Need Help Please!!!!

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RunConquerCelebrate
RunConquerCelebrate Posts: 956 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I started doing p90x a week when I setup my profile on here it gave that I should eat about 1290 calories because I selected Sedentary lifestyle since at work at an office. I know that when you do exercise the system gives you those calories back that you burned. So my question for you is what do you do in order to keep loosing weight and keep up with your calories? Today for example I burned about 700 calories which bumped my calorie intake. After completing my diary it still says that I have 400 calories left. Should I find somehting healthy to eat that is going to get me to a lower number of calories left will that help me with weight loss and giving my body the fule that it needs.

I want to loose weight but I do not want to go into starvation mode either. This is my second week here on MFP and my first time couting calories so any help will be appreciated.

Replies

  • p0rker
    p0rker Posts: 5
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    400 calories is a modest meal. Skipping ONE meal is going to give you a calorie deficit, but ONE meal missed is not going to put your metabolism into starvation mode. I skip meals all the time, and I am DROPPING some serious FAT. (there's a long LONG story to the inner drive/rage/disgust/desperation that has brought me to this point...but I digress). Anyway, I got food poisoning about 6 months ago. I didn't eat not one morsel of food for 4 days. I went into starve mode then. I was doing sooooo good too. I was down to 204. I am back down to 217 today.

    The thing I am concerned the most for you with missing meals is the lack of protein. That's one thing your body doesn't really store. You have to keep that going in at all times. I have a buddy who is a body builder/MMA fighter, and when he misses a meal, he'll just eat a protein bar (or two).

    Hope this helps.
  • 4lafz
    4lafz Posts: 1,078 Member
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    I never eat all my exercise cals - depends on the day and how hungry I am. Eat until you are full (not stuffed) and call it a day.
  • sarahwright01
    sarahwright01 Posts: 229 Member
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    anticipate your calories earned/burned earlier in the day and try to squeeze in your calories before you work out, if you work out at night. But, I try to only eat back 1/2 of my exercise calories. I am losing 1.5-2 pounds a week.....
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
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    I think it is important to eat some of your exercise calories back, but I never actually eat all of them. I always plan ahead...so like for next week, if you look in my diary, I have already planned out 7 days worth of food and logged it in. I also already logged in my exercise estimating the calories burned. (I will be wearing a HRM and changing the calories to actual, but this is a good start for planning ahead). I actually planned out my food after adding in my exercise, that way I could see what my limits were after adding in the exercise calories.

    Starvation mode usually doesn't even set in until you have gone for an extended period of time of not eating enough calories. People who claim to eat only 1000 calories per day all the time are in starvation mode and most don't know it (for example). A couple of meals here and there usually is not enough to send you into starvation mode.

    When doing a strenuous program like P90X, you really have to listen to your body and see what works for you. If you go about a week or so missing your calorie mark by 400 or so, yet you feel energized, are not bonking in the workouts, and are losing weight at a healthy pace (1-2 pounds a week is ideal) then it's OK. On the other hand, you should make some changes if you feel tired, less energized when you are not working out, or are ravenously hungry all the time.

    Have you tried to follow the P90X eating plan at all? If you look at the portion plan, it shows you how to pick healthy foods to get you to the level of calories you should be eating. It really helped me out when I first did P90X, and now I still use those lists as guidelines for how I pick certain foods. And some of the recipes are wonderful, too! :flowerforyou:
  • shellgib
    shellgib Posts: 196 Member
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    As long as you are getting your minimum number of calories (1290) you should stay out of starvation mode. the key to increased weight loss after you have created a deficit with your diet is to continue to create a deficit with exercise. But it is recommended that you "eat back" at least about 1/2 of your burned exercise calories to keep your body fed and metabolism up throughout the day. Like someone suggested it may be just a protien bar, handful of almonds, apple w/ peanut butter, cup of milk, something like that to give you a little extra nutrition that won't be as heavy as a whole meal. I know when I was only getting about 1200 calories net I stopped losing, when I increased to about 1400 calories net I started losing again. You just have to see what works for you. Some of this is trial and error. Keep in mind it is not what you see in one week....it takes a while to get it right, but this way it will last!! You are changing habits and learning a new lifestyle! Good luck!
  • RunConquerCelebrate
    RunConquerCelebrate Posts: 956 Member
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    Thank you all for replying this information really helps.

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