Confused

alexanik · January 2014

Last year I weighed about 155 lbs. I am 5'4 and I was 18 years old then.
I ate around 1200 calories a day, and worked out on the treadmill everyday and burned about 600 calories a day, and never ate back any of my exercise calories for 3 months. I stopped working out when something tragic happened in my family, but in the 3 months I lost around 20 lbs. I stopped exercising, but I still took in about 1200/1300 calories a day for the rest of the year.
Now I am trying to lose weight again (especially in my thighs because they are huge!) and I started to do what I did last year, not eat back any of my exercise calories, but people on MFP are telling me that I should.
I am just confused because I lost 20 lbs last year without eating back calories, and this year I am trying to lose weight again, and I am afraid to gain weight.
Thanks for all your help

Siansonea · January 2014

Last year I weighed about 155 lbs. I am 5'4 and I was 18 years old then.
I ate around 1200 calories a day, and worked out on the treadmill everyday and burned about 600 calories a day, and never ate back any of my exercise calories for 3 months. I stopped working out when something tragic happened in my family, but in the 3 months I lost around 20 lbs. I stopped exercising, but I still took in about 1200/1300 calories a day for the rest of the year.
Now I am trying to lose weight again (especially in my thighs because they are huge!) and I started to do what I did last year, not eat back any of my exercise calories, but people on MFP are telling me that I should.
I am just confused because I lost 20 lbs last year without eating back calories, and this year I am trying to lose weight again, and I am afraid to gain weight.
Thanks for all your help

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. And if Random Person On The Internet says you're losing weight "wrong", well, take it with a grain of salt. Our bodies are remarkably resilient, especially when we're young, so don't be paranoid about the semi-mythical "starvation mode" that people finger-wag about on here. If you're eating in the 1200-1300 range and aren't killing yourself with exercise, you're probably in a decent deficit and will lose weight at a good pace. If you are losing more than 2 pounds a week, you should probably go up to the 1300-1400 range though. About 2 pounds a week is the fastest you should be trying to lose.

sweetpea03b · January 2014

That's the thing... you will lose eating nothing and exercising too much... with a terrible price to pay in the long term. Your body needs fuel... and you need to stick with a MODERATE deficit. I'd guess your body burns 1200 calories at rest (at least)... so factor in your every day activities probably puts you at atleast 1500-1600 calories burned (but you're only eating 1200)... then you're burning an additional 500 calories from exercise... that puts you at a 800cal/day deficit. Unless you have 100's of lbs to lose.. that's too much. Also, doing that much cardio, I'm sure you're burning just as much muscle as fat (maybe more) so back off on the cardio and introduce more weight lifting... if you work out eat back enough to leave you at a 500cal deficit ONLY.

Do your TDEE calculations to make sure all of this is accurate for your stats, of course. You can lose weight the wrong way for a short time... but eventually you'll have to do it right to get the long term results you want.

ETA: haven't you heard the term "skinny fat"? You might be skinny... but if its all fat and no muscle... you won't be happy with the result. Your body is a machine... its needs fuel or food to operate. You can run it on fumes for a while.... but eventually it'll stop running. Read New Rules of Lifting for Women. Even if you don't do the program, it will make you understand how your body works.

Good luck.

nomeejerome · January 2014

First, you cannot spot reduce. Second, how were you logging and measuring your intake to know that you were eating at the 1200 calorie range? Third, how were you measuring calories burned through exercise?

alexanik · January 2014

First, you cannot spot reduce. Second, how were you logging and measuring your intake to know that you were eating at the 1200 calorie range? Third, how were you measuring calories burned through exercise?

I know I can't spot reduce, I just figured cardio would help out my whole body the most. I used to do "quick add calories" every day last year, but this year I started to actually put in what food I was eating into my journal, and for exercise, my treadmill tells me how many calories I am burning.

alexanik · January 2014

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. And if Random Person On The Internet says you're losing weight "wrong", well, take it with a grain of salt. Our bodies are remarkably resilient, especially when we're young, so don't be paranoid about the semi-mythical "starvation mode" that people finger-wag about on here. If you're eating in the 1200-1300 range and aren't killing yourself with exercise, you're probably in a decent deficit and will lose weight at a good pace. If you are losing more than 2 pounds a week, you should probably go up to the 1300-1400 range though. About 2 pounds a week is the fastest you should be trying to lose.

So you're saying even though I have a net of 600 calories it's okay because it worked for me last year?

nomeejerome · January 2014

First, you cannot spot reduce. Second, how were you logging and measuring your intake to know that you were eating at the 1200 calorie range? Third, how were you measuring calories burned through exercise?

I know I can't spot reduce, I just figured cardio would help out my whole body the most. I used to do "quick add calories" every day last year, but this year I started to actually put in what food I was eating into my journal, and for exercise, my treadmill tells me how many calories I am burning.

By using the quick adds, there is no way to say for certain what your true intake was for that time. Exercise equipment (and some MFP exercises) overestimate calories burned. I would suggest reading the following link to start:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

nomeejerome · January 2014

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. And if Random Person On The Internet says you're losing weight "wrong", well, take it with a grain of salt. Our bodies are remarkably resilient, especially when we're young, so don't be paranoid about the semi-mythical "starvation mode" that people finger-wag about on here. If you're eating in the 1200-1300 range and aren't killing yourself with exercise, you're probably in a decent deficit and will lose weight at a good pace. If you are losing more than 2 pounds a week, you should probably go up to the 1300-1400 range though. About 2 pounds a week is the fastest you should be trying to lose.

So you're saying even though I have a net of 600 calories it's okay because it worked for me last year?

A net of 600 is not appropriate for long-term success, especially if you do not have much to lose.

alexanik · January 2014

A net of 600 is not appropriate for long-term success, especially if you do not have much to lose.

So you're telling me to increase my net calories, but I am so afraid to gain weight

AJ_G · January 2014

You should consider strength training, if you're only doing cardio and eating at a deficit, you will lose both muscle and fat while you're losing weight. If you do resistance training, you can retain your muscle and lose the fat. Also, if you're doing that much steady state cardio every single day and eating at that large of a calorie deficit, your body will adapt and by the time you get down to the weight you want, you may find that you need to eat 1200 calories just to hold that weight and not gain because your metabolic capacity has decreased. Lose weight the smart way...

Stage14 · January 2014

First, you cannot spot reduce. Second, how were you logging and measuring your intake to know that you were eating at the 1200 calorie range? Third, how were you measuring calories burned through exercise?

I know I can't spot reduce, I just figured cardio would help out my whole body the most. I used to do "quick add calories" every day last year, but this year I started to actually put in what food I was eating into my journal, and for exercise, my treadmill tells me how many calories I am burning.

You're actually likely to have the opposite effect with a very low calorie diet and lots of cardio, because you will burn away mostly muscle, causing things to get more jiggly, not less. Your best bet is to focus on body recomposition rather than the scale.

And PP is absolutely wrong. You can absolutely do serious damage to your body eating too few calories for an extended period of time, and you've already been doing it for more than a year, and especially in your late teens when your body is still developing. And I'm not talking about "starvation mode". I'm talking about screwing up your hormones, losing your hair, compromising your fertility, etc.

alexanik · January 2014

You're actually likely to have the opposite effect with a very low calorie diet and lots of cardio, because you will burn away mostly muscle, causing things to get more jiggly, not less. Your best bet is to focus on body recomposition rather than the scale.

And PP is absolutely wrong. You can absolutely do serious damage to your body eating too few calories for an extended period of time, and you've already been doing it for more than a year, and especially in your late teens when your body is still developing. And I'm not talking about "starvation mode". I'm talking about screwing up your hormones, losing your hair, compromising your fertility, etc.

So you're suggesting that I do body recomp which would mean doing what? And for the people telling me to do strength training, I have a pear shaped body (I think) and I have heard to avoid weights when exercising because that would just make my thighs even bigger, when I'm just trying to lose them.

AJ_G · January 2014

You're actually likely to have the opposite effect with a very low calorie diet and lots of cardio, because you will burn away mostly muscle, causing things to get more jiggly, not less. Your best bet is to focus on body recomposition rather than the scale.

And PP is absolutely wrong. You can absolutely do serious damage to your body eating too few calories for an extended period of time, and you've already been doing it for more than a year, and especially in your late teens when your body is still developing. And I'm not talking about "starvation mode". I'm talking about screwing up your hormones, losing your hair, compromising your fertility, etc.

So you're suggesting that I do body recomp which would mean doing what? And for the people telling me to do strength training, I have a pear shaped body (I think) and I have heard to avoid weights when exercising because that would just make my thighs even bigger, when I'm just trying to lose them.

Whoever told you to avoid weights is absolutely clueless. Weight lifting will not make your thighs bigger. On top of that, weight lifting while you're eating at a deficit and losing weight will not cause muscle growth, what it will do is make you stronger, and keep you from losing muscle while you're losing weight, this will make you look more defined and toned as you lose weight and get rid of the fat. Contrary to what people (who don't know what they're talking about) say, strength training as a female will not cause you to get big and bulky, it will not cause you to grow your muscles like crazy, and it will not cause you to look masculine.

Stage14 · January 2014

You're actually likely to have the opposite effect with a very low calorie diet and lots of cardio, because you will burn away mostly muscle, causing things to get more jiggly, not less. Your best bet is to focus on body recomposition rather than the scale.

And PP is absolutely wrong. You can absolutely do serious damage to your body eating too few calories for an extended period of time, and you've already been doing it for more than a year, and especially in your late teens when your body is still developing. And I'm not talking about "starvation mode". I'm talking about screwing up your hormones, losing your hair, compromising your fertility, etc.

So you're suggesting that I do body recomp which would mean doing what? And for the people telling me to do strength training, I have a pear shaped body (I think) and I have heard to avoid weights when exercising because that would just make my thighs even bigger, when I'm just trying to lose them.

It means eating a SMALL deficit (300-500 calories under your TDEE) and focusing on a strength training program that uses compound full-body moves like squats and deadlifts. Starting strength and New Rules of Lifting for Women are both good starter programs. Whoever told you to avoid weights because of your body type has no clue what they are talking about.

You can still do cardio, just don't make it the focus.

alexanik · January 2014

Okay so if I cut back on cardio, I am still confused as to how many calories/ net calories I should be having daily. And if I continue to do cardio, if I eat back all of my calories? And if I eat back calories will I gain weight? I feel like I completely messed up my whole body and I'm stuck

AJ_G · January 2014

Okay so if I cut back on cardio, I am still confused as to how many calories/ net calories I should be having daily. And if I continue to do cardio, if I eat back all of my calories. I feel like I completely messed up my whole body and I'm stuck

I'd suggest you do the TDEE method and work a deficit into it, then you don't have to worry about eating calories back, or any of that nonsense, and you could just eat the same caloric intake every day and your cardio exercise and deficit would already be factored in, so it's just one simple number to deal with.

erialcelyob · January 2014

In my opinion you are doing it right

Lifelink · January 2014

-Be mindful when you eat.
-Do cardio.
-Lift.

/end

eyecandyrayce · January 2014

Okay so if I cut back on cardio, I am still confused as to how many calories/ net calories I should be having daily. And if I continue to do cardio, if I eat back all of my calories? And if I eat back calories will I gain weight? I feel like I completely messed up my whole body and I'm stuck

You are not confused.. you are just scared of the answer. When you are young it is easier to do these things but as you get older it becomes harder.

Though I will say the main sign of not eating enough calories is physical and mental exhaustion. If you are suffering from either, you are probably ok. Probably being a key word here. Nobody here is a doctor.

Nobody here can convince you if you keep being too afraid to even try doing this the healthy way.

eyecandyrayce · January 2014

I'd suggest you do the TDEE method and work a deficit into it, then you don't have to worry about eating calories back, or any of that nonsense, and you could just eat the same caloric intake every day and your cardio exercise and deficit would already be factored in, so it's just one simple number to deal with.

I agree with this

alexanik · January 2014

Okay so if I cut back on cardio, I am still confused as to how many calories/ net calories I should be having daily. And if I continue to do cardio, if I eat back all of my calories. I feel like I completely messed up my whole body and I'm stuck

I'd suggest you do the TDEE method and work a deficit into it, then you don't have to worry about eating calories back, or any of that nonsense, and you could just eat the same caloric intake every day and your cardio exercise and deficit would already be factored in, so it's just one simple number to deal with.

So if I figure out my TDEE, I should calculate it without putting my cardio exercise in for my daily activity, right?

alexanik · January 2014

Okay so if I cut back on cardio, I am still confused as to how many calories/ net calories I should be having daily. And if I continue to do cardio, if I eat back all of my calories? And if I eat back calories will I gain weight? I feel like I completely messed up my whole body and I'm stuck

You are not confused.. you are just scared of the answer. When you are young it is easier to do these things but as you get older it becomes harder.

Though I will say the main sign of not eating enough calories is physical and mental exhaustion. If you are suffering from either, you are probably ok. Probably being a key word here. Nobody here is a doctor.

Nobody here can convince you if you keep being too afraid to even try doing this the healthy way.

I am actually not really tired, and sometimes it is hard for me to even eat 1200 calories a day, let alone try to eat back my exercise calories.

AJ_G · January 2014

Okay so if I cut back on cardio, I am still confused as to how many calories/ net calories I should be having daily. And if I continue to do cardio, if I eat back all of my calories. I feel like I completely messed up my whole body and I'm stuck

I'd suggest you do the TDEE method and work a deficit into it, then you don't have to worry about eating calories back, or any of that nonsense, and you could just eat the same caloric intake every day and your cardio exercise and deficit would already be factored in, so it's just one simple number to deal with.

So if I figure out my TDEE, I should calculate it without putting my cardio exercise in for my daily activity, right?

To figure out your TDEE, you first calculate your BMR. To most accurately do this, you need to know your body weight, and have at least an estimate of your body fat percentage. If you don't know, you can go online and look at pictures of different body fat percentages for women and compare them to yourself to get a rough idea. Once you calculate your BMR, you multiply it by an activity multiplier that takes into account your daily activity INCLUDING cardio exercise. The number you get after you multiply is your TDEE or Total Daily Energy Expenditure which is the total number of calories you burn every day. Then to create a deficit you just subtract 15% or 20% from this number, and that's your calorie goal for weight loss.

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