im always under my cal goal.. is this ok ?? or harmful

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Dandeliiondreams
Dandeliiondreams Posts: 116 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Okay. im not sure if this is good or bad. My set goal is 1680 calories a day, yes i sometimes go over this.. as do we all. But most times im under sometimes way under.. even when i do eat well but am really calorie cautious.. Plus workout calories get added in and things like this.. So is it okay to be under as long as im eating or is this really bad.. ive read so much and im getting mixed answers..

Thanks dolls !!!

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  • getting_fit86
    getting_fit86 Posts: 128 Member
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    I think it is okay to be under, as long as it isn't under 1200 calories like MFP recommends. If you are under by 200-300 calories (which gives you 1400 or 1300) you should be just fine. Just eat half your exercise calories back if you are worried. I would pay more attention to your nutrients and make sure you are not deprived!
  • kellyskitties
    kellyskitties Posts: 475 Member
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    Looked at your diet - doesn't look bad to me. I'd add a little more fruits/veggies - but that's something I always promote - nobody can debate that being healthy.

    Plus - look at your weekly average - I think a under there is okay too but it's more accurate than a day as to what you are doing. If it's way under I'd eat more. If it's a little under -and you are not hungry - and you are losing weight - then don't fix what isn't broken.
  • Dandeliiondreams
    Dandeliiondreams Posts: 116 Member
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    Thanks !! Some days i loose some i gain.. just up and down always but im taking everything more serious this week so hopefully i start dropping some.. just was worried that it would affect my metabolism beign under. And yes more fruits and veggies to come !! =)
  • kellyskitties
    kellyskitties Posts: 475 Member
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    Way under - maybe. Under by a pickle - no. Under by a side salad - no. Under for the week by 7000 - likely.

    Happy you are adding fruits/veggies - they are such a health booster. And filling.
  • Dandeliiondreams
    Dandeliiondreams Posts: 116 Member
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    =) Thanks !
  • narcissa87
    narcissa87 Posts: 19
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    I envy all of you people that struggle to not be under their calorie requirement. I am a waitress, I do double shifts 3 times a week and single shift the remaining 4 where I'm constantly running like crazy, I weight lift at the gym 5 times per week and attend yoga classes 2-4 hours. In addition I bike to and back from work 3 days per week, 45-50 minutes per day. I'm always hungry. Almost all of my meals and snacks are on the healthy side because my body feels better, I like the taste more but also because I have more calories to spend that way. I calculate all of my days just to be able to fit enough snacks because I know I'll be hungry multiple times per day and I am struggling to keep my daily goal of 1600-1800 calories, I almost never manage.
  • Dandeliiondreams
    Dandeliiondreams Posts: 116 Member
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    I envy all of you people that struggle to not be under their calorie requirement. I am a waitress, I do double shifts 3 times a week and single shift the remaining 4 where I'm constantly running like crazy, I weight lift at the gym 5 times per week and attend yoga classes 2-4 hours. In addition I bike to and back from work 3 days per week, 45-50 minutes per day. I'm always hungry. Almost all of my meals and snacks are on the healthy side because my body feels better, I like the taste more but also because I have more calories to spend that way. I calculate all of my days just to be able to fit enough snacks because I know I'll be hungry multiple times per day and I am struggling to keep my daily goal of 1600-1800 calories, I almost never manage.


    Find things that really fill you up and are low calorie. theres so many !! Maybe since your so go go go a protein shake. Fruits and veggies are filling and you can eat quite a bit without blowing your calories. Im working on all of this now also !! KEEP GOING !!!
  • Dandeliiondreams
    Dandeliiondreams Posts: 116 Member
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    I envy all of you people that struggle to not be under their calorie requirement. I am a waitress, I do double shifts 3 times a week and single shift the remaining 4 where I'm constantly running like crazy, I weight lift at the gym 5 times per week and attend yoga classes 2-4 hours. In addition I bike to and back from work 3 days per week, 45-50 minutes per day. I'm always hungry. Almost all of my meals and snacks are on the healthy side because my body feels better, I like the taste more but also because I have more calories to spend that way. I calculate all of my days just to be able to fit enough snacks because I know I'll be hungry multiple times per day and I am struggling to keep my daily goal of 1600-1800 calories, I almost never manage.

    Also since your job keeps you moving those calories count too!! Add them up lol =)
  • RebeccaSarah16
    RebeccaSarah16 Posts: 59
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    I have the same problem! But once you're not under by a huge amount I think it's okay.
  • narcissa87
    narcissa87 Posts: 19
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    I envy all of you people that struggle to not be under their calorie requirement. I am a waitress, I do double shifts 3 times a week and single shift the remaining 4 where I'm constantly running like crazy, I weight lift at the gym 5 times per week and attend yoga classes 2-4 hours. In addition I bike to and back from work 3 days per week, 45-50 minutes per day. I'm always hungry. Almost all of my meals and snacks are on the healthy side because my body feels better, I like the taste more but also because I have more calories to spend that way. I calculate all of my days just to be able to fit enough snacks because I know I'll be hungry multiple times per day and I am struggling to keep my daily goal of 1600-1800 calories, I almost never manage.


    Find things that really fill you up and are low calorie. theres so many !! Maybe since your so go go go a protein shake. Fruits and veggies are filling and you can eat quite a bit without blowing your calories. Im working on all of this now also !! KEEP GOING !!!
    Oh my meals are full of fruits, vegetables and fiber. I have a protein shake every day that I lift. I always exceed my carbs by some due to fruit because I love it and I love having it in different times of the day and I refuse to restrain it more than already having to weigh it and portion it. I don't have much to lose (theoretically I shouldn't really lose anymore, 1,68m hight, 55kg weight), it's more about going lower in BF% (nutritionist's scale said 16-17% but it doesn't seem accurate, other calculations put me more in the range on 18-20%), which should happen through lifting and a slight deficit. I'm just not sure if my TDEE is 1900 or 2000 or 2300, so creating a deficit could vary by a lot. MFP puts me on 1600 NET and I don't really trust the exercise calories of the site, through other calculations it could be 1800 or 2000. I'm trying to follow the 1600 one just because I know I'll go over it almost surely since I feel often hungry during my day (and night).
  • aleshasnyder48
    aleshasnyder48 Posts: 7 Member
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    Get a heart rate monitor if you're worried about the exercise calories being inaccurate. As a waitress myself, we burn sometimes 1000s of calories. Do you have your profile set at the most active setting and eat back your exercise calories? Maybe I'm just confused on your post but I don't see how you can possibly be hungry if you eat your 1600 net calories including your exercise calories?
  • narcissa87
    narcissa87 Posts: 19
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    My profile is set at active as it's where the waitress job is set. My exercise calories amount to an average of 200+ per day (based on MFP but I don't know how accurate it is and I can't afford a HRM) which sums up to 1800 calories and yes, most of the time that leaves me hungry. The point is I don't know how to trust TDEE calculators. http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/CalRequire.html gives me way more, 3029, and if I modify some of my most active hours to lighter it gives me 2500.

    Ultimately I know the only solution is to experiment and that needs time, try an amount and see how my body reacts. I guess I'm just impatient and just really confused on whether I should still try to lose weight or if my strength training would be enough to better shape my body without deficit.

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