I'm confused about something....

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kskye82
kskye82 Posts: 56
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok, so I'm pretty new to this site and everything. I noticed that everytime someone is "under their calorie goal" for the day that people are cheering that person on. Are we supposed to be eating less than our calorie goal? I thought we should be eating our calorie goal.....Can someone help me understand?

Thanks!
~Kristina

Replies

  • flsunshine
    flsunshine Posts: 188 Member
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    first off the calorie goal is the maxium calories you need for an average day. even if you excerise it doesnt mean you need to eat those calories. so if you can stay right on or a little under your actually calorie goal its more energy youre able to burn since most people dont use the calories they comsume the eat in a single day. like myself my calorie goal a day is about 1200, even if i excerise doesnt mean i need to be right at or over that goal. the goal is really just an estimate.
  • Jenks
    Jenks Posts: 349
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    I don't think they're cheering on being under as much as they are cheering on not going over :laugh:
    You should eat at least the 1200, you don't want to be under 1200.
  • Families_R_Forever
    Families_R_Forever Posts: 630
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    I see what you saying. But even if I have 3 cals left for the day...it will say I am under, kinda funny really. I try to get as close as possible without going over...so mine will pretty much always say I am under unless I am dead on target or over...In my opinion we should eat our exercise cals if we can. Unless you have burned a ton then I is impossible, for me anyways...
  • Eve23
    Eve23 Posts: 2,352 Member
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    You are correct. It is best to stay as close to your calorie goal as possilble. If you are under in your calorie intake to often it will backfire and you will actually go into starvation mode. When that happens your body will hold onto everything it can and you will gain weight. Making sure you eat all your calories including your exercise calories will help keep that from happening.
  • OnionCookie
    OnionCookie Posts: 272 Member
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    I cheer people for completing their diary yet another day. Whether under or over at least they are logging what they eat and giving some dedication to the site. Also some people earn calories from exercising, sometimes like 1000 and its rare anyone will eat back all those exercise calories hence they'll be under. XD:flowerforyou:
  • johnthefatman
    johnthefatman Posts: 205
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    If you have been accurate and honest in setting up your goals and recording your consumption you should be able to loose at the rate you chose when setting goals. There is a real danger in under-running your daily target by a lot, regularly, as if you do the body can respond by going into starvation mode where your metabolism slows and the body tries to save every calorie it can to fat. Slow and steady is always the best weight loss. For example I am targeting just 1lb per week and I do under run by about 10% most days but I know I am not recording absolutely everything so I am cool with that.
    Another point to remember is that those of us starting in the upper regions of the morbidly obese category have daily allowances of > 2000 and can undershoot without any danger of triggering starvation shut-down but those with only a few 10s of lbs to lose will likely be looking at a target like 1200 where significant under-runs can be counter-productive.
    Eat healthy food up to your daily target and don't worry it will work - it may take time to get going at first but it will.

    Good luck
    John
  • kskye82
    kskye82 Posts: 56
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    Thank you so much everyone! That really gave me a better feel for what is going on :happy:
  • imagymrat
    imagymrat Posts: 862 Member
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    No one has ever cheered for me :sad: , i've never had a post that has said i'm under.:tongue:
  • kskye82
    kskye82 Posts: 56
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    Awwww I'll cheer for ya! I just sent you a friend request =)
  • navstar
    navstar Posts: 113 Member
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    Personally I don't "cheer" when my MFP friends are under, and every once in a while I'll re-post as my status the reason why I don't "cheer", some people agree with me some don't but thats up to them and I don't lay awake at night worrying about it :bigsmile: and I try to "hit" my target every day, in fact I am always over by at least 10 calories but never by more than 50 (will ok maybe sometimes I am :tongue: ) You just need to find your balance, I am losing weight (about 0.5lbs a week) but I'm not hungry which would not be good as I get very cranky when I'm hungry (and you don't want to see me cranky :noway: ) and I need lots of patience in my "job" (carer for very "difficult" disabled Mother in law!). If on the rare days I am under I get "cheered" I take it and just move on. People have different goals and different paths to get there!!
  • staps065
    staps065 Posts: 837 Member
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    :bigsmile: :bigsmile: I always try to stay under, but it could be 10, 30 or 50 calories under. I just hate to go OVER. Since I exercise almost every day and eat back my burned calories, fat, carbs, etc... the last thing I want to do is go over. I think if it had how many you were under or over the comments would be more appropriate; I hope. Cheer when someone is under but not starving themselves, and encourage but don't scold if they go over, unless they are trying to gain. There are some people on here trying to gain. Not me, but there are some.

    I know I punish myself when I go voer, even if it is a "Cheat" day, but I'm sure I wouldn't want to be beat up if I went way over.... Just my thoughts, for what they are worth. :bigsmile: :bigsmile:

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