THE answers to THE questions

kami28 · August 2010

bump bump bump

diana1211 · September 2010

Bumpity bump

Lellyann · September 2010

BUMP!

adelehj · September 2010

Great thread thanks

all4Hayden · September 2010

Thank you for all your info:flowerforyou: Heidi

KarenBorter · September 2010

This is an awesome thread ... and explains the why's of calories and the why's of eating. I swear when I sit down now to a measured meal and eat, I feel like I am eating too much. I know I am not though because I am following the program here and going by the guidelines. I know if I hit a plateau that I will likely have to UP my calories. If I have to do that then I will change the amounts I eat at different times of the day. I have only been here since September 1 but already have lost 5 lbs. I work out every day and am eating "normally" but watching all the important numbers.

Another thing to mention (and I didn't read all 20 pages) is to drink your water! It's super duper important so you don't retain what you are drinking and your cells don't hold on to hydration for survival. I have upped my water considerably on a daily basis and drink at least a gallon if not more per day.

I love this site.

Scorpiomom222 · September 2010

THANK YOU!!!! I was looking for an answer like this all day!

Scorpiomom222 · September 2010

OK, this will be long. Please read it if you are confused. Disclaimer: I am not a dietician or a doctor, just a successful loser and maintainer, who has consulted both doctors and dieticians.

Question #1:

Should I eat all my calories?

Yes. MFP is already figuring a deficit for you to lose weight. This deficit is based on what you need to eat based on your everyday activity, not counting exercise. In the end, it's all about "net calories" (you can view yours under reports)

Example: you need to eat 2,000 calories to maintain your current weight (random number)
MFP will tell you to eat 1,500 to lose one pound per week (500x7=3500=one pound loss).

Let's say you exercise, and burn 500 additional calories.
UH-OH, now you are at a 1,000 calorie a day deficit. You need 2,000 calories to maintian, are already restricted to 1500, so now your net calories are a 1,000 a day. This is starvation central. Your body, which is very good at keeping you alive, will store and save calories. You WILL stop losing weight. You WILL want to throw your scale out the window.

Eat your exercise calories. At least eat most of them.

Question #2:
I'm eating 1200 calories, I feel like crap and I'm not losing weight. What gives?

Answer:
Run, don't walk, to "tools" and use the BMR calculator. Please, please, please, eat at least your BMR calories every day. You might lose weight more slowly, but you will still lose, and you will not longer feel a sudden urge to fall over every time you do, well, anything.

Question #3:
I'm doing "everything right" and the scale won't move.

Answer #1: The scale is the devil. Step away from the scale. Buy a tape measure, notice how your clothes are (probably) fitting better. Muscle is more dense than fat, and takes up less space on your body. More muscle on your body will make the scale freeze or (gasp) move upward.

Answer #2: You're not being honest. In order for this to work, you must record every morsel of food that goes in your body. Also, if you ride a stationary bike for 30 minutes and barely break a sweat and can still chatter on your cell phone (OK, that's my personal gym pet peeve) then you're probably not working "vigorously". Don't overestimate your exercise calories. (this was a big mistake I made in the past.)

Answer #3: Your body might be re-adjusting. How you feel is the most important mark of progress. It's very easy to fixate on numbers, but feeling better really should be its own reward.

Question #4:
So, if I'm eating my exercise calories, what's the point of exercise?

Answer: (warning: extremely opinionated answer ahead)
You don't. You can lose weight through diet alone. But, then you will be skinny and flabby. Is a model skinnier than me? OH, YES! Is she healthier than me? probably NOT. She couldn't survive the hour-long spin class that I take three times a week. Trust me. Her skin is a mess, she smokes, and she looks like crap in person. (this is a generalization. I don't hate models, but this is their lifestyle. . .I used to be a "dresser" at shows, and I saw a lot of "behind the scenes" stuff.

Does that help? Please say it does.:flowerforyou:

I'm reposting this on the introductions board, so all the newbies see it.

emeraldee · September 2010

I find it hard to eat all my workout calories. I just feel full. I'm on a 1200 calorie diet and my BMR is around 1100 but sometimes eating that much is exhausting. I just started working out, though (so maybe I'll start feeling hungry after I get used to being more active?). Do you have advice for me?

Scorpiomom222 · September 2010

I find it hard to eat all my workout calories. I just feel full. I'm on a 1200 calorie diet and my BMR is around 1100 but sometimes eating that much is exhausting. I just started working out, though (so maybe I'll start feeling hungry after I get used to being more active?). Do you have advice for me?

ME TOO! Maybe we're not using our calories right. I have been full for 6 hours. I still ate dinner while I was full. What am I doing wrong?

lotusfromthemud · September 2010

I find it hard to eat all my workout calories. I just feel full. I'm on a 1200 calorie diet and my BMR is around 1100 but sometimes eating that much is exhausting. I just started working out, though (so maybe I'll start feeling hungry after I get used to being more active?). Do you have advice for me?

ME TOO! Maybe we're not using our calories right. I have been full for 6 hours. I still ate dinner while I was full. What am I doing wrong?

Smaller meals and snacks more often. Bump up your calories gradually. If you're eating really well (like primarily fruits and vegetables) you have to eat a large volume of food to get your nutrition in. I try to eat a vegetable and a protein every single time I eat. So, I'll eat a snack of cottage cheese and cut up veggies, or almond butter and an apple, or an avocado and some leftover chicken in a salad. When I first started to eat a healthy amount, I felt like eating was my job. Also, protein shakes became my friend.

As an aside, if you've been undereating for a while, one of your body's coping mechanisms is to lose its appetite. So, you may have a few weeks that you are eating when not hungry.

All of that being said, if your BMR is truly 1100 (which would mean you're kind of petite, right?) than don't sweat it if you feel comfortable on 1100. This isn't an exact science, but more about finding what works right for YOUR body.

HTH.:flowerforyou:

Also, neither of your food diaries is public. If I could see them, I could offer some specific ways to eat a few more calories here and there. (painlessly, I promise.)

Kate_UK · September 2010

Thanks for keeping this post going, I'm so glad you all bumped it for me to see, its so helpful!
:flowerforyou:

EDITED TO ADD:
I just rechecked my BMR and its 1510! I'm 5ft 91/2 and 158 lbs. I've been eating 1430 (excluding exercise cals) and that seemed like a lot, feels wrong to be eating even more:laugh:

jschillsr · September 2010

My quesiton relates to the percentages of Fat/Protein/Carbs that are established in the profile. What are they? Is there a way to change them? I think I would like ot have more protein and fewer carbs.....

lotusfromthemud · September 2010

Thanks for keeping this post going, I'm so glad you all bumped it for me to see, its so helpful!
:flowerforyou:

EDITED TO ADD:
I just rechecked my BMR and its 1510! I'm 5ft 91/2 and 158 lbs. I've been eating 1430 (excluding exercise cals) and that seemed like a lot, feels wrong to be eating even more:laugh:

I'm 5'6" and lose at about 1500 (plus some exercise calories). You're pretty tall, so don't be afraid to eat a bit more.

lotusfromthemud · September 2010

My quesiton relates to the percentages of Fat/Protein/Carbs that are established in the profile. What are they? Is there a way to change them? I think I would like ot have more protein and fewer carbs.....

I don't know what the defaults are...but you can change them (under the advice of a pro, I would say) under the goals tab.

"Goals"
"Change goals"
"custom" and then you'll be able to see the defaults and change if you desire.

scentsykristen · September 2010

Thanks for posting this! It is a great reminder when things slow down.

tnemgarf · September 2010

the 1500 is includin those gained from exercise?
eg goal is 1500
total 1200
exercise 500
net 700
remaining 800

so u eat additional 800 to hit the 1500 goal?
sorry about it... coz im very confused...

i've been stuck for 2 weeks, since i started aka i lost 0

my bmr is 1400
calorie burn/amr [based on exercise] is 2170
recommended calories is 1200
exercise calories is about 400 - 700

so do i just eat the recommended 1200 & not eat the calories gained from exercise or eat those gained from exercise?

OK, this will be long. Please read it if you are confused. Disclaimer: I am not a dietician or a doctor, just a successful loser and maintainer, who has consulted both doctors and dieticians.

Question #1:

Should I eat all my calories?

Yes. MFP is already figuring a deficit for you to lose weight. This deficit is based on what you need to eat based on your everyday activity, not counting exercise. In the end, it's all about "net calories" (you can view yours under reports)

Example: you need to eat 2,000 calories to maintain your current weight (random number)
MFP will tell you to eat 1,500 to lose one pound per week (500x7=3500=one pound loss).

Let's say you exercise, and burn 500 additional calories.
UH-OH, now you are at a 1,000 calorie a day deficit. You need 2,000 calories to maintian, are already restricted to 1500, so now your net calories are a 1,000 a day. This is starvation central. Your body, which is very good at keeping you alive, will store and save calories. You WILL stop losing weight. You WILL want to throw your scale out the window.

Eat your exercise calories. At least eat most of them.

Question #2:
I'm eating 1200 calories, I feel like crap and I'm not losing weight. What gives?

Answer:
Run, don't walk, to "tools" and use the BMR calculator. Please, please, please, eat at least your BMR calories every day. You might lose weight more slowly, but you will still lose, and you will not longer feel a sudden urge to fall over every time you do, well, anything.

Question #3:
I'm doing "everything right" and the scale won't move.

Answer #1: The scale is the devil. Step away from the scale. Buy a tape measure, notice how your clothes are (probably) fitting better. Muscle is more dense than fat, and takes up less space on your body. More muscle on your body will make the scale freeze or (gasp) move upward.

Answer #2: You're not being honest. In order for this to work, you must record every morsel of food that goes in your body. Also, if you ride a stationary bike for 30 minutes and barely break a sweat and can still chatter on your cell phone (OK, that's my personal gym pet peeve) then you're probably not working "vigorously". Don't overestimate your exercise calories. (this was a big mistake I made in the past.)

Answer #3: Your body might be re-adjusting. How you feel is the most important mark of progress. It's very easy to fixate on numbers, but feeling better really should be its own reward.

Question #4:
So, if I'm eating my exercise calories, what's the point of exercise?

Answer: (warning: extremely opinionated answer ahead)
You don't. You can lose weight through diet alone. But, then you will be skinny and flabby. Is a model skinnier than me? OH, YES! Is she healthier than me? probably NOT. She couldn't survive the hour-long spin class that I take three times a week. Trust me. Her skin is a mess, she smokes, and she looks like crap in person. (this is a generalization. I don't hate models, but this is their lifestyle. . .I used to be a "dresser" at shows, and I saw a lot of "behind the scenes" stuff.

Does that help? Please say it does.:flowerforyou:

Nice summary. I'd add to this that now that I'm eating closer to 1500 cals a day, I'm losing weight again. Technically speaking, 1200 cals should be enough, but it wasn't.

You have to listen to your body. If you are *extremely* hungry to the point of fatigue, you're not eating enough.

The problem is that you can underestimate (or overestimate) your base level of physical activity, which I suspect was the culprit in my case. For instance, I have a "desk job" that is mostly sitting on my bum, but I don't own a car and walk everywhere. My morning commute involves a 10-minute brisk walk (sometimes sprint) for a bus, at the end of which I must run three flights of stairs, and a 10-minute walk on the other end. That's 20 minutes right there, without factoring in all the other tasks I do every day. Then add to that working out. . .

I''m reasonably certain I could eat 2,000 calories and not gain.

And an note about working out: viviakay you are ABSOULTELY right . You can lose weight without working out, but you'll get flabby. I took a week off while on vacation, and another week off because I've had the flu, and I'm really starting to notice it . . .

lotusfromthemud · September 2010

I can't explain it any more simply than "eat your exercise calories. At least eat most of them."

MFP has got your back. Do what it says. Lots of people have success with the site.:flowerforyou:

NicoleMcBride · September 2010

Thank you

dogdaze · September 2010

This is a GREAT thread!

I learned my lesson a few weeks ago when I hit a temporary plateau and I thought I could lose quicker by restricting more! I ended up feeling rotton and the scale never moved.....

Now I don't stress if I eat up my allowance but equally, if I am not hungry, I won't eat all my exercise calories. My weight has only changed a pound or two but in the right direction. I am getting into clothes that I have not worn for ages (and some clothes that fit a month or two back are now distinctly baggy)

platoon · September 2010

Love this! THANKS SO MUCH! :-)

cmriverside · October 2010

Here is the original post by Viviakay. She is the awesomest of the awesome. Read her blog, too. You'll be so glad you did.

V, I miss you, hope you don't mind my doing this for the newer members who don't know their way around the boards as well.

______________________________________________________________________________

OK, this will be long. Please read it if you are confused. Disclaimer: I am not a dietician or a doctor, just a successful loser and maintainer, who has consulted both doctors and dieticians.

Question #1:

Should I eat all my calories?

Yes. MFP is already figuring a deficit for you to lose weight. This deficit is based on what you need to eat based on your everyday activity, not counting exercise. In the end, it's all about "net calories" (you can view yours under reports)

Example: you need to eat 2,000 calories to maintain your current weight (random number)
MFP will tell you to eat 1,500 to lose one pound per week (500x7=3500=one pound loss).

Let's say you exercise, and burn 500 additional calories.
UH-OH, now you are at a 1,000 calorie a day deficit. You need 2,000 calories to maintian, are already restricted to 1500, so now your net calories are a 1,000 a day. This is starvation central. Your body, which is very good at keeping you alive, will store and save calories. You WILL stop losing weight. You WILL want to throw your scale out the window.

Eat your exercise calories. At least eat most of them.

Question #2:
I'm eating 1200 calories, I feel like crap and I'm not losing weight. What gives?

Answer:
Run, don't walk, to "tools" and use the BMR calculator. Please, please, please, eat at least your BMR calories every day. You might lose weight more slowly, but you will still lose, and you will not longer feel a sudden urge to fall over every time you do, well, anything.

Question #3:
I'm doing "everything right" and the scale won't move.

Answer #1: The scale is the devil. Step away from the scale. Buy a tape measure, notice how your clothes are (probably) fitting better. Muscle is more dense than fat, and takes up less space on your body. More muscle on your body will make the scale freeze or (gasp) move upward.

Answer #2: You're not being honest. In order for this to work, you must record every morsel of food that goes in your body. Also, if you ride a stationary bike for 30 minutes and barely break a sweat and can still chatter on your cell phone (OK, that's my personal gym pet peeve) then you're probably not working "vigorously". Don't overestimate your exercise calories. (this was a big mistake I made in the past.)

Answer #3: Your body might be re-adjusting. How you feel is the most important mark of progress. It's very easy to fixate on numbers, but feeling better really should be its own reward.

Question #4:
So, if I'm eating my exercise calories, what's the point of exercise?

Answer: (warning: extremely opinionated answer ahead)
You don't. You can lose weight through diet alone. But, then you will be skinny and flabby. Is a model skinnier than me? OH, YES! Is she healthier than me? probably NOT. She couldn't survive the hour-long spin class that I take three times a week. Trust me. Her skin is a mess, she smokes, and she looks like crap in person. (this is a generalization. I don't hate models, but this is their lifestyle. . .I used to be a "dresser" at shows, and I saw a lot of "behind the scenes" stuff.

Does that help? Please say it does.:flowerforyou:

written by Viviakay http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/6556-the-answers-to-the-questions?page=1

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