Calorie cut and Exercise: Am I doing this correctly?

Cheyluvlee
Cheyluvlee Posts: 11 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello all,



I started at 205 (actually down 10lbs) but make it 207 because since I started working out, I've gained 2lbs. I've read it is normal.. I joined a PF and began working out on the 13th of March. I've been aiming for losing 2 lbs a week but I am not married to the lost. It's an aim for the moon sort of goal. Less eating out, more exercise, and MFP to watch my intake. Here is what I have been doing:

I eat 1400 calories per day. Sometimes, seldom, I go over.
I burn between 300-900 cals working out on any given day not to mention additional movement activities. For ex. Last week, I walked around the city for 5 hours shopping for an interview and it turned out to be nearly 2000 cals burned.

I hit the gym at least 3-5 times a week where I work out for 90 minutes. I would do a combination/variation of 30 mins on the treadmill, 30 on the bike, 30 on the arc trainer or 30 on the elipptical and then 30 minutes strength training. I am now finding myself a little addicted once i am in the strength training part of my workout, I feel slightly nauseous but I am sweating and building endurance. I usually work on the hip abductors, the back extension and leg extensions and the deltoids or lat pull down.

My concern is since I am burning so much energy, am I eating enough? I know you aren't supposed to go below 1200 cals per day, but is 1400 sufficient enough considering I am cutting 1000 calories and exercising? Please help.

I don't get hungry by the time I head to bed. I just want to make sure I am not starving my body of energy/fuel.
Thanks

Replies

  • Mads1997
    Mads1997 Posts: 1,494 Member
    No, you are doing it wrong. You are suppose to be eating the calories MFP gave you + exercise calories. MFP has already created a deficit for you in the allotted calories. By not eating your cals back the deficit could be too large.
  • reerazzle
    reerazzle Posts: 81 Member
    interested in this thread.
  • JazzyTimmy
    JazzyTimmy Posts: 8
    I agree with the first post. 1200 net calories (what you eat minus what you burn through exercise) is the absolute minimum. You can still eat more, exercise as you are, and lose weight. You'll just be healthier. Eating too little causes way too many problems to be 'worth it.'
  • watsonbraff1
    watsonbraff1 Posts: 1 Member
    youre getting A LOT of exercise so you will gain a lot of muscle which might make the scale go up at first. you also need to make sure you eat back the calories you burn off to keep your net calories at your goal.
  • Warchortle
    Warchortle Posts: 2,197 Member
    Here's some math. Your body let's say requires 1200 calories just to exist normally and to function normally. You generally do errands during the day + work and keep on your feet. Your normal day without "exercise" is about 1350. If you exercise and burn 1000 calories it puts you at a net of 350. Now, 350 is a lower number than 1200, which we've established is what you need to exist and to function normally.

    You have to eat your BMR's worth of net calories.
  • MrsWells1983
    MrsWells1983 Posts: 160
    I just started on MFP yesterday and still have no idea what I am doing re: my calorie intake.

    I'm 5'4 (163cm), 104.8kg and I checked the sedentary activity level (I'm a SAHM with 3 kids while studying uni). MFP gave me 1200cals per day. I burned about 250 cals by bike riding yesterday and checked in below the 1200cal intake for the day. I don't know if this is right or wrong. Should I have eaten those 250 cals back (taking cal intake from 1200 to 1450?).

    I find the whole thing really confusing.
  • Railr0aderTony
    Railr0aderTony Posts: 6,803 Member
    I just started on MFP yesterday and still have no idea what I am doing re: my calorie intake.

    I'm 5'4 (163cm), 104.8kg and I checked the sedentary activity level (I'm a SAHM with 3 kids while studying uni). MFP gave me 1200cals per day. I burned about 250 cals by bike riding yesterday and checked in below the 1200cal intake for the day. I don't know if this is right or wrong. Should I have eaten those 250 cals back (taking cal intake from 1200 to 1450?).

    I find the whole thing really confusing.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/943139-weight-loss-cheat-sheet-ipoarm

    Knowledge is Power, read this link.
  • broscientist
    broscientist Posts: 102 Member
    Just make sure you are eating a minimum of 6 times per day.
    Make sure you are getting 25 grams of protein per meal.
    Make sure you are taking in fast carbs and protein at the end of your workout.

    You can get by with the 1400 calories a day as long as you give your body a steady stream of protein throughout the day.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    No, you are doing it wrong. You are suppose to be eating the calories MFP gave you + exercise calories. MFP has already created a deficit for you in the allotted calories. By not eating your cals back the deficit could be too large.

    this!
  • 1980karen
    1980karen Posts: 92 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/943139-weight-loss-cheat-sheet-ipoarm

    ive just put all my numbers in on this site and im even more confused? im a 33 year old female weighing 209lbs and 65 inches tall. acording to this my BMR is 1715, thats 500 cals more than MFP!! does that seem like a big difference?
  • 1980karen
    1980karen Posts: 92 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/943139-weight-loss-cheat-sheet-ipoarm

    ive just put all my numbers in on this site and im even more confused? im a 33 year old female weighing 209lbs and 65 inches tall. acording to this my BMR is 1715, thats 500 cals more than MFP!! does that seem like a big difference?
    I ran your numbers and you're right, it's 1,715.

    What you mean it's 500 more than MFP? MFP BMR calculator? Or how many calories MFP gave you to eat?

    MFP is designed for you to eat your calories back, this method is not... So this would be higher.

    yeah much higher than what MFP gave me to eat. now youve explained it, it makes sence
  • MsPudding
    MsPudding Posts: 562 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/943139-weight-loss-cheat-sheet-ipoarm

    ive just put all my numbers in on this site and im even more confused? im a 33 year old female weighing 209lbs and 65 inches tall. acording to this my BMR is 1715, thats 500 cals more than MFP!! does that seem like a big difference?

    That spreadsheet totally confuses me too to be honest. Filling in the 'simple set-up' tab with my stats, setting the 'daily activity' at 0 (because I have a 40hr week desk job) it gives me BMR 1,600/TDEE 1,999 and goal calories 1,600 (same as BMR). I then added in exercise, which is currently about 60-90 minutes a day cardio and the TDEE went up to 2,248 but my daily goal calories stayed the same at 1,600 which the form reports is a 28.9% deficit. The form also says *not* to eat back exercise calories.

    So is that right? It's suggesting just to eat at BMR of 1,600 and ignore all exercise calories? Doing what it suggests would give me a daily calorie Net of approx 1,000 calories.
  • Cheyluvlee
    Cheyluvlee Posts: 11 Member
    Thanks for the responses and additional questions. I see that I am not the only one who is confused here,

    Just to be clear, my caloric needs to maintain my current weight is 2400. MFP has my caloric intake at 1400, it cut 1000 so I can lose 2lbs a week. My BMR is 1730.65


    So, if I am supposed to eat 1400 calories to see a loss, and I am burning half of that in addition, I should eat the 1400+ what I burn? I eat throughout the day also, If I am hungry then I will eat something. No starving here. I eat at least 25 gms of protein and I have a protein shake before or after my workouts. I watch the targets for the carb, fat and protein or nutritional charts and fall within them closely.

    I am going to read the link posted.
  • Cheyluvlee
    Cheyluvlee Posts: 11 Member
    I get it. I have to eat what I burn because the calories are already subtracted for me. So If I am to eat 1400 cals a day and I burn 600 then I need to eat that back to maintain the 1400. So right now i am probably burning too much and not eating enough. Got it. I will pay attention to my net cals, too. Thanks all.

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