First Day of Logging...

So today I thought I should log my food consumption and the exercise I plan on doing later. I'm not sure if it looks right.

-1,200 calorie allowance per day
-Calories for the day total 914
-Earned 265 calories through exercise I plan to do later

Should I be trying to eat the remainder of the 1,200 calorie allowance? Confused!

Replies

  • hollym1009
    hollym1009 Posts: 3 Member
    You should definitly eat at least 1200 calories a day or your body will go into starvation mode. Eat the calories!!! :)
  • nsagley
    nsagley Posts: 84 Member
    MFP sets your goal at a deficit so you should eat all of your calories that it allows. Most doctors and nutritionists recommend that no one go below 1200 cal per day.
  • HappyWifeBeth
    HappyWifeBeth Posts: 34 Member
    You don't have to eat back the exercise calories, but you should try and get fairly close to the daily allowance. Not eating enough calories can set you back in the long run.
  • I found it easier to set my net calorie goal to my basal metabolic rate. If your BMR is 2000 and your net calorie for the day is 900, you can subtract that from 2000, times 7, divide by 3500 gives you how many pounds you will lose per week if everyday is like today.
  • HappyWifeBeth
    HappyWifeBeth Posts: 34 Member
    I also have better luck logging it as I eat it. That way nothing I pop in my mouth gets overlooked. :)
  • prawnsmummy
    prawnsmummy Posts: 9 Member
    Thank you all! I think I've been fairly honest with my logging too, and will of course log anything else I may eat in the meantime! Can I ask, are any of you fairly healthy all day then use any remining calories for 'naughty' foods? I guess what I'm trying to say is does it matter what you eat, as long as the calories are used?
  • KimberlyDCZ
    KimberlyDCZ Posts: 525 Member
    I find that when I allow myself more calories, I tend to grab less healthy foods. Make sure you have healthy snacks around, even if they are more calorific, such as avacado or nuts.
  • jennyh213
    jennyh213 Posts: 1
    I have had a few "snacks" along the way. I do not deprive myself of anything, I still have my chocolate, I still have the occassional cake or donut, I simply watch my serving sizes and frequency of these things. I find that this allows me to still enjoy the snacks while not over indulging. I also find that if i deprive myself of these things, I am more likely to crave them even more later. Enjoy the "naughty" once in a while. :)

    I also find that if I want something that may be way too many calories or too high in fat etc, I can fend off the craving by grabbing a small glass of 2% milk (6-8oz). Also helps me gain my calcium intake for the day.
  • redhead_k073
    redhead_k073 Posts: 20 Member
    I like to log all of my food intake the day before. That way I can see if I have any wiggle room or if I need to add more food. I don't add my exercise in until after I do it because I never know just how much I'll get done in one day. By logging my food in the day before though, it helps keep me on track since I already know what I'm going to eat. It prevents me from making bad choices just because I'm hungry.

    I also don't deprive myself of anything. I'm trying to start making better choices when I'm craving something sweet but I also know eating a small piece of chocolate once in a while isn't going to ruin me.