Afraid of overeating, but definitelty undereating
explainsitall
Posts: 35
Hell mfp-ers,
So recently I have found that I'm working out more than ever and attempting to maintain my 1,200-1,300 calories a day routine. Some days I feel stuffed at 1,200 and other days I'm famished. Some days I can't get myself to eat the 1,200 calories, because I"m afraid of gaining weight. Some days I have about 900.
I guess I'm struggling to find a balance. I've found this week I've been quite hungry but have resisted over eating my 1,200 calories (for the most part, I went over to just over 1,300 one day). Even though I'm hungry, I refuse to let myself eat more. Is this bad? Should I eat even though I'm close to going over calories?
I'm burning about 500 calories or more per day with 90-100 minutes of exercise. I generally do NOT use the "extra," calories I gained to eat more.
Thank you!
So recently I have found that I'm working out more than ever and attempting to maintain my 1,200-1,300 calories a day routine. Some days I feel stuffed at 1,200 and other days I'm famished. Some days I can't get myself to eat the 1,200 calories, because I"m afraid of gaining weight. Some days I have about 900.
I guess I'm struggling to find a balance. I've found this week I've been quite hungry but have resisted over eating my 1,200 calories (for the most part, I went over to just over 1,300 one day). Even though I'm hungry, I refuse to let myself eat more. Is this bad? Should I eat even though I'm close to going over calories?
I'm burning about 500 calories or more per day with 90-100 minutes of exercise. I generally do NOT use the "extra," calories I gained to eat more.
Thank you!
0
Replies
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Exercise calories are not "extra." Unless you're doing the TDEE -20% method, which already takes your exercise into account, MFP is set up for you to eat them back--they are part of the daily goal you should meet to lose at the rate you set it for. If you're eating 1200 calories and burning 500, you're leaving your body a mere 700 for basic daily functioning. That's not enough.
Double check to see if you should even be going as low as 1200--that's the absolute minimum most women should net for healthy body function. Figure out your BMR, which is the number of calories your body needs with no movement at all (as if you were in a coma), and don't eat below that number.
Check out "In place of a road map" for more. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-120 -
You need to eat more than you are otherwise you'll burn out.
I'm like you in that some days I'm hungry and others I can just make my 1200. I'd rather go on my calories over the week than by the day.
If your hungry eat but make it some fruit or protein then it won't make you feel as bad. It's hard but sometimes you need to relax with regards to calories cause stressing about it can make your body hold on to water and fat.
Your working out loads so you really should try and eat up as much of those calories as you can for your body to use it as fuel.0 -
Exercise calories are not "extra." Unless you're doing the TDEE -20% method, which already takes your exercise into account, MFP is set up for you to eat them back--they are part of the daily goal you should meet to lose at the rate you set it for. If you're eating 1200 calories and burning 500, you're leaving your body a mere 700 for basic daily functioning. That's not enough.
This...if you are following how MFP sets it up, then the calories you burn are not "extra" you eat them back. MFP does not calculate your exercise in your activity level, so the calories you eat back are actually apart of your daily total that you should shoot for. You should net 1200 if you are following MFP.0 -
If you are burning that much....eat. If you are that hungry listen to your body, it needs fuel0
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Oh course you wanna see the numbers on teh scale, but you have to remember you didnt put on weight in large chunks really quickly (you know what i mean) so you cant expect it to fall off an stay off in large chunks. Your body needs to fuel to loose, wihtout ample food your body wants to feed so it starts to eat muscle not fat, because it is trying to store that because its not sure when and how much it will get fed again. I eat 3000+ calories a day, so that I can net 1400 Calories and I continue to loose. I mean just naturally sitting still doing absolutely nothing your body will burn a certain number of calories (well say 1000+) So fi you are doing 500 calories a day in exercise, and loosing 1000 calories in just everyday burn that puts you at negative 1500 so if you are only eating 900-1200 calories you arent even netting calories, so your body is going into "storage mode" and will try to store everything you give it, and break down muscle to eat that. I am not a doctor, just my understanding of everything i have read about how your body trys to work.0
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I remember that fear.
To know if you're overeating, you need to know your approximate BMR and TDEE. And then once you know those numbers, you have to reassure yourself over and over that as long as you don't eat more than your TDEE you will not gain any fat. My BMR is ~1400 and my TDEE is 1800-2100 or more depending on how much exercise I do that day. On the days where I splurge a bit and eat 2000 calories, I fight that fear of weight gain by reminding myself that 2000 is STILL below my maintenance level.
Don't stress. Stress raises cortisol. You need to eat so your body functions and doesn't start eating away at your bones looking for nutrients. What's your BMR and TDEE?0 -
Exercise calories are not "extra." Unless you're doing the TDEE -20% method, which already takes your exercise into account, MFP is set up for you to eat them back--they are part of the daily goal you should meet to lose at the rate you set it for. If you're eating 1200 calories and burning 500, you're leaving your body a mere 700 for basic daily functioning. That's not enough.
Double check to see if you should even be going as low as 1200--that's the absolute minimum most women should net for healthy body function. Figure out your BMR, which is the number of calories your body needs with no movement at all (as if you were in a coma), and don't eat below that number.
Check out "In place of a road map" for more. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
This.
1200 is really low. It might be appropriate if you're tiny and sedentary, but it's likely that you need more. Start by at least eating back the calories you burn from exercise. Eating very little and burning a lot can backfire and hurt your progress.0 -
Hell mfp-ers,
So recently I have found that I'm working out more than ever and attempting to maintain my 1,200-1,300 calories a day routine. Some days I feel stuffed at 1,200 and other days I'm famished. Some days I can't get myself to eat the 1,200 calories, because I"m afraid of gaining weight. Some days I have about 900.
I guess I'm struggling to find a balance. I've found this week I've been quite hungry but have resisted over eating my 1,200 calories (for the most part, I went over to just over 1,300 one day). Even though I'm hungry, I refuse to let myself eat more. Is this bad? Should I eat even though I'm close to going over calories?
I'm burning about 500 calories or more per day with 90-100 minutes of exercise. I generally do NOT use the "extra," calories I gained to eat more.
Thank you!
Yes, you are doing it wrong.
MFP does not take into account your exercise when setting your calorie goal. It already incles a deficit so you are making your defict larger.
you could actually set MFP to maintain, work out for 500 calories and get your deficit that way.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf0 -
SLOW DOWN YOUR HORSE LADY! You might be doing more harm than good
Ok... healthy calorie deficit causes body to consume calories from fat. It is not like you can sweat out the fat ;-)
you do 90min a day training? too much!
You need to reset your goals here. go for recommended weight goal 1lbs/week. Consume your calories. Do you cardio and consume also calories that you burn.
Here's why. 1kg of human body fat is ~7700kcal. if you cut your daily calorie intake by 500 kcal per week it is 7 x 500 = 3500. That's around 0,5kg or ~1lb. So you lose this amount just by cutting the calories down.
cardio benefits are a) your body used more calories per day b) afterburner effect
Afterburner effect means that when you do cardio your metabolism goes overdrive for the next 24h. So i.e. your daily goal is 1500 kcal you burn 300kcal while jogging. Now you need to eat 1800 kcal (you still have the deficit so you will be losing weight anyways). PLUS afterburner burns some extra calories! so you will loose more than mfp shows you.
When you don't eat - your body starts to starve and ,metabolism stops, body will take energy not only from fat but also from the muscles. So you might be losing more muscle mass than fat. Or even worse..you might be not even losing weight and putting your health at risk.
On top of that, I can't see your diary. But eat foods that fill you up not just empty calories.
In addition to all that: If you don't feel good having a diet and doing cardio.... there is big chance you will drop the entire diet+cardio program coz it will be an unpleasant experience. Read more on dieting, set good goals, reward yourself with a treat or two per week!!! it is important! and most importantly enjoy it!
Peace out!0 -
SLOW DOWN YOUR HORSE LADY! You might be doing more harm than good
Ok... healthy calorie deficit causes body to consume calories from fat. It is not like you can sweat out the fat ;-)
you do 90min a day training? too much!
You need to reset your goals here. go for recommended weight goal 1lbs/week. Consume your calories. Do you cardio and consume also calories that you burn.
Here's why. 1kg of human body fat is ~7700kcal. if you cut your daily calorie intake by 500 kcal per week it is 7 x 500 = 3500. That's around 0,5kg or ~1lb. So you lose this amount just by cutting the calories down.
cardio benefits are a) your body used more calories per day b) afterburner effect
Afterburner effect means that when you do cardio your metabolism goes overdrive for the next 24h. So i.e. your daily goal is 1500 kcal you burn 300kcal while jogging. Now you need to eat 1800 kcal (you still have the deficit so you will be losing weight anyways). PLUS afterburner burns some extra calories! so you will loose more than mfp shows you.
When you don't eat - your body starts to starve and ,metabolism stops, body will take energy not only from fat but also from the muscles. So you might be losing more muscle mass than fat. Or even worse..you might be not even losing weight and putting your health at risk.
On top of that, I can't see your diary. But eat foods that fill you up not just empty calories.
Peace out!
this was good until the "when you don't eat..." stuff popped up. Note to OP you have to not eat for 72 hours for your body to turn to muscle to get energy...and even then it is minimal.
The TDEE - x % is a pretty effective method and you do not have to worry about eating exercise cals back....give it a shot for four to six weeks and see how it goes...0 -
I added also "in addition" if you want to comment.
Quote:
Speed of Weight Loss
The faster you lose weight, the more likely you are to be losing mostly water and muscle, rather than fat. According to the American Family Physician, aim to lose no more than 2 lbs. per week if you don't want to lose too much muscle mass. This means you don't want to cut too many calories or exercise excessively. It is better to lose the weight gradually over time.
source:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/187596-does-your-body-burn-muscle-before-fat/0 -
It would take an extra 1000 calories a day for approx 7 days from your current calorie goals, assuming your using 500 as a deficit, to actually gain 1 lb of adipose tissue (fat). Not to mention your not accounting for exercise....typical fear factor.Hell mfp-ers,
So recently I have found that I'm working out more than ever and attempting to maintain my 1,200-1,300 calories a day routine. Some days I feel stuffed at 1,200 and other days I'm famished. Some days I can't get myself to eat the 1,200 calories, because I"m afraid of gaining weight. Some days I have about 900.
I guess I'm struggling to find a balance. I've found this week I've been quite hungry but have resisted over eating my 1,200 calories (for the most part, I went over to just over 1,300 one day). Even though I'm hungry, I refuse to let myself eat more. Is this bad? Should I eat even though I'm close to going over calories?
I'm burning about 500 calories or more per day with 90-100 minutes of exercise. I generally do NOT use the "extra," calories I gained to eat more.
Thank you!
0 -
I added also "in addition" if you want to comment.
Quote:
Speed of Weight Loss
The faster you lose weight, the more likely you are to be losing mostly water and muscle, rather than fat. According to the American Family Physician, aim to lose no more than 2 lbs. per week if you don't want to lose too much muscle mass. This means you don't want to cut too many calories or exercise excessively. It is better to lose the weight gradually over time.
source:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/187596-does-your-body-burn-muscle-before-fat/
Livestrong is not a reliable information source. While is it better to ease into a cut and take it slow rather then dipping into huge deficits... you will not instantly begin losing muscle mass if it is a short period of time. Fasted studies have shown that muscle tissue breakdown will not occur until roughly the 72 hour mark of withholding food (hence his refrence).0 -
I added also "in addition" if you want to comment.
Quote:
Speed of Weight Loss
The faster you lose weight, the more likely you are to be losing mostly water and muscle, rather than fat. According to the American Family Physician, aim to lose no more than 2 lbs. per week if you don't want to lose too much muscle mass. This means you don't want to cut too many calories or exercise excessively. It is better to lose the weight gradually over time.
source:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/187596-does-your-body-burn-muscle-before-fat/
Livestrong is not a reliable information source. While is it better to ease into a cut and take it slow rather then dipping into huge deficits... you will not instantly begin losing muscle mass if it is a short period of time. Fasted studies have shown that muscle tissue breakdown will not occur until roughly the 72 hour mark of withholding food (hence his refrence).
hmmm do you have any reference to 72h thingy? so far no one gave any reference to it.
Well she eats 900-1200 kcal... and does 90-100min cardio ... how much she burns? need more data from her but if its jogging easily 1100-1400 kcal (made some assumptions on her weight).
and you want to say that she would be losing just fat with such a diet and training plan? please look at whole picture not at 1 fact.
Moreover, how would she feel in 2 weeks doing it?0 -
I added also "in addition" if you want to comment.
Quote:
Speed of Weight Loss
The faster you lose weight, the more likely you are to be losing mostly water and muscle, rather than fat. According to the American Family Physician, aim to lose no more than 2 lbs. per week if you don't want to lose too much muscle mass. This means you don't want to cut too many calories or exercise excessively. It is better to lose the weight gradually over time.
source:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/187596-does-your-body-burn-muscle-before-fat/
Livestrong is not a reliable information source. While is it better to ease into a cut and take it slow rather then dipping into huge deficits... you will not instantly begin losing muscle mass if it is a short period of time. Fasted studies have shown that muscle tissue breakdown will not occur until roughly the 72 hour mark of withholding food (hence his refrence).
hmmm do you have any reference to 72h thingy? so far no one gave any reference to it.
Well she eats 900-1200 kcal... and does 90-100min cardio ... how much she burns? need more data from her but if its jogging easily 1100-1400 kcal (made some assumptions on her weight).
and you want to say that she would be losing just fat with such a diet and training plan? please look at whole picture not at 1 fact.
Moreover, how would she feel in 2 weeks doing it?
www.leangains.com Beckham posts all his reserach.0 -
You are already at a very low daily calorie amount so don't be afraid of overeating. Your deficit is already high unless you are incredibly short.
If you are doing that much exercise, eat your calories back. That much exercise will cause you to have too high of a deficit which will cause you to lose more muscle than you already are. If you can't eat back your exercise calories, don't exercise so much.
Not consuming enough calories will do more harm than good. It doesn't leave your body much to run off. You need to fuel your body. Not eating enough will cause you to lose more muscle than you normally would. Not eating enough can make weight loss harder to keep off. As you get smaller you normally have to decrease your calories to keep losing... since you are already so low you don't have anywhere to go.
Research BMR and TDEE. 1200 will be well under what your BMR is most likely. You should be trying to net your BMR.0 -
For TDEE "Based on your information your details, the TDEE calculator puts your daily calorie requirement at 2398"
My BMR is "1599.99"
I suppose all that data is still confusing to me. I know I should eat more, but its very much a struggle for me. Additionally, I was treated for mild to moderate bulimia (or bulimic behavior as I saw it) in high school. I suppose that has a lot to do with my food issues.0 -
SLOW DOWN YOUR HORSE LADY! You might be doing more harm than good
Ok... healthy calorie deficit causes body to consume calories from fat. It is not like you can sweat out the fat ;-)
you do 90min a day training? too much!
You need to reset your goals here. go for recommended weight goal 1lbs/week. Consume your calories. Do you cardio and consume also calories that you burn.
Here's why. 1kg of human body fat is ~7700kcal. if you cut your daily calorie intake by 500 kcal per week it is 7 x 500 = 3500. That's around 0,5kg or ~1lb. So you lose this amount just by cutting the calories down.
cardio benefits are a) your body used more calories per day b) afterburner effect
Afterburner effect means that when you do cardio your metabolism goes overdrive for the next 24h. So i.e. your daily goal is 1500 kcal you burn 300kcal while jogging. Now you need to eat 1800 kcal (you still have the deficit so you will be losing weight anyways). PLUS afterburner burns some extra calories! so you will loose more than mfp shows you.
When you don't eat - your body starts to starve and ,metabolism stops, body will take energy not only from fat but also from the muscles. So you might be losing more muscle mass than fat. Or even worse..you might be not even losing weight and putting your health at risk.
On top of that, I can't see your diary. But eat foods that fill you up not just empty calories.
In addition to all that: If you don't feel good having a diet and doing cardio.... there is big chance you will drop the entire diet+cardio program coz it will be an unpleasant experience. Read more on dieting, set good goals, reward yourself with a treat or two per week!!! it is important! and most importantly enjoy it!
Peace out!
I had no idea my diary wasn't public. I've changed that0 -
Losing muscle mass is much scarier than losing fat. The way to lose fat is with a slight deficit. A large deficit leads to muscle loss. True story.0
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Hell mfp-ers,
So recently I have found that I'm working out more than ever and attempting to maintain my 1,200-1,300 calories a day routine. Some days I feel stuffed at 1,200 and other days I'm famished. Some days I can't get myself to eat the 1,200 calories, because I"m afraid of gaining weight. Some days I have about 900.
I guess I'm struggling to find a balance. I've found this week I've been quite hungry but have resisted over eating my 1,200 calories (for the most part, I went over to just over 1,300 one day). Even though I'm hungry, I refuse to let myself eat more. Is this bad? Should I eat even though I'm close to going over calories?
I'm burning about 500 calories or more per day with 90-100 minutes of exercise. I generally do NOT use the "extra," calories I gained to eat more.
Thank you!
I'm the same exact way. There are some days, I just don't feel like I can physically eat the calories required for my exercise. I run daily and have been using Insanity. So on average I have between 500-800 calorie deficit. There are very few days that I hit my calories or exceed.0 -
Hell mfp-ers,
So recently I have found that I'm working out more than ever and attempting to maintain my 1,200-1,300 calories a day routine. Some days I feel stuffed at 1,200 and other days I'm famished. Some days I can't get myself to eat the 1,200 calories, because I"m afraid of gaining weight. Some days I have about 900.
I guess I'm struggling to find a balance. I've found this week I've been quite hungry but have resisted over eating my 1,200 calories (for the most part, I went over to just over 1,300 one day). Even though I'm hungry, I refuse to let myself eat more. Is this bad? Should I eat even though I'm close to going over calories?
I'm burning about 500 calories or more per day with 90-100 minutes of exercise. I generally do NOT use the "extra," calories I gained to eat more.
Thank you!
I'm the same exact way. There are some days, I just don't feel like I can physically eat the calories required for my exercise. I run daily and have been using Insanity. So on average I have between 500-800 calorie deficit. There are very few days that I hit my calories or exceed.
Same here.
I guess I have an insane amount of paranoia about gaining too much. Also because of family issues (lack of support) I generally only workout when I'm on breaks at work or when I'm home alone. This means I cant' do much Saturdays and Sundays (I usually can sneak my 17 minute pilates workout in).
I just wonder if I do 5 days a week at an hour and one day a week at 30 minutes of exercise plus the correct calories if I'll actually lose weight. I'm skeptical at this point that I can even lose weight the right way.0 -
I didn't read the other posts, sorry. But p,ease be careful because if you are feeling like this,you don't want it to get worse and become an eating disorder. That's kind of how it started for me. Not everyone will have this problem but some will and if you are one of those people it could be bad.you will not gain weight by eating more and it will be helpful if you doesn't more.figure out your BMR and don't eat below that ever. Eat at TDEE -20%0
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yes that got me secondary amenorrhea.
EAT.0 -
Oh and i was eating 1500 kcal a day. not enough. you have to eat0
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Don't forget about your sleep! Erratic sleep times, and/or lack of sleep, can cause those cravings and feelings of needing food.0
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I think the most helpful information is spending a little time on MFP clicking through member's profiles and seeing just how much they eat (and workout) with amazing weight loss results. It's one thing to hear "eat more". It's another to see people doing so and having success. So find people around your age who are eating at least 1200-1700 calories a day and exercising, and see what their days are like in their diaries.
I really didn't believe it until I saw it with my own eyes. Hope this helps 0 -
Preplan your meals. Every night plan the next day so you are meeting the minimum 1200. If you are hungry and have worked out, eat some of those calories. Your body is screaming at you that you need the fuel. I mean genuine hunger not boredom hunger. Like the other posters, you need minimum 1200.0
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You're eating far too little. If you're still maintaining a calorie deficit then you are NOT overeating. Figure out your maintenance calories then plan to eat below that amount. At this rate, if you continue to eat too little you will plateau.0
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Not to patronize anyone but I tried to simplify it and put it in "in layman's terms" terms its important to know actual facts (great opportunity for me to review the biochemistry for the boards!) . Just a bit of what all medical schools teach in the U.S. regarding metabolism at fasting versus starvation :
The Fasting State:
By 2 hrs after meal → glucose levels in fasting range (80 –100 mg/dL) → pancreas ↓↓ insulin → liver starts to degrade glycogen
As insulin decreases, glucagon increases.
Triglycerides in the adipose tissue are converted to fatty acids and then to glucose (and some ketone bodies)
Protein in the muscle is converted to amino acids which is converted to glucose
Lactate from red blood cell metabolism is converted to glucose
Glucose is utilized in the brain and red blood cells; ketone bodies are utilized in the muscle for energy.
The Starvation State:
Fasting 3-5 days
Muscle continues FA burn; ↓↓ ketone body use to save it for the brain
Brain begins ketone body use
Liver → ↓↓ gluconeogenesis because depleted of glycogen
Muscle/other protein→ ↓↓ use less of it because don't want to break down muscle thus ↓↓ gluconeogenesis from muscle
Work Cited:
Michael Lieberman and Allan D. Marks: Marks’ Basic Medical Biochemistry: A Clinical Approach,4thEdition,Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins,2013; ISBN 978-1-60831-572-70 -
this was good until the "when you don't eat..." stuff popped up. Note to OP you have to not eat for 72 hours for your body to turn to muscle to get energy...and even then it is minimal.
The TDEE - x % is a pretty effective method and you do not have to worry about eating exercise cals back....give it a shot for four to six weeks and see how it goes...
Actually according to metabolism studied in biochemistry the body tries to reserve muscle after 72 hours of fasting.0
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