wahmx3
    wahmx3 Posts: 646 Member
    Options
    MFP says i should eat about 1850, with my work outs I eat almost 3000, and net about 1500. I have only been eating like this for the last week, but I am starting to notice a real difference. I always thought the eat to loose thought process was a load of crap, but my body seems to respond very well to the increased healthy calories.

    how many hours a day are your working out to burn 3000 calories? I seriously question that number unless you are wearing a hrm and exercising most of your day.
  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
    Options
    If you are a very active instructor, you would likely need considerably more than 1400 calories. Your net calories-or energy availability-is the amount of energy in calories you actually provide your body after exercise expenditure is deducted from caloric intake. So, if you ate 2100 calories and burned 700 in total exercise, then you leave your body with 1400 calories to fuel your Resting Metabolic Rate, Thermic Effect of Food, and Non-exercise activity. These four make up your Total Daily Energy Expenditure-what you need in a day to maintain weight and body composition according to activity.

Categories