Better to leave a calorie deficiency???

Leisha908
Leisha908 Posts: 35 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi All,
I really don't know if it is better to eat all your calories still to meet your 1200 calorie a day goal or to leave the extra calories at the end of the day to help lose weight faster? Can anyone give me opinions or facts on this. Also I can use some good motivating friends on here so feel free to request me! Lastly any tips on losing belly fat? I am down 25 pounds so far which I am super excited about, but now I feel its time to tone up and lose the little left of my belly that wont seem to go away! Still want to lose another 20 pounds is my ultimate goal! Thanks all with any advice you can offer!
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Replies

  • Danni1585
    Danni1585 Posts: 250 Member
    Feel free to add me if you want.i am on 1200 cals and make sure I use them all. it's quite low, there are many people who suggest higher numbers but for me I am doing fine so far. Less than 1200 will put your body into starvation mode, you may lose well for a couple of weeks but it won't be sustainable long term. Sure lots of people will help with tummy exercises, I only swim. Good luck. Regards Danielle x
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    You should net to the calorie goal MFP gives you...probably more really, but definitely no less than the 1,200 calories. this means if you workout, you need to eat back exercise calories or at least most of them. Failure to do so will create a Grand Canyon sized deficit in your calories and your body will ultimately go into metabolic stall. The less weight you have to lose, the slower it should be. 20 Lbs really isn't a lot and you should be shooting for more like 1 lb per week than 2. If you don't have a lot to lose, your body will go into metabolic stall faster...i.e. you will plateau in a matter of weeks and much of the weight you will lose will actually be muscle, not fat. The 1,200 calorie goal already has an 800-1,000 calories per day deficit in it from your maintenance calories. You need a basal amount of calories (BMR - Basal Metabolic Rate) just to breath and keep your organs functioning properly in a coma...I can guarantee you that unless you have a medical condition, it is not anything below 1,200.

    These are the facts, not opinion. They are independently verifiable with a little research.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Yes & No

    Yes, you will lose weight faster ....... however, when your calorie deficit is too high you will likely lose fat AND muscle. Your body requires (for most women) .... at least 1200 calories NET for basic bodily function .... heart, lungs, kidneys, etc. Your body will make up for the deficit by going to fat stores (yeah!) ..... but also lean muscle tissue .... fat stores do not hold all nutrients needed.

    I eat all my exercise calories back .... but I am conservative. Eat 1450 - exercise 250 = 1200 NET

    1. I log "actual" workouts .... not walking the dog
    2. I use a heart rate monitor (MFP & machine can overstate calories)
    3. I set my activity level as sedentary

    Some people choose to "up" their activity level to incorporate daily exercise .... if you do this, you will like be higher than 1200
  • djames92
    djames92 Posts: 990 Member
    if you already lost 25 i say keep doing what your doing cuz its working
  • jhedrick2
    jhedrick2 Posts: 1
    I think you also have to think of your energy needs. How do you feel at the end of the day when you eat less than 1200 cals.? If you are in your last stretch of 20 pounds I'd say exercise is going to get you to your goal faster than diet, and you can start toning that lean muscle which will in fact burn more calories so on and so forth.... Best of luck!
  • Cobwellac
    Cobwellac Posts: 75 Member
    If I'm not hungry, I don't eat them.
  • Leisha908
    Leisha908 Posts: 35 Member
    Thank you so much very informative! I wasnt sure and have heard two sides to the story! All your replies helped thank you so much!
  • Leisha908
    Leisha908 Posts: 35 Member
    Yes & No

    Yes, you will lose weight faster ....... however, when your calorie deficit is too high you will likely lose fat AND muscle. Your body requires (for most women) .... at least 1200 calories NET for basic bodily function .... heart, lungs, kidneys, etc. Your body will make up for the deficit by going to fat stores (yeah!) ..... but also lean muscle tissue .... fat stores do not hold all nutrients needed.

    I eat all my exercise calories back .... but I am conservative. Eat 1450 - exercise 250 = 1200 NET

    1. I log "actual" workouts .... not walking the dog
    2. I use a heart rate monitor (MFP & machine can overstate calories)
    3. I set my activity level as sedentary

    Some people choose to "up" their activity level to incorporate daily exercise .... if you do this, you will like be higher than 1200


    I do workout weights/cardio/pilates 4-6 times a week and have eaten very well for the last 21 days now. I have noticed that I haven't been losing as many pounds as I like but definitely feel smaller and toned which I am happy with, just anxious to see the scale drop with it!
  • Leisha908
    Leisha908 Posts: 35 Member
    You should net to the calorie goal MFP gives you...probably more really, but definitely no less than the 1,200 calories. this means if you workout, you need to eat back exercise calories or at least most of them. Failure to do so will create a Grand Canyon sized deficit in your calories and your body will ultimately go into metabolic stall. The less weight you have to lose, the slower it should be. 20 Lbs really isn't a lot and you should be shooting for more like 1 lb per week than 2. If you don't have a lot to lose, your body will go into metabolic stall faster...i.e. you will plateau in a matter of weeks and much of the weight you will lose will actually be muscle, not fat. The 1,200 calorie goal already has an 800-1,000 calories per day deficit in it from your maintenance calories. You need a basal amount of calories (BMR - Basal Metabolic Rate) just to breath and keep your organs functioning properly in a coma...I can guarantee you that unless you have a medical condition, it is not anything below 1,200.

    These are the facts, not opinion. They are independently verifiable with a little research.

    SUPER USEFUL THANK YOU TONS!!!!!!
  • Msdirection
    Msdirection Posts: 54 Member
    1. I log "actual" workouts .... not walking the dog

    I resent that. I can burn nearly 400 calories a day from 'just walking the dog'. There's a difference between a stroll and a fast walk. Exercise doesn't just have to be going to the gym :)
  • Leisha908
    Leisha908 Posts: 35 Member
    1. I log "actual" workouts .... not walking the dog

    I resent that. I can burn nearly 400 calories a day from 'just walking the dog'. There's a difference between a stroll and a fast walk. Exercise doesn't just have to be going to the gym :)

    I have a "gym room" in my home which is where I do everything. I dont actually have a dog LOL thats just what came up when I log my walks on the treadmill!
  • JENNY7634
    JENNY7634 Posts: 67 Member
    I try to eat all my calories and I eat more if im working out that day! Right now I eat about 1400 cals a day but usually add an extra healthy snack of 100 to 200 cals on my workout days. I always try to have over 1200 calories after my workouts are figured in. You really can slow down your weight loss by not giving your body the calories it needs.....your body will store fat if you dont feed it properly. Its a slower way to lose weight but for me I think being healthy and giving your body the fuel it requires is equally as important as losing weight. Its a long frustrating process but I think its the best way to lose it and keep it gone : )
  • Leisha908
    Leisha908 Posts: 35 Member
    I try to eat all my calories and I eat more if im working out that day! Right now I eat about 1400 cals a day but usually add an extra healthy snack of 100 to 200 cals on my workout days. I always try to have over 1200 calories after my workouts are figured in. You really can slow down your weight loss by not giving your body the calories it needs.....your body will store fat if you dont feed it properly. Its a slower way to lose weight but for me I think being healthy and giving your body the fuel it requires is equally as important as losing weight. Its a long frustrating process but I think its the best way to lose it and keep it gone : )

    Thank you!
  • witchy_wife
    witchy_wife Posts: 792 Member
    I don't always eat all my calories but my daily goal is 1791 so plenty to play with. But I have the odd day I go over so it all evens out in the end.

    If I was eating 1200 calories I would definitely eat above that number.
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
    1. I log "actual" workouts .... not walking the dog

    I resent that. I can burn nearly 400 calories a day from 'just walking the dog'. There's a difference between a stroll and a fast walk. Exercise doesn't just have to be going to the gym :)

    Hmm.. yeah I lost all my weight just by walking so yes it does count!
  • Msdirection
    Msdirection Posts: 54 Member
    1. I log "actual" workouts .... not walking the dog

    I resent that. I can burn nearly 400 calories a day from 'just walking the dog'. There's a difference between a stroll and a fast walk. Exercise doesn't just have to be going to the gym :)

    Hmm.. yeah I lost all my weight just by walking so yes it does count!

    I'm glad I'm not the only one! I've got dodgy knees, so anything that requires me to land heavily on them is out - unfortunately, that cuts out running and 99% of gym classes. So I walk - 3.3km today already! Love it :)
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
    Hi All,
    I really don't know if it is better to eat all your calories still to meet your 1200 calorie a day goal or to leave the extra calories at the end of the day to help lose weight faster? Can anyone give me opinions or facts on this. Also I can use some good motivating friends on here so feel free to request me! Lastly any tips on losing belly fat? I am down 25 pounds so far which I am super excited about, but now I feel its time to tone up and lose the little left of my belly that wont seem to go away! Still want to lose another 20 pounds is my ultimate goal! Thanks all with any advice you can offer!

    it's all really confusing. just a couple days ago someone named NoOb put on here that we have to subtract our "existing" calories which I think means calories we burn just existing from our earned through workout calories. so that means eat less right? but then other people say eating too little will be bad for you too. so it's gonna be really confusing unless you know how to do all that TDEE stuff people talk about. IF you figure it out, let me know because it's still hard for me to get.
  • SMMiller712
    SMMiller712 Posts: 29
    I AGREE!! My dog helps motivate me to go out and hike up and down the mountain for an hour even when it is 15 degees out. A 3 mile hike/walk is a 3 mile hike/walk regardless of whether or not it is with the dog. Plus, it comes up that way when you log in from the MFP database!!
    1. I log "actual" workouts .... not walking the dog

    I resent that. I can burn nearly 400 calories a day from 'just walking the dog'. There's a difference between a stroll and a fast walk. Exercise doesn't just have to be going to the gym :)
  • UKMarjie
    UKMarjie Posts: 257 Member
    I think when you are on that end of the calorie scale you are getting into a danger zone if you DON'T eat the calories back. You are likely to go into starvation mode and then your weight loss will not happen. Be careful of trying to find short cuts.
  • UKMarjie
    UKMarjie Posts: 257 Member
    I AGREE!! My dog helps motivate me to go out and hike up and down the mountain for an hour even when it is 15 degees out. A 3 mile hike/walk is a 3 mile hike/walk regardless of whether or not it is with the dog. Plus, it comes up that way when you log in from the MFP database!!
    1. I log "actual" workouts .... not walking the dog

    I resent that. I can burn nearly 400 calories a day from 'just walking the dog'. There's a difference between a stroll and a fast walk. Exercise doesn't just have to be going to the gym :)

    I agree that taking your dog for a HIKE is exercise and getting out more often then your regular routine counts - but is anyone else a bit skeptical of logging things like housework or even activities that you have always done anyway? I guess for me if it isn't something you don't ordinarily do (like say you now take the stairs instead of the lift or the escalator, or walk to the shops instead of drive, or carry your groceries instead of put them in the cart, or mow you own lawn instead of having someone else do it) then I don't think you really are burning anything extra.
  • 1ConcreteGirl
    1ConcreteGirl Posts: 3,677 Member
    Eat every last one of those calories.

    1200 is a significant deficit already, and you don't want to cut into it any more than that or your body will not work as efficiently.

    1200 is almost certainly less than your BMR, which is the number of calories your body needs to function efficiently in a coma--let alone doing all kinds of exercise. Eat back your calories.
  • UKMarjie
    UKMarjie Posts: 257 Member
    1. I log "actual" workouts .... not walking the dog

    I resent that. I can burn nearly 400 calories a day from 'just walking the dog'. There's a difference between a stroll and a fast walk. Exercise doesn't just have to be going to the gym :)

    Hmm.. yeah I lost all my weight just by walking so yes it does count!

    I'm glad I'm not the only one! I've got dodgy knees, so anything that requires me to land heavily on them is out - unfortunately, that cuts out running and 99% of gym classes. So I walk - 3.3km today already! Love it :)

    This is pretty intense mileage though - so you are not talking about a ten minute walk to the local dog park and then sit on a bench and then back around the block kind of deal.
  • vim_n_vigor
    vim_n_vigor Posts: 4,089 Member
    1. I log "actual" workouts .... not walking the dog

    I resent that. I can burn nearly 400 calories a day from 'just walking the dog'. There's a difference between a stroll and a fast walk. Exercise doesn't just have to be going to the gym :)

    You could walk my 2 dogs - that is a workout! 4 miles with them and I am beat. Of course, the dogs are huge and we live by a river in a heavily treed area. They are constantly smelling something they want to catch!
  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,834 Member
    If you are comfortable with less than 1200, then I say it is fine. If you are feeling hungry though, you can nosh the few extra calories to the 1200 level. Good thing is, you will still loose weight.
  • JenaePavlak
    JenaePavlak Posts: 350 Member
    Pretty much on target here:

    :drinker:

    You should net to the calorie goal MFP gives you...probably more really, but definitely no less than the 1,200 calories. this means if you workout, you need to eat back exercise calories or at least most of them. Failure to do so will create a Grand Canyon sized deficit in your calories and your body will ultimately go into metabolic stall. The less weight you have to lose, the slower it should be. 20 Lbs really isn't a lot and you should be shooting for more like 1 lb per week than 2. If you don't have a lot to lose, your body will go into metabolic stall faster...i.e. you will plateau in a matter of weeks and much of the weight you will lose will actually be muscle, not fat. The 1,200 calorie goal already has an 800-1,000 calories per day deficit in it from your maintenance calories. You need a basal amount of calories (BMR - Basal Metabolic Rate) just to breath and keep your organs functioning properly in a coma...I can guarantee you that unless you have a medical condition, it is not anything below 1,200.

    These are the facts, not opinion. They are independently verifiable with a little research.
  • Leisha908
    Leisha908 Posts: 35 Member
    Wow, thank you everyone! What great advice you all have. Maybe I need to do a little research into the 1200 calorie thing. That is what MFP recommended I believe when I first started a while back. I always thought having those extra calories at the end of the day would help lose quicker and in turn it looks like I was wrong!
  • curlygirl1970
    curlygirl1970 Posts: 2
    Hey there if you don't eat all your calories then your body goes into starvation mode and you won't lose weight. I usually get down to 50 or 60 cal or even at little over, but sometimes I find it hard to eat all my calories after a lot of exercise...trial and error.

    I go for a walk with my cousin and her dog, but if you go to the gym you can change your program to include fat burning exercises, I'd try to do 20 mins on my exercise bike every morning

    Good luck
  • kelbax22
    kelbax22 Posts: 48 Member
    I have a 1300 calorie goal, wanting to lose 1.5 lbs a week...and I exercise 6 to 7 days a week.
    I have been doing this for 5 weeks and I do not eat back all of my burned calories. I might eat about 1400 cals but burn off 500 cals, so I net around 900 cals. I do not feel the need to eat back everything if I am satisfied.

    I have lost 8 lbs doing this. (I am 5 ft 8 and now 164 lbs)
  • LizL217
    LizL217 Posts: 217 Member
    it's all really confusing. just a couple days ago someone named NoOb put on here that we have to subtract our "existing" calories which I think means calories we burn just existing from our earned through workout calories. so that means eat less right? but then other people say eating too little will be bad for you too. so it's gonna be really confusing unless you know how to do all that TDEE stuff people talk about. IF you figure it out, let me know because it's still hard for me to get.

    It can be confusing given all of the different opinions on this site (and in everything we read/see/hear), but the post below is very helpful and clearly explains an effective fat loss strategy that works. It's a long post, but if you take the time to read it, digest it, and do your own calculations, you will be rewarded with knowledge.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
  • 1ConcreteGirl
    1ConcreteGirl Posts: 3,677 Member
    It can be confusing given all of the different opinions on this site (and in everything we read/see/hear), but the post below is very helpful and clearly explains an effective fat loss strategy that works. It's a long post, but if you take the time to read it, digest it, and do your own calculations, you will be rewarded with knowledge.

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

    A million times, this. I think it will be beyond rewarding for you to read and take this to heart.

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