Totals, Net and Remaining Calories - What is "too low?"

Tmoxson
Tmoxson Posts: 19 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all,

I'm new at this (been keeping a diary for a week) and I am concerned about the net calories, don't want to start off on the wrong foot.

My daily goal is 1200 (temporarily, starting with the 2 lbs/wk loss for a few weeks and then moving up to 1 lb/week to complete the program). My numbers fluctuate, but I am consistently coming in under the daily goal, though I am consuming a "reasonable" amount of calories each day. I am wondering if I come in like below, is this dangerously low?

Totals: 1365
Daily Goal: 1637 (accounting for the 437 earned from exercise)
Remaining: 272

Is it bad to have remaining calories, even if the remaining calories value is low? Let's say out of 7 days, 4 days I come in with 100-300 remaining, 2 I get to goal, and one I go over by a couple of hundred. Am I going to go into starvation mode or otherwise not make progress? Please advise. I don't find it difficult to eat 1200-1500 calories/day, but when the goal gets much higher due to exercise I fear I will always come in "remaining" on days I work out unless I stuff myself with peanut butter or oils at the end of the day!

If it makes a difference, I'm trying to lose 25-30 pounds (I'm 5'5" and currently weight 165, knowing my comfortable weight is 135-140). by the end of the year. I am more interested in losing inches/sizes than weight, lowering my heart rate, and general health than I am in weight loss, though I know there is a weight range I need to be in to be healthy and reasonably fit. I'm being more aggressive on the front-end of this journey with a goal to lose the first 8-10 pounds in the first six weeks but happy to lose more as long as I'm not setting myself up for starvation/failure down the road.

Thanks,

Traci

Replies

  • Raheem444
    Raheem444 Posts: 16 Member
    eat 1800 max, 1400 min: don't worry about net too much it'll confuse the **** out of you, also don't follow MFP's autoadjustment when exercise is added! on days you don't exercise eat 1400 + macros, then 1800 on days you do... try to kill yourself in cardio to burn as much as possible within less than an hour (40-45 mins max to reach 600 calories), when you do weight training, do 10 mins of cardio RUNNING at 8mph/2-3mph, then do your weights: if you want to burn fat quickly do cardio after weight training
    Macros: calories are 1800, carb/protein/fat, 45%/30%/25%, 205g/137g/51g, saturated fats: 9-11g, polyunsat: 14g, monounsat: 26g, Sodium: 2200mg, Potassium: 4500mg, fiber: 35g, added sugar: <40g, fruit sugar: unlimited as long within carbs (2-3 servings of fruit daily)/
    exercise 600 calories of cardio x6/week, strength train for endurance x3/week... soreness means you're doing it right
    eat 3 meals + 2 snacks, eat every 3 hours. start eating at 7am, end eating at 6pm, bedtime at 9pm-10pm: adjust the schedule so that it still has a cycle of 11-12 hours! (eg, 10am breakfast, 9pm dinner, 12am-1am bedtime) aim for 9 hours of sleep or let your body wake you naturally.

    can you answer mine?
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    Hi all,

    I'm new at this (been keeping a diary for a week) and I am concerned about the net calories, don't want to start off on the wrong foot.

    My daily goal is 1200 (temporarily, starting with the 2 lbs/wk loss for a few weeks and then moving up to 1 lb/week to complete the program). My numbers fluctuate, but I am consistently coming in under the daily goal, though I am consuming a "reasonable" amount of calories each day. I am wondering if I come in like below, is this dangerously low?

    Totals: 1365
    Daily Goal: 1637 (accounting for the 437 earned from exercise)
    Remaining: 272

    Is it bad to have remaining calories, even if the remaining calories value is low? Let's say out of 7 days, 4 days I come in with 100-300 remaining, 2 I get to goal, and one I go over by a couple of hundred. Am I going to go into starvation mode or otherwise not make progress? Please advise. I don't find it difficult to eat 1200-1500 calories/day, but when the goal gets much higher due to exercise I fear I will always come in "remaining" on days I work out unless I stuff myself with peanut butter or oils at the end of the day!

    If it makes a difference, I'm trying to lose 25-30 pounds (I'm 5'5" and currently weight 165, knowing my comfortable weight is 135-140). by the end of the year. I am more interested in losing inches/sizes than weight, lowering my heart rate, and general health than I am in weight loss, though I know there is a weight range I need to be in to be healthy and reasonably fit. I'm being more aggressive on the front-end of this journey with a goal to lose the first 8-10 pounds in the first six weeks but happy to lose more as long as I'm not setting myself up for starvation/failure down the road.

    Thanks,

    Traci

    The MFP system is designed to let you lose weight while eating enough to keep your body from taking drastic measures. Too large a deficit can promote hormone imbalances, vitamin deficiency, muscle loss, and a host of other side effects.

    But, you have to keep in mind that weight loss is also all about estimates. Your calorie needs are estimated. Your exercise calories are estimated and a lot of people find that MFP and gym equipment overestimate their burn. Even the calories in your food are allowed to be up to 20% higher than the label if you're eating a lot of pre-packaged food. If you aren't using a heart rate monitor and food scales to be as precise as possible, leaving a little wiggle room is usually a good idea.

    So yes, leaving calories left at the end of the day could be a bad thing. But I don't think 100-300 calories will be a problem. Pay attention to how your body feels and use those calories if you need them, but I wouldn't stress over them, myself.
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    Think of you daily goal as the "finish line"... if you exercise, then the finish line becomes just a little bit further away.

    MFP already works out your deficit for you. If you try to add a deficit to your already existent deficit, you won't be giving your body the fuel it needs.
  • nicola1141
    nicola1141 Posts: 613 Member
    A couple of hundred calories here or there probably aren't going to be the culprit. I try to keep track of my weekly calories as well as my daily, so and I think that one is more important, especially if I'm under and over on different days.
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
    Depends on your goals. If your goal is FAT loss, then don't eat below TDEE - 20%. If your goal is weight loss, then just make sure you get a minimum of dietary fat everyday, and enough vitamins and minerals, and you can eat as low a calorie intake as you want. You'll lose weight real fast...
  • cingle87
    cingle87 Posts: 717 Member
    I alwas stay about 100 or so cals under my goal, just to alow for underestimate of cals in and cals burnt. If you are a 100% sure with what you are logging, the MFP is designed for you to hit or get as close as possible to it.
  • 55in13
    55in13 Posts: 1,091 Member
    Lots of factors. I will throw in one from the science book...

    You fat stores can release 31.4 calories per pound of fat per day. That means that if you take your body fat % and multiply it by your weight, you will come up with pounds of fat which you multiple by 31.4 . If the deficit in your diet ever exceeds that number, your body will have to metabolize something other than fat to provide it. When you have a lot to lose, it's a really big number and not much of a concern. When you get closer to goal it factors in prominently.
  • lsmsrbls
    lsmsrbls Posts: 232 Member
    If you only are trying to lose 25-30 pounds, then 2 pounds per week is very aggressive.

    I'd worry more about that causing you to eat too few calories than being off from your goal by a bit periodically.

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