900 cals okay on days not exercising??

ok so I have my calorie goal set for 1400 a day and I exercise m-f. but since I take sat and sun off from working out is it smart to keep my calorie goal for those days at 900-1000? it seems like that is what I should do if im not working out so that way im nt eating back calories on days I don't exercise.
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Replies

  • pteryndactyl
    pteryndactyl Posts: 303 Member
    Are you using MFP's calculations? If so, your deficit is already built into your calorie goal. You should be eating 1400 on rest days (which is still a deficit) and 1400+exercise cals on workout days.
  • silken555
    silken555 Posts: 478 Member
    1400 cals is your TDEE or is it the number MFP set for you based on the answers you gave?
  • i would end up eating my own arm or fainting if had that little amount of energy to survive on.

    try it, but when you have weekends where you feel like complete trash and you don't feel like getting up on sunday/monday morning put it back :)

    out of interest what intensity are your working out at and what would be your goal burn during said workout?
  • Mia_RagazzaTosta
    Mia_RagazzaTosta Posts: 4,885 Member
    Even 1400 seems low. How did you arrive at that number?
  • jweindruch
    jweindruch Posts: 65 Member
    Seems too low to me.
  • redheaddee
    redheaddee Posts: 2,005 Member
    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    This can help you figure out what you should be eating. Unless you are 3 feet tall, 900 calories is probably too low.
  • EandA85
    EandA85 Posts: 63 Member
    Way too low. Going by your ticker I'd start with 1600-1800 plus eating at least 1/2 of your exercise calories back.
  • Cranquistador
    Cranquistador Posts: 39,744 Member
    NO
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    No that's not what you should do. MFP is set up with your deficit built in. Your calorie goal is a goal because you're meant to reach it. Also you should be eating back at least half of your exercise calories.
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
    NO
    This.
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
    NO!!!!!!!
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,336 Member
    No.
  • irisheyez718
    irisheyez718 Posts: 677 Member
    No....just no.
  • _jayciemarie_
    _jayciemarie_ Posts: 574 Member
    I know a lot of people will disagree, but I feel an occasional day of 900 calories is ok. However, if you find yourself hungry you should eat more. Like someone said on here the MFP already factors a deficit, so you dont need to go below that.
  • how are you able to do that? maybe cause i have absolutely no self control. I am just unable to keep myself on such a rigid calorie defecit... i just eat when I am hungry. I have a hard time limiting my calories below 1800.
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,474 Member
    um, no,,,, duh, lets drink and kick someass
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    I know a lot of people will disagree, but I feel an occasional day of 900 calories is ok. However, if you find yourself hungry you should eat more. Like someone said on here the MFP already factors a deficit, so you dont need to go below that.

    I don't think anyone here is going to tell you that an occasional day of 900 calories isn't ok, but two days out of every week when she is already on a calorie restriction the rest of the week isn't exactly occasional.
  • mssag
    mssag Posts: 23 Member
    It depends. I will have some low days because I focus on meeting my calorie goal on a 7 day rolling average (i.e., calories may be high on some days, low on others, but average out to my calorie goal). The way I view it is that our bodies are not looking at calories in a 24 hour window necessarily - 24 hrs is just an arbitrary time frame. This has worked well for me - I will stay on the lower side M-Th, which gives me some wiggle room on the weekends when I tend to go out to dinner and/or drinks with friends.
  • turtleball
    turtleball Posts: 217 Member
    I know a lot of people will disagree, but I feel an occasional day of 900 calories is ok. However, if you find yourself hungry you should eat more. Like someone said on here the MFP already factors a deficit, so you dont need to go below that.


    One day I found myself at 800 calories and then I had cheesecake -- oh well :bigsmile:
  • tageekly
    tageekly Posts: 3,755 Member
    Did someone say, "No," yet?

    Oh, they did. Good.

    Yeah, no, that's not okay.

    No that's not what you should do. MFP is set up with your deficit built in. Your calorie goal is a goal because you're meant to reach it. Also you should be eating back at least half of your exercise calories.

    ^ This.
  • sullengirl78
    sullengirl78 Posts: 36 Member
    LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • KeepGoingKylene
    KeepGoingKylene Posts: 432 Member
    I would just like to add in an extra NO, just in case.
  • Tropical_Turtle
    Tropical_Turtle Posts: 2,236 Member
    no... heck people in comas will consume more than that just to keep their body "functioning"

    SO NO!!!!
  • avocadoshaped
    avocadoshaped Posts: 35 Member
    I guess the No's have it.

    But let us go through all of the maths.

    I assumed you were 5'6" you may be 7' but thats what I assumed

    So your BMR is 1950 calories, that is if you were comatose you would burn 1950 calories. So if you wanted to loose 2 lbs a week that would be 1000 calorie deficit so 950 calories, assuming you were comatose. Office workers (going to the office fridge I assume) burn between 1.2 and 1.3 times their BMR so 2300 a day, less the 1000 gives us 1300. So the minimum you should eat is 1300 or so on non exercise days and more on exercise days.
  • tifsimmons91
    tifsimmons91 Posts: 84 Member
    Thank you everyone for the advice. According to mfp I'm supposed to consume a little over 1500 cal a day but I set it to 1400 because I know that I will lose more weight and I'm not actually starving myself. I actually want to cut down to 1200 but I'm trying toslowly shrink my stomach. I Weigh 254 lbs and I just want to lose this weight as quickly as I can. And someone my weight should be able to lose 20 lbs a month easily but I know I cant do that eating 1500 cal
  • tiptoethruthetulips
    tiptoethruthetulips Posts: 3,371 Member
    You have unrealistic expectations of weight loss...20lb a month for someone your weight is not reasonable at all.

    You didn't gain the weight all of a sudden so don't expect to lose it that quickly.

    Consistent and substantial under eating is counterproductive to weight loss. You body will start to consume muscle instead of fat for energy...and you may lose a lot of weight quickly for a period of time but you will be skinny fat and very likely your metabolism will be compromised.

    Unrealistic expectations are set ups for failure, you become disappointed when goals are not met.

    100cals under 1500cals per day is not likely to have a negative effect, however 600cals under will.
  • lioooba
    lioooba Posts: 105 Member
    if you wanna die sure -.- your body burns for sure the 1400kcals without doing anything.

    NO
  • SteveJWatson
    SteveJWatson Posts: 1,225 Member
    Thank you everyone for the advice. According to mfp I'm supposed to consume a little over 1500 cal a day but I set it to 1400 because I know that I will lose more weight and I'm not actually starving myself. I actually want to cut down to 1200 but I'm trying toslowly shrink my stomach. I Weigh 254 lbs and I just want to lose this weight as quickly as I can. And someone my weight should be able to lose 20 lbs a month easily but I know I cant do that eating 1500 cal

    Er, no.

    "Shrink your stomach?"

    Try reading the links already posted and having a little think about what is sustainable.
  • johan1585
    johan1585 Posts: 44 Member
    Thank you everyone for the advice. According to mfp I'm supposed to consume a little over 1500 cal a day but I set it to 1400 because I know that I will lose more weight and I'm not actually starving myself. I actually want to cut down to 1200 but I'm trying toslowly shrink my stomach. I Weigh 254 lbs and I just want to lose this weight as quickly as I can. And someone my weight should be able to lose 20 lbs a month easily but I know I cant do that eating 1500 cal


    Just take your time losing the weight, i bet you dint gain the weight overnight either so take at least a year, read about weightloss on the forums learn all you can about your body, metabolism, exercise.
    Its a huge learning curve and wishing it to go fast will only serve disapointment and relapse in to your old habbits.